“I can’t say I understand given that I’m partial to small towns myself,” he remarked looking at the antiques that dotted their home.
“So you kept all the original furniture when they moved out?” He asked.
“No. I know it looks old-fashioned, but I love antiques. I collected all these on my own.”
“That’s right, you own an antique store. Duh. I’m not thinking straight. Was that also your grandparents’ store?”
“God no. They didn’t like old things.”
Lee laughed, the irony of my statement not escaping his notice.
“So what did you come over to ask me?” I sat down at the dining room table and motioned for him to do the same.
He sank down in the seat across from me and I couldn’t help but stare at the hint of a tattoo that was across his throat, leading to his chest.
“What’s that tattoo of?” I asked curiously.
“Which one?” He said.
“The one on your chest, peeking through the neck of your shirt.”
Without hesitating he removed his shirt and my mouth might have dropped open just a little. I promptly closed it when I saw the knowing smile on his face. I was right about earlier, his entire chest and ab areas were nothing but layers of perfectly sculpted muscles. He could easily be on television as one of those trainers on the infomercials promising a perfect body in just ten minutes a day. Except that he was better looking than them. I forced myself to focus on the tattoo instead of his flawless body.
It was a hodgepodge of different tattoos: an eagle with its wings spread wide, letters that I guess meant something to him, but I was unsure of the significance. But despite the random nature of the illustrations that consumed his chest, it seemed to all have been done by one person. It was a work of art and it all had rhyme and reason to it. I didn’t understand it but it was seamlessly all tied together as if Lee’s chest was a storyboard and only he knew the full story. And then at the bottom of the tattoos was a date, nearly indiscernible.
“What does that date mean?” I asked more curious about it than anything else.
He looked down and slowly lowered his shirt. “It’s the day my mother died.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said instantly regretting that I had asked.
He shrugged, “It wasn’t easy, that’s for sure, after she died.”
“And now you’re raising your sister?”
He nodded, “I’m doing my best.” I knew from the date that it hadn’t been too long ago. Only about two years, give or take a few months.
“She seems happy with you.” From the few interactions I had seen between the two of them, she seemed to adore him. She drove him crazy with her smart comebacks and endless teen angst, but besides that, she seemed to genuinely like being around him.
“She’s a strong kid. She’s bouncing back well, especially given the circumstances.” I didn’t want to pry so I didn’t ask him to explain. Instead I said, “So what did you need?” I wanted to change the subject. I hated talking about death and loss. I had lost my parents early on in high school and it hadn’t been easy for me to get over it. If it weren’t for my grandparents, I didn’t even want to think what the alternative would have been. I had heard horror stories about foster care and luckily I hadn’t had to go down that route. I respected and admired Lee for what he did for his sister. It made him even that bit more interesting to me as a man.
“You.” He said simply and I did a double take.
“Excuse me?”
“Are you seeing anyone?”
“Maybe.” I said teasingly and he called me on it immediately.
“You’re such a tease.”
I shrugged, “It keeps men interested.”
“Even if you weren’t a tease, they would still be interested.”
“You’re right,” I said enjoying this conversation more than I expected I would.
Most men were intimidated by me. I spoke my mind, was comfortable in my sexuality and went after what I wanted. My friends, male and female alike, commented that I behaved more like a man when it came to relationships than like a woman. I didn’t necessarily take that as a compliment. I just felt there was nothing wrong with taking what you wanted and leaving emotions for the other person to handle. But I was starting to think, maybe with Lee, things might be different. I had an interest in him that went beyond just getting into his pants. I was curious about this man who had his whole life story tattooed across his chest. I was intrigued by him. He was an enigma, a man who obviously valued family, but seemed to be a bad boy at heart.
“So how’s tomorrow for you?” I asked getting up and perching my hip against the counter in what I thought was a sexy pose. Apparently it was, as Lee’s eyes traveled down my body, lust was apparent in his gaze.
“I thought I was the one asking you out.” He laughed.
“You took too long,” I said straightening up and sauntering over to him. “I did you a favor.”
I stopped just a few inches from him. “Are you curious?”
“Curious about what?” He said as I lowered my lips towards his.
“Curious to know what I taste like?”
He didn’t respond; he just roughly pulled my body to his and I groaned in pleasure as his lips crushed mine. He wasn’t gentle as he kissed me and he definitely wasn’t gentle when he shoved a hand under my sports bra and started to roughly play with my nipples, before pulling me down into his lap. I responded by letting my hands have a little fun of their own, reaching down between us to rub my hand up and down his crotch. I could feel it hardening in my hands, growing thicker as it pushed against the fabric, begging for relief in more ways than one. And when I went to unbutton his pants, he placed his hands in my exercise shorts and then abruptly raised his head away from me, “You’re not wearing any panties.”
“Is that a problem?” I said huskily.
“No way. Covering an ass this perfect would be a crime.” I smiled and then suddenly his expression grew serious as he looked down at me, rubbing my behind gently. “I don’t do emotional ties, Angelica.”
I hadn’t been expecting that statement. Normally I didn’t do emotional ties either, but there was something about Lee that made me want to break that rule, but there was no way I was telling him that. “Have I said anything to make you think I want any ties at all?” I challenged him. “I’m a no ties girl myself. Are we done talking because there are other better ways to use that mouth of yours?”
He grinned and was about to say something else when I heard a knock at my front door. I swore softly to myself and climbed out of Lee’s lap. I straightened my bra and shorts and Lee looked on with a slight smile on his face.
I was surprised to see the sheriff standing there when I opened the door. I was even more surprised to see Avani standing there with him looking both nervous and outraged.
“Is Lee Keating here?”
I stepped back and gestured for the officer and Avani to come in, “He’s right here.” I said.
Lee’s face looked tight as he approached the door. “What’s going on Avani? You’re supposed to be in school.” He said keeping his voice controlled even though it sounded like he was angry.
Avani didn’t meet his eyes and the cop instead began to talk, “Are you her Dad? Her legal guardian?”
“I’m her brother. She’s in my custody. What’s going on?”
“Can we talk somewhere privately?” The sheriff asked.
Lee looked at me and I nodded in understanding and then without a word he followed Avani and the sheriff outside. I didn’t want to eavesdrop, but I felt as the landlord that I should know if I had an errant teen on my property. Not that I would kick Lee and his sister out, but I wanted to know what I was dealing with. Unfortunately, they were all standing at the cop’s car now so I couldn’t hear a word.
I watched as Lee folded his arms across his chest, clearly angry. Avani seemed to be saying something and Lee responded quickly. Whatever he said shut her up immediat
ely and she pouted and leaned her back against the sheriff’s car. The sheriff and Lee exchanged a couple more words and then the sheriff climbed back into his car and left.
Lee didn’t look in my direction as he headed to the garage apartment, head down in thought as Avani scampered behind him apparently trying to explain herself. And then they were out of my eyesight and I wondered briefly if we were actually going to get that chance to follow up on that date. I figured Avani was probably just guilty of truancy. After all she was a precocious kid, but the look on Lee’s face looked thunderous. I was sure she was going to get an earful when they were behind closed doors. I shrugged my shoulders and headed to the shower. Maybe if I were lucky, I would see him again tomorrow. And as I undressed, I noticed that my nipples were still hard. I was still aroused and as the hot spray of the shower caressed my body, I wished it was Lee’s hands instead.
Chapter Three
“When I pictured a date with you, I really didn’t think it would be at a cheesy diner eating a burger and fries.” I said to Lee as I dipped a fry into ketchup and then devoured it.
“Are you complaining?” He said raising an eyebrow. He looked so handsome sitting there wearing jeans and a sleeveless shirt that showcased his ripped arms to perfection. Even the tattoos that covered his arms from just above his wrist and then disappeared across his shoulder blades did nothing to take away from the beauty of his body. If anything the tattoos accented the perfection of it.
I shook my head, still staring at his wide muscular shoulders, “I’m not complaining. I just want to point out that I haven’t been on such a cheap date since high school.”
“Are you calling me cheap?”
“Maybe.”
He had abruptly popped up at the shop during lunch and whisked me away to the diner, claiming that we were going to the town’s most famous eating establishment. I had laughed when we pulled up to the diner. We had been discussing Avani and how she needed to make friends at school, before our food arrived. I had been right. It had been truancy. Avani had left school in the middle of the day and the sheriff had found her. She had told the sheriff that she was being bullied in school and definitely didn’t want to go back. He had felt sorry for her and went looking for Lee instead of taking Avani back to school.
Lee smiled slowly, “You’re right. I am cheap.” He shrugged his shoulders in a boyish manner. “But the burgers here are the best in the county and from the way you tore into yours it looks like you liked it enough.”
“Or maybe I was just hungry,” I said defiantly and he laughed.
“So if you had to give this date a grade…?”
“You would be barely passing.”
He placed a hand over his heart and gave me a mocking smile, “Ouch. That hurts.” I couldn’t get enough of his sexy accent. Every time he opened his mouth to speak, I looked forward to the way his accent caressed his words. The man had everything a woman wanted: a sexy body, a sexy accent, a bad boy vibe and an air of mystery. Speaking of which…
“So what do you do for a living?”
“Nothing. I’m retired.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Retired? Aren’t you a little young to be retired?”
He shrugged and I narrowed my eyes at him, “Seriously, what do you do for a living?”
He opened his mouth to speak when his eyes narrowed and he turned in the direction of the exit.
I heard the motorcycles before I saw them pull up. There had to be about five or ten of them and they all pulled up in quick succession outside the burger joint where most of the regulars came to have lunch. Everyone turned and watched as they arrived. Our town was small, not near any landmarks, national parks or anything of interest to most people so the arrival of a biker gang was completely unexpected.
Lee’s facial expression changed instantly. Gone was the light-hearted man I was getting to know. In his place was a man I had seen a hint of before. And that man looked cold and dangerous. His face didn’t reveal anything and his body went still. He didn’t even blink as he watched the bikers get off their bikes and approach the diner. They came in together as a group, but there was clearly a leader. He was tall and thin with a salt and pepper beard. He too had tattoos up and down his arm and they seemed similar in some way to Lee’s. The tall thin man took off his sunglasses and sat at the bar. The other guys followed him.
The waitress, Shannon, who I’d known my whole life, as well, approached the bikers looking a little wary, she played it off nicely though, fastening a tight smile to her face, “What can I get you fellas?”
One of the guys leered at Shannon’s ample bosom. She ignored him and took everyone’s orders. As she was turning around, the man had the gumption to pop Shannon on her behind. She rounded on him, slapping him across his face and the man immediately jumped up, apparently ready to hit Shannon when I stood up and said, “If you touch her again, I’ll break your hand.”
There was silence across the diner and the man’s eyes settled on mine and he took a step forward towards me, his lips curling up into a smile. I moved towards him and then Lee’s hand shot out and stopped me. He stood up slowly and when he came into view of the bikers, mumbling started across the gang.
“Lee? I didn’t see your bike outside,” said the man who had struck Shannon’s behind. His eyes showed fear and he swallowed nervously, mouth hanging open to reveal teeth that looked as if they hadn’t seen a toothbrush in years.
“I got rid of it,” Lee replied simply. I looked at Lee, surprised that he knew them. Lee had been part of a biker gang?
No one said a word, but the tension in the room was thick.
“I think it might be best if you all found another place for lunch.” Lee then said shortly.
The leader finally spoke up, “I don’t think we’ll be doing that.” And he stood up and approached us; Lee pushed me back and moved deliberately in front of me. He was now only inches from the gang leader.
“I suggest you move along, Shepherd.”
“I don’t see you with your crew, Lee. I guess the rumors are true.”
Lee ignored his words, “This is my town now Shepherd. And I’m only going to warn you one more time. Move along.”
Shepherd threw back his head and laughed. “You ain’t nobody without your crew Lee. Nobody. And it’s about high time you realize that.”
Shepherd moved his hand and I saw the glint of metal before I yelled, “Lee! Watch out!” Shepherd was fast, but Lee was faster. As Shepherd sprung forward attempting to stab Lee, Lee sprung to the side and easily knocked Shepherd off balance. Shepherd flew face forward onto the floor. The other men gathered up and before I knew it, Lee was being attacked by all sides. He was holding his own though as I watched him punch in several faces and wrenched a couple of wrists in ways the human body should never bend.
However, he was still vastly outnumbered and so I sprang into action, bringing my plate up to knock one of the thugs in his face. His teeth went rolling across the floor and one of his other buddies attempted to grab me by my hair, but I was prepared for that and punched him squarely in the mouth. He stumbled back and said, “You hit like a girl.”
“Oh really?” I said and then I kicked him in the groin, throwing all my weight behind it. “Was that girly enough for you, ass–.”
“Angelica, watch out!” I heard Shannon yell as another man ran up and caught me around my middle knocking me to the floor. I was trained in all manners of self-defense, but I was a mere one hundred and twenty-five pounds. The man on top of me weighed at least one hundred pounds more than me. And he giggled when he realized I could do nothing, but I struggled against his grip anyway. He mockingly made kissy sounds and the scent of his breath made my stomach turn. And his body smelled like sweat and his pores emanated a scent that made me want to gag. He smelled like he bathed in beer and bile all morning. And with his giant belly pressing against my middle, I struggled to breath.
Suddenly, his weight was off of me. And I watched as Lee held the man by the coll
ar of his shirt and planted his fist in the man’s wide gut, hitting him over and over. The man gasped and choked for air and then Lee punched him in his face and the man’s entire body rocked to one side at the force of Lee’s blow. And as the man fell towards the floor, Lee wasn’t done. He lowered his knee into the man’s back and wrenched his hand behind his back and pulled it snug until it popped. The man screamed in pain and then Lee pulled out a knife and wrenched the man up by his hair so that his neck was exposed. The man didn’t dare breathe and all the other bikers stood there, afraid to move.
The look in Lee’s eyes were murderous as he said, “Call your guys off, Shepherd, or your brother will shortly be choking on his own blood.”
Everyone in the diner was silent and Lee didn’t move a muscle. Beads of sweat dripped down the other guy’s forehead and his breath was coming out in short bursts as if he were scared that if he breathed too heavily, Lee would cut his throat.
Shepherd looked angry enough to kill us all, frankly, but apparently he valued his brother’s life. Shepherd held Lee’s eyes for another long moment and I watched the rest of the gang, waiting for a sign that they weren’t going to cooperate. Finally, Shepherd dropped his eyes away from Lee’s and signaled to his men to move out.
They filed out slowly, glaring at Lee as they did. Finally only Shepherd stood there and Lee moved the knife away from his brother’s throat. Lee took his time to stand up, letting his full bodyweight press against the man’s spine. The man screamed and Shepherd tightened his jaw.
“I’m going to kill you, Lee.”
“You’ve tried before, Shepherd. You really want me to gut you again?” I watched Shepherd’s hand go involuntarily towards the front of his shirt and his voice grew frustrated as he addressed his brother.
Jocked Up: Sports Romance (A Secret Baby Second Chance Romance) Page 16
