by Blue, Jayne
“I just want to thank each and every one of you for tonight,” Em said. “I love you all and can’t think of anyone else I’d like to share my last days of single womanhood with. Maggie, baby ... you’re my soulmate. The wind beneath my wings.”
She started to wobble and giggle. Maggie Rose put an arm around Em’s waist. “Paulette, Marie, Joyce ... you three have been with me since we were still in diapers, my lovelies. I simply would not be able to get through my wedding day without you by my side.”
The three girls were crying. Laney squeezed my leg under the table. “She’s completely gone,” she whispered. “This should get interesting.”
“Tara,” Em called out. “You’re my newest friend even though we’ve known each other for what, six years now? You made me a better person.”
“Stop,” I yelled. “You’re not dying, Emmaline, you’re just getting hitched.”
Laughter rose. Another gush of warmth spread through me as whatever was in my fruity drink kicked in. I sipped more.
“And baby, honey, my girl,” Em said. She was giggling so hard her words were barely decipherable. “And I thank my stars every day that Brian stopped finding you interesting.”
The whole room erupted in laughter. Em was plastered. I knew she meant it as a joke. Still, her words stung a little. And it wasn’t even so much that as the quick laughs she got for saying it.
I downed the rest of my drink.
“Don’t pay any attention to her,” Laney whispered in my ear. “She’s shit-faced. She’ll be passed out in about twenty minutes.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “Really. I just ... I need to go to the bathroom.”
I got up and made a flourishing curtsey as all eyes were on me. Em blew me a kiss. She snorted with laughter and launched into another toast. She made someone else the butt of her jokes and I used the opportunity to make a clean getaway.
One of the waitresses stood on the balcony as I made my way out. “Ladies’ room?” I asked.
“Bottom of the stairs, first short hallway on your right,” she answered, smiling. “Do you need anything?”
“I’m good,” I said. I grabbed the stair railing and made my way down.
I heard Laney calling behind me. I held up a hand to let her know I was fine. Weaving my way through the gathering crowd, I found the bathroom at the bottom of the stairs and went in.
My stomach rolled a little. I got dizzy and grabbed the counter. The lights in there seemed harsh. My face looked washed out as I gazed in the mirror. Above me, I could still hear the laughter coming from the private party room. Lord knew what Em was saying now.
I found an empty stall at the end of the row and went in. It felt good to shut the door. Just for a minute. My head was spinning hard now. I tried to remember everything I’d had to drink. It didn’t seem like all that much. On the other hand, I never drank much to begin with so I was a bit of a lightweight.
I pressed my forehead against the stall door. It felt so solid and cool. In the back of my brain I knew I should probably stick to water for the rest of the night if I was already feeling this spinny.
You only live once, Tara, I could hear Laney’s voice in my head.
I let out a hard breath. Every time I closed my eyes, the spinning got worse.
“Can you believe that?” I recognized the voice as belonging to Ruthie, I think it was. She was one of Em’s friends from an internship she did in San Diego.
“Oh, come on.” That was Marie.
“No, I’m serious,” Ruthie said. “It’s obvious. Written all over her face. I’m telling you. That girl still has a thing for Brian. It’s twisted. I warned Em. The only reason I think she even wants to be part of all of this is out of some sick need to stay in Brian’s life.”
Their voices came to me as if I were underwater. I wanted to call out and ask what they were talking about.
“It’s charity on Em’s part, if you ask me,” Marie said. “I mean, I told Em. I said she was nuts asking Tara to be one of her bridesmaids. Who does that?”
I froze. My heart raced. Shit. They were talking about me.
“Em told me Brian told her the only reason he even started dating Tara was so that he could get close to Em.”
“That’s bananas,” Ruthie said. “And if that’s true that doesn’t make me think too highly of Brian. Still, that girl just needs to step off. I told Em I’ve got her back. If I see even a whiff of anything funny from her at the actual ceremony, I am on that bitch.”
Marie laughed. “What, you think she’s gonna try to ruin the ceremony? Like, does she think Brian’s going to say her name instead of Em’s like an episode of Friends or something? Jesus.”
The two of them were overcome with a fit of giggles. Rage simmered through me. I kept my head pressed against the door. The room spun even harder. God, had I been that big of an idiot? Were they full of crap or did Em actually say and think these things?
“Well, Em’s lucky to have a good friend like you,” Ruthie said. “And she is a certified saint, in my book. Tara doesn’t belong here. Did you see the look on her face when Em made that joke? I’m telling you. She’s still in love with Brian.”
“I broke up with him, you idiots,” I whispered. I wanted to bust through the stall door and tell them what I really thought. My spinning head wouldn’t let me. That, and I knew it probably wouldn’t help.
“Come on,” Ruthie said. “Let’s get back up there. Em doesn’t know but Brian’s planning to make a surprise appearance. I’ll tell you what. I’m going to record the whole thing on my phone. I’m dying to see Tara’s face when Brian pops out of the cardboard cake they’re wheeling in. It’ll prove everything we just said.”
They made their way to the door, laughing. I put a hand over my stomach and waited until I couldn’t hear them anymore.
When the coast was clear, I made my way out of the stall and then the door. I didn’t want to go back up those stairs. I didn’t want to be at this party at all. But I knew leaving now would give those bitches all the satisfaction they craved.
As I walked out of the bathroom, I hit a wall. No. Not a wall. A chest.
“Oof!”
Strong hands came up, catching me by the arms. I looked up and up and found myself staring into the brilliant green eyes of Joker Smith.
“Hey,” he said. “You doing okay there, darlin’?”
I put a hand on his chest. He was like granite. The intoxicating scent of leather filled my head.
“Why do you smell so good?” I said. Was it out loud?
Joker’s dazzling smile warmed me as much as the alcohol.
“You look like you need some help,” he said, his face creased with concern.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just need to get back to the bitches up there.”
He tilted his head. Then his smile cracked even wider.
“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get you some ice water. I think you need a minute.”
“Nope,” I said. I tried to take a step but my feet felt glued to the floor. Joker’s arms came around me. He pressed me to him.
“Whoa,” he said. “Yeah, let’s get you to a chair.”
I wanted to protest. It felt like I had cotton in my mouth. There was some kind of commotion up near the bar. A couple of the other bikers had gathered.
“Is it a fight?” I asked. “Oooh. There should be a bar fight. It’ll be fun to watch.”
We moved down a different hallway away from the noise. It helped. My head didn’t feel as much like it would pop off.
Joker guided me to a chair right next to the pool table and I sat down hard. He was right in front of me, kneeling on one knee. I rested one hand on his broad shoulders.
I couldn’t help myself. I traced the line of the swirling ink on his forearm. Before I knew it, I had two fists full of leather.
“Tara …” he said, his voice dark and masculine.
“You’re not pretty,” I heard myself say. “You’re a real man, aren’t you?”
“No. I’ve seen you. You’re hard. I like a good, hard man. Strong. I bet you don’t use hair product.”
To prove my point, I ran my fingers through Joker’s dark hair. God, it was so thick.
“Tara, I think it’s time to call you a cab,” he said.
“Nope! Don’t wanna. I wanna stay right here and see what else I like.”
“Tara?” A familiar male voice filled my head.
No. That wasn’t Brian. I was swimming. Dreaming. I looked over Joker’s shoulder and saw Brian standing there. His eyes were wide with shock. Good.
I looked back at Joker. God, he was so good-looking. A real man. I just wanted to keep touching him. More than that, I wanted to taste him.
So, I did.
I grabbed Joker’s leather vest and pulled him forward. I pressed my lips to his. God, he tasted so good. Salt and spice. Male. And he kissed me back. I sank into it. Drowning. Flying. Dreaming.
Then the stars came out and I floated away.
* * *
A sledgehammer. No. A Mack truck. Whatever it was, I’d been hit by it. Fire raced down my throat as I tried to open my mouth to speak.
A pillow bunched beneath my head. My legs were tangled in something. I reached down.
Sheets. A bed.
I lifted my head. The light was dim. I didn’t recognize the room. Wood paneling. Pine. The smell of leather.
I bolted up and the hammer came down, splitting my head in two.
I felt a draft. I wasn’t wearing a shirt. I was face down, sprawled out on a bed in nothing but my skirt and bra. One strap hung over my shoulder.
I swung my legs over the bed and that’s when I saw.
His cut. His boots.
Then the shadow near the window moved. Sun blasted through. I shielded my eyes from it.
“Hey, there,” he said, his voice smooth as silk. “How’s your head?”
My head? I fumbled with my bra strap. He stood there, leaning casually against the wall, coffee cup in hand.
“Joker,” I said.
He was sexy even in a tee-shirt, jeans, and bare feet.
And I was ... half naked and lying in his bed.
“Oh God,” I said, pressing a hand to my forehead. Nausea overtook me and I flopped back down on the bed.
His bed.
Chapter Seven
Joker
She stared at me with those huge brown eyes. Clutching the sheet over her breasts, her mouth formed an ‘o’.
I set my coffee on the dresser. “Hey ... you …”
“Don’t,” she said. She gathered the sheet around her. Her hair stuck up in the back. I caught a glimpse of the curve of her ass as she bent over and picked up a shoe.
“Where’s the rest of my clothes?” She froze. Her jaw dropped even further. “And my underwear.”
“Whoa, wait a second …”
“No,” she said putting a hand up. “Don’t come any closer. God ... I can’t believe …”
“Just stop,” I said.
“Is this your move?” she yelled.
“My move?” I said, smiling. “Listen, I don’t know what you think of me, but last night you were the one making all the moves, Tara.”
She blushed a deep red. Slowly she sank back to the bed and buried her face in her hands. “Ugh. I kissed you.”
“Yeah,” I said. The memory of it stirred my cock. She tasted sweet as honey. I loved the little sigh she made when her tongue went exploring. Supple, soft, pliant. I felt her heat through her clothes. Her nipples got hard as rocks. I’d wanted to slide a finger between her legs and test how wet she was. Man, I wanted to do a lot more than that.
But I didn’t.
“That guy,” I said. Even now, a flare of rage went through me. That same jackass I’d seen manhandling her the other day showed up in my bar looking for her.
It bothered her. I know that’s probably why she latched on to me. That, and the alcohol made her bold.
“Relax,” I said. Part of me didn’t want to let her off the hook just yet. I was no creep, but I was no gentleman either.
“How can you tell me to relax?” she said, flapping her hands. In her exasperation, she forgot to hold up the sheet. It pooled around her waist. She was wearing the sexiest damn bra. Pink lace. It matched the color of the shirt she’d been wearing. The thing barely covered her nipples and her tits spilled over the top of it.
I cleared my throat and thought about engines and oil changes.
“Miss Tara …”
“God, don’t call me that. You’re making this even worse. Did Toby see? Is he here?”
I squared my shoulders. “No. Toby isn’t here. I told you last night, he’s away for the weekend.”
“I was drunk,” she said.
“You were hammered,” I said. And that was the problem. I’d missed it when she first came in but I had a strong suspicion now that Tara had walked into the bar way past the legal limit. Probably from champagne in her limo. The waitresses serving her party swore they only got two rounds before hell started breaking loose. Hell the Wolf Den didn’t need right now.
“This is a disaster,” she said. “Joker ... we can’t ... I’m not …”
“Stop,” I said. I sat down beside her on the bed. I bit the inside of my mouth to keep my eyes from traveling back to her half-naked tits. And now I knew she’d chucked her underwear. She’d been wearing a thong. I saw it now draped over the nightstand. More pink lace. Mercy.
“I need to get out of here,” she said.
“You need some coffee. And some solid food. But before that you need to listen.”
“Listen?” she said. “I think I’ve probably heard enough. I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression but this, this isn’t my style. I don’t do things like this. And shame on you for taking advantage of me, anyway.”
I laughed. “Well, you’re probably right about all but one piece of that.”
“Don’t make fun of me. I swear to God I’ll lose it if you do.”
There were tears in her eyes and it gutted me. What in the hell had that asshole downstairs done to this girl to make her a wreck like this? I wanted to rip his damn arms off and beat him with them. I’d pretty much threatened to do just that.
The fucker didn’t last long though. Tara got bold and tried to stick her hand down the front of my jeans. The asshole cleared out when I turned on him. Just one stare and he knew it wouldn’t end well for him if he didn’t back the fuck off.
Then there was Tara to deal with. She pretty much collapsed in my arms after that.
“You passed out,” I said. “Right on the pool table. Right after you told that jerk ex of yours to eat shit.”
“I did?” she said, covering her mouth with her hand.
“More or less,” I said. “I mean, you rallied for a second. Tried to stand up and storm out. You didn’t make it very far. For a little thing, you sure can puke a lot.”
Her face went beet red. “You’re lying.”
“That’s what happened to your shirt,” I said.
She turned her head and sniffed her arm. Her nose wrinkled. “Oh God. I stink. That’s …”
“Yeah, like I said. I mean, I was waiting for your head to spin around, it was that bad.”
She ran a hand over her face. “So you thought it was a good idea to bring me home and stick me in your bed?”
“Nothing happened,” I said. “What did you call it ... my move? Yeah. Not my style. I like my women able to appreciate what I can do to them.”
Her lip quivered. I swear I saw naked lust spark in her eyes. Oh yeah. Let her think on that for a second. I sure as hell had. Just one little taste and I had all kinds of ideas about just what I’d love to do to this woman.
“This isn’t my place,” I said. “You’re still at the Den. We keep some rooms up here. Sometimes our members need a place to crash. Don’t worry, your virtue’s still intact, baby. Though I can’t say the same for your shirt. That t
hing’s ruined.”
I got off the bed and went over to the dresser. I tossed her a black tank top in her size. It had our howling wolf’s head logo on the front in red glitter.
As much as I hated seeing her cover those breasts, she got more comfortable after she put on the shirt.
“You can’t be serious,” she said.
“As a heart attack,” I said. “I meant what I said. Taking advantage of drunk girls isn’t my style.”
“But why here?” she asked. She tried to get to her feet but wobbled. I shot out a hand to steady her. Tara fell against me. Dammit. Even in her current condition, I loved the feel of her body on mine.
I was into her. Hard. And the timing on it couldn’t be worse. Never mind Toby and the blowback messing with this girl could cause. Last night had brought our first indication of what to expect with the new chief in town.
“Look,” I said. “You were wasted. A hot mess. You and your friends happened to pick a shitty time to bring trouble for the club.”
“Trouble? Me? I mean ... what did I do?”
There was a limit to what I could tell her. We hadn’t even had a chance to have a full meeting about it. But there were cops in the club last night. Kellan figured it out. Three undercovers. They were checking IDs. We were clean there. But the bachelorette party ended up being a problem.
“It doesn’t look good for the bar if we’ve got a group of women overserved,” I said. Luckily, we hadn’t broken any laws. Torch and the waitresses put a lid on it. But Tara was another matter. Right after her douchebag of an ex walked out of the pool room, one of the undercover officers walked by. I did the only thing I could. I got her out of sight.
That’s when she passed out again. Right on this bed.
“I’m sorry for that,” she said. “Those frou-frou drinks your waitress served had more of a punch than I realized.”
“The Bahama Mamas?” I said. “No way. Those are mostly fruit juice. One of your friends had a flask on her. The blonde with the sun tattoo on her shoulder.”
“Ugh,” Tara said. “Maggie Rose. She had a flask?”
