by Hope Stone
I could hear loud music playing as I got closer to the building, and when I pulled the door open, my senses were overwhelmed by the mass of people and the volume of their conversations combined with the music. I slipped inside, scanning the crowd for Tammy or Swole. Finally, I caught sight of my muscular boss and relaxed. She was sitting at a square table halfway across the room, throwing back a shot of something amber-colored.
As I started to make my way to her, my eye drifted toward the bar, clashing with Trainer’s burning gaze. I watched as he deliberately looked over every inch of my body, his stare so intense that it almost felt like a physical caress. Every part of my body seemed to tingle as his eyes passed over it, I was so aware of him.
This didn’t feel like the unwanted leering of my neighbor. No, this was raw and mutual. Trainer’s jacket was thrown over the back of his stool, and the black T-shirt he wore stretched over his wide chest, doing nothing to conceal the hard muscles beneath. I could see that he had a full sleeve tattoo on his left arm and had the urge to examine it closer, running my fingers over the ink. Although, if I were close enough to touch him, I couldn’t see myself stopping at his arm…
Stop it. The little voice in my head that knew dating this man was a bad idea spoke up. I blinked and tore my eyes away from him. I wasn’t here to meet him.
Yet, once I joined Swole and Tammy at their table, I couldn’t seem to stop myself from looking over at Trainer every few minutes. Why did he have to be so hot?
“You know, we can invite him to join us,” Tammy said, bringing my full attention back to her.
“Who?” I asked, though I knew damn well who she was talking about.
“Trainer. He’s a friend, an Outlaw Soul.”
“What exactly does it mean to be an Outlaw Soul?” I asked. I could guess that they were some kind of group of bikers, but I didn’t know anything about that.
“I’m not one,” Tammy said, “but Swole is. They’re a motorcycle club. A group of people that enjoy riding.”
“That’s it?” I asked incredulously.
“Well, it is a club,” Swole explained. “You have to earn your place here, and we have goals and rules. But we’re a family.”
I had a feeling there might be more to it, perhaps some shady or illegal activities, but maybe I was letting my imagination go wild based on the way TV shows and movies portrayed these clubs.
“So do you want us to invite him over?” Tammy pressed.
“Oh… uh, no. You don’t need to do that.”
“Really? Because you guys have been eye-fucking since the moment you walked in the door.”
“No, we haven’t,” I denied weakly, but I couldn’t seem to keep myself from looking over at him once again. What I saw made my blood boil. A stick-thin blonde wearing a dress that left absolutely nothing to the imagination had approached him. If she were standing any closer to him, she’d be sitting in his lap.
Trainer’s face was blocked by her big, curly hair, so I couldn’t tell if he was interested in her or not, but that didn’t stop the jealousy from taking root. Suddenly, staying away from him became a whole lot harder. I might barely know him, but that didn’t seem to matter.
I wanted him to be mine.
Trainer
“How about we get out of here?”
I stared at the woman practically draping herself all over me, trying to recall her name. I hadn’t been paying attention when she first approached and introduced herself. Was it Amy? Ally?
Who cares?
I wasn’t interested. Well, not interested in her. My mind and body were both too occupied with Erica.
“No thanks, I want to stay here,” I said. No point in beating around the bush. She could move along to someone else. I saw Moves shoot me a surprised look from the other side of the blond woman, like he couldn’t believe I would pass up a sure thing.
“Well, we can do it here,” she suggested, practically purring as she ran her french-tipped fingers along my arm. “This place must have a bathroom. Or maybe the alley outside, if you want a little public action.”
I shook my head, trying not to chuckle. “Look, Abby, I-”
“It’s Ashley,” she interrupted, sticking out her lower lip in a pout that wasn’t nearly as cute as she probably thought it was.
“Ashley, you’re barking up the wrong tree. I suggest you look elsewhere for your good time.” The rumble in my voice made it clear that it wasn’t really a suggestion.
“Your loss,” she said coolly, stepping away. I watched as she zeroed in on another target, Ryder, and couldn’t suppress my laugh this time. Tonight just wasn’t her night.
“Are you crazy?” Moves asked.
“Just not interested.”
“Young, hot, and no strings attached. What is she offering that you don’t want?”
“Maybe I want the strings,” I replied, glancing over at Erica once again.
She was already looking my way with a frown on her face. The fire in her eyes wasn’t desire this time. She looked pissed.
Why was that so hot?
Picking up my half-empty beer, I stood.
“Where are you going?” Moves asked.
“I’m gonna go get what I do want.” Erica’s eyes widened as I approached her table, stopping at the empty seat between her and Swole. “Can I sit here?”
“Sure,” Erica said, her voice taking on a husky quality as she spoke.
I settled into the seat, looking at the three women around me. “Hope I’m not intruding on a girls’ night out.”
“Not at all,” Tammy quickly assured me. Her smile and the way her eyes flitted back and forth between me and Erica made it clear that she saw the chemistry between us. I was sure that everyone did. It felt too powerful to ignore.
Swole didn’t say anything but rolled her eyes at me. For someone that had been married to the love of her life for damn near twelve years, she was hopelessly unromantic.
“Actually, Tammy and I were just about to play a game at one of the tables,” Swole said, nodding to the pool tables on the far side of the room.
“We were?” Tammy asked. Swole gave her an impatient look. “Right. We were.”
They both stood and scampered away.
“Well, good thing that wasn’t completely obvious, huh?” Erica asked, flashing me a small grin that brought out a dimple in her cheek.
Yeah, they were obvious about it, but I was glad to have this time alone with Erica. Well, as alone as I could get while in a crowded bar.
“They mean well,” I told her.
“I’m sure. They’re the whole reason I’m here tonight. Tammy talked me into it.”
“I’m glad.” Reaching out, I laid my hand on top of her smaller one on the table. “I’d been hoping to run into you again, but I’m not exactly the yoga type.”
“You sure? Lots of men do it.”
“Men like me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Well… no,” she admitted. “You do seem more like a weightlifter.”
I flexed my arm muscles, and she giggled, slapping my chest playfully. Erica’s phone buzzed on the table, and she picked it up. I saw that it was a text message notification, but looked away so that I wasn’t reading it over her shoulder. She took a moment to type a quick reply before setting the phone down and turning back to me.
“Sorry about that. I left my son with a new babysitter, and I asked her to check in with me occasionally.”
Erica paused, watching me closely, an almost defiant look in her eye. I had the feeling she was looking for my reaction to the news of her kid. It felt like a test. Normally, I didn’t go in for mind games like that, but I couldn’t help admiring her for putting her kid first. I had no doubt that if I showed displeasure about there being a kid in the picture that she would end this before it even started.
“What’s his name?”
Surprise flickered across her face, but she recovered quickly. “Dominic. This is him.”
Opening her phone, she showed m
e the background picture. It was a picture of Erica with her arms wrapped around a young boy as they both smiled at the camera. They both looked happy, and Erica’s hair was different.
“So you used to be a redhead?”
“What?” Erica went pale as she turned and saw the picture she’d shown me. “No, no. That’s not. I mean, obviously I did have red hair, but I didn’t mean for you to see that.”
She fumbled with the phone in her hand, trying to lock it. I saw that her hands were shaking. What the hell?
Reaching out, I placed both of my hands over her own, stilling them. Erica looked up into my eyes, and I was sure that I saw fear there. Something strange was going on here, and she was clearly rattled. I didn’t understand what had triggered it, but I wanted to somehow soothe her.
“Then I didn’t see it,” I said. “Forget it even happened.”
“Are you sure?” she asked. “I know it’s weird, but I just… I didn’t like my hair like that.”
She was a bad liar. Not only did her reasoning make no sense, but she dropped her eyes and fidgeted. I wasn’t going to call her out on it, not yet. But I promised myself that I would get to the bottom of whatever Erica was hiding.
“Okay, Swole kicked my ass,” Tammy said, reappearing at the table with Swole at her side. I mentally cursed them for interrupting our moment.
“And now you owe me twenty bucks,” Swole added with a smirk.
“We have a joint bank account,” Tammy said. “Taking out the money just to hand it to you would only be symbolic.”
“It would symbolize that I’m the Queen of the Pool Table.”
“You’re so arrogant.”
“But you love it,” Swole said, throwing an arm over Tammy’s shoulders.
“Think one of you can dethrone her majesty here?” Tammy asked.
“I’ll try,” Erica said.
So we went to the pool table, and I got to enjoy the view for half an hour as Erica bent at the waist, over and over again. By the time Swole had won the game, I was as hard as a diamond and ready to beg her to wear this damn dress every day.
“Well, it’s probably for the best,” Erica said as she replaced her pool stick in the holder on the wall. “It’s getting late, and I have to go pick up Dominic.”
“You sure?” Tammy asked. “Because Heather can keep him longer if you want to stay.”
“No, really. He’s not used to me going out like this, so I don’t want to be gone too long this first time.”
“First time?” Tammy smiled. “So we can expect you to join us again sometime?”
“I think so,” Erica agreed. She glanced at me before looking back at Tammy. “I had a good time.”
“I’ll walk you out to your car,” I said. We were in Outlaw Souls territory, so she’d probably be fine, but I still didn’t like the idea of her walking across the dark parking lot alone.
I grabbed my jacket from my barstool while Erica pulled on her own. I was glad that she had brought one because it was strictly against the rules to let anyone else wear your patch, the only exception being during a ride. If a woman was on the back of your bike, it was acceptable for her to wear it so that your patch, and therefore your membership in the club, could be displayed.
I opened the door for Erica as she waved goodbye to Swole and Tammy. She pointed out where her car was, and the two of us walked side by side toward it. I slipped my arm around her waist, letting my fingers curl around her hip. She was so soft pressed against my side.
Erica leaned into me, and we fit together perfectly. When we reached her little red sedan, I stood with my hands in my pockets, waiting for her to dig her keys out of her purse and unlock it. She pushed the button on her key fob, but instead of getting in the car, she hesitated, looking up at me through her eyelashes.
The only light came from a streetlight to the right, which cast half her face in shadow, but I could see exactly what she wanted. One small step closed the distance between us, and I didn’t hold back. Taking a fistful of her soft hair, I gave it a small tug, not enough to hurt, but it did make her tilt her head back. I claimed her mouth in a hard kiss, pouring every ounce of desire I had into it as I licked my way into her mouth.
If Erica thought I was being too forward, she didn’t show it. In fact, her hands came up to my shoulders, pulling on me until I was even closer, our bodies pressed together. She was intoxicating, so sweet and hot.
I wanted to take this so much further, but I knew that this wasn’t the time. We didn’t know each other well, and while I had hopped into bed with women while barely knowing their names, Erica didn’t seem like the type to be down with that. She also had her kid to take care of.
I pulled back slightly, breaking the kiss. Letting out a sigh, I rested my forehead against hers. “We’ll finish this another time.”
“You promise?”
I cupped her cheek, running my thumb over her kiss-bitten lips. “Baby, that’s a guarantee.”
Erica
I couldn’t stop thinking about kissing Trainer last night. He was rough, the way that I expected, but it didn’t cross a line. No, it was just enough to set me on fire.
I wanted more.
It looked like it was time to officially abandon my idea of avoiding the man. I was fighting a losing battle. Every time I saw him, I felt like there was a magnet in the center of my chest, pulling me in his direction.
“Come on, we’re gonna be late.” Dominic waited impatiently by the front door while I pulled on a pair of ankle boots.
“Okay, okay. Don’t rush me,” I grumbled.
I was never much of a morning person, but how could I say no when Dominic asked me to get up early on my day off to take him to the library’s youth reading program? It wasn’t an option. I was blessed with a great kid that loved reading, of all things, and was eager to embrace the freedom of our new life. So I’d dragged myself out of bed when I would have rather lingered beneath the warm comforter.
We left the house and hit the Starbucks drive-thru before going to the library. I was surprised by the number of kids there already. Who would have thought that so many kids liked reading enough to come here on a Saturday morning?
There were at least two dozen kids between the ages of five and ten all crowded into the kids’ room. The main body of the library was standard: neutral walls, tall bookshelves, and a quiet atmosphere. But the kids’ room was an explosion of color. The carpet was a deep blue, while the walls were a cheery yellow. There were paper mache planets, suns, and moons hanging from the ceiling, which I thought might be a part of some kind of art program offered by the library. Even the books were all an array of colors.
One of the librarians was bringing bean bag chairs out of a closet and scattering them over the floor for the kids to sit on. Dominic lingered by my side for a few minutes as the other kids interacted. They had probably been coming to this bi-weekly reading program for a long time, and all knew each other.
“Hi, I’m Dave.” A man beside me spoke.
“Erica,” I responded. I was getting used to using my fake name. I hardly had to think about it now.
There was a little girl at his side, but she was quick to hurry forward and join the others. “Wait a minute, Stacey. Why don’t you take our new friend here over to meet everyone?”
She came back, boldly grabbing Dominic’s hand and pulling him into the thick of things. I chuckled as he looked back at me with wide eyes, but it didn’t take long for him to join the others, introducing himself and claiming a beanbag chair as his own.
“Thanks for that,” I said.
“I know how it is. Not always easy to meet new people.”
“And it gets even harder as you get older,” I agreed.
“I think that depends on the person,” he said, his voice deepening as he leaned a little closer to me.
Is he hitting on me?
There was something familiar about Dave. He was tall and classically handsome with his clean-shaven jaw and crew-cut blond hair. He
was… smooth. Confident. Those sounded like good qualities, but unease gripped me.
Then I realized. He reminded me of Jeff.
“They’re starting,” he said, nodding to the group children as the head librarian passed out copies of the book they would be reading together. They all settled onto bean bags, their rapt attention on the woman seated before them. All the parents filed out of the room, some heading straight for the exit, others lingering to chat quietly. “It’ll be at least a half an hour before they’re done. Do you want to go grab a coffee, maybe get to know each other better?”
Dave flashed what he probably thought was a charming grin, but it fell flat for me.
“I already have one.” I held up the frappuccino I had picked up on the way to the library. “Thanks anyway.”
Luckily, he took the hint and didn’t press the issue. As Dave made his way out of the library, I looked around, getting lost among the shelves. I was a fan of true crime, and they had a whole section that I spent time perusing, but I didn’t have a library card, and I wasn’t sure if I would need identification to get one.
Only fifteen minutes had passed, so I made my way outside for some fresh air. It was a perfect spring day, with a cloudless blue sky and the sun shining overhead. The leaves in the trees were new and green, and dandelions were starting to pop up in the grass. There were metal benches lined up along the sidewalk, and I took a seat on one.
I looked around, taking note of the Methodist church across the street and the community center a block away. There was a flower shop next to the church and a gas station by the library. As I looked that way, my eyes landed on a motorcycle parked at the gas station. My heart lurched as I realized that I recognized that bike.
The door of the gas station opened, and the man that had been running through my mind appeared, opening a candy bar. Trainer was dressed as usual in his leather jacket, black T-shirt, and worn jeans with a pair of scuffed-up riding boots. The sight of my big biker man indulging in chocolate of all things made a goofy smile stretch across my face.
