by Lexy Timms
“Yes,” he said. “Why do you think you were able to woo her into bed so easily?”
“Tail has never had any problems wooing a woman into bed,” said Hoss, chuckling.
I stared at Mark in confusion. “What in the fuck are you talking about, old man?”
“The only reason she slept with you is because I slipped her a Molly,” said Mark.
My eyes widened in shock. “You drugged Lauren? At the wedding reception?”
“Yes. I was supposed to take her back to her room, but you got in the way,” he said. “I wanted to teach her a lesson about how easy it is for someone to take advantage of her.”
“This guy’s cuckoo,” murmured Hoss, twirling a finger next to his ear.
“You know, Lauren hates you. She thinks you’re twisted and this definitely proves that you are,” I said, staring at him in disgust.
Mark’s face turned fifty shades of red. “You’re lying,” he said.
“No I’m not,” I said.
Looking confused, he began clutching at his heart. “She loves me. She said she does.”
“Lauren set you up to have your ass kicked,” said Tank. “I don’t think that’s love.”
Mark opened his mouth to say something, but instead, we all watched as he crumbled to the ground.
“Holy shit,” said Hoss. “Is he having a heart attack?”
Tank bent down and shook Mark’s shoulder. “Hey, you okay there, old timer?”
Mark gasped and then his eyes rolled back into his head.
“I think he’s in cardiac arrest,” said J.T., also leaning over him. “He’s going to die if we don’t get him to a hospital.”
“He’d better not die. He still owes me money for my bike,” I said, not feeling one bit sorry for the crazy bastard.
“Call nine-one-one, J.T.,” said Tank, standing up. He put his knife away. “Boy, I did not see this coming.”
“Neither did I,” I muttered, running a hand through the top of my hair.
“What if the cops arrest us?” J.T. said, pulling out his phone.
“For what? We didn’t do anything,” said Tank. “Besides, the guy is dying of natural causes.”
“You mean he died of natural causes,” said Raptor, checking Mark’s pulse. “He’s gone.”
“Someone can try giving him CPR,” said Tank.
Nobody made a move toward the body.
“Okay. Here’s a better idea – don’t call nine-one-one. We’ll leave him here and eventually, someone else will find the body.” Tank looked at me. “And, Tail, take whatever cash he has in his wallet. Take his credit cards too, but destroy them. This should look like robbery.”
“Will do,” I said.
I knelt down and pulled out Mark’s wallet from his back pocket. There were three one-hundred-dollar bills, and two credit cards. There was also a picture of Lauren inside. I took it out and slid it into my wallet.
“Let’s roll,” said Tank, heading toward the barn door. “Remember, boys, we were never here.”
“Where’s here?” joked Hoss. “
“Exactly,” said Tank.
“You lucky bastard,” J.T. said as we headed outside together. “You wanted this guy dead and now look? You got your wish and didn’t even have to lay a fucking finger hand on him.”
“That fucker got off too easily,” I muttered, not feeling lucky at all. If anything, I felt unvindicated.
“Yeah, but what’s done is done,” said Raptor, joining us. “And none of our asses are in jail. I say that calls for a little celebration.”
“Now you’re talking. Drinks are on me,” said Hoss. “Let’s hit Griffins.”
“I guess that means the drinks are on me,” corrected Tank. “Especially yours, Hoss. You’ve got a running tab.”
“Sorry, Prez. I’ll make sure to tip your ladies well, though.”
Tank sighed. “You always do.” Then he turned to me and put an arm around my shoulders. “You up for it?”
“Sure,” I replied. I didn’t feel like celebrating, but I certainly needed a stiff drink.
Chapter 21
Lauren
Pregnant.
My life was ruined.
I lay in my bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering what in the hell I was going to do. I knew that it had to be Taylor’s, since Mark had mentioned that he’d had a vasectomy ten years before ever meeting me. I considered having an abortion, but dismissed it almost as quickly. Adoption also wasn’t an option. Sure, if I was a frightened or confused sixteen-year-old kid, that option would seem more acceptable. But, I was a woman. A woman who’d had unprotected sex with one of the randiest guys in Jensen. I should have at least made him wear a condom. Regardless, the child was my responsibility. Hell, it was both of ours. Somehow, however, I didn’t think Taylor would see it that way.
My thoughts returned back to our conversation the night before. He was definitely not interested in having children. He’d made that very clear. For a man who’s spread his seed all over town, he sure wasn’t interested in cultivating it. Neither was I. Not yet anyway.
But what if the test is wrong? I thought. The possibility made me feel better. I’d only taken one test and it wasn’t even one-hundred percent accurate. It had said so, right on the box.
Feeling better, I got out of bed and went into the kitchen to make myself something to eat. Grabbing a bag of pretzels and a jar of peanut butter, I went back into the living room. I pulled out a pretzel and dipped it into the peanut butter.
I had to admit – it was a good combination.
***
I opened my eyes.
It was after midnight and I’d nodded off on the sofa. My heart began to race as I realized that I hadn’t yet heard from Taylor.
I stood up and walked over to the picture-window facing the swimming pool, half expecting to see him standing there in the nude. I smiled at the idea. Unfortunately, the courtyard was empty. Not knowing what else to do, I went into my bedroom and turned on the television. As I flipped through the channels, I found a biker series on cable television that I’d been meaning to watch. I clicked into Season One, got under my covers, and began watching.
Chapter 22
Taylor
After arriving at Griffins, we sat down near the bar and began ordering pitchers of beer.
“I can’t stay long,” I said, holding up Lauren’s cell phone. “I gotta get this back to her.”
“Just have one drink,” said Hoss.
“I will,” I said, looking around the bar. The place was hopping, more so than usual.
“Who’s that girl on the stage?” asked Hoss, nodding toward a brunette with a nice rack. She was short and sweet, but definitely not used to dancing on stage.
“Oh yeah, it’s Customer Appreciation Night,” said Tank, smiling. “Any customer who’s willing to get up and take off their clothes for one entire song, gets a free tab of up to one-hundred-dollars. That’s how I show my appreciation.”
“You’re a genius,” said J.T. pulling out some dollar bills. “Hell, I’ll even tip this one.”
“Oh shit,” said Hoss, nodding toward the steps leading to the stage. “Isn’t that Wendy, from the liquor store?”
My heart sunk when I heard the name. I turned around and there she was, smiling at me in delight.
“And look at what she’s wearing,” said Hoss. “Is it me or is that girl aiming for a free bar tab?”
Wendy had on a black teddy, high heels, and was carrying around a stuffed Teddy bear.
“What’s the bear for?” laughed J.T. “If she wants something warm to squeeze, I’ll give it to her.”
“She’s definitely dancing,” said Cheeks, coming up behind us with a couple of pitchers of beer.
“Looks like you get to see what you missed out on the other night,” ribbed J.T.
“Hell, looks like we all get to,” said Hoss.
The current song ended and a new one began. It was an oldie by Def Leppard called ‘Pour Some Sugar On
Me’.
“She must have picked that one. The amateurs always do,” remarked Cheeks.
“Here we go,” said Hoss, leering at Wendy as she got on the stage and began dancing around stiffly.
It was obvious she didn’t know what she was doing, but I had to give her credit for trying. Especially when she got up the nerve to push her negligee down, exposing her mammoth boobs. Seeing that they were real, too, all the guys in the joint began hooting and hollering.
“And you gave that up,” said J.T. holding up a dollar.
Wendy gyrated our way and took his dollar graciously. She gave J.T. a kiss on the cheek and then looked over at me.
“You want a lap dance?” she called out, smiling.
“Another time,” I said, trying to be polite.
She bent over and wiggled her ass, which made her breasts jiggle at the same time. Even I had to admit, it was almost hypnotic. “You sure?”
My cock wanted it badly, but I knew that I had to get back to Lauren. I pulled out a ten dollar bill and stood up. “Here. You’re the sexiest woman in here and deserve much more than a buck.”
Her eyes sparkled as she shoved the bill under her garter. “Thank you, kind sir. I’m almost done. Meet me outside?”
“I can’t,” I said, grabbing my beer. “I have some shit to do.”
Her face fell. “You always do. What gives?”
“He’s a busy man,” said J.T. “But I’m not at the moment. I’ll take a lap dance.”
She looked at him and smiled. “Okay. Help me down?”
He grabbed her by the waist and took her off the stage.
Wendy sat down on his lap and began grinding against him.
“Oh, God,” he murmured, gripping the sides of the chair as she shoved her tits into his face. “Tank, is there still a law against touching the strippers when they don’t technically work for you?”
“If the woman wants to be touched, by all means, do it. But, you need to take it in back,” he replied, chewing on a toothpick. “This isn’t a brothel.”
“You want to be touched?” asked J.T, his face sweating.
She looked at me. “Yes, I’ve been dying to be touched for the past couple of days.”
I bit back a smile.
“That’s all I needed to hear,” said J.T. picking her up. He put her over his shoulder and she squealed in delight. “Adios, my brothers.”
I raised my beer. “Have fun.”
“She didn’t finish the song. I hope she realizes it,” said Tank.
“Don’t be such a tight ass,” said Raptor, chuckling.
“Speaking of tight asses, where’s your old lady tonight?” he asked.
“In Florida with her mother,” he said. “Some jewelry convention.”
“Who’s got your kid?” asked J.T.
“My brother.”
We all laughed.
“Seriously? The Judge?”
“Just for a few hours. He’s good with him,” said Raptor. “Believe it or not.”
I looked at the time and frowned.
“What’s going on, Tail?” asked Hoss, noticing.
I shrugged.
“He’s anxious about something,” said Tank, noticing the way I was tapping my foot.
“No, I’m not,” I protested.
“It’s that Lauren chick,” said Hoss.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, sitting up straighter.
“It’s okay. We’ve all been through it,” said Tank, patting me on the shoulder.
“Through what?” I asked.
Raptor and Tank looked at each and laughed.
***
It was just after one when I reached Lauren’s place. I knocked on the door and when she answered, I grabbed her and kissed her hard on the mouth.
“You’ve been drinking,” she remarked, licking her lips.
“I only had a couple of beers.”
“Where?”
I frowned. “At Griffins. What’s with the twenty questions?”
“You were at that strip club?” she asked incredulously.
“Yeah. We met up there after dealing with Mark. Just for a couple of beers to unwind.”
“I’ve been waiting for you all this time and worried sick.”
“Sorry,” I said, although I didn’t like the way she was drilling me.
“So, how did everything go?”
“It went fine. He’s not going to bother you anymore.”
“He said that?”
“Not in so many words but trust me, he’s never going to step foot in Jensen again,” I said, biting back a smile.
“I hope that’s the case. Did you hurt him?”
“Actually, no. Scared the piss out of him, but rest assured, not one of us hurt him.”
She relaxed. “Okay.”
“So,” I said, sliding my hands around her waist. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for another round of mind-blowing sex. What about you?”
“I’m kind of tired, actually,” she said, smiling weakly.
“What?”
“It’s been a long day.”
“I’ve got something long for you,” I said, putting her hand on my crotch.
Lauren smiled. “My goodness, Adams, you are ready to go, aren’t you?”
“Adams?” I said.
“Yes. I prefer it to Tail.”
“How about you just call me Taylor then? In fact, I think you should start screaming it in a few minutes.”
She smiled.
We spent the next couple of hours fucking in every part of her house. I made her cum twice and another time after we took a break to eat some pretzels and peanut butter.
“This is really good together,” I said, impressed.
She smiled. “I know, right?”
“Not as good as my pretzel in your peanut butter,” I said, wiggling my eyebrows.
“Just don’t dip your pretzel into my chocolate,” she replied.
I choked on the pretzel in my mouth. “Are you saying no anal?” I asked, chuckling.
She winked.
Chapter 23
Lauren
The following week, I paid a visit to a gynecologist, who confirmed that I was indeed pregnant.
“Congratulations,” said the doctor, a woman in her forties.
“Thanks,” I replied, trying to hide my alarm. “How far along am I?”
“You’re about nine weeks along.”
“Okay.”
“You’re going to need to start taking prenatal vitamins and…” she continued talking, but I didn’t hear her. I was in too much shock.
***
The next three weeks, Taylor and I spent a lot of time together, most of it in my bungalow and having sex. Eventually, things started getting serious. Nobody was as surprised as I was.
“I love you,” he said, one night, holding me in his arms.
I blinked. “What did you just say to me?”
He grinned. “I love you. I know, it’s crazy, especially coming from me. But, it’s true.”
“Are you sure?”
Taylor laughed. “Am I sure? Yeah, I’m sure. Jesus, woman, you’re all I think about, especially when I’m working.”
“When you’re tearing apart roofs?” I said, smiling in amusement.
“Oh yeah. I think about fucking the shit out of you when I’m nailing shingles all the time,” he said, laughing.
I pulled my hair behind my shoulder. “I hate to say this but it sounds like you’re in love with fucking me and that’s not the same thing.”
“It’s not?” he asked, pretending to pout.
“No.”
He tilted my chin up to his face and stared into my eyes. “Lauren, I love you and not just because of sex.”
“Go on,” I whispered.
“Fuck… I’m not good at this. Okay, I guess what it boils down to is… I love you because you are the only person I want to wake up to in the morning. I love you because you have given me a life
outside of the club. I love you because when I’m not with you, I wish to fuck that I was.”
“You do?”
“Yes, babe, and if you want to know the truth, it scares me.”
“Why?”
“Because I have never felt this way before and… I’m afraid that I never will again. Not something this intense.” He stared into my eyes. “I don’t ever want to lose you.”
Stunned, I just stared at him in awe.
“Babe, I want you to wear my cut.”
“You want me to be your Old Lady?”
He smiled. “Yes. It’s all I’ve been thinking about. So, what do you say?”
The truth of the matter was that his club scared the hell out of me and I’d been avoiding all of them. I even made up an excuse not to go to Tank’s barbecue the day he’d invited me. I’d told Taylor that I’d been having horrible cramps and he’d believed me without any questions.
“I... I don’t know what to say, actually,” I admitted.
“Do you love me?”
I smiled. “I think I started loving you back when we were teenagers,” I said softly. “The night you walked me home.”
His eyes widened. “You’re kidding me? Why didn’t you say something?”
“Because we were just kids and I didn’t know how.”
He grabbed my hand and kissed it. “That night was rough but… it brought us to where we are today. I guess it was just written in the stars that we’d one day end up together.”
“Why, Taylor Adams, I had no idea that you could be this romantic,” I teased.
“Neither did I. I guess you’ve taught me a lot about myself,” he said.
“Like what?”
“Like… I’m not just handsome and sexy,” Taylor replied, his eyes twinkling. “Or a god in bed. I’ve got a lot of other admirable qualities.”
“Like being humble?”
“Hey, it’s hard but someone has to do it,” he replied with a cocky grin.
I rolled my eyes.
***
“I have a job for you,” said Taylor the next day. We were in the pool, floating in the water on tubes. “It doesn’t pay much. Not yet, at least. But, if you play your cards right, you might get some hefty quarterly bonuses.”