Cole (The Ride Series)

by O'Brien, Megan

  Cole

  Book One in the Ride Series

  by

  Megan O’Brien

  Prologue

  He watched her from his place across the street, his nostrils flaring with anger. Somehow his girl had forgotten that she belonged to him. Clearly she just needed to be reminded, forcefully if necessary. Her place was by his side, and he’d see to it that she returned there before long. He continued to watch with his heart thudding in his chest as he studied her beautiful red hair that tumbled down her back, and the shy smile that lit up her face as she passed an older couple on the street. Even after all this time she was still the most beautiful girl, now woman that he’d ever seen. His eyes trailed down her curvaceous body with an insatiable feeling of possession. She was headed to work at the brewery on third. He’d been watching her for weeks and was familiar with her schedule. It wasn’t difficult. She pretty much just worked and hung out with that little raven-haired roommate of hers. There was no other man to get in his way, not that that would stop him. She’d been gone over eight years and he’d come to claim what was rightfully his. Her time was almost up--he was done waiting.

  Chapter One

  “Sorry sweetheart, like I said the part’s not gonna be here until Friday,” the bored looking mechanic told me yet again. He didn’t even bother looking up from his computer screen as I tried to keep my anger in check.

  “First of all, don’t call me sweetheart,” I replied impatiently while straightening my shoulders.

  That at least earned me some eye contact.

  “And second of all, you’ve had my car for over four days now, two more days longer than we agreed,” I pointed out as a drill started up in the distance. “I know for a fact that over three supply shops within twenty miles carry the part you need, so why don’t you explain to me why it’s taking so goddamn long to fix my car?” I demanded, hearing a low chuckle behind me that I ignored. The mechanic’s brows shot up in surprise at my unexpected knowledge.

  “What, girls can’t do research?” I asked tartly.

  “I’ll make a call,” he mumbled after a moment.

  “You do that,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest gesturing that I’d wait while he did it right then.

  I might have taken it a little easier on the guy except for the fact that I took the bus to the shop expecting to leave with my car. The thought of another bus ride in the 90-degree weather was far from appealing. Plus, getting around without my wheels was a serious pain in the ass. I narrowed my eyes and tapped my toe as the mechanic stared at my chest instead of picking up the phone. Nope, on second thought, wouldn’t have taken it easier on him regardless of the heat. He mumbled something incoherent before finally picking the phone up to dial.

  “Shit, sure as hell wouldn’t want to get on your bad side,” a voice muttered, while a low chuckle sounded again behind me.

  I turned around to see who was so amused with my situation only to feel my heart stop and then restart inside my chest. He was tall, well over six feet with dirty blond, unruly hair and the brightest blue eyes I’d ever seen. His lips were full and were currently quirked into an amused sexy-as-all-hell smile. His tight, black T-shirt clung to his muscular chest and slim waist in a way that made my mouth dry. He screamed confidence and testosterone right down to his motorcycle boots –something I was far too familiar with from my youth. Of course he had to be a biker, the one type of guy I’d sworn off for life and had done everything in my power to distance myself from. His blue eyes looked intensely down into mine in a way that felt much too intimate, and I steeled myself against the butterflies in my stomach.

  “Yeah, well you try being without a car for the better part of a week and see how it affects your mood,” I replied coolly.

  “Fair enough,” he grinned. “Though I’d go easy on poor Manny, I think you’re making him nervous,” he whispered while leaning toward me. I could almost feel the heat coming off of him and I chastised myself for having such a physical reaction to a complete stranger.

  I rolled my eyes forcing myself not to return his smile. I was sure that smile got him whatever he wanted the majority of the time, and I was far too practiced with his type to let it phase me.

  I heard Manny hang up the phone and I turned back to him expectantly.

  “Okay, I can get the part before the end of the day and your car will be ready tomorrow,” he told me gruffly.

  “It’s a miracle,” I grumbled sarcastically.

  He huffed, clearly irritated, all while continuing to allow his eyes to wander below eye level.

  I rolled my eyes. “Fine, I’ll be back tomorrow to pick it up,” I sighed, not at all excited about hoofing it back to the bus stop instead of being able to drive off in my car.

  “Sorry for the hassle,” he threw in half-heartedly.

  “Yeah, you seem real torn up,” I snorted, throwing my purse over my shoulder. I forced myself not to spare another glance at the gorgeous man behind me, and I strode out into the hot sun.

  I could feel his eyes boring holes into my back. I had to admit that I was pleased as all hell that I’d worn my cute jean shorts that showed off my toned legs, cowboy boots, and a form fitting tank top that displayed just a hint of cleavage. I’d always been well endowed, but when I was younger my chest had made me self-conscious. As I’d gotten older, I’d become more confident about my body. I didn’t try to cover up, but I didn’t flaunt my assets either. I tossed my long, slightly wild hair over my shoulder and took a deep breath before facing the inevitable and crossing the street toward my stop.

  “Wait up a second,” I heard the biker’s deep voice call behind me in a commanding tone. I turned to face him, surprised to see him following me.

  “I’ll give you a ride,” he informed me, his blue eyes covered by a pair of wayfarers. He looked down at me as a small smile quirked at the edges of his beautiful mouth.

  I looked at him in surprise before shaking my head. “Thanks, but no. I’ll catch the bus,” I declined.

  He tilted his head to the side, seeming to study me for a moment. “It’s going to take you twice as long to take the bus and I can tell you’re not thrilled at the prospect.” He was grinning now, clearly enjoying himself.

  “Who would be?” I replied. Despite the warnings in my head I couldn’t help but let out a short laugh at his teasing grin. “But I don’t know you, and I wouldn’t be comfortable getting in a car with you or having you know where I live,” I bluntly stated.

  “What if it’s on a bike and you tell me to drop you a few blocks from home?” he bargained with a slow smile.

  I inwardly groaned. Of course it was a bike. And, the truth was that my resolve was wavering. I was beginning to sweat just standing there and the thought of my journey home taking ten minutes as opposed to an hour sounded pretty enticing.

  “It’s only a ride I swear,” he said earnestly, taking his sunglasses off so I could see his eyes. It was a gesture that I found to be surprisingly thoughtful. “And all these guys are witness to you leaving with me,” he grinned, pointing to the bustling mechanic shop.

  “Yeah, because they’re all such upstanding citizens,” I muttered, making him laugh.

  He got a sudden twinkle in his eye and pulled out his phone. He dialed and held it to his ear all while smiling down at me.

  “Hank? Yah, is Ettie around?” he asked while I stared at him in confusion. “I just need her to do me a quick favor,” he explained. “Etts? Hey, I’m standin’ here outside Manny’s garage trying to convince this absolutely gorgeous girl to let me give her a ride home.”

  My mouth opened in shock as he winked at me.

  “But she seems to think that she might not be one hundred percent safe with me. I was hoping
that woman to woman, you might be able to vouch for me.” He listened for a moment and chuckled, the attractive sound shooting right through to my already galloping heart. “Yah? Ok thanks,” he said as he handed the phone over to me. “Name’s Cole by the way, phone’s for you.” He winked again. I didn’t know whether to be annoyed or thoroughly charmed.

  I took the phone and held it to my ear. “Hello?” I asked cautiously.

  “Hi, this is Ettie. Who’s this?” a friendly sounding female voice chirped from the other end.

  “Scarlet,” I replied, watching Cole’s reaction to hearing my name. His eyebrows rose and I thought I detected pleasure in his expression.

  “Well Scarlet, I know we’ve never met, but I’ve known Cole for over five years. He and my old man are good friends,” she explained while I looked everywhere but at the gorgeous blue eyes twinkling down at me. “You couldn’t be safer than with him,” she continued. “He’s a really safe driver and I swear he’s not a serial killer,” she said as she giggled. “He must really like you if he’s so determined to give you a ride,” she mused.

  “Um, ok thanks,” I replied, cutting her off. I didn’t want to think too hard as to why he wanted so badly to give me a ride home.

  “Have fun!” she said, and then laughed before hanging up.

  I handed the phone to him and he took it back looking as though he was going to continue to dial.

  “What are you doing?” I asked in confusion.

  “Continuing my reference check,” he replied, completely serious.

  I couldn’t help it, I let out a deep belly laugh. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d laughed so freely with a complete stranger, but it felt good. There was something about him that I trusted despite all my best efforts not to. “It’s okay. I think one reference is sufficient, along with our esteemed witnesses over there,” I replied gesturing back to the mechanic shop.

  “Glad to hear it,” he grinned.

  I followed him back to his gorgeous Harley. Despite my aversion to bikers, I loved bikes and it had been far too long since I’d been on the back of one.

  “Have you ridden a bike before?” he asked throwing on his leather jacket, the patch on the sleeve confirming what I’d known right away, that he belonged to a Motorcycle Club.

  “A time or two,” I admitted, forcing myself to keep a straight face. He eyed me speculatively for a moment while he clasped his helmet beneath his chin. God he was gorgeous, it was so unfair.

  He handed me a spare helmet. The same helmet that I’m sure he gave to every woman who rode on the back of his bike. I threw a leg over the bike, as the engine roared to life, and hopped up behind him. I sighed with the familiarity of it all—it was like being back home.

  “Where am I goin'?” he asked loudly over the noise of the bike.

  “Do you know where the high school is?” I asked.

  He nodded.

  “Take a left at the school and I’ll guide you from there,” I told him.

  “Okay, hang on darlin',” he replied with a grin.

  I rolled my eyes but obliged by wrapping my arms around his leather clad torso, secretly loving the feel of his body in front of mine as we took off out of the parking lot. I couldn’t fight my grin as we roared through town. I absolutely loved every second of the ride, and having my arms around such a gorgeous guy wasn’t half bad either. My inner thighs rested snugly against him, and I had to force my mind off of the tingles that shot through me from the intimate contact. I was surprised that I felt safe enough to direct him to my apartment instead of to a few houses down. I was enjoying the ride so much that it felt like we were pulling up to the curb in what felt like seconds. He turned off the bike as I swung off and unfastened the helmet.

  “Thanks for the ride,” I said sincerely, raking my fingers through my now very tousled hair.

  He watched my fingers for a moment before meeting my eyes. “You’re welcome,” he replied, accepting the helmet I handed back to him.

  “How about you give me your number and we can go for a ride again sometime?” he offered with a smile that was broad enough to show his dimple. Why did he have to be a biker of all things?

  “I can’t,” I replied quietly, meeting his intense gaze.

  “Boyfriend?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “I um…” I muttered as I struggled with how to respond without sounding like a total bitch. I decided that honesty was the best method. “I don’t date bikers,” I said with a shrug.

  His brows rose in amused surprise. “You don’t date bikers?” he repeated. “I’ve never seen a girl enjoy being on the back of a bike more, but you don’t date bikers,” he said as he chuckled.

  I could feel the blush creep over my cheeks. “That sounds about right,” I admitted. “Thanks again for the ride, it was nice to meet you,” I replied quickly before I did something really stupid like agree to see him again.

  “Don’t you want to know my last name?” he called as I turned toward my place.

  “Nope,” I called back over my shoulder.

  I could hear his chuckle over the roar of the engine as he started up the bike. I let myself into my apartment with shaking hands and forced myself not to give him one last glance before he rode off.

  “Was that a Harley I heard?” my roommate and best friend, Kat, asked incredulously when I shut the door behind me and leaned against it heavily.

  “Yep,” I muttered.

  “Oh, this I have to hear,” she said with grin.

  Kat and I had known each other since I’d moved to Nevada eight years ago. She was the only person who knew absolutely everything about me, including why I had an aversion to bikers. Unfortunately my aversion didn’t mean that I wasn’t attracted to them--things would be a hell of a lot easier if it did.

  “I need a beer,” I grumbled, dropping my purse and heading toward the fridge.

  Our place was simple but well maintained. Despite the somewhat shady neighborhood, our landlord took pride in the building. Our apartment was on the second floor and faced the street, which wasn’t great for security, but I’d never felt unsafe. It had an open living room with hardwood floors. The whole place had high ceilings and felt airy and open, which helped during the summer when we stayed inside a lot because of the heat. The kitchen was a simple alley style with dated appliances that by some miracle continued to work. One of my favorite parts of the kitchen was the bar that we’d furnished with four stools. Instead of using a dining table and chairs, we ate there. Neither one of us cooked a lot or entertained much at our place so we didn’t need anything fancy. Both of us had good-sized bedrooms, and we had a small stone covered patio that was just big enough for the grill we never used.

  Our living situation had always worked perfectly for us. Kat preferred to go out and I preferred to be at home. But other than our social preferences, we spent the majority of our time together. We even worked together, both as waitresses at the brewery downtown. Ever since Kat had forced her way into my life with her spitfire-like nature, we never looked back. We had lived together in various places ever since.

  When I left California I’d meant to get farther from home, much farther. But I’d run out of money, and by the time I had enough to get back on the road I was reluctant to leave Kat. She was my partner in crime and the best friend I’d ever had. So, I stayed with just one state line between me and my past life.

  I sat heavily on the couch, thankful to be out of the heat of the day, and told her about my biker run in.

  “Damn, I wish I would have peaked through the blinds!” she exclaimed when I was done.

  I laughed and nodded. “I’m not talking him up, he was that hot,” I sighed.

  “Damn, too bad,” she muttered. “Well, you can catch a ride with me tonight--we’re working the same shift,” she said, patting my leg while getting up. Kat always knew when to change the subject. It was one of the endless things I loved about her.

  “Cool, thanks,” I said.

  “And, because
I’m such an awesome best friend, I’ll drive you to get your car tomorrow, too,” Kat said with a grin.

  “You’re the best.”

  We worked the late shift, and though I had more than enough distraction, my mind kept drifting back to Cole. I hurried from table to table taking orders and serving drinks, but my mind was miles away. No man had ever incited such a physical reaction from me. I found it both off-putting and electrifying-- two emotions I wasn’t accustomed to feeling at the same time. With the latter rarely being felt at all.

  “Earth to Scar are you in there?” Kat teased as we were driving home, both exhausted and smelling like burgers and beer. It was one of the pitfalls of the job.

  “Shut up,” I grumbled before throwing her a small smile.

  “You’ve got biker on the brain,” she said as she giggled.

  “Do not,” I grumbled.

  “Do too, liar.” She laughed before letting the subject drop.

  I dragged my tired, lying ass to bed and tried in vain not to think about that damned dimpled grin.

  Thankfully my car was ready when Kat drove me to pick it up the following day. My pathfinder was nothing fancy, but it was practical and it was all mine, which always meant something to me. I was extremely happy to have it back.

  “Here, I’m supposed to give you this,” Manny grumbled when I paid my bill. He handed me over an envelope and I looked at him in confusion.

  “Don’t look at me,” he said as he shrugged, turning back to his paperwork. I walked over to my car while reading the note that I took out of the envelope. I was soon grinning despite myself.

  “The last name’s Jackson, just in case you wanted to do a background check. Here’s my number-- 540-8970, use it.”

  I couldn’t help but grin at his flippancy. I folded up the note and put it in my purse, flattered that he’d taken the time to come back to the shop to leave it for me. Clearly this was a man who was used to getting what he wanted. Unfortunately for him, in this instance, he was in for a rude awakening.

  Chapter Two