When he’d told me I wouldn’t ever forget that night, he wasn’t kidding. I literally relived it every single night. In vivid technicolor.
“So when I finished up, everyone was coming to me to congratulate me,” my date said. What the hell was his name again? Charlie? Chester? Wait. No, it was Chet. And what the hell was he talking about?
“That’s awesome,” I said as I pasted a brilliant fake smile on my face. I was going to choke my new friend Justine for setting this up.
With a pleased grin, he raised his glass for a drink. I frowned and made a production of pulling out my phone. Looking at the blank screen, I whispered, “Oh, shoot.”
“Is everything okay?” he asked with a furrowed brow.
“It’s my mother. She says it’s important. I’ll just be a minute,” I said as I excused myself to step outside. Then I held the phone to my ear and had a one-way conversation with no one. After an acceptable amount of time had passed, I reentered the restaurant.
“I’m so sorry to cut our night short, but I need to run home. It’s my mom. She’s visiting, and she thinks she sprained her ankle.” With an Oscar-worthy look of concern, I gathered my purse and light jacket.
He placed his napkin on the table and stood. “Is there anything I can do?”
“Oh, no. Thank you, though. That’s sweet of you. Thank you so much for dinner. It was lovely.” I blinked a few times and shot him an apologetic smile.
“Let me walk you to your car,” he offered. Afraid he might ask me out again on the way or, God forbid, try to kiss me, I waved him off.
“No need, but thank you. You finish your dessert.” Before he could say any more, I rushed out, heels clicking on the tiled floors. The sun had gone down, and the temperature had dropped, but I didn’t pause to slip my jacket on.
Reaching my car, I was thankful I’d had the foresight to meet him at the restaurant that overlooked the lake. Not wasting time, I started the car, cranked up the heat, and got on the road.
The lights of the lake faded in my rearview mirror as I headed home. My phone rang, and I grinned as I saw the display. “Hey, Mom. Your ears must’ve been burning.”
Her chuckle carried over the line. “What are you up to?”
“Oh, not much, just heading home because you might have sprained your ankle,” I said, then pulled my lips between my teeth in an attempt not to laugh.
“Child, you are incorrigible. One of these days, you using me as your escape plan from bad dates is gonna backfire. What was wrong with this one?” Her tone was chastising, but the laugh at the end ruined the effect she was going for.
“Ugh, well, let’s just say, pretty package but too in love with himself.”
“One of those, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
“Well, your father and I are talking about making a trip up to see you. When is a good week?” We ironed out the details, and I pulled into my neighborhood on the edge of town.
“Okay, Mom, I’ll see you in a few weeks.”
“Sounds good. Maybe while I’m there I can find a nice boy for you. You’re not getting any younger, and I sure would love some grandbabies to spoil.”
I laughed as I parked in my garage. Once I ended the call, I grabbed my crap and went inside.
After dumping everything on the counter, I went to my room and fell back onto my bed.
I shot off a text to Justine.
Me: I hate you. We can no longer be friends.
Justine: Uh-oh. That bad?
She was a part-time dispatcher for the sheriff’s department and somehow knew my date, but he wasn’t a sheriff. No, Mr. Chet Edwards was a stuck-on-himself city cop.
Me: Let’s just say… no more blind dates
Justine: Eek. Ok. Sorry
She inserted a sad-face emoji, and I laughed. It really wasn’t her fault, I supposed. She was trying to be nice. The problem was, I didn’t really have time to date, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t lonely.
“Why aren’t there any decent guys out there? Let me clarify. Ones that are single. I’m never going to meet the right guy. Fuck my life.” Not that I wanted to rush into anything, but my biological clock was ticking, and I wanted to be a mom more than anything. Maybe I’d look at a donor. A man in the picture wasn’t super necessary.
But what a shitty thing for my kid to never have a dad. Sure, people did it all the time, but I always pictured myself finding the right guy and settling down to raise a big family.
“Damn you, sexy stranger! You’ve ruined my expectations for a man. Where the hell is a man that is like you in the bedroom and just as amazing out of it?” I sighed. I was looking for a unicorn among men.
And I really needed to quit talking to myself. I buried my face in my hands.
“Your appointment is here, Hailey,” the receptionist said when I answered the phone. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I closed my eyes. I’d slept like shit the night before. My dreams of the sexy stranger had left me restless, and I’d woken up gasping at least three times.
“Send him back,” I huffed. Regret that I hadn’t rescheduled surfaced, and my shoulders drooped. I dropped my head into my hand with a sigh.
“If this is a bad time, I can come back,” a deep voice said from the doorway. Tingles of awareness skated up my spine.
That voice.
Eyes wide, I raised my head, and my heart damn near stopped. His gaze mirrored mine before a wicked grin curved those perfect lips.
“You!” I gasped as my heart took off at a gallop. Inappropriate tingles started between my legs, and I knew my freaking panties were soaked.
“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” he crooned, and I wanted to swoon. Digging deep for a professionalism I wasn’t feeling, I sat up straight in my chair.
“You’re Mr. Matthews?” Well, there went my tenuous professionalism when my voice cracked.
Sexy smirk still in place, he moved all the way into my office and closed the door. His tongue wet his bottom lip. “When I told Polly to find a good replacement, I had no idea how well she’d come through.”
“What? I mean how?” I sputtered, because I couldn’t seem to form a coherent thought that didn’t revolve around sweeping everything from my desk, lying across it, hiking my skirt up, and begging for a repeat.
“Miss Monroe. It is Miss, right?” For a split second, uncertainty flickered in his gaze.
Dumbly, I nodded.
That disarming smile was back, and my pussy gushed. If my panties weren’t destroyed before, they sure as hell were then.
“Well, what do you say we take this meeting somewhere else?”
Your bed?
Aw, shit. The man was destroying the sophisticated director I’d worked so hard to maintain since getting hired at the Leon Adolescent Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation Center. He was turning me into a puddle of lust. Literally.
“Where were you thinking?” I cautiously questioned. My damn nipples perked up at the thought of him touching them again.
“Why, Miss Monroe, is your mind in the gutter?” he asked as his eyes dropped to my chest before slowly finding their way back up. He was reading my mind all too well. “I was thinking we could take this discussion to a little place I know to discuss the fundraiser over lunch. I missed breakfast, and I’m… famished.”
There was no way he was unaware of the double meaning to his words. His dark blue irises glittered mischievously as his mouth twisted in humor. Narrowing my eyes, I stubbornly refused to admit he was right.
Clenching my jaw, I willed the desire away to no avail. Dammit.
“Fine. But this is not a date. Do not get this twisted,” I insisted.
“I wouldn’t dream of it,” he said with a smirk.
My eyes traveled over his rugged frame, unwittingly admiring the way his black T-shirt stretched over his chest. Perfectly frayed jeans hugged muscled thighs. Thick black boots encased his feet. My eyes moved back up, pausing on the bulge behind his zipper. Good God, is that his dick lying on the
top of his thigh? Surely not.
But I knew firsthand what he was packing, and I knew it was. Catching my blatant perusal, he cupped his dick and adjusted it.
Sweet baby Jesus. Heart pounding all the way down between my legs, I so wanted to do that for him.
It was then that I caught the leather vest. “Wait. You’re a biker?”
Those midnight blue eyes narrowed. “Is that disdain I hear?”
“Uh, no. Not at all,” I stammered. I’d had an unhealthy obsession with a certain TV biker. My one-night stand was unknowingly making himself sexier than I could’ve imagined.
Oh, this is bad. So bad.
I’d only been at my job for a few months. The last thing I needed was to get caught screwing one of the benefactors of the Leon and the head of the annual fundraiser. But holy shit. Like I said, I remembered that night in vivid detail.
The frown on his face dissolved, and I was once again blown away by how good-looking he was. My lady bits were screaming for another shot at what he could do to them.
“Well, since that’s not an issue, what did you decide about lunch?”
Biting back a whimper, I made a decision that had the potential to blow up in my face. Standing to my full height, made impressive in my heels, I almost looked him in the eye. Damn, had he been that tall last year?
He had.
Tall, muscular, sexy, captivating, and fantastic in the sack, he was every woman’s wet dream. It was going to be a nearly impossible feat to keep myself from climbing his body like a damn monkey.
Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. I did have self-control. The problem was, I didn’t know if I wanted to use it. I was not one to sleep around haphazardly, and that night last year had been one of vulnerability and reckless abandon.
“I’ll follow you,” I said with my most professional and serene smile.
Can it be to your bed, though?
Ugh.
Snow
“The Devil in I”—Slipknot
Walking into that office to see my blonde bombshell from a year ago was exactly what I needed. Especially after the shitstorm that had been brewing since then. A year later, and we were no closer to finding who was behind the distribution of Black Night.
Each time we got close, they disappeared like a fucking wraith. It was like chasing a ghost.
I backed my bike up to the curb in front of the Oasis and waited while she parked next to me. Reaper’s ol’ lady, Steph, stuck her head out of the door. “Hey, Snow. What brings you by?”
She had a fantastic menu, making the pub a great place to eat and have drinks. Since it was late afternoon, the lunch rush was over and the crowd should’ve dispersed. I figured it was the perfect place for me and Miss Monroe to catch up.
“Business lunch” was all the explanation I gave her.
She whispered, “Okay, then. I guess I’ll set up a table.”
I grinned, and she giggled. She went back inside, and I turned my focus on the woman I’d obsessed about for a year.
Mesmerized, I took in every inch of her long legs as she climbed out of her vehicle. I’d forgotten how she’d fit my height perfectly. I’d barely needed to dip my head to kiss her in the heels she wore so well.
“This place is really cute! I didn’t even know it was here,” she exclaimed as she stopped in front of me. “Then again, I haven’t had a lot of time to explore the town.”
She smiled, and my insides flip-flopped. Weirdest fucking thing I’d ever experienced. I hoped I wasn’t coming down with something.
“I’m glad you came, Miss Monroe,” I offered with a devilish lift of my brow.
“It’s Hailey,” she corrected before her pink tongue darted out to wet her lower lip. Inwardly, I groaned.
“Steph should have a table ready for us,” I said as I placed a hand on her lower back and guided her into the pub. My hand burned where I touched her, wanting to explore every inch of her to see if my memory served me right.
“Steph?” she asked, with a hint of jealousy in her tone which had me smiling inside. Jealousy meant there was still interest there.
“My brother’s wife. She owns the Oasis.” I didn’t make so much as an attempt to hide my smirk. A sidelong glance at her revealed her cheeks were a rosy red. I chuckled as we made our way to the back booth where Steph was waiting.
Once we were both seated, she placed our menus in front of us.
“You’re waitressing?” I asked her with mock confusion. I knew damn well why she was there. Her loose blonde curls were pulled up into a high ponytail, and she had her white apron on, signifying she was cooking today.
“Monica is on her break, so I’m filling in,” she said with an unashamed grin. On break, my ass. Shit, it was all fun and games until I realized she was going to race to the back to tell Reaper what she’d seen.
“Steph, this is Miss Monroe. She’s the new director at the adolescent center. We were going to meet to discuss the annual fundraiser. I brought her over to check out your place because she’s new to town.” Damage control attempted, I waited.
“Welcome to our area. Where are you from?” Steph asked, turning her attention to Hailey.
“Kansas City. And please call me Hailey,” she replied with a friendly lift of her lips.
“Will do. Now what can I start you off with to drink?” Steph took our drink orders and brought them back while Hailey began to peruse the menu. Steph could’ve saved bringing a menu for me, because I already knew what I wanted. She was sitting across the table from me.
Uh, no, I meant I knew the menu by heart.
Hell.
No, I was right the first time. It may’ve been a year, but I wanted Hailey Monroe. I wanted to bend her over, fist her golden hair, smack that luscious ass, and pound my cock into her tight pussy.
Those thoughts had my dick swelling painfully in my pants. Shifting in the booth to ease some of the pressure was futile. The only thing that would provide relief was whipping my dick out of my damn jeans. Trying to think of the least sexy things in life didn’t seem to help.
Her molten silver eyes rose to mine, her nostrils flared, and her lips parted slightly as she gazed at me. It was as if she knew.
“You really want to eat?” I asked in a tone, husky with need.
“I actually had my lunch before you showed up,” she replied, equally as labored. We stared at each other as I tried to gauge whether or not we were on the same page.
Taking a chance, I whispered, “You wanna fight?”
She sucked in a sharp inhale, and lust burned in the stormy depths of her eyes.
“Decided what you want?” Steph inadvertently interrupted us when she stopped by the edge of the table.
Silence sat heavy at the table. Then Hailey swallowed hard and scooted out of the booth.
“I’m sorry, I completely forgot about a meeting I have. I need to go.” She gave a brief apologetic smile to Steph and quickly headed for the door.
No way. I shot to my feet and hurried to catch up to her. I caught her elbow in the entryway of the pub and spun her to face me.
“Hailey, wait!”
“Mr. Matthews, this was a mistake,” she began, refusing to meet my gaze.
“Luke,” I murmured. My hand cupping her jaw, I tipped her head up. Reluctantly, she looked at me.
“Luke.” She breathed my name like a sigh.
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why? I just started my new job. I need to concentrate on that. There’s no time in my life for a relationship at this point.”
She said the words, but her eyes and her pulse pounding below my little finger belied them. “Trust me when I tell you I’m not looking for a relationship.”
“Good. Neither am I,” she insisted.
Leaning forward until my lips brushed the shell of her ear, I whispered, “So let’s fuck. No strings. No expectations. No rules. Well, except one. Don’t develop feelings for me, because you will get hurt.”
“What if you develop feel
ings?” she said, full of attitude.
That caused me to snort laughter. “Not likely.”
She appeared to consider what I’d said. Then when I thought she was gonna tell me to fuck off, she grabbed my shirt and pulled me to her. Her lips hit mine, and I groaned into the kiss as my cock pressed hard into her soft body.
Breaking apart to gasp for breath, I demanded, “Your place or mine?”
“Which is closer?”
“I’m about five minutes from here,” I growled.
“I’m across town. Your place.”
I nodded. “Follow me.” When she’d told me she’d follow me from the center, I should’ve gone straight to my place. Cut out the bullshit in between.
She didn’t argue—she simply climbed in her car, started it, and waited expectantly. I chuckled, then climbed on my bike and roared down the road. A glance in my mirror showed she was behind me and hadn’t chickened out.
I parked in the driveway, and she pulled in next to me. Her door flew open, and her heels clicked on the concrete as she rounded the hood. Arms crossed, she stared at me where I sat on my bike watching her.
“You gonna sit there the entire time? If so, I’m going back to work.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said with a smirk and got off the bike. Like I had all the time in the world, I walked past her—enjoying her impatience.
With a glance over my shoulder, I unlocked the door. Though I wanted to shove her against the door, hike up that skirt, and shove my cock so hard and deep in her cunt she saw stars, I didn’t. Instead, I made my way to my room, assuming she’d follow.
Once there, I hung my cut in the closet, gripped the back of my shirt, tugged it off, and dropped it to the floor. My belt clanked as I unbuckled it and dropped my zipper. Until then, she’d watched me from the doorway.
The rasp of the zipper set her in motion. She came to stand in front of me. Slender fingers reached into my boxers and gripped my throbbing length. When her thumb swept through the bead of precum on the end and circled it around, I sucked air through my clenched teeth. No matter how unaffected I wanted to try to act, I lost it then.
Twisted Steel: An MC Anthology: Second Edition Page 3