by Wilder, L.
“Sounds good. I’ll definitely do that.”
“Great.” With a quick wave, she turned and walked out of my office. “Catch ya later, alligator.”
Once she was gone, I turned my attention back to my weekly reports, so I could leave on time. Gus was expecting me at the clubhouse at six and I still needed to run by the apartment to change and grab Rayne’s birthday gift. As soon as I finished my report, I emailed it to my advisor, then shut down my computer and gathered my things. When I got out to my car, I was relieved to see that I was actually ahead of schedule. If I played it right, I could be there well before the party started, and I might even get a few minutes alone with Gus. Unfortunately, everything usually took me longer than I planned, so by the time I arrived at the clubhouse, everyone was already gathered in the family room. Balloons were strung in every corner and presents were piled high on the front table, and Rayne couldn’t have looked more excited as she sat perched on Louise’s hip. As I walked over to place my gift with the others, I smiled at Rayne and said, “Happy birthday, sweet girl.”
“I’m t’ree,” she boasted as she tried to hold up three fingers. “I’m dis many.”
“I know you are! You’re such a big girl, now.”
“She likes to think so,” Louise scoffed.
Rayne leaned forward and tried to grab one of the presents as she stated, “Mine.”
“Not yet, Rayne.”
“Mine, Momma.”
“I know they’re yours, baby, but it’s not time to open presents yet.” Louise looked over to me and sighed. “I blame her father for this. He spoils her like crazy.”
I really liked Louise. She was beautiful with shoulder-length hair and a killer figure, but she never used her looks to get what she wanted. She was too smart, too strong-willed, for that. When Louise set her mind to something, she made it happen, and everyone who knew her respected her for it. I smiled as I told her, “Daddy’s have a way of spoiling their little girls. I know my father always did me.”
“Mine spoiled me, too, but Moose is going to make her absolutely rotten.” She motioned her hand towards the table of gifts. “Most of these are from him, and all she’ll care about are the boxes and the balloons.”
When Rayne reached for one of the balloons and fisted it in her little hand, I giggled as I said, “You might be right about that.”
We were both laughing when Gus came up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, easing me back against his chest as he whispered, “Hey there, beautiful.”
The sound of his voice sent a delicious chill down my spine, causing my knees to tremble as I leaned against him. “Hey, I’m sorry I was late.”
“You’re right on time.” He lowered his mouth to my neck, softly kissing me before turning me around to face him. “Glad you could make it.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.” I took a quick glance around the room, and I was surprised by how many brothers were gathered in the family room. When Gus first brought me to the clubhouse, there were only six brothers and two prospects. But now, they were making plans to patch over the members of the Lost Knights, and they’d also enlisted four new prospects. I couldn’t help but noticed that one of them wasn’t in the family room and neither was Widow. “Looks like you have a couple who are even later than me. Are Widow and Reeves working at the diner?”
“No. They aren’t working at the diner.” There was no hiding the anguish in his eyes as he continued, “They ran into a little trouble. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“Oh. Okay.” That left me curious and concerned but knew better than to push. I’d noticed several men in the back corner wearing Satan’s Fury cuts, but I’d never seen them before. I looked over in their direction as I asked him, “Who are the new guys?”
“Oh, that’s Saul. He’s the president of the Washington chapter, and the other two are a couple of brothers he brought along with him.”
“They’re from your old club?”
“Yeah. Same club. Different state.” I could tell he was holding something back when he added, “They came down to help me get a few things sorted, but they’ll be heading back in the morning.”
After hearing that there had been some trouble with Widow and Reeves, I couldn’t help but wonder if that’s why they’d come to Memphis. I knew I was pushing it, but I had to ask, “Is everything okay?”
“It is now.” He reached for my hand. “Let’s go grab a beer, and then, I’ll take you over and introduce you.”
“Okay.”
I was a little nervous about meeting people who’d had such an important impact in his life, but I quickly learned I had nothing to worry about. They were just as kind and loyal as Gus’s other brothers, and they treated me like they’d known me for years. It was easy to see why Gus loved being with them like he did. Even though they weren’t blood relatives, they truly were like his family, and I found myself wondering if they could be mine as well.
Dinner was almost ready, so we all moved into the family room to watch Rayne open her presents. By the time she was done, it looked like a toy store had exploded in the family room. I couldn’t help but laugh when I glanced over at Rayne and watched her play with all the empty boxes. She was building a small tower when I leaned over to Louise and whispered, “You were right about the boxes.”
Nodding, she replied, “At least now I know what to get her for Christmas!”
“That you do!”
By the time dinner was ready, Rayne was starting to tucker out, so Louise had one of the girls carry her back to Gus’s room and put her down for bed. Once we’d brought all the food out from the kitchen, we gathered around the table and made our plates. We all started eating, and it wasn’t long before the guys started goofing around, poking fun at one another. When the topic of conversations turned to old flames, Bane looked at T-Bone and asked, “What about that chick who wanted to marry your sorry ass? She was hot as fuck. I can’t believe you passed that up.”
“She might’ve been hot, but that chick was three shades of fucked up.” T-Bone looked horrified as he continued, “She had a list of rules for me on the refrigerator … and she smelled my clothes, especially my underwear.” He cocked his eyebrow and nodded. “Yeah … my fucking underwear, and she followed me around like some kind of goddamn stalker. Calling at all times of the damn night, over and over. But worst of all, she refused to give head. Said it wasn’t hygienic.”
When the laughter finally died down, Half-pint looked over to him and said, “My ex used to take pictures of me when I was sleeping. Used to creep me the fuck out.”
“One of my exes used to spray her perfume in my bed. Guess she thought other chicks might smell it and hit the ground running, but it just ended up making me smell like a fucking pussy,” Bane complained.
“Oh, hell. That’s nothing. I was with this one girl who had a thing for feet, and … damn.” Cyrus’s face turned an odd shade of green as he told us, “Some of the shit she wanted to do. It just wasn’t right.”
The room exploded in laughter, but Cyrus was too lost in his thoughts to even care. The guys continued to tell stories and carry on until everyone had finished eating. We cleaned up the dishes, and everyone was talking amongst themselves in the kitchen when Gus leaned over to me and said, “I need to have a quick word with Saul, and then, I’ll run you home.”
“But, I drove here.”
“In that case, I’ll follow you home.” He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me towards him as he said, “Unless you have a problem with me spending some time with my woman.”
“No, I don’t have a problem with that.” I inched a little closer. “In fact, I was going to be a little disappointed if I didn’t get a little alone time with you.”
He leaned forward and kissed me on the forehead. As he turned to leave, he said, “Give me a minute … five at the most.”
When he turned to leave, I headed over to the others to say my goodbyes. Louise and Moose thanked me for the gift I’d given Rayne, and then
T-Bone and the others each took a moment to speak before they wandered over to the bar. I was about to head out to the parking lot when I saw Gus walking in my direction. Just the sight of him got to me like no other man had before. He was just so damn handsome, so confident and self-assured, and the way he looked at me, like I was the most beautiful woman on the planet, made every nerve in my body long to be touched by him. As he made his way over to me, I smiled and said, “That was fast.”
Gus wrapped his arms around me and lifted me in the air. “Told ya I just needed a minute.”
“That, you did.”
Then, he gave me a brief kiss and lowered my feet to the floor. Wasting no time, he took my hand and started for the door. “Let’s get out of here.”
Once he’d walked me over to my car and got me settled inside, he went over to his bike and followed me over to my apartment. We parked and headed inside and got on the elevator. The second the doors closed, we were on each other like two sex-crazed teenagers, kissing and pawing like there was no tomorrow. When the doors opened, Gus lifted me into his arms and carried me to my apartment door. Fumbling with the key, I finally unlocked it. When he carried me inside, I was surprised to find that my lights were on. Gus was about to lean in for another kiss, when I scooted out of his arms and stepped into the living room. As soon as I saw her, and noticed the expression on her face, my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.
“Hello, Samantha Grace.”
“Mom … Umm, what are you doing here?”
Her eyebrow was raised high in annoyance as she said, “If you had checked your cell phone, you’d know that I was coming.”
“I’m sorry.” Gus walked up next to me as I told her, “We were at a birthday party, and I—”
I’d never told her anything about who I’d been seeing, so I was surprised when she stood up and interrupted me by saying, “You must be Gus.”
“I am.”
“Well, it’s nice to finally meet you.” She extended her hand as she said, “I’m Elizabeth Travers. Samantha’s mother.”
As he shook her hand, he replied, “It’s nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Travers. Samantha has told me a lot about you and your family.”
“Well, that’s nice to hear. Wish I could say the same about you.” She was wearing one of her fitted blouses and a string of pearls along with black slacks and heels, but it wasn’t what she was wearing that made her seem pretentious. It was the way she looked at him, and the tone she used when she spoke. Mom didn’t have to say the words. She’d already made it clear that she didn’t approve of Gus, and to top it off, she glanced over at me with one of her looks. I knew then I was in for it. Her focus was still on me while she told Gus, “Maybe we can rectify that in a bit when Samantha and I are alone. I’m sure we will have lots to talk about.”
He seemed completely unfazed by her rude behavior as he answered, “I’m sure you will.”
“Mom,” I warned.
Before I could say anything more, Gus looked over to me and said, “I’m gonna get going.”
“Wait. You don’t have to leave.” I glared over at my mother as I told him, “She won’t be staying long.”
“You need to spend some time with your mother, Sam.” He leaned towards me and kissed my cheek briefly before saying, “I’ll check in with you tomorrow.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I wasn’t able to stay long anyway.”
“Okay.” Disappointment washed over me as I followed him over to the door. Before he walked out, I whispered, “I’m sorry about this.”
“Don’t be.” Gus kissed me one more time, then stepped into the hall. Before I closed the door, he called out to my mother, “It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Travers.”
She didn’t respond, which only aggravated me even more. Once he was gone, I stormed back into the living room and asked, “What the hell was that?”
“I was about to ask you the same,” she snapped. “And watch your tone, young lady. I don’t care how old you get, I am still your mother and I will not be disrespected.”
“I’m not trying to be disrespectful, Mother.” I took in a deep breath and crossed my arms as I told her. “I just want to know what you’re doing here?”
“I came because I heard that my daughter had gotten herself a new boyfriend.”
“And where did you hear that?”
“From Evan. Everyone informed us that he was the best campaign manager in the country, but when he alerted me that my daughter had gotten herself mixed up with some delinquent, I thought he’d made a terrible mistake. Then, lo and behold, I arrive only to find you here with him.” She walked over to the window and watched Gus get on his motorcycle, then grumbled, “A biker, Samantha? How could you delve so low?”
“You’re wrong about him, Mom. He’s not a delinquent. He’s a good man, and he’s been very wonderful to me.” Her back was still turned away from me when I said, “I love him. I don’t care if you approve of him or not.”
“And your father? What about him? Do you care about him at all?”
“You know I do.”
“Well, you certainly aren’t acting like it.” She turned to face me as she continued, “You know what becoming governor means to him. He’s spent his entire life working for this chance, and how do you think he’s going to feel when you’re the one who takes it away from him.”
“What are you talking about? I’m not taking anything away from him.”
“Of course you are! When the media learns that their lead candidate … the man who has an impeccable record with not one single skeleton in his closet, has a daughter who is tangled up with some delinquent who belongs to one of the most dangerous biker clubs in the country, then your father’s political career is over!” Her face flushed red as she continued her rant. “He’s supposed to turn this state around and make it a safe, thriving place for the rich and the poor. How’s he supposed to do that when his own daughter is running around with criminals?”
“Just because he’s in a motorcycle club, that doesn’t mean he’s a criminal, Mother.”
“No, but he is.” With a huff, she stormed over to my coffee table and picked up a folder. As she thrust it in my direction, she spat, “See for yourself.”
I opened the file and quickly scanned the first page. It was a record for an Augustus Peterson, born in Piedmont, Washington, in 1966. At first, I was thrown by the name Augustus Tanner, but when I got to the bottom of the page, I noticed a black and white photograph of Gus. I looked up at my mother as I asked, “What is this?”
“It’s everything he could find on your new boyfriend. From the looks of it, he’s been a very busy man.”
“You had no right to do that!” I tossed the folder down on the coffee table in anger.
“Of course, I did! Your father’s career is at stake!” She walked over to me and sighed. “You father has moved heaven and earth for you, Samantha … giving you everything you could have ever wanted, including this apartment and that internship at MBC. Now, it’s time for you to return the favor. End this thing with the biker before it’s too late.”
“I’m not ending things with him.”
“I know you think you love him, but he’s simply not the right man for you.” She placed her hand on my face as she continued, “He can’t give you the kind of life you deserve.”
“He can and he will.”
“I wish that were true, but it’s not. You’ll see that for yourself soon enough.” She lowered her hand and let out a deep breath. “Your father had a meeting with a nice young man last week. His name is Denis Rayburn. He’s a lawyer in Nashville, comes from a good family, and everyone thinks highly of him. We were thinking of having him come for dinner in a couple of weeks. You should come, especially considering your new position at work. You two would be in the same city.”
“That’s not going to happen.”
“Just think about it.” She picked up her purse and coat from the sofa, then added, “In fact, I want you to t
hink about everything I’ve said tonight. Your family is counting on you to do the right thing.”
With that, she turned and walked out. As soon as the door closed, I broke down in tears. I wasn’t sure why I was crying. Maybe it was the fact that I was so angry about all the terrible things my mother said about Gus, or maybe it was because I knew she was right.
CHAPTER 5
Gus
Samantha’s body grew rigid as I began to thrust deeper, harder. Her snug pussy throbbed against me, weakening all of my restraint. When she showed up tonight in that tight, little, black dress and those fuck me heels, I knew exactly what she was up to. My little temptress wanted my attention, and by God, she fucking got it. I was done the second she walked into the room and I saw that spark of lust in her eyes, I was done. I tossed Samantha over my shoulder and carried her straight back to my room. I watched with bated breath as she slowly undressed and revealed her perfect curves, then I led her over to the bed. After I shed my clothes, I lowered myself down between her thighs and explored every inch of her body, making her come undone over and over again. Once I was inside her, I intended to go slow… wanting to savor every damn second, but she was so tight, so warm and wet. I couldn’t hold back. I tightened my grip on her hair as I quickened my pace to a demanding rhythm. Her nails skated up my spine as her hips bucked against mine, meeting my every thrust with more force… more intensity. I could feel the pressure building in my cock as she constricted around me.
Her head reared back as she shouted, “Oh god, Gus!”
“Fuck,” I groaned as she clamped down on me like a fucking vice. She panted wildly, moaning and clawing at my back as I plunged deeper. I knew she was close to the edge, unable to stop her impending release. I looked down at her, and my chest literally ached with emotion. This woman had a hold on me like I never thought possible. I lowered my mouth to her neck and whispered, “Mine.”
“Yes!” she cried out in pleasure. The muscles in her body grew taut, then stilled as her orgasm took hold. I continued to drive into her, the sounds of my body pounding against hers echoed throughout the room and pushed me over the edge. My hands reached under her and lifted her ass off the bed as I drove into her one last time, submitting to my own tortured release.