Hmm. I thought that might be behind it. “You’re barking up the wrong tree there, Mel.”
She nudges my arm with her elbow. “Oh, come on. It’s worth a try.”
Might he see me and realise he fell madly in love with me after one night? No, don’t go there. There’s no chance and anyway, I’d be a fool to go back again when it would only be sex. Once I might escape with my heart, but twice? No chance.
“It’s the prez’s birthday,” I start, hesitantly, looking for an excuse which won’t betray my thoughts. “They won’t want a stranger there.”
She nudges me again. “Hardly a stranger. You got to know the girls well at my wedding. I know Vi, Steph and Jay all like you. I can check with Vi if you want, but I don’t see a problem inviting you.”
I did get on fine with the women who were Mel’s other bridesmaids and had a few good laughs along the way, especially when I’d gotten to my knees so I wouldn’t stand out in the photographs. It’s not as though I’d be among people I don’t know. I bite my lip. “Okay,” I say at last. “But talk to Vi. If she’s onboard with the idea, I’d love to come.”
“Beth, that would be great.” She sounds really excited as she bends down and kisses me on my cheek. “I love my two worlds mixing.”
I suppose she would rather than having friends at work and a completely separate life with Pyro and his brothers. But after Mel had gone to her own desk, I quickly change my mind. Damn, why did I say yes? Now I can’t let Mel down. Though Mel, herself, asked me to go, what if Ink thinks I’ve wrangled an invite so I can chase him? I start hoping Vi will say that she wants Demon’s party to be club and family only.
If I hadn’t gone with Ink at the wedding, I’d have leapt at the chance of going to the compound to get a deeper insight into the biker life. But I had gone with Ink and seeing him again is going to be awkward. Isn’t it? Only if I make it so.
I stare over at Mel who’s already got her head down hard at work. Between now and then I’ve got to put thoughts of Ink right out of my mind. If I go to the party and he’s there, I’ll greet him politely, of course, but will make no reference to how we got together on the night of Mel and Pyro’s wedding. Most of all, I won’t show for a moment I’ve got any regrets.
Maybe another biker would catch my eye? Do they all make love—fuck—like Ink? Perhaps taking another for a test drive would get Ink out of that rather annoying place he seems to have cornered for himself in my head.
Just for a moment I let myself imagine being a girl like that. A girl who could divorce her heart and jump from one bed to the other just for sex. Oh, yeah, I know Ink’s very familiar with those, his club calls them sweet butts.
Problem is, I’m not sweet butt material, and there’s only one biker I want. Damn it. I wish Ink had never caught my eye at Mel’s wedding. Maybe I’d be better off dreaming what he’d be like, rather than knowing. However much I try to fool myself, there was more to our encounter than sex. I felt we had a connection. If it hadn’t been on one side only, it would have been Ink inviting me to the club and not my friend.
I start to wish Mel had never suggested the party, because there’s a devil on my shoulder whispering in my ear that perhaps if Ink sees me again, he’ll want a repeat of that night. Huh, the angel on my other shoulder replies, more likely, he’ll simply give me one of those chin lifts the men do, and then ignore me.
Far worse, Mel warned me bikers aren’t shy, and I’m likely to see them fucking in public. How would I feel if I saw Ink with one of their club girls?
Maybe that’s just what I need to stop thinking about him, I even dreamed of Ink last night.
It would break my heart to see him with someone else.
One minute I want to go, the next I don’t. When Thursday comes around, and I see Mel approaching my desk, I know I’ve made up my mind. I’m not going. I’m just opening my mouth to tell her when she gets in first.
“I was right. Vi said she’d love you to come along. She took a liking to you, Beth. She said she can’t wait to see you again. Steph’s looking forward to seeing you again too.” She falters. “Well, hear you in her case I suppose. And Jay said to tell you hi.” She stops at last, her face beaming.
How can I get out of this now?
“I don’t know,” I start. “I’ve been rethinking this.”
“Overthinking it,” she says sharply and intuitively. “Look, forget about Ink. Just come and have a good time with friends. Vi will be so disappointed if you don’t turn up.” She then turns on the guilt. “Pyro’s keeping Demon out of the way, so we can set up the party as his surprise. I was banking on you to help me carry the stuff that I’ll have baked.” And then, I swear, she turns on her puppy dog eyes. “Please?”
How can I refuse? I’ll never turn down a request for help from family or friends.
I can’t. “I’ll come.”
She hugs me tight.
That’s how I find myself Saturday afternoon helping Mel load enough cakes and desserts to feed an army into her car. As my eyes widen when she brings out tub after tub, she laughs.
“This will all disappear. They’re hungry men.”
“They must be,” I mutter under my breath, helping her carry out another load.
When we arrive at the compound, I don’t see many bikes and wonder where they’re stored, until Mel enlightens me. It’s luckily a mild day for once, and the men are all out on a run taking advantage of the weather. It’s just the women and prospects inside.
I feel relieved at my slight reprieve, so follow her in. Vi organises the men wearing cuts with the word prospect on the back and who I discover are called Beaver and Karl, to bring in the stuff Mel’s brought. The clubhouse is already decorated with balloons, and a banner’s waiting to be put up.
Having exchanged hugs with Vi, Steph and Jay, I point to the banner. “Where do you want that?”
“I thought above the bar.”
No sooner are the words out of Vi’s mouth, I’m pulling up a step stool that’s already been brought in and pinning up one end of the ‘Happy Birthday’ sign.
“Be careful,” says Mel.
“No worries, I got this.” I don’t mind heights, nor balancing precariously on rickety old steps.
Once they know I’m happy to pitch in, I’m given other tasks as they take advantage of my height, and soon the room starts to take shape. In the centre of it all is the amazing birthday cake that Mel has made.
“Oh, no, you don’t!” I catch hold of Theo as he toddles toward it with his hands outstretched, and I chuckle as I swing him up in my arms. “Rascal.”
“Thank you.” Vi’s grateful comment is heartfelt.
Mel sighs with relief that the toddler hasn’t managed to swipe his fingers through the lush chocolate icing. I understand his thwarted desire, having to restrain from doing the same thing myself.
Theo’s wriggling in my arms, trying to get down, obviously having figured out he’s got a woman with no experience of children holding him.
“I’ll take him,” Mo, Demon’s mom and Vi’s mother-in-law, calls out. “Come to Gramma, Theo.”
“You need eyes in the back of your head,” Sindy says. I remember she’s married to Buzzard, their treasurer.
“Now I’m glad I never had any,” Jeannie remarks, shaking her head as Theo starts having a tantrum at being denied cake. Bomber’s her man I recall.
As I look around at the room, which does and doesn’t fit what my imagination had conjured up—yes, there’s a bar, a pool table as I’d seen in my head—but the tables and chairs and comfortable looking sofas are matching and not that old if I’m any judge. The walls look freshly painted too.
“It’s not bad,” I remark to Mel. “I must admit I expected it to be rougher.”
“They had some trouble about a year back. Had to rebuild some of the walls and replace stuff and redecorate. Jay will tell you all about it, I wasn’t here then. Apparently, it wasn’t as nice as this before.”
That explains wh
y the decoration and furniture still looks clean and fairly new.
I find I’m having fun, pitching in and working alongside these friendly women. It’s light work and we have a few laughs. The club whores don’t appear to be here. I begin to hope they’re not invited, and perhaps after all, I won’t have to watch Ink fooling around.
We’ve just finished setting out all the food when from outside there’s a loud roar of bikes. I go to stand by Mel as we look expectantly toward the door. After helping with the preparations, I’m anticipating seeing the surprise on their prez’s face.
Men flood in, but the star of the show is missing, as is Mel’s man. I realise fast that this was planned, and Pyro is probably delaying him outside as the other men quickly divest themselves of their winter riding clothes and gather around in a circle.
They’ve just got themselves organised when the door opens again.
“Happy fuckin’ birthday, Prez,” rings out all around me, a deafening roar from the men.
“What the fuck?” Demon stops dead. Then rounds on Pyro, his eyes narrowing as he spits out, “There’s nothing fuckin’ wrong with your bike, is there?”
Pyro grins and shrugs, then makes a beeline toward the woman standing by my side.
“Jeez.” Demon’s still stunned. “Brothers. Ladies. What can I say? I didn’t expect this. Where’s my ol’ lady?”
Vi has a big grin on her face as she walks over to her man. He takes her lips in a way that makes me swoon.
Having been made to feel welcome, having worked alongside the other women, I feel comfortable and relaxed enough to put my fingers to my lips and let out a loud whistle in appreciation.
I shouldn’t have done that.
I’ve never been able to hide in a crowd. The eyes of an even taller Ink catch mine from the other side of the room.
Chapter Six
Ink
I’ve spent this whole week fucking the whores, but none of them have left me satisfied. When they go from my bed, I have an unfilled hole inside me. Oh, they relieve my cock, but something is missing.
I tried nipple clamps on Bella when I was fucking her over the pool table, they didn’t look right, and she complained they hurt her, so I’d quickly taken them off. Double-teamed Breezy and Sheila with Mace, but what was usually exciting had me feeling bored. Even their mouths didn’t seem right around my cock. Titsy, well, when she was discarding her clothes, I almost told her not to bother. When I brought Tulia back to my room, I went through the motions but wasn’t into it.
Though I didn’t want to admit it, I couldn’t get a certain woman out of my fucking head.
What I can’t understand is why. I may have had off days in the past, but it’s been a week now. Why aren’t the whores providing me with what I want?
I only come when whoever’s face under me morphs into the one of the girl I fucked in the hotel last Saturday night.
Time, I tell myself over and over again. I just need time. Memories fade, and so will my obsession with the woman I don’t want. If there’s one lesson I’ve learned, it’s never go back for more. Not with a woman who doesn’t understand that while I like to fuck, I’ve nothing else to offer. I don’t want an old lady, can’t ever see myself settling down. I live the life of a biker for a reason—I enjoy the freedom.
The ride out was good today, a chance to clear my head, to let the wind blow the cobwebs away. Still cold as hell, yes, but nowhere near freezing and the day was dry at least. What I knew was an excuse to get Demon away from the club was welcomed by us all. Hopefully now we’re coming out of the other side of winter, we’ll be able to ride more.
I, of course, knew what to expect when we arrived back at the clubhouse. The only person who didn’t had been Demon. I felt pleased for Vi, her plans had gone like clockwork. I’d had to smother my laughter when Pyro asked the prez’s advice about a non-existent rattle on his ride.
Vi and Demon’s heated kiss hadn’t been PG, but someone had clearly been impressed. Someone who’s loud whistle had caught my attention from across the room. Not a someone I’d expected to see, not in the place I call home.
Beth’s here. Be fucking hard to miss her given the way she towers over all the girls and even some of my brothers.
As our eyes lock, my cock immediately begins to swell.
I can only see two options. March over to her, take her hand, her hair, fuck I don’t care which and drag her up to my room and sink my thickening cock into her sweet depths, or, I can run upstairs and take care of this shit myself.
For more time than I should, I stand staring as our eyes lock. I’ve heard the term rooted to the spot, but I have never experienced the feeling before. It’s like I’m resisting a magnetic force that’s trying to draw me across the room. This hold, this thrall she has me in, there’s no other term for it. It’s dangerous.
She breaks eye contact first, but not of her own volition. No, because Judge has come up behind her and caught her attention. Well I’ll be fucked if Sparky’s not heading toward her as well. My hands curl at my sides.
“Good ride that, Brother.”
My eyes are fixed on what’s happening across the room.
“Hey, I said that was a fuckin’ good ride. Needed that.”
Rapidly I shake my head. “What?”
Mace stares at me, his brow creasing. “You feeling alright? I didn’t see you come off and knock your head, still, might have missed it.”
“I haven’t banged my fuckin’ head,” I growl and turn away, as my eyes are drawn back to Beth again. Has Judge dared to put his hand on her?
Mace turns to see where I’m looking. His eyes widen. “Hey, that’s that bitch from the wedding, isn’t it? Mel’s friend. Christ, those jeans hug that ass nicely. Thought she looked pretty in that dress last week, but those tight-fitting pants?” He lets out a low whistle. “Those legs go on for miles, they’d feel great wrapped around my waist. She’s fuckin’ hot, Brother. Think I might need to go and chase those youngsters off.”
“Sparky’s my age,” I rasp.
His elbow bumps my arm. “Yeah, I was talking about Judge. We can teach her something those youngsters can’t, eh, Brother?”
We? Sure, the enforcer and I have shared women before, even as recently as this past week, but the thought of watching him and Beth turns my stomach. Nah, can’t be that making me suddenly feel sick. Maybe I downed my beer too fast. Drank on a too-empty stomach, must be what it is.
“She doesn’t want anyone pawing at her,” I warn him.
His eyes narrow as he observes, “Well, she doesn’t seem to be pushing anyone away. Judge has his arm around her now. And fuck me,” he laughs as he continues to describe the scene, “Judge is staring up into her face. He’d have to go on tippy-toe to kiss her. Now that I’ve gotta see.”
I’ve got eyes in my fucking head. There’s only an inch or two height difference, so tiptoe’s stretching it a bit. And there’s no need for a fuckin’ running commentary. “He should leave her the fuck alone.”
Mace turns back to me, shaking his head in confusion. “You’ve already tapped that. You never do a civilian more than once. Surely, you’re not getting jealous?”
Jealous? Not fucking likely. “Of course, I’m fuckin’ not,” I bark. “You know me better than that, Ground Pounder.”
“Thought I did, Leatherneck,” he half says, half mumbles. Then he looks again at my face. “Look, Ink, I’ll be fuckin’ straight with you. There are girls you fuck and forget, and girls you fuck then can’t get out of your head. If she’s the latter, nothing’s stopping you going in for a repeat.”
Fuck knows, right now I’m tempted. If only to get those assholes off her back. There’s one good reason I can’t. “It will give her ideas.”
“Might, might not.” A burst of feminine laughter reaches my ears. “But if you don’t move in now, you could lose your chance. Looks like Judge is getting pretty… no, I was wrong. Sparky seems to have caught her interest now.”
“I don’t w
ant a bitch,” I say, unsure whether I’m trying to convince myself or him. Is she really thinking of going with one of my brothers? Is she so shallow to jump from my bed into one of theirs? I slam the heel of my hand against my forehead as I remember that’s exactly what I’ve been doing all week, trying to fuck her out of my mind.
“She might not want a man.” He jerks his head in her direction. “She might turn you down, might prefer Judge who’s not got so many miles under his belt.”
“I’m thirty for fuck’s sake, not over-the-hill. And it doesn’t matter whether or not she prefers a younger man, they’re not getting the chance.”
Mace eyes me from head to toe, then grins. “Get the fuck over there and talk to her. Your face is red as though you’re going to blow a gasket, and you’re sporting one hell of a chubby in your pants. If she turns you down, reckon you’re going to need a very cold shower.”
I shift my stance, hoping to make my swollen cock less noticeable, but all I do is press it harder against my zipper, and wince.
He throws up his hands. “I’m going to get a beer. Go see her, talk to her, fuck her, but do something, or else I might have to take away your gun. You look like you could kill someone right now.”
He’s the enforcer. He’s allowed. But hey, disarming me at the prez’s birthday party would be embarrassing.
I wait maybe five seconds after he’s walked away, then as if there’s an invisible piece of string pulling me across the room, I close the gap between us.
“Get out of here.” I glare at Judge, then turn the force of my stare onto Sparky. Judge raises his hands and steps back.
Sparky, though, he unwisely decides to taunt the beast as he puts an arm around Beth. “We were just getting acquainted.”
“Well you can get un-fuckin’-acquainted fast. And unless you want to lose that arm, take it a-fuckin’-way from her.”
Beth’s eyes meet mine, she looks shocked, which probably matches the way I’m feeling. What the fuck am I doing?
Satan’s Devils MC -Colorado Box Set: Books 4-6 Page 42