“Avery, snap out of it. God.” Piper clapped her hands together, trying to make me focus.
My mind was screaming for me to get away, but my body was frozen to the spot, not wanting to lose the close contact I had standing right in front of him. I squeezed my eyes together and swallowed, knowing what an idiot I must have looked like. Never in my entire life have I been so turned on by someone and, at the same time, turned into a complete idiot.
I was back to myself when I heard a loud rustle and boisterous laughter come from Roman, Piper’s brother, just inside the shop.
“Little sis.” Piper ran to him and he swept her into his arms. Setting her back down, he came over to Leo, shouldering up next to him and training his eyes on me. “So, I see you’ve met Avery.” Leo nodded his answer, but never took his eyes off me.
Roman took me by the shoulders and placed a kiss on my forehead before leaning me back to look me in the eyes. “Avery, baby, you okay?” I redirected my eyes to him and off Leo, giving my burnt wires a much needed break.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I think I just got a little too hot in the car.” I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck as he gave me a good squeeze.
“I don’t think it was the heat in the car that messed her up.” Piper then, not so inconspicuously, held up one hand to hide her pointing at Leo with the other.
Leo moved around Roman, offering me his hand again. “Leo.” His eyes were so black, the intensity of them sent a shiver down my spine.
“Avery Delany,” I said with a little more confidence.
Leo laughed. “Let me guess. Your dad’s name is Otto and he’s on death row in California?” He had yet to let go of my hand.
Confused, I shook my head. “No. His name is Kent Delany, and he lives twenty minutes away.” I watched as the color drained out of his face as it grew so quiet, you could hear the crickets chirping in the background.
Leo
I was standing just inside the bay doors when I spotted her sitting in the passenger side of Piper’s car, and what I saw was more to my liking than most I’d seen in a while. There was no shortage of women around here. Whether they were tall, short, fat, or lean, it didn’t matter. There were always plenty of them throwing themselves at me every night, and I partook on a regular basis. But you could just see that this one was different, and I was in serious need of different. Instead of standing there lurking in the dark corners of the dusty old shop, I moved to walk towards the car and was rewarded richly.
She’d moved from sitting in the car to standing just outside the passenger door. Her long, dark hair was hanging in loose curls around her shoulders, and I let my eyes glide over her ample chest. They were more than a handful for me and that was saying a lot. I clenched my fists, mentally picturing myself holding one in each hand, giving those nipples a slight tweak between my thumb and index finger. I licked my lips as my eyes drifted down her stomach to land at her curvaceous hips that were perfectly rounded just enough to make her sexy as hell. Her legs were long and luscious on their own. Great for wrapping around my waist.
I turned my eyes to the car before she could catch me eye fucking her. I was going to have her, and soon. The thought of her writhing under me made me give myself a shift in my jeans as I leaned into Piper’s car to assess the damage the little diva had done.
As Dalton and I were under the hood, I noticed she had yet to make a sound. Cocky or not, this was unusual around me because most women would have already resorted to having their tits in my face, trying to coax me into a conversation with their limited knowledge of motorcycles.
I heard Piper asking if she was all right, so I stuck my head out from underneath the hood to look at her. I gave her another good once-over and as soon as I get to her chest, I heard her clear her throat, making sure I knew I was damn well busted.
I ducked around the hood and strutted up to her to shake her hand, only to see how it completely engulfed hers. I kept her hand in mine and studied her dark green eyes, watching as they flickered around, trying to focus on everything but me. I introduced myself, waiting for her to do the same.
When she just stared at my hand, I couldn’t help myself. I tried teasing her to get a reaction, but was still getting nothing from her. Finally, Piper clapped her hands and she started to blink out of some unseen fog. I really liked the effect I seemed to have on her.
Laughter from the shop had her looking around, and I realized it was Roman, Piper’s brother. Piper rushed over to him, and as he set her back on her feet, he made his way towards me, his eyes on my prize.
“So, I see you’ve met Avery.” I nod, not taking my eyes off her. Roman walked right past me and up to her, placing a kiss on her forehead, which sent an unwelcomed jolt of jealousy right through me.
Instead of listening to the conversation going on around me, I moved my way around Roman and offered her my hand again to reintroduce myself. This asshole was not going to upstage me and take what was going to be mine.
She took my hand and straightened to introduce herself as Avery Delany. Her last name struck me as funny, so I went on to make a joke about her dad being Otto from a TV show I’d seen. She gave me a look of confusion and stated that her dad lived pretty close, and his name was Kent Delany.
The revelation of her name and the identity of her father had me backpedaling, reassessing my want for her. However, I found the fact that she was the boss’s daughter only made me crave her more. How, in almost twenty years of knowing the man, had I never known he had a daughter? Let me rephrase…a hot fucking daughter? This was just like the boss. Always keeping things quiet unless it was on a need-to-know basis. I guess I wasn’t meant to know about this.
****
After Piper and Avery left the lot, I was still reeling from the bomb she’d dropped on my hard-on. I decided to corner Roman and found him in the office with Alice, our portly receptionist. As I stepped through the door, he turned and gave me a smartass grin.
“So, I guess you’re here to pick my brain about Avery?”
“Who’s Avery?” Alice asked.
“Leo’s new conquest. I’m gonna cock block his ass at every turn. She’s gonna be mine, dude, dibs and all. I saw her first.”
Crossing over to the desk, I planted my hands, palms down, and gave him a shit-eating grin. “Look, you little fucker. You’re not getting her, but you’re gonna tell me all about her, or I’ll just pull Piper’s card and get her address myself.”
Roman leaned against the far wall, crossing his arms over his chest. “Do what you want. She’ll make her choice.” He pointed at his chest. “She and I have history.”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what you think you have with her.” Roman and I stood stock-still. Neither one of us were going to budge.
His smirk just pissed me off even more. “What are you gonna do? Call her daddy and tell on me?”
I straightened my back, giving him my own “eat shit” look. “No, but if you want to make this a game, consider the gauntlet thrown, brother.” I turned and stormed out of the office, slamming the door against the wall. I cursed myself because I would just have to fix the hole.
Going out into the shop, I was met with the glaring eyes of Dalton and Beeker. “Hey, man. What’s up?” Dalton asked with his surfer dude talk.
“Nothin’, brother.” I paused for a second and saw my in through Dalton. I tried to tamp down my overeager libido and seem casual. “Hey, man. That girl with Piper… What’s her story?”
Dalton shrugged. “Nothing scandalous or anything. She’s just Piper’s roommate and all. Why? You interested, big man?” He gave me a slight nudge on the shoulder, knocking me off balance.
I gave him a smile. “She does have potential.” I try not to act too interested, but I knew he could read me like a fucking book. Damn brotherhood. It’s good in some ways; in others, it sucks ass. “Just tell me everything you know and don’t give me any shit about it.”
He held his hands out in surrender. “Okay, okay. All I kno
w is what Piper says, which is that she doesn’t date.” He paused and gave me a grin. “At all. She is all about her work as a nurse at the prison.” I gave him a look, raising my eyebrows at the knowledge and for him to go on. “Yeah, I know. I don’t think Daddy is privy to the info, so let’s keep it on the down low, dude. Anyway, she and Piper met in college. She needed a place to stay and my piece of hot ass gave her one.”
I punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t talk about Piper that way. She’s Roman’s little sister.” I grabbed a beer and offered Dalton one from the shop fridge.
Looking a bit guilty, Dalton smiled at me. “I know, brother, but Piper is hot. You have to give me that.”
“Sure, man, if you like boney women.” Avery wasn’t big, but she wasn’t anorexic, either. She had curves that would perfectly fill out anything she put on. Standing in a room full of men, just the simple thought of her became boner-inducing and caused me to have to shift slightly to reduce the amount of pressure my jeans were putting on my dick.
Dalton didn’t miss a thing. “Looks like we have a winner, people!” he announced, holding up his arms and making a complete three-sixty. My indiscretion was being announced to an empty shop, for which I was grateful.
I punched him once more in the arm. “Fucker, stop wasting time and tell me everything you know.” Finally, after taking a drag from his beer, Dalton filled me in on the, as Roman put it, “Miss Savory Avery.”
Avery
“Leo will be there.” Piper’s not going to let it go.
In the past two days since I was introduced to Leo, I have found that he and his body have overtaken my thoughts more than I will ever admit. Just the thought of him has almost caused some self- induced orgasms…another fact to which I will never admit.
Going for the act of nonchalance, I ask, “Why would that sway me?” I immediately feel my body tense, and I start fiddling with the corner of the pillowcase, hoping it comes off sounding like I mean what I’m saying.
The statement has me on the receiving end of a slap to the arm. “Give me a break, you liar. You went all Nell on us, and I think you might have even drooled a little.” She takes her finger and trails a line out of the corner of her mouth. “Yep, right down through here.”
“I did not drool.”
“Okay, so it’s like this. I already told him you were coming and he’s not the kind of man who takes rejection very well.” She bounds off my bed and heads to my closet.
“Why would you tell him yes before you even told me we were invited?” This is so Piper.
She turns and puts her hand on her hip, cocking it out to the side. She really likes to show off her sassy little frame, and this is how she likes to do it. “Because it’s the only way I could get an invite, okay? Roman didn’t want me to come.” She heads back into the closet and starts to throw some of my more questionable attire at me.
“Just stop for a minute and explain this to me, please.” She’s skipping around this and being a bit too vague for my liking. “I thought your brother was a member of this ‘club’. So doesn’t his membership give you instant access? Plus, you’re gorgeous. You can get in anywhere. I’ve seen it. Lastly, why wouldn’t Roman want you to come?” I continue, as she accumulates a large pile of some of the smuttiest clothes known to man.
She takes time away from wardrobe choices to cross over to me. “Okay, listen. This isn’t just a ‘club’. It’s a ‘club’.” She raises her eyebrows, pushing me to get with the program.
My mind begins to race. I’ve recently been exploring the underworld of erotica on my Kindle.
“Oh god!” I exclaim, shaking my head, “Oh, hell no, honey. There is no way you are getting me or my extremities anywhere near a place like that.” I can feel my face contort in horror. Reading about it being done to someone else is one thing, but actually letting a man…or men, in some cases…do that to me? No way! I cross my arms over my chest to show her my resolve.
Her face cracks into one of the biggest smiles I’ve ever seen, which is accompanied by side-splitting laughter. She’s fallen to the floor and her body is shaking with laughter.
When she finally stops, she leans over and slaps my leg. “No, you dirty-minded slut.” She pushes herself up from the floor and back onto the bed. “It's an MC, not an S&M club.” She continues to snicker at my ignorance. “Do you really think I would take you to that kind of club?”
“I never trust what you get yourself into. They really have those though? The S&M clubs?”
Her face grows stoic and blushes a little. “Piper, seriously? Have you been to one?” I shriek in horror at her silent admission to the fact she knows they exist.
Exasperated, she jumps to her feet. “What? I read 50 Shades and was curious.” She stops and has a wistful look on her rosy cheeks. “Once was enough, but dear Lord. You wouldn’t believe...” Her shoulders do a little shimmy at the memory.
“Don’t want to know.” Now she just looks at me and she looks pitiful. I hate feeling sorry for her. “So if I don’t go, you can't get in?” I would love to just sit around the house.
“Nope, but if you don’t show up, he’ll just come and get you.” She says it like she’s reciting a telephone number.
“So you say. I’m sure he’ll have plenty of entertainment from what I hear goes on at these parties.” I laugh at her for being all dramatic.
“No, I don’t say. He says.” Again, she replies with the coolness of a cucumber.
I sit straight up. “Excuse me?” Something in her tone has roused my attention, and not in a good way. What the hell is going on?
“Yeah…” Piper pauses and turns to look at me with a little bit of regret in her eyes. “Listen, I never should have taken you down to Mayhem the other day because now you’re on Leo’s radar, and…” She stops just as the anticipation is killing me.
“And what, Piper? What?” I grip the comforter on my bed to keep from tackling her to the floor and choking the information out of her.
“Let's just say he’s used to getting any woman he wants. And, at the moment, that would be you, sweetie.” She turns back around to face the mirror. Does she not know that giving me her back right now is not good for her?
I’m so confused. I have just met this man and made a complete idiot of myself. Now he has me on his “radar”? I wonder who will be on it next week.
“I’m not going, Piper. You go and tell Leo I’m sorry, but the caveman-type is not what I’m looking for.” I get up and go to the living room, plop down on the sofa, and grab the remote. I never knew shit about this party and I damn sure won’t feel bad about not going.
Running into the room, she’s almost out of breath from panic. “You have to go,” Piper shrieks.
“No, I don’t. You go and have a great time. If you need a sober driver, you can call me.”
Her face is shocked and worried. “No, Avery, you don’t understand. You have to go.”
“You’re the one who doesn’t seem to understand that I’m staying home. Is Roman picking you up?” I quickly change the subject and hope she gets the hint.
She turns green and her hand is pressed into her stomach. “I think I’m going to be sick.” She should have tried out to be an actress with her dramatics.
She rushes into the bathroom. An hour later, she re-emerges in a blue jean skirt so short, if she were to bend over, anyone standing behind her could see her tonsils. The shirt isn’t any better.
“Piper, the idea is you leave a little to the imagination.” She tugs down the skirt, only succeeding in showing off more of her midriff.
I hear the familiar rumble of Harley’s coming down the street and snicker to myself. I’ve been so flaky. I can’t believe I never put any of it together. Roman’s tattooed, and he works and rides with other large bikers, hence the motorcycle club.
I look over at Piper. “Is Roman an officer or something in the club?” I’m not really sure how the whole cast system in the MC world works.
“He’s the VP. He�
�ll be president one day. I’m sure of it.” She pauses at the door, turning back to me. “Please, Avery. Just go get ready and come with us.”
“Drop it. Okay? I…am…not…going.” I stand to shoo her out the door and wave at Roman, then wave to Dalton, who is sitting on his bike next to Roman. “Go have fun and call me if you need me.” I give her a kiss on the cheek and follow her out the door.
“I say sooner rather than later,” she retorts, slowly taking the stairs.
Roman’s sitting on his bike and removes his helmet. When Piper reaches his side, they exchange some words. Roman leans the bike on the kickstand and crosses the yard to me.
“Hey, Roman. What’s up?” I’m comfortable enough with his hotness, seeing as he’s passed out on our couch numerous times.
“Hey, sexy. Piper says you aren’t coming?” He nods his head over his shoulder in the direction of his sister.
I smile at him. “She’s right. I’m not.” I lean onto the post and cross my arms over my chest.
“You sure?” His hesitancy and Piper’s persistence is starting to grate on my nerves.
“Yes. I’ve been over this with Piper, and now it seems I’m gonna go over it with you. I knew nothing about this party, but even if I did, I would still be staying home tonight. I don’t understand why the two of you are making an issue of it.” I turn for the front door, hoping they both get the message.
I hear Roman kick the porch. “Okay. See ya later, Avery.” I hear him give a slight chuckle as he descends the porch steps. I peek out of the curtains and see him say something to a disappointed Piper, then watch as they all pull away, the rumble from the bikes shaking the windows of all the houses lining the street.
Her Kinsman-Redeemer
Copyright 2016 to Darlene Tallman
Blurb for Heaven’s Sinners MC –
Her Kinsman-Redeemer
Angelina Jones found herself on the streets after she aged out of the foster care system. Starving and nearing the end of her rope, her life changed the day she met two members from the Heaven’s Sinners MC, Dex and Laser. She eventually became an old lady and settled into her new life. But six years later, tragedy struck and she found herself alone and pregnant.
Charlee's Choices: DreamCatcher MC Page 18