Glory

by Ana Jolene

  The sun had set a while ago taking the humidity with it. But the air was still warm. On my bike, it would feel like you were facing a furnace at full speed without a helmet. Not the kind of thing I was going for tonight. Smiling as an idea came to me, I ran with it before I could change my mind. “Do you mind if we take your car?”

  Indy shook her head, sending the loose waves fluttering around her face. She immediately tucked them back behind her ear. Why did she keep doing that? I liked her hair flowing all messily around her face.

  As she released ownership of the keys to me, I guided her to her Chevelle and popped the door open, holding it open for her. As she slid into the passenger’s seat, I watched her long, toned legs. Damn, those legs could spur a lifetime of fantasies. “Where are we going?” she asked as I tried to cram myself into the car.

  “Have you ever raced before?”

  “No.” Her eyes grew wide. “Are you going to race my car?”

  I laughed. “Relax, we won’t race anyone if you don’t want to. We can just run the track ourselves.”

  Her hand shot out to touch my arm. “Wait. But if we did, do you think you could win?”

  My smile grew at this adventurous side of Indy. “Hell yeah.”

  “Okay,” she said. The smile she shot me relayed her excitement.

  “Really?” I couldn’t hide my own eagerness.

  “Yeah, let’s do it.”

  “Are you sure?” I didn’t want to give her another reason to hate me.

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  The engine roared to life as I pulled out of the parking lot. I zipped through the narrow roads, taking us quickly to the deserted area where most of the street racers hung out. Fire cans lined the sides of the road, illuminating the track and the finishing line. People stood off to the side. Some were racers, looking for a way to earn some credits. Others were just spectators eager to watch and learn.

  As I approached, it took a moment for Eno to recognize me without my Harley. When he did though, he tapped his knuckles against mine. “Hastie, my man. Looking to race?”

  “Yeah, just once though. Hoping to give her a ride,” I said with a smile in Indy’s direction. She rolled her eyes at the innuendo but smiled at Eno gamely.

  “All right, let me hook you up. Wait here.” Giving one tap to the car’s body, Eno moved to do whatever the hell he did to make this work. Since racing wasn’t technically illegal anymore, I didn’t feel too guilty about bringing Indy here. Tonight was just supposed to be about fun. I turned to face her, studying her expression. Did she think this was corny? Too cliché? “You still sure about this? We can still back out.”

  “No, I want to. Just as long as you don’t crash us.”

  “Babe, you gotta have more faith in me than that,” I said with a grin.

  Moments later, Eno returned. “Got you all covered. You’re racing Sloane over there.”

  I looked in the direction he was pointing to and nodded. “Thanks, my man.”

  “You know the rules?”

  I grinned. “There are no rules.” Out here, you did whatever it took to come out on top.

  Eno nodded, a huge grin spreading across his face. “Good luck, bro.”

  “Thanks.” I pulled away from him, made a quick turn, and drove to our starting line. Indy had been unusually silent this whole time. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”

  She flashed me an excited smile. “I’ve never raced anyone before! This is so cool. How many times have you done this?”

  I shrugged, trying—and failing—to come up with an accurate answer. “A few times,” I said instead. “Before I was in Glory MC, I raced. So you don’t need to worry.” I wasn’t going to let any harm come to her.

  “Will you let me drive?”

  “No fucking way. You heard me back there. No rules. That means anything goes.”

  Indy folded her arms over her chest and pouted playfully. “No fun.” Damn. She had no idea how that one simple action made me want to kiss her.

  “Don’t worry. When we’re going over a 100 miles per hour, you’ll love it. It’s like a high.”

  I took in Indy’s profile as she faced the track. Long lashes curled up towards the sky. She had eyes that were slightly doe-eyed. Dreamer’s eyes. Her nose was small yet perfect for her heart-shaped face. Lips the color of rubies were parted in a smile that transformed her face.

  Last night, there had been a darkness to her as if life had gotten the best of her. Tonight, Indy looked like she was grasping life in her hands.

  I couldn’t remember the last time I had innocent fun like this. Before Glory MC, this was who I was. A fast car and nothing but endless road was enough to keep me a happy man. After joining the club though, things got more serious, leaving no room for recklessness like this. I had seen this side of Indy once before at the dive bar the other night with those men, the one that fed off adrenaline and the threat of danger. She’d love the sixty seconds it took to win.

  Our opponent, Sloane, pulled up next to us and gave me a nod that I returned. “To the baseline and back?”

  I nodded in answer. The sudden roaring of engines filled the air as we got into position. I revved the engine a few times, making it a show, creating anticipation and excitement. A crowd gathered as Eno’s girl, a tall Asian strutted between the two cars and turned to face us. Holding her arms up in the air so that her silhouette made a Y shape, Eno nodded once at her. I turned to face Indy again except her eyes weren’t on me but on the road ahead of us. Her expression looked excited, but determined, as if she was counting on this moment to make or break her.

  I hadn’t realized then, but this race aptly described us: fast, scary, and a little dangerous.

  Eno waved his arms to get our attention. At my nod, he yelled, “Ready, set, go!”

  Wasting no time, I fucking floored it.

  Indy

  I felt weightless. The sky above us blurred together as if we were faster than the speed of light. I gripped the handle bar and braced myself as Hastie gunned it. The roaring of the engine was a constant beat in my ear, a pulsing soundtrack that sent me soaring.

  I felt so high then, my own brand of drug, suddenly awakening inside of me. I was hyperaware of everything around me. In that moment, I felt like I was sharing my mind with Hastie. Last night I had felt the same thundering, racing thoughts alone in my head. Tonight, Hastie and I were racing together with the world watching. It was less lonely here, as if being with Hastie in this car lessened the pain and worry in me. How did Hastie know that this would be cathartic for me?

  Adrenaline coursed through my system, making me feel giddy. I laughed out loud and Hastie’s intense green eyes darted over to me for a brief second before he shifted gears again, his lips curling into a devilish smile.

  Sloane’s GTO was ahead of us by a bit, but the turning point was coming up. We could pull in the lead if we timed this perfectly. As we rapidly approached the turn, Sloane made a go for it first. His car went wide, giving us that small space to squeeze in and cut him off. With just seconds to spare, we gunned it, pedal to the metal, zipping through without lessening our speed. The spark of danger and threat catapulted me into a mental tailspin as I egged Hastie on.

  Yesss! my mind screamed. The whole thing was exhilarating, causing my heartbeat to beat loudly in my ears and my breath to come out in fast, shallow spurts. I screamed as Hastie floored it for the last five seconds it took to cross the finish line.

  We won!

  But he didn’t stop. Instead, Hastie kept going as if we hadn’t crossed the line yet. Spectators rushed back to move out of our way. My head shot towards him, but his eyes were still on the road, that devilish smile still firmly in place. I didn’t know where we were going, but in that rush of excitement, I didn’t care. All I wanted was to chase that high, to feel it again.

  The road became less smooth as we maneuvered past the racing tracks. Out here, it was darker, the shadows offering little way of light. Hastie decreased speed unti
l he fishtailed the car to a stop. By then, my breath was coming out in short huffs, my feet resting against the dashboard as I braced myself for the rush that followed. Hastie looked over at me, eyes wide with adrenaline. “You okay?”

  “That was amazing!”

  Eyes meeting in the dim light of the moon, I took in Hastie’s expression. His lips were parted slightly as his breath sawed in and out, his chest pumping as he breathed in air. His green eyes were an intense shade, reeling me in like a beacon.

  I had a total weakness for men with strong jaws. The fact that Hastie’s was locked tight as if he was trying to hold back his words turned me on more than I had ever been in my entire life. He was looking at me like he wanted to devour me alive. Without thinking, I reached for him, the need to touch him the only thought in my mind.

  His eyes tracked the movement and then slid to my face. I found myself inexplicably drawn to him, as if it was a necessity to touch him. Deciding not to fight it, I leaned over the space between us to brush my lips against his.

  I had never kissed anyone with a lip ring before. But because he had one, or maybe because it was Hastie, it felt like an electric shock through my entire body as our lips met. I jerked back, but Hastie drew his hand around my neck and held me there, holding me for his kiss. The second time his lips descended on mine, fireworks erupted in the back of my eyes. My hands curled in my lap, desperate to hold onto something as my control continued to slip from my grasp.

  “Come here,” Hastie said as he leaned back in his seat. He tapped his thigh with his right hand. “I want to feel you against me.”

  Feeling fearless after that adrenaline rush, I moved towards him, desperate to fill the space between us. My body felt hot and tight, almost as if the air outside was having an effect on me.

  As I slid into his lap, I pulled my leg over so that I was facing him, straddling him completely. I was immediately aware of how our bodies fit against each other. After this, one couldn’t exactly call us strangers anymore. This position left little between us but a sliver of heated air.

  I could feel his erection pressed up against me and the heat of it seared right through my skin. My nipples pebbled in reaction, and I bore down on him in a slow grind that made him groan. “Fuck, Indy,” he grunted.

  Kisses traced my jaw and then I felt him running his lips down the column of my throat. Every drag stoked the fire within me, burning my control until they were ashes in the wind. My own fingers found their way to the bottom of his shirt to pull it up, needing more space to roam. Beneath my hands, his body was rock hard and warm.

  From behind me, his hand threaded through my hair and tugged roughly on it, causing me to tilt my head back and arch my spine. I was completely at his mercy and the question of what he would do next flashed in my mind. His low growl of approval was the only thing I registered as his mouth fastened onto my nipple through my shirt. A gasp ripped from my throat.

  “These perfect tits,” he growled against me, causing a reacting flutter low in my belly. “The moment you walked out of Neptune’s, I could see these pebbled nipples right through your tight shirt. Been thinking about doing this.” As if to demonstrate this, Hastie latched on and sucked hard.

  I cried out.

  “Pull your shirt down,” he ordered. “Hold those tits up for my mouth.”

  Oh God. I bet Hanna never intended this use for her dive bar’s shirts!

  “Won’t ask twice, babe.” Hastie’s eyes were molten, and in that moment, I was willing to give him anything.

  One of my hands reached up to hook a finger at the rounded collar of my shirt. I lifted my gaze to his and saw anticipation and desire there. Repeating the gesture with my other hand, I tugged down roughly, baring myself as I’d never done before. “Fuck yeah.” Hastie licked his lips as if I had just revealed dessert.

  I wasn’t a particularly busty girl, but I had ample size. The hunger gleaming in Hastie’s eyes made me feel desirable and so fucking sexy that there was no way this could be wrong.

  Hastie dropped his head and a second later, I felt the hot trail of his tongue dipping between my breasts and licking upwards, leaving incredible sensation in its wake. He didn’t stop until he traced a path all the way up my neck and reached my jaw. Oh God. This was torture of the sweetest kind. Usually with other men, we jumped straight into the sex, the foreplay a last thought even after protection. As if sensing my distracted thoughts, Hastie bit down hard on my neck. I squeaked. His dark chuckle against my skin enlivened all my senses. And so did his next words. “You taste so fucking sweet, Indy. Like sun and strawberries.”

  He continued to taste me as I held myself up, displayed for his personal enjoyment. Every sweep of his tongue set me on fire and caused an answering wetness low in my core. He nipped and bit, mixing pain and pleasure as he soothed each nibble with his tongue.

  I was beyond turned on at this point and desperately needed to touch more of him. I ran my fingernails down Hastie’s chest and abs and didn’t stop until I reached the bottom of his shirt. I wanted skin.

  The first touch was explorative. The second was possessive. As my fingertips explored the dips and ridges of Hastie’s body, my hand hit something soft and small in the pocket of his leather jacket. “What’s this?”

  I could feel more than see Hastie’s answering smile. “Something to make me forget.”

  Curious, I pulled it out and realized what it was. A bag of weed.

  His dark eyes roamed my face for a reaction, but I didn’t think it was what he expected because he looked genuinely surprised when I asked, “Can we smoke a joint?”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah.” It wouldn’t be my first time. But it was always a little sketchy to get high with someone you didn’t know well. But something about Hastie told me that I could trust him.

  I leaned back slightly after rearranging my top back to its rightful place and observed. In the dim light of the moon, Hastie started to roll a joint. Looking at his hands, I thought they were beautiful. Strong and graceful, with the letters R.I.D.E tattooed on the knuckles of his right hand.

  As he tore off a paper and folded it in half lengthwise, he gave me a look that was sexy and mischievous all at the same time. It made me grin. He spread the green evenly across and then moved on to make the roach next. After tucking it in and folding the joint the rest of the way, he bent his head. His tongue darted out to lick the seam. My eyes zeroed in on it and I felt a burst of lust shoot through me, reminding me of how that same wicked tongue pleasured me just moments ago. My fingers may have been small compared to his, but as the joint transferred hands, I grew less nervous already.

  The bright light from the lighter flared between us as I put the joint to my lips. Dipping my head towards to the flame, I inhaled. To anyone but us, this was just the simple act of lighting a joint. But as I watched as the very tip of the flame hit the other end and start to burn, I was aware of the pulsing energy between us. On a deep inhale, I held the smoke in my chest until I couldn’t anymore and blew out.

  “You’ve done this before, right?” Hastie’s eyes were inquiring, gentle, and serene. This close I could see how long his eyelashes were. Everything around me came into sharp focus. His scent. The intensity in his eyes. The heat of his body beneath me. Instead of responding, I simply blew out the smoke through parted lips. The scent of weed wafted all around us.

  Hastie’s dark grin made me smile. He looked so damn irresistible. I was tempted to kiss him again.

  My tongue darted out to taste his lip ring. I loved the way Hastie’s eyes tracked my every movement, as if he was familiar with every feeling in my body.

  Sitting in my car, smoking weed while straddling a hot guy shouldn’t have felt so good, but it did in that moment. It hadn’t been my most reckless moment I’d had, but it was definitely the most intimate.

  I brought the joint to Hastie’s lips, urging him to open for me. As he took that first drag, I watched the beautiful sight of the tip burn a bright red. The
following exhale of smoke was just as intoxicating as the swirls made unique designs, adding a twisted sense of beauty to this intimate moment.

  Hastie’s eyes found mine in the darkness. “What are you thinking about?”

  I was thinking that this feels perfect. But I didn’t tell him that. Instead I took another deep drag from the joint and smiled widely. “I was thinking that that mouth of yours just may be my favorite thing about you.”

  A dark laughed fanned over my skin. Then Hastie leaned forward and dropped that sinfully sexy mouth to mine in a scorching kiss.

  Yes, I thought. Definitely perfect.

  FIVE

  Firsts

  Indy

  My next shift at Neptune’s was long and grueling. The flares felt more extreme as if the earth had been shoved into a burning furnace to roast. Even with the a/c on high, warm air swarmed in, causing patrons to dish out the credits in order to get some much needed refreshment.

  As I wiped away the ring of sweat that accumulated on my forehead, Seven walked into Neptune’s. I grinned at her as she dropped into one of the vacant barstools, knowing exactly why she was here. “What?” she said, tossing her empty canteen onto the bar. “You knew it was only a matter of time before I’d show up.”

  This was true. I was surprised she made it this long. “Want a drink?”

  Seven nodded, leaning forward to rest her arms on the edge of the bar top. She swiveled her head around, taking in her surroundings. As I poured her a draft and placed it in front of her, she leaned in. “So . . . are they here?”

  I leaned in, too. “No.”

  She scrunched up her nose and took a sip of her beer. “How long ’til you’re off?”

  I checked the clock on the wall behind me. “Still two hours left.”

  Seven rolled her gorgeous eyes at me and slid off the barstool, readjusting her short skirt before she made her way to the pool table. I heard her introduce herself to the people playing and a second later, she was grabbing her own pool cue from the rack and joining in.