"Seems to me we"ve been over this," Lynch growled. "I don"t plan on f.u.c.king anyone else but you, babe, as long as you keep me happy." I stiffened at that, but he kept on talking. "Most of the brothers with old ladies are faithful, but there are a few who also take a sweetb.u.t.t on the side."
I didn"t like the sound of that, and decided right then that if Lynch ever decided to do that to me it was over between us.
For good.
"I can see your mind working," he said. He gave me a hard kiss that was in no way unsatisfying. A ribbon of need uncurled inside me, surprising me, considering that we"d spent a good part of the night f.u.c.king like bunnies. I was fairly sore, but knew if he rolled me over and buried his c.o.c.k inside me again that I wouldn"t complain. "Don"t f.u.c.kin" worry about what"s not happening. If the day comes when you no longer satisfy me, I"ll give you warning."
Gee, that was nice. "What if you no longer satisfy me?"
His slow grin was c.o.c.ky as h.e.l.l. "Not gonna happen, babe." A loud knock at the door broke us apart. "I"ll get that. Most likely the guys are here to install that security alarm."
I watched the movements of his magnificent body until his words registered. "But"
"Look," he began, pulling his jeans on without underwear. "I get that you don"t want to move out to the clubhouse, so we"ll keep this place just in case it doesn"t work out. I"m also having an alarm installed on the house."
I wondered what Grace would have to say about that. "That"s nice of you."
He was in the process of zipping up his jeans when he stopped, glancing up. "Don"t say that, I"m not a nice man. I"m not kind, or sweet, or f.u.c.kin" forgiving. Any good deed done by a civilian for the club influences my decisions within the club. That sweet little girl over there took a week from her life to take care of a brother. She"s under our protection for life, and that includes her family."
Once he left to deal with whoever was at the door I slipped into the bathroom to take a shower, using the time alone to think. In less than a month my life had taken a turn that I"d never expected, and I still wasn"t certain if it was for the good. My feelings for Lynch were complicated. I knew that I was in l.u.s.t with him, and I cared for him, maybe even loved him a little, but he was so wrapped up in his club. What I"d seen so far left me wondering if it wouldn"t be better, certainly safer, to ask him to go away and leave me alone.
The trouble was that I didn"t want to. Maybe I should talk to Stella more about what she knew. It wouldn"t be hard getting her to open up about a subject she loved, and she thrived on talking about something the others knew nothing about. But did I really want to go to a woman Lynch had slept with to pump her for information? I mean, we had to work together in the office, but we hadn"t become good friends in the way that I had with the other girls. Yet, since her apology that morning in Lynch"s room, she"d gone out of her way to be nice.
I finished up, turned off the water, and slid the gla.s.s door open. Just as I was reaching for a towel Lynch walked into the bathroom. He leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms, smiling like a wolf. I felt the heat of his gaze slide over me. G.o.d, the man was too s.e.xy for his own good. I couldn"t help smiling in return.
"f.u.c.k, babe, you"ve got one gorgeous p.u.s.s.y."
I felt myself blushing. "You sweat talker, you."
His smile widened. "You up for a ride?"
I wondered if that was a trick question. "Sure. I"ll be out after I"m dressed."
"Babe, it won"t bother me in the least if you want to go the way you are."
"I"ll bet."
Lynch chuckled and left. I quickly dried off and dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt that said "Don"t Mess with Me, I"m Dangerous", with a picture of a Chihuahua on it. I pulled my hair into a ponytail and slipped into sneakers. By the time I walked out into the main room Lynch was in the kitchen area with another Wild Marauder. I couldn"t hear what they were saying, but something must have alerted them that I had entered the room because they both turned my way.
"Ready?" Lynch walked around the counter and came toward me with amus.e.m.e.nt in his eyes. I realized that he was reading my tee-shirt.
"You hungry, babe?"
I mostly wanted coffee. "A little."
"I want to check on some work being done at our warehouse, and then I"ll take you out to breakfast. Can you wait till then?" I nodded. "Good. Let"s ride."
I didn"t know where the warehouse was, but once we took a turn onto the old cemetery road I had a pretty good idea where Lynch was taking me. Other than a few scattered farms and a run-down cemetery from the eighteen hundreds, the only place I could think of was the Miller"s old farm and hen house. The farm was long gone, abandoned for as long as I could remember, but I knew that the huge building that had once been a thriving chicken plant was still standing.
As we neared the building I took note of the construction vehicles and new fencing that surrounded the area. Lynch pulled in next to two other bikes, kicked the stand down, cut the engine, and reached back for my hand to a.s.sist me off.
"Hey, prez!"
One of his guys was motioning him over.
"Be right back, babe." He glanced down at me, grinning. "Stay out of trouble."
"I"ll try," I responded, returning his smile.
As Lynch walked away I wandered to the open entranceway of the building and took in the activity going on around me. The inside of the warehouse was huge, some of it sectioned off into what looked like rooms, only the walls were steel and the doors weren"t ordinary, either. They were also steel, and appeared to have combination-type locks. On the other side of the building there were rows and rows of bikes lined up as if it were a showroom at a dealership. I could tell they were all new. Not like the vans parked down the center of the room.
This was truly a warehouse, and it housed a small fortune. When Lynch had said that we were going to the warehouse I hadn"t known what to expect. I could see long, cafeteria-type tables leaning against the walls, and stacks and stacks of folding chairs. Just inside the doorway was a small area that had been set up like an apartment. An old sofa and a few chairs, a table, there was even a small TV, microwave, and fridge.
I took a step further into the room, coming to a jerky halt when I saw Chicken emerging from what I guessed was a cellar. As I watched him close the trap door my thoughts drifted back to the day that he"d kidnapped me. I hadn"t seen him much since. The look on his face when he finally noticed me was almost that of dislike, and I wondered if he"d gotten into trouble for his mistake. Did he blame me for it? He made me nervous, the way his eyes narrowed over me.
Then, without warning, he turned and went toward the back. It was then that I realized that most of the workers inside were Wild Marauders. They weren"t wearing their cuts, but I recognized them from the bar. As I watched them work it dawned on me that they appeared to be skilled at what they were doing, as they mounted security cameras throughout the building.
"Ready for breakfast?"
I felt an arm go over the back of my shoulder and I turned my face toward Lynch. "Coffee," I clarified. "Looks like a lot of your men are working here."
"Yep." He began to lead me back outside. "Every brother brings a trade to the club. Those who don"t have one are taught. It"s one of the requirements of being patched-in. Most can do construction, mechanic work, but Lenny is an accountant, Fat Boy and Yank can do electrical, and Hulk used to be a wrestler." Lynch smiled down at me. "He"s good at security, tracking, and being the muscle when we need it."
I could just imagine. I turned to him when we reached his bike. "What are you good at?" I teased.
His hands dropped down to beneath my b.u.t.t and he pulled me up sharply against him. "I could tell you the many talents I have, but I"d rather show you instead."
He covered my mouth with his, drawing a moan of deep arousal from me. For a change Lynch"s kiss was tender, giving, almost sweet as his lips moved slowly, coaxingly over mine, teasing me mercilessly until I grew weak. It was full of warmth and protection, while striking a fire in the pit of my belly that did a slow burn through my core. It was a good thing that he was clutching me to him because otherwise I"d sink to the ground; his sensual kiss was that potent. Most of the time when Lynch kissed me it was rough and needy, fueled by l.u.s.t, but this kiss was different. This kiss revealed so much more.
My heart swelled and something opened up inside me. It scared me. I didn"t want to acknowledge what it could be. He pulled away, a slight frown on his face, the look in his dark eyes unfathomable. I couldn"t help wondering if it had just dawned on him the kind of emotion he"d just revealed. The man wanted me there; there was no question of that. We l.u.s.ted for one another. But that kiss told me that Lynch cared for me. I knew better than to question him--he"d only brush it off. No, I"d have to bide my time until Lynch was ready to reveal what he was feeling.
"Let"s go." He handed me a helmet.
Just as I"d thought, he was going to pretend that there was nothing different about that kiss. Okay, Mr. bad-a.s.s biker, I could wait. In the meantime, I would do everything in my power to show him that it was okay to reveal his emotions, to love. Okay to give his heart. He didn"t have to be afraid. If I was willing to embrace his kind of life, he should be willing to share it with me. I smiled inwardly, slipping on behind him.
He took us into town, to a restaurant called "Mom and Pops", an old diner that specialized in serving up food sourced fresh from the neighboring farms. The small businesses of Crows Feet were good at supporting each other by buying local goods for their shops and restaurants. It helped keep them in business next to the few larger chains around town.
With his hand at the small of my back Lynch guided me into the restaurant. The bell chiming above the door drew the attention not only of the people working there, but also of the patrons. Every eye seemed to turn our way, and while Lynch handled it with indifferent ease, I felt a definite change in the atmosphere. There was a kind of trepidation mixed with a curiosity that they couldn"t hide. Though some of them tried not to be obvious, I saw the sidelong glances coming our way.
The waitress couldn"t wait to serve us. We"d barely sat down in one of the booths against a window when she rushed over with the menus. She was young, maybe around twenty, and wearing a uniform that was a little too short and tight. The top few b.u.t.tons were undone, showing a good amount of cleavage, and she had eyes only for Lynch.
"Hi, Lynch," she said with a big smile, her tone flirtatious and seductive. It may not have been noticeable to him, but as woman I heard it plain as day. "Know what you"d like, yet?" I rolled my eyes. We hadn"t even looked at the menus yet. "I"ve missed seeing you around lately."
f.u.c.k. Was she another of his women? She was pretty, with bottle blond hair and heavily made-up blue eyes. Her lips were red, and she kept licking at them as if she was about to have a tasty treat. b.i.t.c.h! Could she have been any more obvious? I couldn"t believe that she was making a move on him right in front of me. She didn"t know if we were together or not. Jealously began to eat away at me as I began to imagine all kinds of things that may have gone on between the two of them.
"Hi, Jan," he replied, smiling up at her briefly before his eyes fell to her cleavage.
Her smile grew bigger.
The green I was feeling turned to red.
Lynch was totally oblivious.
"Do you think you can bring me a coffee while we look over the menu?" I asked with a fake smile. The urge to tell her to take her eyes off my man was so strong that I had to bite down on my lip.
She barely gave me a glance. "Oh, sure. You, too, honey?" she asked Lynch. He nodded. "I"ll be right back."
She winked! The b.i.t.c.h actually winked!
Lynch"s gaze dropped to her a.s.s as she walked away. b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I opened my menu and pretended to look it over. What little hunger I had was gone now, but I decided I needed to eat something since I hadn"t eaten anything for dinner the night before. I had started to make something, but Lynch"s demands on my body had worn me out. He must have put the stuff away sometime during the night, because when I woke the counter had been cleared.
"Something wrong?"
I glared at him, only because he still had his nose in the menu. "No, why?"
"You sighed."
Oh.
"Stop it." This time his gaze shifted up to meet mine. I wanted to slap him for the humor I saw dancing in his eyes. "I know what you"re thinking, babe."
"Well, you"re so good at everything, else I"m not surprised. And for your information, I saw the way you looked at her. I don"t need to read your mind to know that you"ve probably f.u.c.ked her."
Lynch closed the menu and put it down. "I didn"t think you were the jealous type."
"I know you"re a man-wh.o.r.e, I" I stopped, realizing that I"d gone too far. His eyes crystallized, sending a chill down my spine. His square jaw clenched. Thankfully the waitress returned with our coffees.
"Ready?" Jan asked sweetly.
He never took his eyes off me. "I"ll have the number eight."
This time the waitress glanced my way, pen ready to write. "I"ll just have toast, please."
G.o.d, why was I so jealous all of a sudden? Lynch was right, it wasn"t like me. Maybe it was because of the kiss we"d shared earlier, the one that told my heart that he loved me. How could I be so stupid to think that a man like him could love any one woman? Lynch could have any woman he wanted, and right now I just happened to be the flavor of the month. He"d claimed me, but I wasn"t wearing his cut. I remembered what Stella had said about when a biker made you his woman.
"Look I"m sorry. I don"t know what"s wrong with me. You"re right; I"m not the jealous type usually. It"s your business who you f.u.c.k." I held my hand up when he opened his mouth to speak. "Just know that I won"t share you. If you f.u.c.k another woman while you"re with me, it"s over between us. You made a big deal out of claiming me, well; I"m claiming you the same way. It"s only fair. Unless you want an open relationship, in which case we can both sleep with other people." I could tell that comment didn"t go over very well with him.
"f.u.c.k that," Lynch growled. "Listen, babe, I"m glad you want me to yourself. It tells me that you"re committed to us. But let"s get one thing clear-no matter where we go there"s going to be women who act like Jan, and not always because I"ve f.u.c.ked them. There"s something about being with a bad boy that gets their panties wet. They let their imagination run wild, thinking we live an exciting life. They come out to the club parties and see the wildness that goes on and they want to be part of it, when the truth is they don"t have a f.u.c.kin" clue."
Jan, with the ever present ear to ear smile for Lynch, brought our plates over. "Let me know if you want anything else, Lynch."
Her singling him out caused his gaze to lift to hers. "Don"t you see that I"m with someone?" he asked in a hard voice. She nodded slowly, her smile disappearing. "The next time you f.u.c.kin" ignore someone who"s sitting at my table I"ll be talking to pops." He waited a few seconds for his words to sink in. "Understand?"
"Ye-yes! I"m so sorry!" She turned worried eyes to me. "Is there anything else you"d like?"
Wow. I hadn"t realized that I"d been holding my breath. A serious Lynch was scary. I shook my head. "No, thank you."
Lynch waited until she was out of ear shot before asking, "Do you want to know what I was thinking when I checked out her a.s.s?"
All I could do was nod quietly.
"That it wasn"t near as s.e.xy as yours."
"You checked out her b.o.o.bs, too," I reminded him.
His s.e.xy as sin smile covered his face, and my body responded in the usual way, melting like a d.a.m.ned candy bar on a hot sidewalk. "Babe, they"re t.i.ts, and they were hanging out. A man"s gonna look at what"s in his face. What matters is what he does, or doesn"t do, about it."
With that Lynch reached across the table, wrapped his big hand around the back of my neck, and pulled me halfway across the table until our mouths met. Right there, in front of everyone, he gave me a long, thorough kiss, with tongue, until my panties were wet and my nipples tight. The look in his eyes when he released me told me that he knew exactly what he was doing to me. For a minute all I could do was stare at him while I tried to catch my breath.
"Do you want to know what I"m going to do to you when I get you home?"
I nodded.
"I"m going to f.u.c.k those sweet t.i.ts of yours until I come all over them. Then I"m gonna flip you around and f.u.c.k that s.e.xy a.s.s. Before the end of the night, babe, you won"t have any doubts about who I want, or what I want." I know I must have looked like a frozen statue to him. "Okay, sweetheart?"
All I could do was nod and remind myself to breathe.
Chapter 19.
Kat Monday morning I arrived at work forty minutes early. Stella had phoned the night before saying that Doctor Putter wanted everyone in at seven thirty instead of eight for an office meeting. It wasn"t the first time that he"d made that request, so I didn"t think anything of it. Being that it was only seven twenty it didn"t concern me when the only other car in the parking lot was Stella"s, and she was still sitting in it. I parked a couple of spots before her car and turned off the ignition, I glanced over, realizing for the first time that she wasn"t alone. A motorcycle was parked on the other side of her car, and a biker, whose face I couldn"t see yet, was leaning into her window, talking to her. He straightened at the same time that Stella gave me an enthusiastic wave. I wasn"t surprised to see that her friend was Chicken. My guess was that she would do whatever it took to become a member of the Wild Marauders.
Grabbing my purse, I opened my door and exited. I had every intention of going inside the clinic when Stella called out to me.
"Hey, Kat, come here for a second!" I stopped and turned around, pasting a smile on my face. "Can you come here, please? I need your help with something."
My gaze met Chicken"s smirk, and I felt a moment of uncertainty. Maybe even fear. His thorough inspection of what I was wearing left me feeling dirty and exposed. I got the feeling that he got off on making me nervous, and that he was doing it on purpose. I tried not to think about the day that he"d forced me to go with him to the club. While my instinct said to run, my common sense said that I was reading more into it than there really was. Thank G.o.d Stella was there.
I walked around the car to her opened window. Chicken stepped back to give me room. "What is it?" I asked, glancing inside and around her. Other than her purse I didn"t see anything she might need help with. I frowned.
Her smile didn"t quite reach her eyes. "Well, maybe I said it wrong. What I really meant to say is, "have you met my brother?"" She waved her hand in Chicken"s direction. "He"s here to take care of a little problem I have."
Everything in me froze, and I knew then that I"d walked into a trap. The look of gleeful triumph on Stella"s face and the flash of dislike in her eyes said it all. Before I could do anything, Chicken moved up behind me and I felt something sharp poke into my back. I didn"t move, barely breathed, as I contemplated what to do, coming up with nothing. We were the only ones there, and with dread, I realized that the others probably wouldn"t be arriving until eight o"clock. Without warning, my keys were yanked out of my hand.
"Why?" I asked her, my heart pounding.
"I want Lynch," she replied sharply. "Once you"re out of the picture he"ll come back to my bed, where he belongs."
I looked at her as though she were delusional. "He"ll come looking for me." Maybe if I stalled long enough one of the other girls would show up early, but then I thought about the danger they would be in, and I didn"t want that.
Stella shook her head, her expression confident. "You overestimate your worth. He might look for you for a minute, but he won"t find you. Besides, I"ll keep him busy and before you know it, I"ll be wearing his cut."
Remembering Lynch"s reaction to my disappearance the week I"d gone away on vacation, it sounded to me like Stella was the one underestimating Lynch and what he wanted. "So you"re going to have your brother kill me?"