Burning to Ride

by Michele De Winton

  And then there he was. Last night’s sex party on a leather-clad stick. Lee watched him for a moment. His cheekbones were high, giving him an exotic, catlike quality that went with his lean physique and dark, sleek features. Checking him out in daylight, she realized that for a gang guy, he was sleek. His longish black hair was smoothed back, not dirty, and his hard, angled chin was freshly shaved.

  She thought about walking over and introducing herself properly when a hand clamped onto her wrist and then tucked into her elbow.

  “She rises. You were so cute sleeping this morning, I didn’t wanna wake you. You’re coming to play some more though, aren’t you?” It was—Lee racked her brain for the woman’s name—Georgia, that was it. Lee was impressed with herself for remembering the woman’s name after only meeting her last night.

  “You’re the one who slept through everything. Missed out, big time,” Lee said, her eyes swinging back toward Mr. Shag-o-licious.

  The woman’s eyes followed hers before pulling Lee to a corner. “Him? You had Hade Corban last night?”

  “You would have, too, if you hadn’t passed out. Unlucky for you, lucky for me. His full attention is something I’m not going to forget in a hurry.”

  The other woman hissed through her teeth. “Shit, girl. You’ve got balls, that’s for sure.”

  Lee frowned. “What? He’s a gang guy. So what? So was Whatshisname. But he couldn’t handle the pace.”

  Georgia grimaced. “Yeah, but Whatshisname is not a Hell’s Boy. Soft. Not like Hade. Shit, I should get outta here.”

  Hade, good name. Suited him. Lee’s skin tingled as the hairs on her arms stood to attention, looking for an escape route. “Thought I might try for a second round.”

  The other woman scoffed. “Good luck with that. He doesn’t let women stick around for long. Rocco wants him to lead the gang and they have some stupid thing about staying single when they’re in charge. Tradition, yada yada. God, I don’t even know why we came here, that was a stupid idea.” She stood from her bar stool.

  The shrug was more confident than Lee felt, but then she changed the weight of her stance and felt the soft ache between her thighs. Last night had been magnificent and that’s what she decided to focus on now. Lust above all? Worrying was for people with a plan.

  “Treat ’em mean, keep ’em keen, girl,” she said to Georgia. The woman looked at her blankly. “Another dancer taught me the saying. A New Zealand girl. Good, huh? Works on men even better than on chicks. Nice to meet you and all, but I’m sticking around here. If you could pass that on to your Menace guy or whatever he was. Stupid territory shit between boys I do not need.” She straightened and eyed Hade again. He really was all that. All that she wanted right now to keep reality at bay. So she strolled over to the black-eyed leader.

  “Didn’t think I’d see you again,” she said as she ran her finger down the front zipper of his jacket, acutely aware that every eye in the place was on her.

  “And yet here I am,” he said. His voice was lower than she remembered, darker. Like he’d gargled with the gravel off his bike tires for breakfast. She looked up into his big dark eyes and had to hold back a shiver. His gaze stripped her bare as effectively as his hands had last night. But more than that, he looked at her like she belonged to him. Brutal, possessive need shone in his eyes. She liked it.

  Just then, the doors of the bar opened and three bikers stalked in, full of noise and the cold air of outside. “Hell’s Boys, one. Pussy Boys, zero. That’ll teach ’em to bet on me losing a road race,” the man said, holding up a canvas bag full of cash. She saw Hade’s eyes follow her as she watched the new bikers. Was he jealous? Could she make him be? Treat ’em mean, girl.

  “Best I go congratulate your man,” she said to Hade and let her finger trail from the zipper of his jacket down his front to the waistband of his pants. “On your behalf, of course.” She walked over to where a group of bikers were slapping the winner on the back, hoping her stiff shoulders didn’t reveal her nervousness. This was what she did, put on a show until everyone, including herself, believed it. And she wanted Hade aching for her, wanted to make him a little bit hers as much as his eyes had made her his in front of this room full of men.

  “Well done,” she said, weaving her way right up to the guy holding the bag of cash. “Everyone loves a winner.” And she pushed her hand through the hair at the back of his head and pulled him down for a deep, hot kiss. His shock lasted only a split second before he grabbed her ass and deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue in for good measure.

  Coming up for air, he grinned down at her. “Well, hello, kitty cat. Seems someone forgot to give you your saucer of milk, didn’t they? I should look after you so you don’t go thirsty.”

  One of the others cleared his throat and he looked up. Lee noticed the subtle nod in Hade’s direction and the winner released her immediately. “Well. Thanks for the congrats,” he said.

  She raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m new in town,” she said, loud enough for plenty of ears to hear. “Don’t know many people. Trying to make some friends.”

  “Sure. Nonetheless, things to do, people to see, you know how it is,” he said and backed away quickly, tucking his hands into his pockets.

  Lee stood in the middle of the room, feeling all eyes on her, but when she looked up, no one would catch her gaze. No one except Hade. And the look in his eyes had gone from smolder to flamethrower. Well, that worked.

  “Seeing as you’re the man with the cash, you buying the drinks then?” she said and stalked over to the bar. “Shot of tequila, on him,” she said to the woman behind the bar and jerked her thumb over her shoulder.

  Lee kept her back to the room and watched the eyes of the bar owner as she looked for approval before turning, filling up a shot glass of tequila, and putting it down in front of Lee. The bar rumbled back into action as the steady hum of voices picked up now that the potential spectacle was over. Downing the alcohol, Lee waited.

  “If you’re looking for a party, you’ll definitely find one,” said the young woman, tequila bottle still in hand. “But if you’re looking for anything else, check out now. And if you’re going to share yourself around, make sure you square it with Hade.” The bar owner leaned over the bar and eyeballed her.

  “What’s it to you?”

  The other woman shrugged. “Nothing. But this is my bar and I don’t want anything getting broken today. Especially not your nose. It’s pretty.”

  Lee balked. “They’d break a girl’s nose?”

  “Once the wild rumpus starts, there’s no rolling your eyes to get it to stop around here. And I only just fixed that door. So make up your mind about what you’re here for, then go get it or get out. And I mean that in the nicest possible way.”

  “Of course.” Lee eyed the bar owner up. There was no artifice in the other woman’s eyes.

  “What if I want Hade?”

  “Of course you want Hade. All the girls want him. Doesn’t mean you’re going to get him.”

  “What if I already had him?”

  The pause was filled with unspoken questions as the women eyed each other up. “Name’s Briony Wilde. And you are?”

  “Lee. Delevigne,” she added as an afterthought.

  “So you’re planning on sticking around?”

  It was Lee’s turn to shrug. “Looks like a fun time.”

  “You just look after your pretty little nose then.” And Briony walked away.

  Lee put her finger in the empty shot glass and wiped out the last drop of tequila. Putting her finger in her mouth, she turned on her stool to scan the bar. Hade was talking to two other men but as if he felt her eyes on him, he turned. Bingo. He wanted another round just as much as she did. And she’d already decided. Forbidden fruit and all that. Yep. All this talk about him being an impossible catch just made her want him again all the more.

  Chapter Four

  Hade watched his one-night stand lick her finger. What she did with that tongue of hers
was dangerous. Everyone else seemed to have decided she was his already. His dick was certainly in on that conversation. Hade shifted a little as it nudged against the seam of his leathers, thickened from the sight of her sucking back the last of her tequila.

  So? So what? He wasn’t going to do anything about it. Couldn’t.

  Couldn’t or shouldn’t?

  It was the same thing, wasn’t it? Leaders were always single and he was going to head the gang. His brother made him swear to it and would have killed him if he didn’t focus on making it happen. Of course, his brother wasn’t going to actually do much about anything anymore now he was six feet under. Hade felt the sharp tug of darkness behind his eyes that always washed over him when he thought about his brother’s death.

  At least he’d be able to make a few changes if he was in charge. Cut out the drug shit for starters. Completely. Jason had been in a deal gone bad when he’d caught the wrong end of a bullet with his neck. Fucking waste. Fucking stupid thing to be shot over, too, as far as Hade was concerned. Drug money always ended up being more than just drug money. Blood, shit, and greed money was more like it. It might be profitable, but running coke like his brother had was stupid and dangerous. Hell’s didn’t need it. Didn’t need it and, when Hade was in charge, weren’t going to have it. They had a line on property “investments” and protection that was about to bring in big cash.

  “Heads-up.”

  Hade looked up as even more Hell’s Boys entered the bar. “We expecting a quorum or something? What the fuck?”

  Then Rocco stood up on a table and Hade tried not to groan. He wasn’t ready for the spotlight. Not yet. He wanted a few more weeks. Looking over at Lee he saw her eyes taking everything in and then zeroing back to him. Her smile said she knew what he was thinking and promised to make it all better. She couldn’t know any of his fears, but in her eyes he saw her assure him that she’d smooth away his hatred of public speaking and reward him for stepping up anyway. Her look brought on a shiver that laced its way up his skin. She might be a party girl, but that one was sharp lady. Sharp, smart, and hella sexy.

  “Shut up,” Rocco bellowed and the noise died away, all eyes on the gray-haired biker. “I don’t know whether it’s something in the water, or someone has decided to do a secret recruitment mission and not tell me about it, but there’s a shitload of you now. And rather than wonder about how to stop all of you fuckers getting into the sort of trouble that gives me a headache, I’m letting Hade deal with it. I’ll still head the gang and if you decide you really need to kill someone, for fuck’s sake talk to me about it first. But all the shitty day-to-day stuff, you can talk to him about. Hade . . .”

  Rocco stepped down and Hade realized with a start that was it. That was all the introduction he was going to get. He glanced over at the bar and saw both Briony and Lee give him a slow nod. Huh. Briony, he’d known since they were kids. She was always going to be on his side, but Lee? If she was looking for a place to hide amongst the Hell’s Boys, she had reason enough to back him, but he didn’t know what her motivations were. And that made him nervous.

  He didn’t bother getting up on the table; all eyes were on him anyway. “Yeah. Well. What he said,” Hade managed, to a great roar of laughter. Turning toward the bar he stopped and straightened. Fuck it. “First order of business,” he said, turning back to face the gang, “is to make up for what one of you dickwads did last week. Stealing cash from St. Catherine’s was a shit idea. You don’t crap in your own nest, and when I find out who did, well, we’ll have a little chat. And before you ask, your jacket was caught on camera, even if your face wasn’t. Take this as a warning. But seeing as the school’s fund-raising cash has been lifted by one of us, the rest of us are going to pay it back. Legit. It has to be green cash, on the books, ’cause it’s a school and all that. So someone think of a way to raise cash that doesn’t involve stealing it.” He paused, glaring around to see if anyone had a guilty look. Nothing. Oh well. As long as they paid the money back.

  “You’re joking right? No one here knows how to make real money,” a voice called from across the room and Hade wasn’t sure who said it. But walking toward the sound, the crowd parted in front of him so he found the culprit easily enough.

  “I’m not joking. And if I find out it was you who lifted the cash, first thing I’ll do is sell your bike and use your helmet to redecorate your face. Might do that anyway for being a dick.”

  The man shrunk. “We’ll think of something. No probs. I’m on it.”

  “Good. You owe me a beer.” And Hade walked back to the bar, not even glancing behind him.

  The silence dissolved as people went back to their drinks and pool tables and Briony pushed a chilled glass along the bar toward him. He perched on a stool at the other end from Lee and watched the faces in the crowd while he sipped his drink.

  A few men slapped him on the shoulder, but mostly they just gave him a nod if they caught his eye at all. Here we go. Rocco had warned him being a leader was a lonely road. Hade just hadn’t thought through quite how lonely it might turn out. He’d always thought he’d be a more solid type. Have a woman. Be ordinary. Whatever.

  Heading up the gang was what was going to happen and he was going to make it work for him. Had to. Sort out the shit with drugs, turn this bag of misfits back into a tighter brotherhood. The gang had raised him and his brother—it was the only family he had—and he was going to make it great again.

  A shriek startled him out of his contemplation.

  Lee had slapped another woman on the butt and now had most of the gang’s eyes on her ass as she bent over to take a shot. “See, told you I could do it with no hands,” she said triumphantly.

  “Never said I didn’t believe you,” the other woman said loudly enough that Hade could hear.

  “Nice,” someone behind him muttered.

  Nice was right. Girl is hell-bent on stirring you up like a bed of coals and dumping in a quart of diesel.

  Lee knocked back another shot and looked around at her audience. “Damn, if you boys don’t make me about as wet as a bucket of water.” She ended the sentence with a wink and then, PING, it was as if a lightbulb shone from her eyes. “That’s how you do it.” She looked straight at Hade. “Get wet. At a car wash. To raise your cash.”

  He snorted. “Car wash? I know this is for a school, but I think we’re a bit beyond that sort of shit. Can’t see anyone here doing much for a car except stealing it.” There was a rumble of laughter but all eyes were on the two of them, Hade felt it on his neck.

  “You’ll need girls, of course. And lots of hot, soapy, water.”

  The way she paused in between each word in her last sentence told Hade exactly what she’d be doing with that hot, soapy water, and holy crap if he didn’t want a private audience. In fact, the thought of her parading, Jessica Simpson style, in front of anyone other than him made his hard-on ache to be put to use between her thighs just to make sure she kept viewing privileges to him only.

  “So you’re offering to be the one to get wet on our behalf?”

  “Me and some other girls, sure. You’ll need to make sure the water’s good and hot though.”

  Staying hot was not an issue. “One problem,” he growled, hoping to keep the lust out of his voice. “Anyone here actually own a car? Think we’d be better off turning this place into a strip joint for a night.” The room fractured into laughter again.

  Briony held her hands up. “I love you boys and everything, but you trash my bar and you’re out of a home.”

  “Go on, Bri. I’d pay to see you take your shirt off,” came the call from the back of the room.

  “Fuck off,” she said. “Nope. Raise your money elsewhere.”

  “That’s why you need a car wash.” Lee jumped back in. “And you don’t need to own a car yourself. It’s not for you. No offense but I can’t see anyone here getting out their checkbook for a four-figure tip. No, we take over a downtown lot. Get some A-listers to show up. Surely that won�
��t be too hard for boys like you. Got anyone in your back pocket?” She licked her lips with that tongue of hers and then gave him a smile. “So? Whatcha think?”

  He thought he was going to have to either lock her in a room with his cock for about a week or stick it in a tub of ice, fast. But while her car wash idea seemed a bit soft for the Hell’s Boys, it wasn’t a bad one. They did have a couple celebrities that owed them for not splashing their indiscretions all over the press.

  “It’s not a bad idea,” Briony piped up from behind the bar. “Have to be for cars and bikes. Hoods and hogs.” She gave the finger as someone slow-clapped her. “Brad Pitt’s in town this month. And he loves his bike as much as he loves kids. He could be your legit pinup.”

  Lee beamed.

  “Well then,” Hade said. “Unless anyone has got anything better?” The room was silent. “Fuck. I can’t believe we’ve stooped to washing cars. But I guess that settles it. You and you,” he pointed at his two riding buddies, “get the venue sorted. And you,” he pointed to another member, “find an A-lister who owes us. Make it someone who rides a bike for God’s sake. And I’m sure you ladies can rustle up some friends?” he said to the women at the bar.

  “I’ll help,” piped up Lee.

  He grunted assent to her perky offer. “Next week. Let’s make it happen, people.”

  Chapter Five

  Ownership. That’s what she felt when he looked at her. And rather than being patronizing, terrifying, or suffocating, it warmed her blood all the way around her body. It was like last night when he’d accepted that she was running and hadn’t pushed her about what she was running from. Guy got it.

  She stood, about to go over to him, but he turned his back on her and started a conversation with the two bikers next to him. Nice try, boss man, but you’re mine now. He was going to give her a bed tonight and, if last night was anything to go by, neither of them were going to get much sleep.