She smoothed some ruby red lipstick across her lips and blotted it with a Kleenex. She looked alive again, as if she had been revived and given a second chance. She was about to give herself a little motivational speech about how she was a strong, fabulous woman and deserved the best in life when the doorbell echoed up the stairs and she jumped to her feet.
“Coming!” she called down the hall as she trotted down the stairs.
She opened the door to see Leanne standing in front of her with a bottle of white wine clutched in her fist.
“Let’s get this party started!” she laughed as she wrapped an arm around Emma and pulled her inside. “It is so goddamn good to have my best friend back.”
The girls sat at the island in the kitchen, and Emma poured them both a drink. She held her glass up to meet Leanne’s and they clinked them together.
“Cheers,” Leanne smiled.
“So,” Emma said, “Am I allowed to know where we’re going yet?”
“Hmm,” Leanne grinned and shrugged, “But that will spoil the surprise.”
“You know I hate surprises. Come on, tell me!” Emma said, jumping to her feet. She was too excited and needed to know so she could mentally plan how the night was going to pan out.
Leanne laughed and rolled her eyes.
“Okay,” she said cautiously. “I heard about something and I thought it would be good for both of us.”
“Sounds ominous,” Emma said with a giggle.
“Not really…” Leanne trailed off. “It’s going to be exciting, that’s for sure.”
“This is all very cryptic,” Emma said as she took a sip of her wine. “Just spit it out, come on.”
“Okay,” Leanne said as she rolled her shoulders and smiled. “Well, I heard about this beach party, and I thought it would be good if we went.”
“A beach party?” Emma said with disappointment. “Is that it? I thought we were going to be hitting some exclusive club and hanging out with celebrities!”
“Oh, this will be much more exciting than that, trust me,” Leanne said, raising her eyebrows.
“Well, you better tell me then, because I suddenly feel very overdressed.” Emma looked down at her tight LBD and held out her arms. She had felt so in control and sexy when she was putting it on, and now she knew there was no way she was going to be able to wear it. She couldn’t head down to the beach in that and four-inch heels. She would look ridiculous.
“I’m dressed up, too,” Leanne said sternly. “Plus, the beach isn’t the only place this party is going to be.”
“God, stop killing with me with the suspense and just tell me!” Emma grabbed hold of Leanne’s shoulders and shook her with joke fury.
“There’s an initiation ceremony down there,” she said quietly. “I heard about it because a friend of mine is going out with one of the bikers…”
“Bikers?” Emma asked, genuinely confused.
“Do you not watch the news?” Leanne said with a laugh. “The gang that’s basically been running this town for the past twenty years.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Emma shook her head.
“Well, all you really need to know is there’s a new wave of them, and they are sexy as hell… There isn’t a girl in this town who wouldn’t kill to do what we’re about to do tonight, and if you ask me, this is more than the perfect way to finally put Dale behind you.” Leanne was gripping onto her by the shoulders and smiling with wide, excited eyes.
“Are they dangerous?” Emma asked, concerned.
“Who knows…” Leanne bit her lip. “And even if they are, don’t you think that’s a turn-on?”
“When you say initiation, what exactly do you mean?”
“They’ve taken on some new members and they’re celebrating… My friend Jane is going to be down there with the guy she’s been seeing, and she invited me along.”
“And where is the party going to be after the beach?” Emma asked, still confused by the whole situation.
“Well,” Leanne said excitedly, “I’ve heard that if one of them likes you, they give you a ride back to the club house,” she squealed and clapped her hands together. “I mean, can you imagine that, Em? Being on the back of one of their bikes, flying down the highway on our way back to a secret party at an outlaw’s den!?”
“Jesus,” Emma laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so excited!” She got to her feet and sipped her wine. Everything about this seemed intimidating. Leanne was right when she had questioned Emma’s knowledge of their town with her not watching the news, but she hadn’t lived under a rock. She knew that there were outlaws around them and that they had a big say on how things went down. She knew that some people were afraid of them, and she also knew that if she had gone back a week and could look forward and see herself all dressed up, newly single and potentially heading over there, she never would have believed it.
“Come on,” Leanne said with pleading eyes. “If we don’t go, we’ll regret it, trust me. These parties are supposed to be amazing, and I’ve heard that if they take you back to the clubhouse, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen.”
Emma sipped her drink again, hoping for Dutch courage. She had always wanted excitement in her life, and here it was being presented to her. She knew she should reach out and take it without asking questions. If she went and hated it, she could easily leave and come home. It wasn’t like she was stuck there. She had a cell phone and a hundred cab companies’ numbers saved in it. She was an adult and could go anywhere she wanted, whenever she wanted. Why should this party be so different and what did she have to lose?
“Okay,” she said with a smile, “I’m in!”
Leanne jumped up and hugged her and poured some more wine into her glass.
“You won’t regret it,” she beamed. “I know we’re going to have the night of our lives.”
“Well, if we don’t, you owe me another night out on the town next weekend. Deal?”
“Totally,” Leanne laughed. “Now let’s finish this bottle so we can get going. I can’t wait to get down there and see what these bad boys are all about!”
Emma smiled to herself as she stared into the mirror on the wall and reapplied her lipstick. She was looking forward to seeing what they were all about, too, and she certainly hoped that Leanne was right… She liked the idea of a man in leather with a dark side. It was as far away from Dale as she could possibly get, and she knew that it was exactly what she needed.
“Ready?” she called over her shoulder to Leanne, who was putting their glasses into the sink and scrolling through her cell phone.
“Yep,” she smiled. “Let’s get out of here!”
The girls linked arms and made their way to the front door. As they stepped out into the warm night air, Emma had a good feeling. She knew something fun was about to come her way, and she couldn’t have been more ready.
4.
The girls stepped out of the cab and turned to face the beach. The waves crashed against the shore, and the white hiss of spray met their legs. The sun was setting, and Emma shielded her eyes from the golden pink glow as she looked out to the ocean. In the distance, she could make out the silhouettes of a group of people all around a fire and spilling down out across the beach. There were about fifty of them and her heart began to race as she realized she was suddenly as nervous as if it were her first day of school. She didn’t know anyone down there. What if they just looked at her and Leanne as if they were crazy for showing up and wanted them to leave? Or worse, what if they got nasty? They were criminals, after all. They could be capable of anything!
“Wait,” she whispered as she grabbed onto Leanne’s arm and pulled her back away from the entrance to the beach. “Do you really think this is safe?”
Leanne rolled her eyes at her and laughed.
“Oh, come on, Em, of course it is. What’s the worst that could happen?”
“I don’t know, I just… I’m having second thoughts…”
“
Stop being so boring,” Leanne stared at her deep in the eyes. “I know we are going to have a great night. Now come on, let’s get down there and mingle!”
Emma nodded slowly and followed her friend out to the dunes. They slipped off their heels and carried them in their hands as they made their way down across the sand and onto the beach. Underfoot the sand was still warm and it instantly put Emma at ease. It felt wonderful between her toes, and the closer they got to the crowd of people and the fire, the more she began to relax. She could see other women around there, dancing, drinking, listening to music and sitting on the sides of bikes that had been ditched along the beach. The men were big and burly, some were older with long graying beards, but most were young and as Leanne had promised, exceptionally hot.
“Wow,” Emma whispered as she reached for Leanne’s hand. “You weren’t wrong.”
Leanne turned to her and smiled. “See, you’ve just got to trust me.”
They approached the group and slipped in among the crowd. The fire was the central focal point, but the party itself extended out across the rest of the beach. In the ocean, a man and woman frolicked naked and some of the men on their bikes revved their engines and cheered. They all drank beer and whisky from the bottle, and there was a cloud of smoke in the air as most of the men had cigarettes dangling from their lips. Emma bit her bottom lip and looked around. She almost didn’t know where she should fix her eyes. All of the men around her were so good looking, and they all seemed so incredibly ripped and powerful. They wore leathers and skull rings, and some of them had bandanas in their long, shaggy hair and others who had removed their clan jackets had aggressive tattoos all down their arms and across their backs. Emma found herself unable to take her eyes off one guy sitting a rock just outside the main circle. He held a bottle of whisky in his hand and was sipping it slowly. A tattoo of a spider crawled up his neck. She shuddered at the thought of trailing her hands over it. Each and every one of the bikers were wild and untamed. She was getting wet just looking at them.
“Here,” Leanne said, breaking her train of thought. She handed her a glass with vodka and coke, and Emma took a sip and gagged.
“Jeez, that’s strong,” she coughed.
“Just drink it,” Leanne said playfully. “You need to relax.”
“Trust me,” Emma laughed. “I’m more than relaxed now… look at these guys.”
“Hot or what?” Leanne grinned.
Emma nodded and took another sip. It was warming her insides and the rock music that was blaring out from someone’s iPod was cranked up higher. Emma found herself dancing along to the music.
Screw it, she thought. Just let go and have a good time.
It was while she was grinding her hips and in a world of her own that a pair of eyes from the other side of the fire settled on her and refused to look away. Emma didn’t realize, but she had been chosen the second she stepped onto the beach… One of the men wanted her instantly and he was about to make his entrance.
She twirled on the spot and sipped her drink. The vodka was making her giddy, and she laughed as she reached for Leanne’s hand. She wanted to dance with her friend and forget all about the troubles of the past few weeks, but she couldn’t seem to reach her.
“Leanne,” she said, “Dance with me.”
But Leanne, who was looking over Emma’s shoulder, shook her head slowly with a little grin on her face and moved back into the crowd, leaving Emma on her own.
Or so she thought…
A pair of rough hands gripped her by the waist and pulled her backwards. She slipped back into the big, muscly arms of a man she had never seen. He turned her to face him and his dark eyes bore into her with so much intensity that it nearly took her breath away. He was at least six foot five and had the broadest shoulders she had ever seen. His leathers were gone and he wore a black vest that exposed his thick tattooed arms, with a low-cut pair of jeans and big black boots. He was so handsome, his sharp jaw line was clenched and the stubble on him was raw and rugged. She lifted her hand to run it across his cheek, and he playfully went to bite her finger.
“Hi,” she gasped, unsure of what else to say.
“Hi,” he snarled with a slight grin, before he pulled her back towards the rocks, away from the crowd and in the direction of his bike.
5.
“Who are you?” Emma said breathlessly as he moved quickly with her across the sand.
He turned to her and smiled but didn’t answer.
Emma’s heart was racing. Who was this guy?
They reached the edge of the beach where his bike was parked and he rested back against it, pulling her with him so she was in-between his big, thick thighs.
“I’m Rick,” he said finally, a smile playing across his lips.
“I’m Emma,” she whispered.
His arms were tightly wrapped around her, and she was so consumed with lust, she didn’t know where to turn. She had never seen anyone like him before. He was so powerful. He was all man. Her heart pounded in her chest as he pulled her closer to him.
“I know,” he said quietly, his lips close to her ear.
She stood back and placed her palms on his chest, trying to peel herself away from him.
“Wait,” she said frantically. “How do you know my name? Who are you?”
Rick let her go and raised his hands as if he had been caught.
“Just a fan, that’s all,” he said with a wry smile.
Emma was so confused. She shook her head and tried to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out.
“I know Leanne,” he said finally. “She’s seeing one of my buddies.” He nodded back over towards the fire, and Emma turned to see Leanne locking lips with another one of the bikers.
“What?” Emma said confused. “Leanne knows you guys?”
Rick nodded and held out his hand again.
Emma put her hand on her hip. “Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She wanted you to come… And so did I. I’ve been asking to meet you for a while.”
Emma looked at him, completely confused and in shock. This man had known she existed before this and had wanted to meet her?
“She told me about you,” he went on. “You sound like my kind of woman.”
Emma felt herself blushing. It was the first time someone had ever said anything like that to her.
“Come for a ride with me?” he said, holding out his hand again. “I don’t bite. Unless you ask me to…” He winked at her and Emma felt the smile sneak back across her face. She had no idea what was going on, or why Leanne hadn’t just been straight with her, but Rick seemed like a nice guy and he was certainly sexy enough to hold her attention.
“Where you gonna take me?” she asked playfully.
“The clubhouse, of course.” He reached forward and took her hand and pulled her to him again. “You are even more incredible in person,” he said as he stared into her eyes. “I saw a photograph of you, and I said to Leanne, she’s stunning, I have to meet her…”
Emma blushed and looked down to the ground.
“You are incredible,” he said, his lips grazing hers. “I’ve never been so attracted to someone before in my life.”
Emma felt her sex pulse. She wanted to tell him the feeling was mutual, but she was so stunned she couldn’t speak. When had Leanne shown him her picture? And how could she have kept this from her? Did she really think that she wouldn’t have jumped at the chance to go on a wild ride with a hot biker?
“Come on,” he said as he bit his bottom lip and pulled her closer to him. “You want to or what?”
Emma didn’t have a clue what was lying in wait for her at the clubhouse, but she knew the chemistry between them was so intense she wouldn’t be able to keep her hands off him. She had always been such a good girl… Could she really throw caution into the wind and have a blazing affair with this outlaw? She looked back over her shoulder and saw Leanne wrapped up in a passionate embrace with her guy. They were rolling around on the sand. Ric
k squeezed her close to him again.
“So what do you say, Emma?”
She looked back to him and into his eyes. They were so dark and consuming she felt like she could slip inside them and disappear. He smelled amazing, the whisky mixed with his cologne and stale smoke was turning her on more than anything. His hair was long and fell down around his eyes. She let him hold onto her wrists as he pinned them behind her and pulled her even closer to him. She had never been so attracted to anyone before; her body had never responded to someone in such a way. It was as if he had flicked a switch and brought her back to life.
“I think…” she began, “I think I’d like to go with you.”
Rick smiled and moved his head closer to hers. She could almost taste him before his lips touched hers. When he kissed her, he was so strong and powerful he took her breath away. She felt tiny in his arms, and as he parted her lips with his tongue and slipped it into her mouth, she felt as though she had been claimed by him and she never wanted him to let her go. She ran her hands up his chest and neck, into his hair and when their lips parted, she stared deep into his eyes.
“Come on,” he whispered, taking her by the hand.
He turned and got onto the bike, and Emma climbed on behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he started the bike with a deafening roar. She clung to him and breathed him in as he pulled away, and she turned to look over her shoulder at the beach. Leanne and her man were watching them pull away, and Leanne raised her arm and waved. Emma didn’t dare let go, but she smiled at her friend. She had no idea how she had pulled this off or kept the secret from her, but she didn’t care. She was having the time of her life.
6.
As they flew down the highway, Emma gripped onto Rick and nuzzled into him. His skin was red hot, and it made her tingle as she let her lips graze his shoulder. He swerved around the bends of the oceanside road perfectly. She felt so safe with him, even though they were riding fast and furious and easily could have come off the bike at any moment.
DIESEL (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 13) Page 133
