by Lucas, Helen
I didn’t recognize him. Which meant he was new here. I knew everyone in town. Everyone in town knew everyone in town.
“It’s fine,” he replied, his voice still gruff. He turned his gaze back to what had apparently drawn his attention—the display of guitars and instruments in a store window. It was McHenry’s Music. They had a poster up announcing a going out of business sale. Not surprising, considering what was happening to the rest of town.
“It’s too bad McHenry’s is going out of business,” I offered, as if trying to make up for running into him with conversation. “I remember going there with my parents bad when I was a kid to pick out a piano.”
The man shrugged. On closer inspection, he wasn’t much older than me—he simply had a gravitas, a somberness, a darkness to him that made him seem much older—ancient, even.
“I don’t really care about the store. But that Fender…” he murmured, gesturing at one of the guitars on display. He nodded, still not smiling. “That’s a real beauty.”
“Do you play?” I asked.
He gave me an exasperated look.
“No, I’m a connoisseur of expensive musical instruments I can’t play. I’ve got an oboe in my pocket if you’d like to see.”
“Sorry,” I scowled. This guy was an asshole. Even if he was hot. That’s how it all seemed to go.
“Sorry for running into you,” I murmured, brushing past him, driving my shoulder into him on purpose. As I strode down the street, my face darkening, he called out.
“Watch where you’re going. That ass of yours could be a distraction on the road.”
I flushed and it was all I could do to keep from turning back over my shoulder. As it was, I flipped him off as I marched off. Who the hell was he to yell things about my ass?
Fact was, I was… I guess, insecure about my looks? I guess I’m just pretty average looking—long brown hair, average sized boobs, but I do have a pretty big ass. So big that I’m positive that the only kind of guys who’d be attracted to me would be the ones who have an ass complex or something like that. And as I walked away from this asshole, I couldn’t help but be conscious of every movement, every swish and sashay of my butt. I was wearing a pair of skinny jeans that hugged my legs nicely, that usually made me feel confident.
What the hell did he mean by distraction? Maybe that… He thought my ass looked good?
God. I had to stop thinking about it. Had to stop obsessing about that asshole’s comment. I was already a block away and still thinking about it.
Finally, I found myself glancing over my shoulder and spying him walking behind me, looking distracted, bored, sexy. Damn it, Sarah.
A guy finally pays attention to me, acts like an asshole, and I can’t stop thinking about him. Even if he is a jerk.
As you might have guessed, I’m not exactly the sociable, popular type. I’m more the stay-in-the-library-and-keep-my-head-down type. I’ve never been on a date. Never had a boyfriend. And I’ve definitely never had sex.
Yep. Eternal virgin right here. I was seventeen then, and I would be eighteen in a few weeks. Just about all my friends had lost their virginities already. Hell, my fourteen-year-old little sister had been getting laid for what seemed like years in junior high. She was a real mess, but that’s another story.
I glanced over my shoulder again. He was still walking behind me at a distance of two blocks or so. We were nearing the end of Main Street. This was getting slightly creepy. Could he be following me?
I hurried my pace and reached the end of the street, easing open the gates to the Logan family estate. As I traced my way up the long drive way, I saw him stepping through the rusty, antiquated gates as well.
“Are you following me?” I cried out, turning on my heels and facing him.
“Why would I be following you?” he yelled back, not altering his pace one bit. He didn’t care at all. “This is the address I’m supposed to go to.”
“A likely story! My family’s all home—we’ll call the cops.”
“Jesus Christ,” he scowled as he approached me. He slid his phone out of his pocket, clicked around a bit, and pulled up an email. “There. Read.”
My eyes narrowed as I snatched the phone away from him and began to read.
“Damien—
Of course we would be happy to take you in for the school year. We’re so happy that you’ll be getting your GED this year. Maria is very proud of you, and I’m so happy you decided to shape up and fly straight. I hope we can forget all the unpleasantness from three years ago. And we’ll be honored to have a military man in the house—maybe you can teach my daughters some discipline.
I’ll call the school district and let them know that you’ll be registering for the GED class.
See you soon,
Harry.”
Harry. That was my father, Harry Logan. And Damien… That name was familiar…
“Oh!” I cried out, feeling dumb beyond words. “You’re Damien!”
“No shit,” my stepbrother scowled.
Copyright 2015 Helen Lucas
All rights reserved.
Rider: An MC Club Alpha Male Romance
Parts of this novel were previously published as The Broken and the Damned: An MC Club Alpha Male Romance.
Book Design by Helen Lucas.
Cover Image © CURAphotography - Fotolia.com
