Beautiful Moves:
A Motorcycle Club, Shifter, Romance
Shifting Steel Book 3
By Stephanie West
Contents
Contents
Preface
1 Bringing the House Down
2 Feeling Out the Situation
3 A Game of Telephone
4 Purple Unicorns
5 Working It Out
6 Why Don’t You Stay
7 Justice
8 The Neon Lights
9 Lost and Found
10 Into the Desert
11 Jackpot
12 Beauty’s Beast
Epilogue
Author’s Note
Preface
Ella was desperately trying to hold her life together, and take care of her sick sister. She was jobless, about to get evicted from her new apartment, and at the end of her rope. Add to that, she was cursed. Or maybe she was a witch. Ella didn't know, and it really didn’t matter. All she knew was that whenever she got happy, sad, or anything in between, things got wild.
That’s when Ella met the tall, dark and handsome biker next door. The man was bad news. He riled her up, and forced Ella to feel the emotions she painstakingly safe guarded.
Wolf wasn't sure why he struck up a bargain with the Ice Princess. He was the pack alpha. The last thing he needed was some chick walking all over him, in her ridiculously high high-heels. He had more than enough to deal with, between his beta’s juvenile antics, and the other weird crap going on.
Little-Miss-Straight-Lace was so put together, and repressed. So why did she send his wolf into a tailspin? It’s not like he hadn’t been with hot babes before. But for some reason, Wolf couldn’t repress the urge to ruffle Ella’s feathers. Maybe it was the occasional glimpse of the beauty that lay beneath her polished veneer that moved him.
Ella and Wolf called a truce, and miraculously the world didn’t cease turning. For once in her life, Ella thought things were finally going her way. Then the other boot dropped, and everything was cruelly ripped away.
1 Bringing the House Down
Ella
"Sorry I couldn't help you move,” Ella’s sister apologized, remorse filling her voice.
“Sabine,” Ella admonished.
It had been a pain in the ass, but Ella really didn’t mind.
“I know, but we're supposed to be roommates," Sabine coughed.
Ella held her breath, as her sister groaned through a coughing fit. This was a particularly bad one. Sabine’s moods always seemed to affect her spells.
Ella glanced at her sister’s bed, sill in pieces, propped against the living room wall, wondering if it would ever be used. For the millionth-time, Ella prayed the experimental drugs her sister was on would turn things around.
Nope, can't get mired in fear. Sabine would have her miracle. God couldn't be so cruel as to bless one of them, while cursing the other.
Ella debated hopping on the Metra to head into Chicago, but it was getting late and she still had to prep for her interview tomorrow. Ella nibbled her lip wondering what she should do. Was she being paranoid?
"Hey, Ella!" Sabine groused into the phone.
"Sorry." Ella realized she had drifted, then smiled at Sabine's indignant tone. She loved it when her sister got spunky with her. It helped her forget the disease that plagued Sabine. "Just thinking about that interview."
"So, this design firm’s pretty nice, huh?"
"Yeah. I’m excited they called.”
“You have a ton of stellar references. They’d be foolish not to call you in."
Ella was more than just excited, she was nervous. She was banking on this job. She and Sabine had nearly burned through the money their father left them, along with the last of her student loans. If Ella didn’t land this position, she would probably have to whore herself out to cover living expenses, and the bills Sabine racked up.
Just kidding.
But things were getting dire. Not that Ella would ever breathe a word of that to her sister. She'd sooner die than lay that burden on Sabine's shoulders.
"Something's bothering you Bella Bear. I can hear it." Ella smiled at the nickname. Her given name was Bella, but only her family called her that. "Come on tell your big sister."
"Big sister, my butt,” Ella snorted.
Sabine liked to call herself Ella’s big sister, because she’d always been taller, taking after their father. Ella was actually the older one, though not by much. They were what people referred to as Irish twins.
If we were twins, then maybe Sabine would be freakishly healthy, like me, instead of suffering her whole life.
Ella clenched her fists, frustrated with fate. She couldn’t understand why life seemed to look favorably on some, while kicking others in the teeth. Ella forced herself to relax when she noticed the glass of wine rattling on the counter, sloshing her merlot about.
"Whatever. I can still hear you stewing about something. So, fess up," Sabine choked out, as she coughed again.
"Just nervous," Ella sighed.
“Bella Bear, stop stressing. You’re going to nail your interview tomorrow.”
"Thank you for having faith in me. Hey, Sabine, I gotta go. I still need to get my portfolio in order."
Talking to her sister brought a certain measure of comfort. But the longer Ella talked to Sabine, her sister would eventually drag the whole truth out of her. And life was too short to argue about finances.
"Okay. I love you Bella Bear," Sabine sighed.
"Love you too, Sis. Kisses," Ella said before hanging up.
Ella hated hiding things from Sabine, like the fact they might already be getting evicted from the cheap little apartment, Sabine had yet to set foot in.
Ella recalled her visit with the apartment manager, Char, earlier that day.
An uneasy feeling overwhelmed Ella, as she walked into the apartment office. She was dreading this conversation.
“Hello, Ella. How are you settling in?” Char stood as she greeted her.
Char was gorgeous and intimidating, in a badass sort of way. She was sporting a black bob, smoky eyes, glossy, bee-sting lips, a skin-tight, black skirt, and a white, button-down, dress shirt stretched across her voluptuous boobs. Char didn’t fit the landlady mold at all.
Ella envied the woman. She doubted Char had begged for anything a single day in her life. Ella wished she had the same confident air. Instead, she worried everything was going to come crashing down on her head, all the darn time. It made what Ella came to do twice as difficult. Was Char the type to cut someone a bit of slack?
“Well, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about. I’m going to be late on next month’s rent. I’m willing to make it up to you,” Ella quickly added.
At least I didn’t chicken out, letting the first of the month come and go without a word.
Ella might be lacking in a lot of ways, but she owned up to her mistakes. She hoped if she was straightforward, the woman would work with her. But Char put a hard stop to that notion, looking at Ella with an equal mix of pity and hardness.
"It's not really my call. You'll have to talk to my brother. He owns this place," Char informed her.
The news was disheartening. It meant she’d have to work up the courage to do this all over again.
Ella huffed as she tried to push aside her rising panic. Even if she got the job with the design firm, it would be several weeks before she saw her first paycheck. Ella took a gulp of her wine, followed by a few deep breaths. She couldn't let herself get worked up, or things wo
uld get hairy.
The wet nose that brushed against Ella's hand grounded and calmed her.
"I know. I'm okay." Ella smiled at the little mutt jumping frantically at her feet. She swooped down and snatched him up. "You're spoiled, aren't you, Wright? Who wants a treat?"
Ella grabbed a milk bone from the box on the counter, then set Wright on the floor. He bounded like a jack rabbit, shaking with excitement.
"Go get it."
She pretended to toss the bone, then giggled as the fur-ball scrambled on the kitchen tile, taking off toward the living room. Midway, Wright came to a halt, and turned back around. She'd done this to him one too many times; Wright was starting to catch on. The brown fluffy pup gave an expectant look and wagged his tail happily, despite her mean trick.
"Sorry. I'm such a bad mommy to my sweet fur-baby."
Ella tossed the treat, delighting in how Wright jumped up and snatched it out of the air. Wright’s tail whipped back and forth with such unrestrained enthusiasm, that his whole body swayed from side to side. Ella chuckled harder seeing the tail wag the dog.
The sound of a motorcycle rumbling in the small parking lot, drowned out her mirth. There seemed to be a lot of bikers around Manhattan, Illinois. Ella moved to close the window of her first-floor pad, then paused.
"There he is," Ella whispered to the pup, as she watched tall, dark and handsome throw his leg over the Harley.
Ella had only met her neighbor briefly when she checked out the apartment. She didn’t even catch his name. He'd been out of town ever since she moved in. Not that she'd been watching for him, or anything. Okay that was a lie.
Char had just given her a tour of the one-bedroom apartment. It wasn't a dump, like most of the places in her price range. Thank god. Unfortunately, it was in a town, at the far end of the Metra line, making the commute into Chicago a little rough. But Ella couldn’t afford to be picky.
Ella had been stunned to silence when she stepped out the apartment’s front door, coming face to face with the compelling man. He stood in the doorway of his place, casually leaning against the wood frame.
Ella froze midstride, in her hand-me-down Burberrys, nearly falling off the heels. The pumps brought her up to five six, but she still only came eye level with the top of the dark stranger’s bare chest.
The beast of a man wore a long-sleeve plaid shirt, which hung open. The expanse of sun-kissed, taught muscle, dusted with a smattering of hair, led to washboard abs. Ella followed the thin trail of hair from his bellybutton, until it disappeared beneath the waistband of his jeans.
The mouthwatering sight instantly sent a twinge of desire careening through her. A startling heat pooled low in Ella’s stomach.
Her eyes shot up to the man's face, to find a sardonic, all-knowing smile, twisting the corner of his mouth. His honey brown eyes twinkled with amusement and something wild. The man was stunning and he knew it. He was also bad news. That much Ella quickly discerned.
Ella quickly tamped down on the unbidden attraction. She pasted on what she hoped was an unaffected smile, said hello, then took off to catch the train back into the city.
Just the memory of meeting the rugged man caused goosebumps to rise, and her nipples to pucker. The fact he rode one of those iron horses, only added to his roguish aura. The motorcycle, like the man, was a work of art, powerful and lithe. The man was just as stunning as she remembered. She’d hoped it was just her imagination.
Ugh.
Ella knew she should step away from the window, instead of staring like a peeping tom. Her neighbor ran a hand through his wind-swept, black hair, attempting to tame the wild mess that curled over the collar of his worn leather jacket. His angular cheeks and broad chin were covered with a day’s worth of stubble. Ella wondered what it might feel like, scraping against her skin, as he kissed her.
Ella couldn't help but watch the way he moved, stalking up the sidewalk with predatory grace. His black jeans showed off the sculpted muscles of his thick thighs. Ella gawked at the way they molded to his crotch. He certainly wasn't lacking in that department.
For the love of all that is holy. You don't even know his name. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Ella. You know all this can ever be is a fantasy. There was no way she'd ever be with a man like this, or any man for that matter. No sense torturing herself.
Ella recalled her few feeble attempts at making out in high school. Just kissing had worked her up enough that all hell broke loose. Over the years she'd gotten a grip on her quirky nature, but still, strong emotions made her volatile. There was no way she'd risk hurting, or even killing someone with her curse, just because she got horny.
Though, that didn't keep Ella from quickly moving to stare out the peephole, as the sexy biker made it to his door, across the alcove. The towering, shadowy man paused with one hand on his doorknob. He turned around slowly and looked at her door. His golden stare pinned hers, even though there was a door in the way.
Ella froze, barely breathing. He couldn’t possibly know she was standing there. A flush rose to her cheeks, at the notion she'd been caught.
Still, she couldn’t turn away. Even distorted by the viewer, his eyes were striking. He had the kind of intense gaze that laid a person bare.
Ella debated opening the door to say hi, and maybe learn his name. Or maybe she’d make small talk and ask where he'd been for the last week.
You suddenly opening the door wouldn’t look weird at all. Besides, he's not for you.
Ella frowned as she backed away from the door slowly. It would be nice to have a gorgeous man to come home to. Someone to share her dreams with, and to soothe away the worries when they gnawed at her.
"Nope, no whining. Things could always be worse," Ella rallied, as she headed into the bedroom. "You know what I need? A long hot shower," she commented to Wright.
Ella blushed as she thought about the pulse feature on the retractable showerhead. It might not get her mind off the eye candy next door, but it would give her a measure of relief.
Wolf
Wolf wore a rakish grin as he kicked his door closed and shrugged off his leather cut. The curvy number that moved in across the hall had been spying on him. He scented her sweet perfume the moment he walked up to the building.
His sister told him the sophisticated little brunette was interested in renting the place, while he was in Mexico. Char had been hesitant to rent to an Outsider, since Wolf lived next door, but he’d laughed off his sister’s concern. It’s not like he was a youth anymore, unable to control his inner beast. Plus, as much as he loved his pack, he enjoyed a bit of space, too. Having an Outsider next door would give him breathing room.
Of course, this particular Outsider might provide a bit different diversion than Wolf originally planned.
The memory of the little brunette standing in the alcove, wearing a tight, high-waisted, pencil skirt, accentuating a full set of hips and lush ass, made Wolf want to groan. The way her heated gaze had traveled down his chest to rest on his crotch, tempted him to shove her against the wall, hike up that refined, yet enticing skirt, and grind his pelvis against the vee of her thighs. Resisting the urge to tug the clip out of her severe bun, just to watch her tawny tresses fall in a halo around her pale flushed cheeks, had been an exercise in patience.
Just as Wolf thought he caught scent of her delicate musk, beneath her natural fresh perfume, it was gone. The little thing had stiffened up and her eyes darted up to meet his. There was fire in those hazel depths, but she smothered it.
Wolf wondered, with a chuckle, what would it take to loosen up his straight laced little neighbor?
He walked into his bedroom, unstrapped the piece holstered at his side, and set the gun on the dresser. He kicked off his boots, shucked his pants and t-shirt, then launched himself into bed with a groan.
“Oh, I missed you,” Wolf spoke adoringly to his king-sized mattress.
Weeks of sleeping in an SUV and shitty Mexican hotels, while searching for his buddy, Trip, had done a nu
mber on Wolf. Although Trip wasn’t a brother by blood, his inner beast adopted the male as if he were one of his pack. Wolf had grown quite close to several members of the Reapers M/C over the last few years.
The Reapers weren’t just a fellow motorcycle club, but a band of feline Shifters. In the old days, wolves and wildcats were at each other’s throats. However, in this modern era, Shifters had to work together to keep Outsiders from discovering their existence.
Wolf’s cell rang, and he debated not answering his sister’s call. But since Char held down the fort when he was away, he figured he best not piss her off. Her bark was not worse than her bite, both stung like a bitch.
“Hey Char, I’m back.”
“Good. Glad you made it home safe. You ready to hear what those dumbass cousins of yours were up to?”
“They’re your cousins too,” Wolf countered.
“Uh, uh. Not today. I’m ready to strangle Vick and Tony. They’re supposed to be setting a good example, keeping the rest of this rabble in line. Not raising hell. At least not in public.”
“What did they do?” Wolf scrubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw, dreading the reply.
“Those numb nuts got into a fight at a bar, over some bitch.” Char wasn’t being mean when she called the chick a bitch. She just meant the woman was a canine Shifter, instead of an Outsider or some other breed. “And they did it in front of a bunch of Outsiders.”
“Fucking hell. Did they shift?”
“No, but their growling and carrying on sent people fleeing.”
“Don’t tell me anymore.” Wolf closed his eye, ready to smother himself with the pillow beneath his head.
“Oh, but it gets better. Since no one wanted to stand up to those two betas; the meatheads didn’t realize, until it was too late, that the cops had arrived. Guess who got to spend a night in jail?”
“Son of a…” Wolf clenched his fists.
“Oh, no, no, no, dear brother, I have more. After the curs made bail, they both showed up at the clubhouse. Tony accused Vick of scratching his bike during the brawl, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, the clubhouse is trashed.”
Beautiful Moves: A Motorcycle Club, Shifter, Romance (Shifting Steel Book 3) Page 1
