by Hope Ford
She slaps her hand over her mouth, realizing that she said it out loud. Oh, baby girl, you have no idea. You just sealed your fate.
I grab her purse from under the counter. “I know you’re not that kind of girl. That’s why you’re not waiting tables. I can’t have you out there with all these men and be able to protect you. I want you working behind the bar.”
Her eyes widen in shock. “Protect me? You don’t need to protect me. And everyone has been so nice to me, there won’t be a problem. Plus, I don’t know the first thing about bartending.”
I put my arm around her waist and start shuffling her to the door. “I figured as much. That’s why I’m taking you to the club, to get you trained.”
She stops walking and whirls around. “Club? We’re at the club!”
“No, my club. We’re going there, where Keeper can train you and I don’t have to worry about you getting hit on. One glance from me, and none of my brothers will even think about touching you.”
She holds her hands up and puts them on my chest to stop my advance. The heat from her hands does something to me. I look down at her long fingers as they curl into my chest. I cover one hand with mine and hold it.
Looking into her eyes, I can see the confusion there. I’m sure my face is mirroring hers because I’m as confused as fuck. I’ve never felt this type of jealousy or possession for a woman. I sure as fuck haven’t gotten hard just from watching one walk around waiting on tables.
Finally, I break the silence. “Honey, I don’t know what this is, but there’s something about you that brings out the possessive asshole in me. I’m not trying to manhandle you. You can trust me and my club. No one will hurt you there. I won’t fire you, and if you want to wait tables, that’s fine. Just expect me to be right next to you while you do it. I just know if I can get you behind the bar, there will be less of a chance of someone trying to cop a feel, or worse.”
She rolls her eyes. “No one is going to try and touch me.”
I don’t know how she hasn’t noticed it, but every man in the club would have her if they were given the chance. Frustrated, I growl, “Fine. You want to wait tables, do it. I’ll murder the first bastard that puts his hands on you.”
“Smoky,” she huffs out, and I swear my whole body tenses from hearing my name on her lips.
I loop her purse on her shoulder. “It’s your call.”
She shakes her head. “Fine, I’ll learn to make drinks. But I’m not sleeping with you.”
I smirk. “Oh, we’ll definitely be doing more than sleeping.”
I thought that would get a laugh out of her, but it doesn’t. “Yeah, Smoky, that’s just it. You want to fuck. I’m not into one-night stands.”
She whirls around but I stop her with a hand to her shoulder. I press my body up against the back of hers. My muscles tense and my heart races. I brush her hair to the side and whisper into her ear. “Me either. Not with you. I’m playing for keeps.”
She freezes against me and I just stand there enjoying her heated, curvy body against mine. She must feel my hard cock pressed against her tight ass, because she presses against me, but when I moan, she freezes and pulls away, walking out the door.
She stops outside. “Where’s your car?”
4
Harper
I know this isn’t smart. I shouldn’t go anywhere with him, but I feel more alive right now than I have in a long time. For some reason, I feel safe with him. I know he wants more, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to get it. I’m not up for being his toy or another notch in his bedpost.
He follows me out of the club and stops next to a big motorcycle. Turning to face him, I see him eyeing the hairband on my wrist, so I take it, pulling my hair up off my shoulders and tying it in a knot on my head. He sits down and straightens the bike, then holds his hand out to me.
I back away from his reach. “No way. I’m not getting on that,” I tell him, pointing at the monstrosity between his legs.
“It’s safe. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he assures me with his hand still outstretched.
I hesitantly take a step toward him and then stop and tug on the bottom of my jean skirt. “There’s no way I can ride that with this on.”
“C’mon, we’ll stop at your house so you can change if you want. Swing your leg over.”
“No, no, it’s fine. I’ll just wear this.” It’s not that I’m ashamed of where I live, but it’s pretty rundown and I don’t want even more pity from this man. I walk over to him and avoid his hand as I climb onto the back of the bike, doing my best to not show him or anyone else my underwear.
Once I’m seated, he reaches behind and grips the outside of my thighs. “Scoot in, honey. And hold on tight.”
I slide forward until my thighs are gripping him and I can feel the roughness of his jeans against my inner thighs and panty-clad pussy.
He then grabs my arms and wraps them around his torso. I can feel him take a big breath and he mutters, “Lean when I lean.”
I grip on to him, worried and a little scared about being on a motorcycle for the first time. He fires up the loud engine and in a mere second we’re taking off down the road.
I rest my head against his back with my eyes clenched closed. Once we’ve ridden for a few miles, he grabs my hand and holds it against his chest. I take a deep breath and lay my cheek against his shoulder. I can almost feel myself weakening for him. I could get used to this. Being with Smoky makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. But almost instantly, my thoughts stray to yesterday and Kristy on his lap. Even though I try to stop it, I can’t. I try my best to distance myself from him on the bike, but with one hand he grips me tighter.
If nothing else, I need to guard my heart. I can’t physically distance myself from him, but I do mentally. The rest of the ride is tense.
He pulls into a gravel lot and stops outside a large building that looks like a warehouse. There are bikes lined up and down the side of the building.
As soon as he comes to a stop, I hop off the bike and barely catch myself before falling over. He reaches over to steady me before kicking the stand and getting off.
“What was that?” he asks me.
I can tell by the look in his eyes; I know exactly what he’s talking about. But I act like I don’t. “What?”
“You froze up on me. What’s that about?”
I just shrug my shoulders. I really don’t want to piss him off.
He steps toward me. “Honey, I can’t stay out here all night.”
“Sorry. It’s nothing, okay?” I turn to walk away.
He grabs on to my arm. “No, it’s not okay. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”
“I’m sorry. I freaked out a little bit, but it’s none of my business, so forget about it,” I tell him hastily.
He just shakes his head, but doesn’t release his grip on me. “Tell me.”
“I started thinking about Kristy grinding on you and it made me think about how many other women have been on the back of your bike.” I pull away from him and undo the tie from my hair, then shake it loose, doing my best to pretend that he’s not staring a hole in me right now.
He crowds me again and I keep walking backward until my back is pressed against the wall and he’s fitted himself standing between my thighs.
He puts his hands on the wall on each side of my head and looks right into my eyes. “You. You are the only woman that’s been on the back of my bike. And I’ve done some fucked-up shit in my day, stuff I’m not proud of, but it’s different now.”
I don’t catch myself before I roll my eyes at him.
He grips my chin in his fingers and pulls me toward him. “You have no reason to trust me now, but I’m going to prove to you that I can be the man you want… the man you need.”
I look up at him with shock in my face. “Smoky… I just met you yesterday. You can’t make promises like that.”
He shakes his head. “I can and I just did.”
&nbs
p; He bends down to touch his lips against mine, but before he reaches me, I put my hand on his chest and push him away from me. I know he can overpower me, but he doesn’t even try. He steps back, seemingly unfazed that I pushed him away.
He grabs my hand and starts toward the entrance. I’m running hot and then cold with all of this and wish I was home in my bed to try to figure it all out.
With his hand on the door, he pauses. “Stay by my side until I get you to Keeper.”
When he pushes open the door and ushers me in, well, I didn’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this. There are tattooed bikers everywhere. Women are walking around in clothes that barely cover them. Even though I shouldn’t, I grab onto Smoky’s arm and hold on to him. He puts his arm around my shoulder and walks me to the bar. The man pouring a drink looks up at us and a smile fills his face.
“So this is her?” the bartender asks Smoky.
Confused, I look over at Smoky, but he looks as confused as I am.
The man wipes his hands off on a towel and then gestures toward me. “The prospect you sent to watch her last night told me all about her. He’s right, she’s beautiful.”
My cheeks flush, until I realize exactly what he said. I turn to Smoky. “You had someone follow me last night?”
Smoky shrugs his shoulders like it’s nothing. “Yeah. I had to make sure you got home safe.”
I just shake my head at him before turning back to the bartender. I hold my hand out to him. “Hi. I’m Harper.”
He holds his hand out to me, until I hear a low growl coming from Smoky and then the man pulls his hand back and instead gives me a little wave. What in the world is that? I think to myself.
As if I asked it out loud, the man says, “So Smoky’s claimed you. You’re off limits?” he looks over to Smoky and Smoky nods at him with a glare in his eyes.
“Okay, well, I’m Keeper. It’s nice to meet you, Harper.”
I just look between the two of them, surprised by what’s going on here.
Smoky finally unfolds his arms. “Keep, I need you to teach Harper the basics of tending bar. Nothing fancy, just the basics.”
Keeper walks over and lifts a part of the bar up. “Come on in, then,” he tells me.
I walk behind the bar and Keeper goes through instructions on what I need to be doing. My eyes keep flitting over to Smoky. Instead of talking to his friends or to any number of the women sitting around, he is staring at me as I work.
Nervousness sets in, but I fight it. I remind myself that I need this job and pay close attention to what Keeper is telling me.
An hour goes by and Smoky has finally quit staring at me. He’s now talking to the club president, Sniper. I look around the room and can’t contain my surprise. My father always told me to avoid this club and the men in it, but since I’ve been here, they have all been super nice. Plus, even though Smoky is probably a womanizer, he has been good to me.
I finish serving two beers to men at the end of the bar and then walk back to Keeper. “So, are you married, Keeper?”
I don’t know how, but Smoky hears me over the noise in the room. “It doesn’t matter if he’s married or not, you’re taken,“ he bellows, and all the men turn to look at us.
I just turn my back to him. He’s not going to play me. I keep reminding myself what kind of man he is.
I look up at Keeper questioningly.
He just smirks. But I also see sadness in his eyes. “Nope, not married.”
I turn my head to the side. “Girlfriend?”
He shakes his head. “No girlfriend either.”
When I just keep staring at him, I can tell he gets uncomfortable. “There’s a girl that I like, but, well, it’s not possible for me and her. And I just haven’t found someone since her.”
So there it is. I knew there was a sadness to him. I look over at Smoky and his eyes are on me again. He looks at me with so much understanding and compassion I have to turn away.
Luckily the crowd picks up and I stay busy as I help Keeper work the bar.
5
Smoky
After sitting around at the bar all night and watching Harper work, I finally convince her that it’s time to leave. It wouldn’t take much for me to just take her back to my bedroom here at the clubhouse, but I remind myself that I’m trying to be a gentleman here. The guys loved her and when Avery, Sniper’s ol’ lady, showed up, well they hit it off fast. I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I watched her laughing in the corner.
If someone had told me last week that I would be ready to settle down, I would have told them to fuck off. But here I am today, with Harper on the back of my bike, and I’m ready to fully commit to her, make her pregnant, and keep her by my side forever.
I drive faster just thinking about it, causing her to hold on tighter. I pull into the driveway of her house and help her off the bike.
“Okay, well thank you. I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” she says and takes off, walking up the sidewalk.
I follow behind her quickly. “What’s the rush?”
She stops at the door. “Look, Smoky, I appreciate everything you’re trying to do here. I really do. But I’m not interested in well, whatever this is you want.”
She doesn’t look me in the eye as she says it, but I can sense that she’s hurt.
“Why not?” I ask her. I want to wrap my arms around her and hold her close, but I don’t. I can tell if I push her too hard now, she’s going to run.
She looks like she might ignore me, but then she looks at me sadly. “You do know that when I met you yesterday, Kristy was about to come riding your leg. I’m just not interested in getting involved in any of that. I’m trying to save my house right now, no matter if it is falling down around me.”
I look at her house and even in the dark, I can see the falling banister and holes in the porch. I look back at her. I don’t know what to tell her, because she’s right. I have played around, but that’s in my past. That was before her. I cup her chin and lift it, bringing her eyes to mine. I lean in and kiss her forehead and then pull away. “Don’t give up on me yet, Harper.”
She looks like she might argue, but instead, she nods her head, walks into her house and before she shuts the door, I hear her whisper, “Good night, Smoky.”
I walk off her porch and look up at the house. There’s a tarp covering one side of her roof and the shutters are barely hanging on.
Harper
I’m woken up at six the next morning by what sounds like a hammer. I jump out of bed and run to look outside, forgetting that I’m wearing a T-shirt and panties and nothing else. As soon as I walk out of the house, I realize my mistake. I’m surrounded by most, if not all of the Exiled Guardians. Most of them I met last night. They all seem to stop what they’re doing and stare back at me.
“Get back to work,” I hear from the crowd and the men immediately go back to what they were doing. I discover that Keeper was the one that hollered, because he bolts up the steps and blocks my body with his. “Get inside, Harper.”
“But…” I start to argue.
He shakes his head and starts pushing me toward the door, but he isn’t quick enough. A truck pulls into the yard and Smoky is out of it and up the porch in two seconds flat. “Hands off, Keep.”
I look over at Smoky and see anger in his face. I step around Keeper and get between the two men. “What is going on?” I ask him.
He doesn’t answer me. He just looks down at my body and his mouth drops. I hate to admit it but my body reacts and my nipples pebble under his stare.
“Smoky, she heard us out here and came to check it out. I was trying to get her back inside away from the men, that’s all,” Keeper says. There’s no fear in his voice. He just says it matter-of-factly.
Smoky still doesn’t take his eyes off me. He huskily says, “Thanks, Keep. I’ve got her now.”
Keeper strides off the porch and instantly Smoky moves in closer to me. His voice is almost deadly sounding and sends chills
down my body. “Get in the house, Harper.”
“But…” I start and then notice the vein in his neck bulging. “Wait, are you mad at me? What did I do?”
He steps closer to me, shielding me from his biker friends. “Get. In. The. House.”
I turn away and walk into the house with him right on my tail. As soon as he shuts the door, I whip around. “I don’t know why you’re mad at me. You and your friends are at my house. What are they even doing out there?”
He takes a deep breath and his nostrils flare. “Go put some clothes on.”
I shake my head and put my hands on my hips. “You can’t boss me around, Smoky.”
His gaze sweeps down my body and lingers on my hips. I gasp when I look down at myself. I hadn’t realized when I put my hands on my hips that I had pulled my shirt up and am showing him my belly and my private parts. My threadbare white underwear doesn’t leave much to the imagination.
My hands slide down my body and I cover myself. My mouth gapes as I stare back at him, embarrassment flushing my face.
He rolls his shoulders. “Last chance, Harper. I plan to do right by you, but there’s only so much a man can take. Now all of my brothers have seen you like this and I’m debating on going out there and plucking each of their eyeballs out. So I tell you for the last time, go get dressed or I’m taking you to your bedroom.”
I stand there and stare at him, debating with myself on what to do. It shouldn’t be a question. I should do what he says, but there’s something so tempting about waiting to see what he’ll do.
He smirks at me. Well, I think it’s a smirk with a hint of anger still, but he takes a step toward me and I jump away, running for the safety of my bedroom. I grab my clothes and run into the bathroom to take a quick shower.
6
Smoky
