The situation at Luke’s was bad, but still he managed to let me know that he was thinking of me. I decided to send him a message. Picking up my phone, I texted him- *you are amazing-thank you.* He never responded, but at noon another bouquet was delivered and it took my breath away. It was so big, two men carried it in. The arrangement was full of bright, colorful flowers and roses. It smelled wonderful. This time the card read, “These flowers hold no comparison to your beauty. The smell of them, even as intoxicating as it is, smells nothing of the sweetness that is of you. The soft, velvety petals are not as pleasing to touch as the satin of your skin. You have captured my heart and it now beats only for you. I hope your day is as wonderful as you are- Luke Shakespeare.” I laughed out loud at his signature.
Tears fell down my face as I grabbed my phone once again. Who was I kidding? I was in love. I was head over heels in love with a man that I hardly knew. I didn’t care that it sounded preposterous or that things were moving faster than I ever could have imagined. I didn’t care what people thought or what they had to say.
Lucas Carmical had captured my heart, too, and I wanted him to know it. I wanted everyone to know it. *I love the flowers. I love the poetry. I love that you are thinking of me. I love your motorcycle. I love your club. I love the fact that you want me to be a part of your life. But more than flowers and motorcycles and clubs and friends and poetry- I love you.*
I quickly sent the message before I chickened out and laid my phone on my desk. Less than a minute later, it vibrated notifying me of a message. I fumbled with it, dropping it twice on the floor before my shaky hands could grasp it tightly and read the message waiting for me. *I can’t wait to hear you say those words to me.* That’s it? He wasn’t going to say it back? Sure, he had said that I captured his heart, but I thought he would tell me he loved me. Lindsey walked in, saw my face, and immediately asked what was wrong. I quickly told her the whole story.
“Maybe he wants to tell you in person,” she said smiling.
“You think?” I asked hopeful. She shrugged.
“Maybe. Your one o’clock is here a little early. You want me to send them in?”
I needed the distraction. “Yes. That would be great,” I said, busying myself with the paperwork on my desk. Lindsey retreated and I put Luke out of my mind to mentally prepare myself for my next meeting. I couldn’t dwell on him. I had business to attend to and the last thing I needed was a distraction. When the door opened, I stood to shake hands with Mrs. Griffith but instead found myself staring at Luke. I was like a deer caught in headlights. No wonder I loved him. Who wouldn’t? He was everything that I could have ever imagined.
He stood in the doorway looking tall, breathtakingly gorgeous and all man. His jeans were faded and worn. His solid white t-shirt was loose in the waist but tight around his arms and chest. His leather vest was unbuttoned and the gray and orange patches that he wore stood out against the blackness behind them. That damn smirk was on his face and his eyes were sparkling. Today was the first time that I had ever seen him in a hat. It was black and turned backwards with the letters ‘DFFD’ monogrammed in orange on it. This was my Luke; my boyfriend, my lover, my everything. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. I could see Lindsey and Terri, my part time file clerk, staring open mouthed into the room.
“Tell me,” he said, staring at me with a darkened stare. I felt my temperature rising and the hair on the back of my neck standing up. How did he have this effect on me?
“Tell you, what?” I asked, more breathy than I had intended. His eyebrows shot up and a surprised look crossed his face.
“Forgotten already? Or did the flowers just inspire you to say something that you didn’t really mean?” So, this was the game that he wanted to play. He wanted me to tell him. Well, he was going to get his wish. I was going to tell him the truth. I did love him and if he refused to say it in return, well, that was a risk I was willing to take.
Shit. What was happening to me? Before I could even open my mouth, he was standing right in front of me. His hands found my face and he tilted my head back to trail kisses down my neck. “I want to hear you say it, baby.” I was breathing heavy. My body was on fire, and so was my heart. I had never wanted to give a confession as much as I wanted to give this one.
“I love you, Luke. I think I loved you from the first time that I laid eyes on you. No one has ever made me feel the way that you do.” His continuous kisses across my neck and throat were pure torture. God, I loved this man. When I was in his arms, whether it was in a bar, or a bed, or my office; I felt like it was the safest place in the world. He was my universe. His eyes met mine and I knew in that moment that whether he said it or not, he loved me. Love for me consumed him. His eyes told the story. They were filled with love and passion and need, just for me. I was cherished by this man. He kissed me hard. The need to touch me evident in the way he held me tight and the movement of his tongue. Every nerve in my body tingled and my stomach was full of butterflies. Would it always be like this? Yes, it would. There was no way that I could ever tire of this man or his touch.
“You. Complete. Me,” he murmured between kisses. I laughed in his mouth.
“That’s. Not. Very. Original.” I responded between kisses. He pulled back from my face and I opened my eyes to see him smiling.
“Well, you stole my lines. What you said to me was exactly what I had planned to say to you.” He kissed me again, both of us making it hard to keep a smile from our lips. A light tap on the door interrupted us as Lindsey peaked her head inside.
“Your real one o’clock is here.”
“Okay. Give me just a minute,” I replied regretfully. I wish I could just leave and spend the day with Luke.
“It’s cool, babe. I have to go, too,” Luke said pulling me into his arms and tucking my head under his chin. I inhaled the scent of him and squeezed him harder. My Luke. I would never tire of knowing that.
“I love you, Dallas. I know it’s crazy to fall for someone so fast, but you are the first thing that I think of when I wake up and the last before I go to sleep. I think you are amazing and sexy and smart and I have thanked God every day for putting me in that bar that night.” He pulled back and lifted my chin so that my gaze met his. “You once told me, love like what your mother and father had doesn’t exist anymore. Well, I am here to tell you that you are wrong. No one could ever love anyone the way that I love you.” Tears filled my eyes and he quickly kissed them away. The intimacy he showed me and the words he said to me were everything I had ever dreamed of. Some people live their whole lives not finding their true love, but in just twenty-six years, I had found mine. “I’ll see you at five. I love you,” he said, looking at me with those ocean blue eyes that were filled with love and adoration.
“I love you too, Luke.” He closed his eyes and swallowed at my words. He kissed me once more, then taking my hands into his, kissed my fingers before backing out of the office and leaving.
The rest of my day was a blur. I found myself smiling for no reason at all. Well, I knew the reason. When I was happy, it seemed everyone in the office was happy, too. I called Scott to let him know that I would be in the Tupelo office around ten tomorrow morning and the relief in his voice was so apparent and my mood was so good that I promised him a three day weekend the following week. I contacted Tammy, an old colleague of mine, and she agreed to have dinner with me Tuesday night. Hopefully, she could give me the scoop on the family that occupied my property. I owned a small bed and breakfast in Tupelo and was pleased to find that it was available for my travel dates. Looking at the clock, I realized that it was time to get ready for my night out with Luke.
My mood slightly faltered when I remembered that I would be surrounded with women who absolutely hated me, but I wouldn’t let that or anything else ruin my day. Luke loved me and that was enough motivation for me to endure whatever the night offered.
I changed clothes and re-applied my makeup, noticing that I needed no additional blush. My ch
eeks were red enough. Pleased with my appearance, I practically skipped into the front of the building to wait for Luke.
Before I could make it there, I heard the rumbling of motorcycles in the distance. I opened the front door and stepped onto the sidewalk, letting the warm September breeze pass over me. About fifteen motorcycles approached and I realized that they did not belong to Luke’s club. They all wore colors of red and gray and every one of them seemed to be staring holes through me.
Figuring they were some of Luke’s friends and fueled by my good mood, I waved and smiled at them. None of them attempted to wave back, but continued to stare. When they reached the end of the street, they turned left heading downtown and disappeared from view.
Moments later, Luke arrived with the PROSPECT from the night at Mahogany and another man that I didn’t know. When he motioned for me to jump on, all my thoughts of the red and gray bikers were quickly forgotten.
Riding with Luke this time was much different than the last time. I was relaxed and comfortable, and much happier than I ever remembered being. I wrapped my arms around him, holding him tight and delighting in the feel of him in my arms and the smell of him in the air.
Chapter 15
We pulled up to Shenanigans, which was a local bar and grill that made every day feel like St. Patrick’s Day, and had drinks so stiff that you felt the luck of the Irish was within you. Luke gracefully slid from the bike and held his hand out to me while I gracelessly climbed off. He introduced me to his V.P., Worm, and his wife, Luci B. Worm was a tall slender guy with a deep voice and his height was magnified standing next to his petite wife, who smiled kindly at me. They both hugged me as if I were a part of their family. Maybe this night wasn’t going to be so bad after all. Luke grabbed my hand and we walked in to find the whole left side of the bar filled with bikers. Each one stood up as Luke walked in and he took turns hugging each one and introducing me as “Dallas,” but never giving me a title. I didn’t complain. Hell, at least he was actually acknowledging my presence.
Regg and Red were there, along with Tiny and War, who I had remembered meeting a few weeks ago. I was slightly embarrassed remembering what had happened the last time that I was with them all, but if they knew anything of it; I couldn’t tell. There were also a lot of people there that I had not met. All were patch members and their women, who I assumed were their ol’ ladies. There was Coon and Carla, Octane and Juggs, Buck and Baby, Kev and Gypsy, Boss Hogg and Texas, Scratch, Bear, Crash and three PROSPECTS. Everyone greeted me warmly and each person hugged me. I could feel the love in the room that I was in. Atleast until Maddie sashayed her way from the back and into Luke’s arms. He never let go of my hand, but returned her hug and asked, “Maddie, you remember Dallas?”
I could see in her eyes that she would rather eat shit than acknowledge my presence, but she surprised me by saying, “Yes, I do. It’s good to see you again, Dallas. How is your head?” The bitterness in her voice and her ending comment made me want to slap that sour look off her face, but instead I just answered her in the most polite voice that I could manage.
“Eat me, Maddie.” I had not realized that all eyes were on me when I said it. Everyone in the club seemed to be waiting for my response from the moment that she had walked in. Luke shot me a disapproving look, but everyone else seemed to find it humorous because the whole bar erupted in laughter. Maddie rolled her eyes and stormed off. I heard several comments like, “I told you” and “You owe me a beer” and I knew that my reaction toward Maddie had been wagered. I silently wondered who bet against me. That kind of information might be valuable in the future.
Everyone was chatting away-laughing, talking, and flirting. I saw why Luke loved his club so much. Everyone seemed to be family here and other than Maddie, they all seemed to accept me as part of it, too.
I sat at the head of the table next to Luke, and from my seat, I had a clear view of everyone around us. Worm and Luke seemed to be in deep conversation about something and Luci B, who sat next to Worm, was laughing and chatting with Red. Coon and Carla were in their own world. They seemed so in love with one another. I felt like I was intruding just by watching them, so I allowed my eyes to leave them and fall on Juggs, who was adjusting her breasts in her shirt, which seemed pointless considering Octane was constantly playing with them. Buck and KD, along with Scratch, Bear and Crash were listening intently to Kev, who must have been telling a joke, because they all erupted with laughter. Gypsy rolled her eyes and shook her head at Kev, obviously disgusted at what he said. The PROSPECTS were nowhere to be found and neither was Maddie.
Tiny came up behind us and tapped Luke on the shoulder, motioning for him to come outside. With a nod of his head, every man at the table stood and followed Tiny out.
“Good luck, babe,” Luke whispered in my ear.
“Thanks, a lot,” I responded laughing. He laughed with me and leaned down, kissing the top of my head, and then walked out. My eyes followed him and I had a big goofy smile on my face when my eyes fell on all the women at the table. They were all staring at me open mouthed, as if I were an alien.
“What?” I asked.
Red was the first one to recover. “Nothing, it’s just good to see Luke happy,” she said smiling. The other women nodded in agreement and choruses of “yeah” and “that’s right” rang out from all of them while they busied themselves with their phones and drinks and averted their eyes to anything but me.
“So, Dallas, you are in real estate?” Jenn asked from the end of the table.
“I am. I own Knox Companies.” Jenn almost choked on her drink. I wanted to kick myself for opening my mouth.
“You are Dallas Knox? Oh, my God! I had no idea.”
“That’s me.” I responded a little embarrassed. For some reason, I didn’t want these women to know who I was. The public already had stereotyped me into what they wanted me to be and I wanted these women to not know the real me, but the “me” that Luke knew.
“Wow. That’s impressive. You know, I used to work for a real estate company. That was a long time ago though. KD is actually fixin’ to take the exam to get her real estate license,” Jenn said recovering from her shock.
“Really? Well KD, I hope you will consider my company. I could probably pull a few strings to get you an interview,” I said winking at her. They all laughed.
“Oh, my God! That would be so great!” she said, her face lighting up. KD would be good for business. She definitely fits the part. She was attractive and outgoing and seemed like she could be very persuasive. Red had made her way down the table to me and reached out to take my hand in hers.
“So, I hear y’all are official?”
I looked down at my lap smiling. “Yes, we are. He really is amazing, Red.”
“Yes, he is. But don’t underestimate yourself, Dallas. You must be pretty great, too, to land a catch like him.” Her smile was genuine, as were her words. These women were not much different than me. I had expected them all to act like Maddie and treat me like an outsider, but since I had arrived, none of them had made me feel the least bit uncomfortable or out of place. I felt like I had known them all for forever.
Red leaned in close to me, her face taking on a serious expression, “Okay, I am going to lay a few ground rules out for you. This is your family. There is nothing these ladies would not do for you. They don’t trust you right now, but that comes with time. If you are with Luke, then you are with them. Don’t do anything to draw too much attention to yourself. Be friendly, but don’t suck ass. They can see straight through the bullshit. Be genuine, respectful and above all, loyal. If you see your sister in trouble, it is your place to help her. If a man wants to join in with this club, he has to prospect. It’s the same for the women. Until you prove your loyalty, you will never be accepted. Don’t let their charm and looks fool you, these women can be very ruthless, and that includes me.” She sat back and seemed satisfied with what she had just told me. I felt like it was a speech she had given many times. I app
reciated the knowledge and her honesty, but it worked both ways. These women would have to earn my trust too. I knew better than to judge a book by its cover. I was a threat to all of them, especially Red. If I stepped in, her position would belong to me and I wasn’t sure how much she would like that. She was good at what she did, but if I was going to be with Luke, then I would have to learn her role and to prove I could do it; I was going to have to be better than her.
“Who is Maddie with?” I asked. She was my biggest problem and I had to cross that bridge before I could build another one.
“Maddie is a long story, but in a nutshell, she is a part of this club. She isn’t with anyone, but her history with the club is a long one. I’ll leave the rest of that story up to Luke to tell.”
Well, I had already violated one rule. I had not shown any respect to Maddie, nor had she shown any to me. I guessed that was why nobody seemed to care what I said to her earlier. Right then, a commotion at the pool tables across the room drew our attention.
“Here we go,” Red said rising and heading across the bar. The other women stood and followed suit. I sat still, not sure what to do. Should I follow? Should I stay? Was this really my business? KD turned to look at me and discreetly motioned with her hand that I should join them. I could tell that she didn’t want any of the others to see what she was doing. She was helping me out. I was sure it was because of the job that I mentioned earlier, but it was still a nice gesture.
I joined the others and saw that Maddie was nose to nose with another woman, who I noted was wearing red and gray colors. I remembered the bikers that I had seen earlier and silently wondered if she was with them. I had not seen them when we pulled up, but there was no mistaking the man propped on the pool table behind them. He was one of the bikes from the pack that passed my office, and although there was a feud going on before him, it was me he was watching. I walked closer, trying to get a better look and saw one of our guys, wearing a PROSPECT patch, pick up his phone and call someone. He was standing right next to Maddie, in between the guy on the pool table and her. A cold chill went down my spine as I made eye contact with the man staring holes through me. It was as if he knew me, and it was hard for me to pull my eyes from the large scar on his face. I remembered him leading the pack I’d seen earlier.
A Ride or Die Kind of Love Page 89