Domino: An Alpha Male MC Biker Romance (Dark Pharaohs Motorcycle Club Romance Book 2)

by Ivy Black

  The air is thick with the smell of breakfast foods, and my stomach rumbles in response. I’m normally not a breakfast guy, but I have to admit, this place smells good, and although I’ve only been here a handful of times, I know they put out some good food. A girl in her early twenties, brunette, and with a killer little body, approaches me. She’s wearing a red and white striped dress that falls halfway to the knee and a white apron around her waist.

  “Mornin’. You dinin’ alone this mornin’?” she chirps, her voice high and bright.

  “I am. And I’d like to sit at one of Ashley’s tables, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course. Just follow me.”

  Her eyes linger on mine for a long moment, but then grabs a menu from her stand and leads me through the diner. Most of the people are watching me surreptitiously, but a few are boldly and openly staring at me. The disapproval radiating off them is palpable, and I’m half-surprised somebody hasn’t approached the manager to have me thrown out on my ass. It’s still early, though.

  The hostess sits me in a booth at the back, near the door to the kitchen, and drops the menu down in front of me.

  “Enjoy your meal. And let me know if there’s anything else I can do for you,” she says, leaving me to wonder if the suggestive tone was intentional or not.

  “Maybe Trig was right after all,” I mutter to myself.

  I ignore the menu she laid down. Don’t need it since I’m a creature of habit. The first time I came in, I had the country fried steak and eggs, and really enjoyed it, so I’ve stuck with it every time. The guys have knocked me for being so predictable, but I prefer routine. I don’t necessarily like change all that much, and when I do stumble onto something that works for me, I tend to stay with it.

  Routine, to me, is everything. It was the discipline instilled in me in the Corps and is the basis of everything I do. Every morning, I get up at five. I run five miles, then do a workout at the small gym I’ve put together in my garage. After that, I shower and get ready for the day. They can mock me all they like, but it’s a system that works for me. The Corps taught me the value of routine and discipline, so like everything else, I’ve stayed with it.

  The door to the kitchen swings open, and Ashley steps out in her red and white striped work uniform, her hem a little higher than the hostess, giving me a nice view of her very shapely legs. When her eyes land on me, she nearly drops the plates she’s holding. Her eyes widen and her mouth falls open, an expression of shock crossing her features.

  “You’re kind of adorable when you’re surprised. And that little dress looks amazing on you,” I say.

  Her face turns bright red and she mumbles something that’s incomprehensible before turning and dashing off. I watch her as she goes to her table to drop off her plates, seeming to be stumbling over her words as she speaks to her guest. Ashley offers them a smile, then glances back at me before making her way over to the hostess stand and the brunette. I watch as they exchange words, both of them turning to look at me as they talk. I simply flash them a wolfish grin and a wave.

  Her expression dark, her features tense, Ashley walks back over to my table and stares daggers through me.

  “What are you doing here?” she demands.

  “Well, given that I’m sitting in a booth, inside a diner, with a menu in front of me, I think it’s a safe assumption that I’m about to have breakfast.”

  “You know what I mean. You specifically asked to sit in my section.”

  “Told you I was going to.”

  She sputters, her face turning almost purple. “I didn’t think you were serious.”

  “Well, that was your mistake then, huh?”

  “You can’t be here.”

  “As a paying customer, I think I’ve got a right to be here.”

  “You know what I mean,” she hisses.

  “You say that a lot. Do you think I’m a mind reader or something?”

  A tall, gangly kid stops by and gives her a pointed look before turning to me, putting a wide, ingratiating smile on his face.

  “Everything okay here?” he asks.

  I do a quick check of his name tag. “Everything’s great, Keith. Ashley here was just telling me about the specials, and they sound fantastic. You know, she really is the best waitress you’ve got here. Always so welcoming and accommodating. She’s so friendly and kind, that she really makes breakfast the highlight of my day.”

  He stands there for a moment looking at me, his smile faltering, apparently surprised by my little speech. Based on the look he was giving her, ol’ Keith was probably expecting me to complain about her, or something. He recovers quickly, though, and puts that well practiced smile back on his face.

  “Oh well, I’m very glad to hear that. I’m glad you appreciate Ashley’s service. I only hire the best, you know,” he spits out.

  “I can tell. And Ashley is the best hire you’ve made. Let me tell you, as a long-time patron, I’ve never felt more welcome in this establishment. And that’s all thanks to this little lady right here.”

  Keith clears his throat. “Right. Well… I’ll leave you to it, then. Enjoy your meal, and I’m glad Ashley’s providing you with a positive experience.”

  I put the cheesiest grin on my face that I can and give Keith a thumbs-up. He looks at me for another long moment, apparently trying to decide if he’s being put on or not. He apparently decides I’m being sincere, so he turns and walks without another word, leaving Ashley staring at me in surprise.

  “Did I lay it on too thick? I kind of felt like I laid it on too thick,” I say.

  “What in the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  “It sounded to me like I was telling your boss what a great employee you are, what a great job you’re doing for him. Bosses love hearing that kind of shit.”

  “Jesus Christ,” she mutters.

  “No, I told you that my name is Domino.”

  “I’m not calling you Domino. That’s… childish.”

  “Some people say I’m childish.”

  “That’s not a great selling point.”

  I shrug. “That’s fair. But if it’s not a great selling point, can I take that to assume that you’re in the market to buy? Or perhaps just rent?”

  “You’re unbelievable.”

  I give her a seductive little wink. “I’ve been told that before.”

  “Oh my god, do you ever stop? Or are you always on like this?”

  “Well, I do sleep from time to time.”

  She’s posturing like she’s still mad, but I can tell she’s fighting to keep herself from laughing. Probably because she doesn’t want to encourage me. What she doesn’t know is that seeing her struggle to keep herself in check only encourages me more. I take that as a challenge to break through that shell she’s trying like hell to surround herself with. And I like challenges.

  “Seriously, why did you ask to be seated in my section?” she asks.

  “I told you the other day I wanted to get to know you.”

  “You didn’t say you were going to stalk me.”

  “Well… not that I’m actually stalking you, but I kind of did tell you I was going to do just that.”

  She screws up her face, likely replaying our conversation over in her head. As the faint trace of a smile crosses her lips, I see that she remembers that I did, in fact, say I was going to do just what I’m doing now.

  “I always do my best to keep my word,” I tell her.

  Ashley looks over at one of her guests, who is trying to get her attention, then looks back at me.

  “You should go,” she says.

  “I haven’t had my breakfast yet. It is the most important meal of the day, you know.”

  She blows out an aggravated breath and turns, walking away as she mutters to herself under her breath. I watch her go, admiring the graceful way her body swishes and sways as she moves. Ashley exudes femininity and grace. Her body is soft and yet firm in all the right places. She’s absolutely exquisite to lo
ok at. A piece of art made flesh. I could literally sit here and watch her all day. Of course, I’m not going to lie… watching her someplace else more private, with fewer clothes on, would be far preferable.

  She comes back to my table, a look of exasperation on her face. “What do you want, Max?”

  “You remembered my name. I’m flattered.”

  “I had to, simply because I flat out refuse to call you by that other, way more ridiculous name,” she grumbles. “So, what do you want?”

  “Well, how about the country fried steak, two eggs over easy, hash browns extra crispy, sourdough toast with grape jelly, coffee black, and a tall orange juice,” I say.

  She looks at me, irritation etched into her face. “Seriously?”

  “You didn’t write that down. Do you want me to repeat it?”

  “You have to go.”

  “Not until I have breakfast. I’m really famished.”

  Ashley throws her hands up in the air and walks away, still grousing to herself as she pushes the kitchen doors open harder than necessary and disappears beyond them. She comes back a moment later and sets my coffee and orange juice down in front of me, giving me a blank, dead-eyed stare.

  “You know this is never going to happen, right?” she asks.

  “What?”

  “You and me. Not. Going. To. Happen.”

  I flash her a sly smile. “Never say never. Never’s a long time, as they say.”

  “Never. Not ever.”

  I shrug. “One never knows what the future holds.”

  “In this instance, I do. So, here’s what’s going to happen—”

  “Oh, do tell, I’m fascinated. What’s going to happen?”

  She brushes off my interruption with a mere flash of annoyance in her eyes, then clears her throat before fixing me with a stare that’s hostile. I can tell it’s taking some effort on her part to maintain it, though. My gut feeling is that she’s more annoyed with herself for being amused by me, and nearly letting herself give in to my charms, than she’s annoyed with me. But that’s just my gut feeling. Could be my ego, I’m not entirely sure. The only thing I do know for certain is that she’s nowhere near as annoyed with me as she’s making herself out to be.

  “What’s going to happen is that I’m going to bring you your breakfast. You’re going to eat it. You’re going to pay your bill. Then, you’re going to leave and never come back in here while I’m working. And you are going to leave me alone. Period.”

  I pull a face as I look at her. “I see a couple flaws with your plan. First, how will I know when you’re here, so that I can avoid you? Unless you give me your schedule every week. And second, you didn’t say anything about leaving you a tip. And when your instructions are so specific, I’m left to wonder if you don’t want me to tip you? Or if you think it’s simply implied. This leaves me in a real moral quandary.”

  “You are impossible.”

  “Not really. I’m merely very difficult.”

  Ashley rolls her eyes and turns away, but not before I see the smile creasing her lips. She pushes through the kitchen doors again and disappears from view. Taking a drink of my coffee, I sit back in the booth and notice an older woman with a near-beehive of white hair atop her head glaring at me, a sour expression on her face. I give her my best, most charming smile and raise my mug to her. She grimaces, looking like she just bit into a lemon and turns to the older man with her, whispering something to him. He looks back at me and just laughs, seeming to wave her off.

  A couple of minutes later, Ashley comes back out and drops my breakfast off in front of me.

  “Will there be anything else?” she says, her voice monotone.

  “How about your phone number?”

  “Never going to happen.”

  “How about you have dinner with me?”

  “Never going to happen.”

  “You’re a tough nut to crack.”

  “You’re assuming I can be cracked.”

  I laugh. “I’m a determined man.”

  “That’s great. I’m an unavailable woman.”

  “Are you, though?”

  “I’m not interested in you. How about that?”

  I narrow my eyes and study her closely. “I don’t believe you.”

  She opens her mouth to respond, but she falters, then says nothing. The one thing I notice is that even though she’s pretending like she’s this tough, untouchable woman—and something tells me that she is indeed—there’s that twinkle in her eye. She’s more amused than she’s letting on and has more interest in me than she’ll say.

  “Believe what you want, but I’m telling you that I’m not interested in you, and I have no desire to see you again,” she says.

  “Okay, if you say so.”

  “I do.”

  “All right. We’ll see.”

  She’s trying so hard to remain tough, but I can see the cracks in her façade. Before I can say anything more, she looks at me.

  “Please don’t come in here to see me again,” she says.

  “I make no promises.”

  She chuffs and rolls her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

  Ashley turns away and walks off, leaving me to enjoy my breakfast. But as I do, I keep my eye on her and more than once, I catch her glancing back at me. Every time I do, she quickly looks away, and though she tries to hide it, I can see her face growing red. Yeah, there’s something there. She’s putting on a tough face and is trying to keep me at an arm’s distance, but I can see there’s something in her eyes that says she doesn’t want me to go too far.

  I finish up my breakfast, pay my bill, and leave a generous tip for her. As I’m heading out the door, I see her glancing my way and give her a wink just to let her know I caught her looking and that she doesn’t seem as uninterested in me as she’s pretending to be. She tries to turn away, but she’s not quick enough and I catch the smile on her face.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ashley

  After sharing a nice dinner with Missy and Mark, I got Cole ready and put him to bed. Now, I’m enjoying a glass of wine as I soak in a warm tub, unwinding from the day. I watch as the tendrils of steam curling upward and relish the feeling of the water soaking into my muscles. I enjoy waiting tables more now than I did when I was younger. There’s a lot of really nice people here in Blue Rock Bay, and I enjoy talking to them. They’re a lot of fun.

  It’s hard work, though, I’m not going to lie. And at the end of every shift, my legs and feet are killing me. Soaking in the tub has become my guilty pleasure. It’s not something I did back home very often. Not only did Ryan make me feel guilty about it, but I usually had also too much to do. It sounds weird, since I’m not only working now but also caring for Cole, but Ryan was obsessive about me keeping the house clean. There was always one project or another to do. I was constantly in motion and always had something to do.

  Now, things are different. I’m busy, but I don’t have somebody breathing down my neck and I get to have some leisure time for myself. So, I’m taking advantage of it. And right now, some soft music, a few candles, a glass of wine, some scented oils in a hot bath—this is just what the doctor ordered.

  I lean back against the back of the wide, clawfoot tub and let out a deep sigh, relishing the feeling of taking a bath and relaxing. I close my eyes and try to clear my mind of everything, just wanting to completely space out and reset my brain. But as I try to focus on nothing, Max’s face pops into my mind. I quickly try to banish it, but the harder I try, the more firmly the image seems to stick.

  I tried to play tough and put up an icy cold front, hoping to scare him off. But he wasn’t buying it. Not in the least. He’s persistent as hell, and if I’m being honest here, I have to admit, if only to myself, that I kind of like it. Maybe it’s the fact that I was with somebody for so long, who, most days, barely seemed to tolerate me. Maybe I like the attention and the fact that Max is pursuing me as hard. And the fact that he is, makes me feel… good.

  It
’s selfish and I know it’s narcissistic. I’m just letting him stroke my ego and give me the attention I haven’t been getting for years. Maybe it’s screwed up, but I have told him that he’s wasting his time. I’ve told him I’m not available. So, if he wants to continue chasing me and stroking my ego, that’s on him. All I can do is keep being honest and tell him I’m not interested.

  As I continue thinking about the situation with Max, I can’t help but think about how gorgeous he is. I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t noticed. It’s hard not to. His rugged good looks combined with his humor and boyish charm are a potent combination. And I hate to admit it, but that bad boy edge to him only adds to his allure.

  His green eyes float into my mind’s eye and it makes me shudder. A warmth fills my belly and spreads through me quickly. I feel a flutter between my thighs that is unexpected but feels nice all the same. In my mind’s eye, I imagine myself pressing my mouth to his, feeling his tongue swirling languidly around mine. It’s an image that sends a shiver through me.

  It’s been so long since I’ve gotten myself off. As I think about Max, I imagine feeling his hard, toned body pressed to mine, and I feel myself growing incredibly wet. I quiver as I slide my hand down my belly, slipping it between my legs. With my fingertips, I stroke my wet, swollen lips, a quiet gasp slipping out of my mouth. I tease my clit, sending shockwaves of pleasure shooting through my body.

  I picture Max kissing my neck, imagine his tongue upon my skin as his hands roam my body. As I slip two fingers into my pussy, I slide my other hand down and circle my clit with my fingertips. I picture having Max looming above me, imagining feeling his long, stiff cock slipping into me. As I start to move my fingers inside of me, I moan softly.

  I drive my fingers into my hot, wet core, imagining having Max deep inside of me. I picture his glittering green eyes staring into mine as I feel him moving within me. Biting my bottom lip to stifle the cry that threatens to burst from my throat, I plunge a third finger into me as I continue stroking my clit, imagining Max thrusting himself into me.