Inked

by Anne Marsh

  But I feel like something new to go with the new me.

  I end up calling Brooklyn for a consult, and then she meets me in the lobby and we hit the Desert Passage Shops at the Aladdin. There’s an awesome bar smack in the middle of the mall like the best kind of desert oasis. We make a well-deserved pit stop there for yard-long frozen margaritas that come in fluorescent yellow bongs and manage to achieve both quantity and quality.

  After that, we hit the shops. Brooklyn insists that I need to go for a whole new look, and I’m in the mood for a change. She grabs an armload of insanely teeny clothes off the rack in a store I’ve never stepped foot in before. It’s the kind of place that advertises on the pages of Vogue, and I’m pretty sure the fabulously gorgeous clothes will be wasted on a bunch of bikers. So it’s a good thing I’m dressing for me now.

  I come home with a ridiculously expensive black tube top and a pair of wicked stiletto booties with ribbons instead of laces. Outside of work, I avoid anything that adds to my height, but new me, new rules, and apparently New Me has decided tonight’s theme is girlish bondage. I shimmy into a pair of skinny jeans that seem to have gotten smaller since their last wash, and then I hit the road.

  Vik’s clubhouse is not exactly on the Strip. In fact, it’s most definitely in East Las Vegas, and the blocks get grittier and more dangerous as I get closer. It’s the kind of neighborhood with bars on the windows, bright splashes of graffiti and cars up on blocks. Pots of succulents and geraniums line the walkways adding some hopeful color, and more than one strand of white twinkling lights wrap around palm trees despite the summer weather. Eventually, the houses give way to block after block of slightly run-down, gone-to-seed warehouses. In the movies, this is the point where the bad guys come out shooting or there are gratuitous explosions.

  The GPS on my phone announces it’s time to turn. I’m not sure what I expected, but Vik’s clubhouse looks like all the other warehouses—except for the parking lot full of bikes. Who needs a sign reading Biker Party Here or a clutch of helium balloons with all those Harleys reeking of testosterone?

  The bikers themselves don’t seem too scary. I mean, they’re definitely not firemen, or lawyers, or anything remotely wholesome-looking or suit-wearing, but they’re also not engaged in any visible felonies, which I appreciate. They’re simply a bunch of guys milling around the bikes, talking and joking. The dress code appears to call for leather and boots. Music pounds out of the warehouse when someone pulls the door open. I don’t recognize the singer, but the song has one of those hard-hitting, pulse-raising beats that makes you want to dance in place or screw.

  I so don’t belong here.

  Nevertheless, one of the younger bikers waves me into an empty spot next to a row of trucks. I spot a Camaro, a Dodge Charger and a dented-up minivan that looks about as bikerly as I do, so there’s hope for my evening after all. Perhaps the Hard Riders practice a more inclusive form of clubbing?

  When I get out, the fresh-faced biker gives me a nod. “You looking for someone?”

  I’ll bet they don’t get too many party-crashers. “Vik.”

  “Inside,” he says. I think he smirks—or possibly rolls his eyes. I’m clearly not the first woman to ask after Vik tonight. “Probably in back by the bar. Might be spinning.”

  I lock my car (although I’m not sure that’s going to stop anyone) and head for the clubhouse. The front door is much more imposing and formidable than the parking lot attendant. In fact, it’s clearly been built for mega-giants, and I wrestle with it for a long moment, my glasses sliding down my nose.

  A thick, inked arm reaches over me and shoves it open.

  “Ladies first,” the arm’s owner drawls. He looks me up and down slowly, taking in my jeans and dressy boots. I suddenly know how a zebra feels when it accidentally steps into a lion’s den. The look on this guy’s face is part amusement, part hunger. I’d like to tell him I’m not a steak, but the patch on his vest says PRESIDENT, and I have a feeling that makes him the king of this particular kingdom. If he says I’m steak, I’m steak.

  “Is this your club?” I like to know who’s in charge, but Mr. I’m-Gonna-Eat-You-Up seems to find my question funny because he just snorts and reaches down to shove my glasses back into place.

  “Yeah. I’m Prez. You got an issue with that, sunshine?”

  I think about that for a minute and shake my head. Despite my invitation, coming out here seems less smart all the time. Some women like living dangerously, but I’ve never been one of them. I prefer my life safe and sane, which begs the question of what I’m doing here. Starting over. Taking a chance. About to suffer public humiliation. You can take your pick, but my car and escape looks better and better.

  “In,” he rumbles, his hand pressing against my shoulder. I decide not to protest, and move forward.

  Prez follows me inside, so close that the front of his thighs brush the back of mine. I don’t think that’s an accident. He cups my elbow, herding me in the direction he wants me to go. This whole life-changing stuff is stupid. Take-charge guys have never been my thing. Except Vik, a little voice whispers in my head. You like him.

  I’m working on that.

  You hear things about motorcycle clubs and the Hard Riders have a certain reputation, or so my Google-fu tells me. While they look after their own and spend a commendable amount of time giving back to their community (Vik wasn’t kidding about the Christmas toy drive), they also ride hard and party harder. There are darker rumors and whispers, too, about how they have a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and are key players in East Las Vegas’s war on illegal substances—although it appears they’re big fans of beer.

  The place is definitely not the bat cave.

  Music blasts from the back of the warehouse. The clubhouse is huge, the entire downstairs floor open and jammed with gyrating, dancing, drinking bodies. Lots of black leather couches have been pushed back against the wall to open up a path to the makeshift bar in the back. Longnecks and red Solo cups are the order of the day. As is skin. I’ve never seen this much skin on display outside of a beach or a Vegas strip revue. As I scan the crowd, looking for Vik, I realize I’m overdressed.

  In fact, clothing seems to be largely optional and I could have saved the money I spent on my shopping trip and just worn my underwear. A brunette in what could be a tube top or a dress brushes past us. The stretchy fabric barely skims her butt, and that’s before she squeals and throws herself at her dance partner. She scissors her legs around his waist. Everyone here is loud and uninhibited.

  A red cup dangles in front of my face.

  I take it. I don’t know where it came from, so I’m not drinking it but I need something to do with my hands, and I’m definitely not doing what the brunette is doing. “Thanks?”

  Prez winks at me. “Who’re we lookin’ for?”

  He’s got a soft, smoky burr of an accent that makes me think of warm Louisiana nights and the bayou. It’s the kind of drawl that almost but not quite distracts you from the fact that this is the guy who runs a biker club and could probably have you killed with one nod of his head.

  I really should care about that. Instead, I pony up the answer he’s looking for. “Vik.”

  Prez rubs his free hand over his chin, his pained sigh gusting over my skin. “Figures.”

  I want to ask what that means, but I’m distracted by the madman bouncing around the dance floor. Shoulder-length blond hair flies everywhere. Vik dances all-out. Muscular, inked arms cut through the air as he thrashes to a beat that bears no resemblance whatsoever to the music vibrating through the warehouse. Faded blue jeans hug his ass and end in a pair of motorcycle boots. Just in case the gift-wrapping on that particular part of the package doesn’t scream open me, he’s wearing his club vest over a fitted white T-shirt. Muscles bulge as he executes another move and part of me wants to hang all over that arm. See how good it feels. Shove it between my legs.


  I’m not the only one with that idea.

  A skinny, fabulously gorgeous woman in a barely there black leather dress shimmies up to him and starts using him as her own personal dance pole. They’re so close that her breasts press up against his arm and she’s riding his thigh as she grinds high and bumps low. I’m so glad I made the effort to come tonight.

  And apparently Vik prefers quantity to quality because not one but two more wanna-be dancers latch onto him as he burns up the dance floor. I feel like I should be pulling a wad of one-dollar bills out of my purse and rewarding their efforts.

  “Is he always like this?” The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them.

  Prez chuckles. “Pretty much. Man’s the fucking Energizer Bunny when it comes to gettin’ laid.”

  Just great.

  I take a step backward and bump awkwardly into Prez. Shit. Naturally, my reaction is to lurch forward to put some space between my butt and his groin. Prez laughs again, his hands steadying my hips as I rock on my stupid high heels. He bellows Vik’s name, the sound all but getting lost in the general chaos and uproar that is a biker party. Not that I was expecting to be announced by trumpets or a twenty-one-gun salute, but still.

  Miracle of miracles, Vik looks toward us. A wicked grin lights up his face and he dumps the leg-humper off his thigh.

  “Harper!” he yells back. His inside voice is loud enough to carry over the deafening beat of the music. So loud that heads turn to stare at me. I consider beating a hasty retreat, but New Me insists on sticking around. She’s either brave or horny, and I’m not sure I want to find out which.

  Prez chuckles and pats me on the butt. “See you later, sunshine.”

  In a weird way, I don’t mind it because the gesture seems less like a creepy grope and more like a friendly overture. Maybe these guys just don’t have normal social skills. Or were never housebroken.

  Vik bounds over, throwing his arms out. “You found me.”

  “I did.”

  People—bikers—are still staring.

  Possibly, it’s because I’m wearing more clothing than all of Vik’s previous companions combined. I look down quickly just to make sure that I am fully dressed and not having one of those living nightmares where you waltz into a room buck naked.

  I throw caution to the wind and take a sip of my drink, hoping it’s magic. A potion like Alice in Wonderland’s Drink Me, except maybe it will make me articulate. Give me the gift of gab so that I know what to say to this man. This gorgeous, hot biker who ties me up in knots. Of course, I consumed way more alcohol last night and look how that ended up. I have a tattoo on my back.

  Vik grabs my hand. “Dance with me, Harper.”

  I wait for my drink to kick in, but no luck. Red punch and a truly impressive amount of grain alcohol will not be riding to my rescue tonight.

  “Do I look like I dance?” The pole-dancing, thigh-humping antics of his previous partners are not part of my repertoire.

  The corners of his mouth quirk up.

  I sort of hate him for the way my panties promptly get wet.

  Vik sets his hands on my hips—my hips—and tugs me closer. He links his hands on top of my butt, fingers skating dangerously close to inked territory, and then he rests his forehead against mine.

  “You don’t have to dance well,” he whispers. I’m pretty sure his mouth brushes my hair. My cup is jammed between us and I have no idea what to do with my spare hand.

  “Okay?” New Me, I remind myself. She might turn out to be an awesome closet dancer, so I should make the effort to find out. My feet are still rooted to the floor, though, when somebody jostles us and I slop punch on the front of Vik’s shirt. His white shirt. Kill. Me.

  “God, I, shoot...” I scrub at the front of his shirt. The stain is approximately the size and shape of North America. Possibly South America, too. This is why I don’t get asked to parties.

  “Hey.” He nudges my chin up with his thumb. “No big deal.”

  He’s so beautiful.

  I blame my embarrassing muteness on his face. He’s the most gorgeous man I’ve ever seen and he’s within touching distance. When he removes his thumb from my face, I almost sigh in disappointment.

  And then he flashes a devilish wink at me and shrugs out of his vest. “Hold this for me, babe.”

  The leather vest he drops into my hands is warm from his skin. You know how there are moments when you can feel your whole life pivot? Because the universe has just served you a red letter day and you need to stop and memorialize that date in your journal? Maybe slap some washi tape and gold stars on that bad boy so that when you look back, fifty years from now, you’ll know to tell your grandkids about the day you met dear old granddad and how the trumpets blared and the angelic hosts all pointed at him and declared him to be The One?

  I wish I could tell you that’s what happens here. I wish I could say I looked at Vik and knew he was a good man and that together we’d have something meaningful.

  But I can’t.

  I am, however, 100 percent in lust with him.

  Just look at him.

  How could any woman resist?

  He hauls his T-shirt over his head in one smooth move and the man could do underwear ads. He’s got the most amazing six-pack, all cut muscles dusted with the finest of golden hairs. And the fact that I know this only proves that I’m standing way too close to him. I imagine this must be how Eve looked at Adam the day she realized he had a dick and he was naked. My gaze travels down in pure appreciation. And then goes down some more until all those pure feelings of admiration melt into something far dirtier and hotter. Dear God, the man has been blessed.

  “If you wanted me naked, all you had to do was ask.”

  And just like that he short-circuits the remaining brain cells in my stupid, besotted head. Smacking myself upside my head sounds like a plan, except I need whatever thinking power remains up there. Logic is my new best friend. Calm. I probably should have taken one of those yoga classes where they teach you how to be all Zen and in the moment because right now I’m practically hyperventilating.

  Vik isn’t helping. He tugs his vest out of my hands (I don’t particularly want to give it back), shrugs it on and then tosses the dirty T-shirt onto the floor. “Come on.”

  I shove my tongue back into my mouth and let him lead where he will. Which is apparently from one group of bikers to the next. And surprisingly, everyone I meet is pretty chill. They tip their heads at me or wink or flash a killer grin, and...I’m having a good time. Plus, Vik turns out to be more of a cuddler than a humper or a groper (contrary to his dance floor exhibition). He keeps an arm around me, squeezing me up against his side as he steers us from group to group. Since he’s mostly naked from the waist up, I find this contact deeply distracting.

  The last guy we approach is a biker leaning against the wall. He’s every bit as tattooed, hard and lethal-looking as my Vik. His dark hair is buzzed close to his scalp, and the way he watches us has me convinced he could describe us with perfect accuracy to a police sketch artist. Despite his casual slouch, I get the sense that he’s entirely aware of his surroundings and more than prepared to take out or take down anything and anyone that becomes a problem.

  Tread carefully.

  “Rev.” Strong fingers close carefully around mine. His grip is firm but pleasant, and I sense he’s being careful not to overwhelm me or squeeze too hard. Or maybe it’s just the air of cool containment. This is definitely not a man to fuck with.

  Vik’s eyes narrow. “I’m going to count to three. If you want to keep all those fingers, you let go before I finish, you feel me?”

  Rev laughs. “Feeling possessive?”

  Vik nods vigorously. “I’m her booty call. She doesn’t have time for you.”

  “I. We—”

  I can feel my face going up in flames,
but Rev just laughs.

  “She had me undressed within minutes of arriving.” Vik gestures down his chest with his hand. As if anyone could have missed all those glorious, naked muscles. And the ridges...the tempting, tempting ridges of his perfect abdomen.

  I finally manage to wipe the drool off my chin and respond. “You are not my booty call.”

  Vik winks. “I offered. You didn’t say no. Plus, I’m totally fine with you using me for sex.”

  I think he means it.

  This just makes my face redder, which makes Rev laugh harder. It’s a vicious cycle, and another example of why I have no business being at a biker party. Vik snags my hand and starts towing me deeper into the clubhouse. Eventually, we hit the bar at the back of the building. It’s louder here, the music a deep, throbbing bass that I can feel pulsing through the floor beneath my feet. It’s a wonder everyone here isn’t permanently deaf.

  Vik snags a barstool, deposits me on it before I can protest and then leans back against the bar. His shoulder bumps mine as he grabs my hand and starts playing with my fingers.

  “You get a place sorted out yet?”

  “I’ve only been homeless for two days,” I point out. I excel at multitasking and getting stuff done, but even I have my limits. “I’ve got appointments tomorrow to look at a few rentals.”

  “You could move in with me.”

  I choke on my drink and he pounds me on the back, careful to avoid my new ink.

  “Too fast?” He takes the cup and sets it down on the bar.

  “Yes,” I wheeze. “When did we discuss this?”

  “What?” He blinks at me innocently, but his eyes twinkle.

  “Sex. Booty calls. Moving in.”

  “Yesterday.” He settles his hands on my thighs and pushes gently. My stupid knees part like the Red Sea and he takes full advantage, stepping between them. Dark eyes stare into mine. My nipples don’t understand that Vik is like this with every woman he meets. They perk up at his proximity, super-excited that we have a big, sexy biker spreading our thighs.