by LeAnn Ashers
The song ends, and he pulls away and presses a kiss on my cheek. I giggle, pressing my cheek to his chest, looking at the band on the stage.
Someone touches my arm, and the woman standing next to me leans in to tell me something. “You’re one lucky woman.”
“I know.”
* * *
The concert ends around eleven, and my feet are absolutely killing me. I can barely walk. I am not used to wearing heels, and I have been standing for close to four hours.
Everyone leaving the arena is absolutely crazy. Something hard hits me on the back making me stumble, and Wilder’s quick reflexes catch me before I fall. He pulls me to his side. I wince, as my feet hurt ten times worse than they did before the person who ran into me stepped on my foot.
“What’s wrong, Joslyn?” He pulls me away from the crowd.
“My feet are killing me.”
He bends down in front of me.
“What are you doing?” I ask, shocked, as he lifts my foot and takes off my shoe.
“Fuck, Baby.” He inspects my other foot; then he puts the shoes back on my feet.
“I will be fine.”
He gives me a look telling me he isn’t buying it. One arm touches my back and the other moves to my knee as he picks me up.
I never expected for him to carry me. “I am too heavy, Wilder. I will be fine.”
He shakes his head and keeps walking, with me in his arms. “If I am able to stop you from being in pain, I will. No matter what.”
That stopped me from saying anything else. What do you say to that?
* * *
Wilder
Joslyn fell asleep the moment she lay down on the couch to unwind, watching TV. I have gotten five texts from Lane, and I know something is going down.
I walk upstairs to my bedroom and call Lane, and he answers instantly. “What is it, Lane?”
“Some fucking drug cartel is trying to poach in our town. Derek and Travis saw some of the fuckers in town trying to sell dope. Travis beat the fuck out of one of them, and he told us this drug lord is wanting our town.”
“Fuck!” I run my hands through my hair.
“I am calling back the OGs from their state-to-state ride.”
“That is a good idea.”
The OGs are the Original Members. There are ten Original Members, including Lane’s father, Smiley, and my dad. Four Originals stayed here because they are married and won’t leave their wives. The others, who are single, are having their yearly ride.
I guess we are going to fucking war.
“I am going to warn the Devil Souls MC. They may try to make a play with them. Prospects are at the disposal of the women. They are never to be left alone. One of the guys or a prospect will be around if you are not.”
Fuck, this shit isn’t going to be good, but one thing is for sure: we don’t fucking fail.
8
Joslyn
A Few Days Later
Oh no he didn’t! Wilder just dumped a glass of cold water in the shower. I jump out of the shower and put on my clothes in a hurry; then I chase him.
I stop in the kitchen and fill up a water balloon I bought the other day just for a moment like this. After tying off the water balloon, I tiptoe through the house. He is perched on the side of the couch, his back to me.
Perfect.
The water balloon hits him in the middle of his back and bursts. He spins around.
Run!
I run off laughing, trying to find somewhere to hide. My bedroom is the place to do it. I lock the door, laughing. The look on his face was absolutely priceless.
Ever since the night of the concert, everything about me and Wilder has been different. We are best friends; we have fun and joke with each other.
The door swings open and, screaming, I run toward the bed. He wraps his arms around my waist, lifting me off the ground. He throws me down onto the bed gently. I bounce and scramble away, but he pins both of my hands above my head. The fingers of his free hand dig into my side, tickling me.
Throwing my head back, I laugh and kick my legs out, trying to dislodge his hands. He laughs along with me and pulls the bottom of my shirt up, baring my stomach. He shoots me a wink and nips my stomach.
“I can’t breathe!” I shriek and he finally relents, lying down on the bed next to me, pulling me onto his chest.
“What time do you have to be at work?” he asks.
“In an hour. I need to blow-dry my hair and get ready.” I groan as I sit up. I want nothing more than to just lie there with him.
His arm falls to the bed, letting me go. “Want me to pick up dinner?”
“Mexican?” I suggest.
“Same thing as usual?” he teases.
“Of course.” I roll my eyes and climb off the bed. Wilder brought home Mexican a few days ago, and I have been craving it ever since. I’d never had Mexican before, and it’s off-the-wall good. I could literally live off the salsa and cheese.
Wilder
She walks into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. It’s been a few days since our date, and since then she hasn’t been the same; she is better in every way. She is happier around me, and she isn’t nervous or anxious.
She is herself.
That is what I wanted from the beginning. I wanted her to become what she was truly meant to be.
The Originals and Tristan, who is going along with them for the ride, will be home in three days, which means a club party will be happening this weekend in celebration.
Thirty minutes later Joslyn pops out of the bathroom, looking way too beautiful.
“I am taking you to work today.”
Her eyes light up. “On your bike?”
I don’t fucking deserve this woman. She wants to be on the back of my bike every chance she can get. I love that she loves it, because riding is a huge part of me.
One day she will ride on the back of my bike wearing my cut.
Joslyn is my woman, but she is not ready to hear that yet. She is just now getting comfortable around me—but one day.
I grin at her. One day.
Joslyn
I will never tire of being on the back of this bike, but the person who makes everything memorable is Wilder.
We pull up in front of the bakery, and one of the prospects steps out and walks over to us. The prospect smiles at me sweetly. I have come to the conclusion he has a crush on me. Every single day at work for the past four days, he has been a shadow. I can’t even turn around without running into him. I am so sick and tired of him breathing down my neck.
Shaylin is getting annoyed too. She told him to give me some space, which he did for a while, but he eventually got closer.
The prospect is alright looking, and I know he just got home from deployment a few months ago and approached the club, asking to prospect. I don’t see anything wrong with him, but I don’t like the way he wants to hang so close to me. It makes me anxious.
Plus he is not the one I am interested in.
“How are you today, Joslyn?” He holds out his hand for me to take.
Wilder stiffens, looking pissed off. He looks at the guy’s hand, kicks out his kickstand, and climbs off his bike, and he smacks the prospect’s hand away.
“The fuck, man?” he says, holding his hand.
Wilder just continues to glare at him, but he breaks his glare to help me off the bike. “I will be by to pick you up when your shift ends, Sweetheart.”
“Alright.” I lean forward, hugging his middle, and he kisses the top of my head.
Wilder
Oh, hell no. Who does this prospect think he is? He opens the door for Joslyn, and she stays as far away from him as possible.
It sure doesn’t help my anger that she does not like him. I could sense it the moment he walked out of the bakery and I felt her stiffen.
I take out my phone and call Shaylin. When she answers, I say, “Walk outside.” She laughs and hangs up.
She walks outside and over to me.
“I guess you saw that the prospect has a crush.” She crosses her arms, giving me that crazy smile.
“Do not let him touch her, or I will have him replaced. I will not have him poaching on my woman.” I do not like this one bit, but the other prospects are with the other women and we have a meeting so I can’t stay.
“Yours, huh?” she teases, trying my patience.
“Shaylin, you know as well as I do that she is mine. Everyone knows it.”
She smacks my shoulder, laughing. “Of course I do, cuz, but I don’t think Brian in there realizes that.”
I smile. “Oh, he will know soon.”
She raises her hands. “Oh boy.” She laughs as she turns around and walks back into the bakery.
Joslyn
“Here, let me help you.” Brian grabs the bowl I was about to put in the sink. I look at Shaylin, who is glaring at him.
I get off work in five minutes, and I absolutely cannot wait to get away from him. He has been hovering over me all day long. I am getting claustrophobic.
Brian walks back over to me, and I grind my teeth together. I almost feel like crying, I am so frustrated. What is his deal? Does he think that is attractive?
Brian leans his elbow against the table. “What are you doing after work?” Please tell me he isn’t about to ask me out or something.
“Going home,” I say bluntly, not wanting to leave room for more conversation.
“Where’s home?” He moves a little closer and I take a step away, pretending I was just cleaning. When I don’t answer him, he presses his finger into my shoulder, relatively hard. “Did you hear me?”
I look at Shaylin, pleading with my eyes, but she just watches Brian. She does not like him either.
“I live with Wilder.”
Brian flips my hair over my shoulder, making it fall behind my back. “Ahh, why don’t you come live with me?”
“I don’t want to live with you.” I cross my arms. “I do not want you touching me.”
Brian’s face tightens with anger.
“Touch you?” Wilder roars through the room.
Oh my God.
Brian and I turn around, and I run to Shaylin as Wilder stalks across the room to Brian.
“Shaylin, go into the main room and, Sweetheart, go with her,” Wilder says in a weirdly calm voice.
Shaylin grabs my hand, pulling me from the room. I press my hand into my chest, my whole body shaking from the standoff with Brian. When I saw the anger come across his face, I knew Brian was hiding underlying issues. The door to the kitchen slams shut.
What could be happening in there?
Wilder
I shut the door, eyeing Brian.
He touched Joslyn. I knew he wanted her, but he went to the point of touching her. Touching my woman.
“I didn’t know she was yours—”
I hold up my hand. “You know good and fucking well that she is mine, do not lie. I will not tolerate it.” I stand in front of him.
Brian grins. “I did know she was yours, but I want her too.”
I chuckle. He is making this so much easier. “Now where did you touch her?”
He smirks. “I just touched her shoulder and her hair.”
My fist smashes into his mouth. I didn’t like Brian from the start, but his poaching my woman is the last straw. Lane gave me the go-ahead to strip him of his patch. A man poaching another’s man’s woman, a brother of the club at that, is a nonnegotiable thing.
“What the fuck, man?” he manages out of his now fucked-up mouth. He grips the table. I grab his arm and press my foot on his shoulder, and I pull his arm out of its socket. He screams. I let go of his arm and it falls loosely at his side. My foot lands on his mouth. “Stop fucking crying, or I will make it ten times worse and break it.” I take my foot off his mouth. He doesn’t make another peep.
“Now, you will walk out of here forgetting all about Joslyn, and you are no longer a prospect of the club.” I lean down and pull the patch off his vest.
He tries to climb to his feet, and I decide to help him out and pull him up by his hair. He better be glad that I didn’t fucking pull his hair out for touching Joslyn’s.
He doesn’t make a peep as I follow him through the bakery, and Joslyn is standing in front of the counter watching him leave. Once he is out the door, she looks at me. The only thing I can see is relief; he must have made her more uncomfortable than she let on.
“Come here, Sweetheart.”
She walks straight into my arms, her head resting on my chest. My arms could wrap around her twice she is so tiny.
“He will not be back,” I grumble.
Joslyn
Thank goodness! I put up with him for four days, and that was enough to drive me crazy—and today was ten times worse, mind you.
To be honest, I am very wary of men because of Robert. Brian made me feel uneasy the moment I met him. Maybe it’s the way he watched me? He had to know that I didn’t want to be around him.
Shaylin repeatedly told him to leave me alone, but he laughed it off. Then he went as far as to breathe down my neck all day long. In situations like this I wish I could speak my mind a lot more freely, but I fear that if I speak out it will make it ten times worse.
“Come on, Sweetheart, let’s go pick our food.”
I pull back, and he wraps an arm around me, pulling me close. “Bye, Shaylin.”
“Oh Joslyn, want to meet us for drinks tonight? Paisley and Debbie will taking care of the bakery tomorrow.”
I have never been to a bar before. “What time?”
“Eight thirty. It’s a bar the club owns here in town. The Devil Souls MC girls will be coming along also.”
It does seem like fun, having a girl’s night. “Sure!” I say excitedly.
“I will drop her off and pick her up once she is ready to come back,” Wilder tells us.
“Thank you, Wilder.” I hug his side, and he rubs my arm before pulling me out the door. Before the door closes I yell, “See you later, Shay!”
Wilder didn’t drive his bike this time. “We can hit the mall first, before we pick up our food.” He pushes my butt, helping me into the truck. He opens the driver’s door and steps inside. “I want to take you shopping, spoil you a little bit before your girls’ night out.”
“What?” I say breathlessly, staring at him like he has three heads.
He touches my cheek without looking at me. “Baby, you need more things.”
He is right. I don’t have many clothes at all, partly because I have had to move around so much, leaving most of my stuff behind each time.
I twist my hands in my lap. “Wilder, I don’t want you to do that.” My nose burns as I try to hold back my tears.
“Sweetheart, nothing makes me happier than to see you happy.”
Here come the tears. “You’re so sweet.” I sniff, tears rolling down my face. Leaning across the seat, I lay my head on his shoulder.
Wilder does have to be the sweetest man I have ever met. He has been so kind to me from the very beginning. I have always been the person who has done for others and, even to this moment, if he brings me water without being asked it shocks me.
It’s because he is thinking of me.
“Only to you, Sweetheart.” He chuckles.
Now that is something I believe. I saw the damage he did to the prospect.
9
Joslyn
“Joslyn!” Shaylin yells when I walk into the bar. Wilder is standing at my back, walking me inside. His hands wrap around my forearms, turning me around to face him, and my stomach flips as his eyes move to my lips.
“What are you doing?” I ask breathlessly.
My hands go to his chest, and my breathing hitches as we wait. His hand glides from my forearm to my cheekbone. “I want to kiss you.”
Oh my.
I bite my lip as I think, Do I want him to kiss me?
More than anything.
“Do it,” I tell him, my voice slightly shaky. Did I re
ally just tell him to kiss me?
He lowers his head, pressing his lips firmly against mine. My skin immediately starts burning. I rise on my tiptoes, wrapping my arms around his neck, bringing myself closer to him. One hand sinks into my hair, pulling slightly as he fully takes over the kiss. His lips move over mine, harder and deeper, and my lip is pulled into his mouth, making me gasp. My arms tighten around his neck as I try to get even closer.
Goodness me.
A hand lands on my butt, making me jolt, and shivers roll down my body.
“Get it, Joslyn!” someone yells, and I pull away from him and hide my face in the crook of his neck, my face burning with embarrassment.
Wilder laughs, and I know he is enjoying seeing me like this. “Go on, Sweetheart, see you in a little bit.” He sets me back on my feet, and I turn around and start walking toward the ladies.
A hand smacks my ass slightly, and I gasp in absolute shock that he would actually do that. I whip back around to face him and he smirks.
“Have fun, Baby.” He winks before ducking out the door.
I join the ladies, who are all grinning at me. “Well, well,” Brittany says.
I sit down and look at them all. I can’t believe that I kissed him like that in front of all of the MC gals.
“I never realized that Wilder was that good a kisser!” Lane’s woman, Amelia, laughs, wiggling her eyebrows at me.
I laugh, hiding my face from them. Why can’t I be cool and just talk to them? I get so embarrassed.
“Well, I need details!” Shaylin grips my arm, pulling me toward the table.
I open my mouth—then close it—as I try to think of something to say. “There are no details.”
All of them scoff, like they don’t believe me.
“It’s true, we have just kissed.”
Amelia looks the most shocked. “How can you be around someone so hot every night without jumping his bones?”
