by L. Loren
We went on laughing and chatting like old friends. I liked talking to her. She was easy going, fun and loved to laugh. Everything I liked in a woman. Well, maybe not everything. I still needed to see how compatible we were in bed. We had mad chemistry, but sometimes that fizzled out during the act. I think I would die if we weren’t a good match. No, that couldn’t happen. She was too fucking sexy for things not to be hot.
Five
Grant
The big day was here. I was a bundle of nerves. How in the hell was I supposed to relax when I had planned a sneak attack of this woman? In truth, the book chat had been something I came up with on the fly so I could see her again. There would be no other people in attendance. I worried that she would take one look at the empty store and bolt.
It was nearing closing time when the bell above the door chimed. I looked up to see my club sister, Obsession, stroll in wearing purple leather pants and her black leather cut over a white tee. She looked like the stereotypical badass biker bitch. Exactly the look she loved. Wait, she was alone? That was odd. Usually, when you saw Obsession, whose real name was Sharon, you saw Baby and Matrix tagging along. The three of them were in a rather interesting entanglement.
I moved from behind the leather chaise in the corner where I was straightening the artwork and hustled over to her with a huge smile on my face. Obsession was gorgeous! It was almost impossible not to smile in her presence. Plus, she was always very nice to me. I was known as the recluse of the club, but she always made me feel welcome and at home.
“Hey, Sharon! This is a surprise. What brings you all the way out to Orange Park?”
“Hey, Librarian! How’s it hanging?”
She always greeted me the same way, knowing it embarrassed me. Obsession got a kick out of seeing my face flush. Keeping with her normal greeting, she reached out and pulled me into a hug. Truthfully, it was the only human contact I regularly received, and I relished the moments from her. I’m pretty sure she knew that about me and made a point to give me those wonderful hugs whenever she could. However, if I had my way with the lovely Miss Meyers, that problem would be resolved on a permanent basis.
“I’m good. You looking for a specific book?”
She looked sheepishly at me and then cleared her throat. Obsession was a delicious shade of chestnut. The red undertones in her skin allowed me to see that she was blushing. Okay. What was that all about?
“Listen, Librarian, I need your help with something. I want to go college. I finished high school but didn’t have the grades, nor the desire, to go any further. Now that I am older, I want to get my degree. I need to prove to myself that I can do it, but it has been so long since I’ve been in school that I don’t know where to begin.”
Ruby looked up at me with those huge eyes of hers, and I smiled. She had no idea how happy I was to hear she wanted to further her education. I have always been an advocate of higher learning. In some of the circles I moved in it wasn’t as valued.
That’s not to say the Predators weren’t educated. In fact, most of our patched members had at least one degree. That included one of her boyfriends, Matrix. I wondered why she didn’t ask him for help, but in the MC world I knew better than to ask. If she wanted my help, I would give it to her. No questions asked. She was my sister, and that’s what we did.
“It would be my pleasure to help you any way I can. One thing, I need you to tell Baby and Matrix.”
Her face twisted as if she was in pain. “Do we have to tell them? I mean, I want to surprise them.”
Shaking my head, I stood taller and spread my feet a bit further apart. After crossing my arms over my chest, I looked her dead in the eye, so she knew I meant business.
“I won’t be a part of any secrets being kept from my brothers. They are your old men, so that means I would be overstepping if they weren’t aware. I would be spending time alone with you. You are their ole lady. That can’t happen unless they are aware. I don’t need the headache.”
We chatted some more after she got my brothers on the phone. She had me explain what we would be doing, and they had no issue with me tutoring their woman. In fact, Matrix was ecstatic at the news. Baby was a bit more subdued, but I could tell he was proud of Sharon. He tried not to show it, but he was the more sensitive of the two men in Obsession’s life.
With the call to her men wrapped up and our first appointment setup, Sharon took her leave, but as she was walking toward the exit, my dream woman walked in. Obsession turned to me flashing a knowing smile. My lip quirked at her a bit, but my eyes were drinking in the beauty of Ruby. She looked amazing in the red wrap dress that was perfectly formed to her womanly curves. The black stilettos she was wearing made her long legs look a mile long, and her hair was different from the first time I saw her. Tonight it was in what they call a bob, but she had bangs. My God, she was gorgeous. As Obsession passed by the lovely Miss Meyers, she leaned in and whispered something to her. Ruby’s eyes widened, but she quickly recovered. Then she blushed and dipped her head. Sharon left without another word, and I was grateful.
Walking over to Ruby, I extended my arms to give her a hug. “Good evening, Miss Meyers.”
Holding her in my arms, even for that brief amount of time made my soul cry out. It was as if he had found a home. She was soft, yet solid. Her slim stature was not bony. She had a bit of cushion on her, and she smelled so damn good. I groaned as we pulled apart. I could have held her all night.
“Good evening, Grant Mingo. That was some greeting, but be careful with the hugs. You don’t know me like that.”
I shot her a questioning look before realizing she was pulling my leg.
“Just kidding! You should have seen your face. But I doubt your biker bitch girlfriend would be happy with you hugging on me.”
Girlfriend? Oh, she must be talking about Obsession. Was she jealous? Her voice had a hint of it that lingered in the room. There was no way she thought I was with Sharon. Sure the woman was gorgeous, but I only had eyes for Ruby. I laughed at the thought of being interested in anyone other than her.
“Ruby, I don’t have a girlfriend. That position is wide open, unless you want to come on board.” I gave her a heated look before walking away.
She followed on my heels like a sweet little puppy. I guided us to the private area of the store where we hosted events. Obsession had helped me decorate the room, but I was keeping that bit of info to myself. Ruby was already leery about her, and I didn’t want to push it. I had hired a caterer to create a quaint little setup with food and drinks. I wasn’t sure what she liked to eat, so I ordered a variety of items. All the food was bite sized and ready to munch. It was modeled after the party where the main characters in my book met. I even had the main character’s signature drink, Moanin’ Honey Dripper, a delicious blend of honey, coconut rum, pineapple juice, a few other ingredients guaranteed to make you moan. I hoped she noticed.
“If she’s not your girlfriend, why was she hanging all over you when I walked in?”
She didn’t come right out and call me a liar, but what she just said stung as if she had. That was very telling. The lovely Miss Meyers had trust issues. Well, I loved a challenge. Besides, Obsession hung all over everyone, not just me. That’s just who she was. I took Ruby’s hand, looked her dead in the eye, and leaned in close enough that she could feel my words on her skin as they left my lips. She shuttered as I spoke to her.
“Obsession is a friend of mine. A good friend, but just a friend. We have never been together like that, nor do we want to. Besides, her boyfriends would be very upset to hear you say she was my girl. Both of them”
She blanched and then smiled up at me. If looks could be transferred into sounds, then Ruby was purring. Damn, I would give my left nut to have her look at me like that every day for the rest of my life. Shaking myself back to reality, I offered her a seat and asked if I could get her anything to eat or drink. After grabbing a bottled water for her and a cognac for myself, I took the seat opposite hers. Ru
by looked at me with curiosity dancing in her big brown eyes.
“Where is everyone else? I thought we were having a book club meeting.”
I smiled at her, trying to decide if I should simply tell her the truth. Lying to her seemed wrong. Well, at least about that. As far as my secret identity, there wasn’t much of a choice. I was under contract. The soft music playing in the background suddenly changed as Usher’s agile tenor voice dripped with sexual energy about confessing his darkest secrets. Damn, if that wasn’t a sign. Okay Universe, I hear you. Only, my secret wasn’t so damaging. At least I hoped not.
“I have a confession.”
I smiled as she rolled her eyes. Yeah, I knew it was corny, but it was right on time. The song was helping me to say what needed to be said. Shaking her head, she let a little bit of a giggle leave her lips. Ruby looked at me expectantly as I fidgeted with the mini eggroll on my plate. I took a bite of the delicious food and spoke in one hurried breath, hoping the food would muffle my words. It was a mistake.
“I made up the book club. No one else was invited.”
As soon as I finished talking, I inhaled a much-needed breath, forgetting about the food in my mouth. An open windpipe and a mouth full of barely chewed food was not a good combination. I found myself gasping for air. I was dying. I clawed at my throat, trying desperately to grasp just an ounce of air. Anything would do. Please don’t let me die right here, now that I have found the woman I want.
Ruby’s eyes switched from suspicion to shock in half a second. The realization that I was choking came to her, causing Ruby to dive into action. Wrapping her arms around me from behind, she clasped her hands together under my diaphragm and thrust upward, forcing the foreign object out of my throat and clearing my airway. The murderous food flew out of my mouth and landed on the floor. Gross. I snagged some napkins from the table and cleaned things up. Embarrassed, I excused myself to the restroom to clean up a bit and wash my mouth out. There was no way she would kiss me with gag breath. Nasty.
As I made my way back to the event room, I half expected her to be gone. I wouldn’t blame her. I had tricked her into coming here to be alone with me. I really did want to discuss the book, but I had no intention of sharing this enchanting woman with anyone. Before I could get into the explanation I had worked out, she spoke.
“So, if you didn’t want to have a book club meeting, why did you get me to come here?”
Damn, straight to the point. Alright, I could do this. I strolled over to the couch where she was sitting and planted myself next to her. Looking her in the eyes, I came clean.
“Truthfully, I really did want to have a book club, but only with the two of us. When I saw how passionate you were about getting that Samantha Moans book, I had to know why. Then when your face lit up after receiving the signed copy, there was no doubt that I needed to know more about you. I feel something between us, Ruby. I want to pursue this thing. I just thought this would be a good way to do it. It was something we have in common. The love of books, but especially Samantha Moans books.”
I watched as her chest rose and fell. She was breathing harder than normal, and her eyes were boring into me. It was as if she was administering a lie detector test with her orbs. I am sure I passed because there was not even a hint of deception in me at the moment.
“Okay, I believe you, but one question. Why didn’t you just ask me out to dinner or something?”
“That would be boring, love. If you don’t learn anything else about me, know this, I am not the normal guy. I don’t do things you expect me to do. I am unusual to say the least. Instead of taking you out to dinner, I got you to read a book and come here to discuss it with me. I’m still going to feed you, but this way we can be real with each other and skip that fake persona that people put on when they go on first dates. No pressure, see?”
“I have to admit, I prefer something like this. So let’s get started. You did read the book, right?”
I chuckled. If she only knew. “Of course I did. Who do you think you’re dealing with, an amateur?”
Seven
Grant
We flew through the first few chapters of the book where we were introduced to the hero and heroine, Sylvester and Sylvia. I found it quite telling that the interracial couple in the book mirrored Ruby and me. Somehow my creative mind had managed to accurately describe us almost perfectly. Oh, not our physical attribute, but our personalities and how we interacted. I remembered dreaming of Sylvia before I came up with the plot. Hmm, I had forgotten this part. No wonder Ruby felt so familiar to me. She was Sylvia. That’s when I came up with my next great idea.
“Ruby, I want to try something with you, but I’m not sure how you’ll feel about it.”
She perked up at my words. Maybe she would be interested in it. There was only one way to find out. I ripped the Band-Aid™ off.
“Have you noticed the similarities between the main characters and...” I hesitated, unsure if I should go there, but Ruby started nodding her head.
“Us! I was thinking the same thing. Oh my God. I thought it was my imagination, but if you see it too, then it must be true. So, what is it you want to try?”
I cleared my throat. “I want us to reenact the love scenes in the book.” There I said it. Was it too much too soon? Shit. The shocked look on her face made me slide back away from her.
“Listen, I like you, but you don’t know me like that.”
Sliding over on the couch close enough for our legs to touch, I leaned in and whispered in her ear, “I’m trying to get to know you, babe. The sexual chemistry between us is on ten, but if you need me to slow down, then I will. Tell me what you need from me. Just know, I’m not going to go away, and sooner or later, we will get around to acting out those scenes in the book. You’re just too damn sexy for me to control myself for too long.”
It was Ruby’s turn to cough. She must have swallowed wrong because she hadn’t been eating or drinking anything. I patted her on her back and then helped her raise her hands in the air to clear her airway. She smiled at me and lowered her arms.
“Thank you. I guess we’re even on the saving the life thing. In all seriousness, Grant, I haven’t dated anyone in a little over four years. I don’t trust easily, so honesty is key for me.”
She had this scared look on her face that I never wanted to see again. I leaned in and kissed her sweetly on the lips. It was just for a second, but it felt so damn good.
“I can do honesty, love. What is it you want to know? I can see you have questions.”
“Well, I know you said you and that woman had nothing going on, but how do you know her? She looked like she just stepped off the cover of Biker Bitch Magazine.”
“Don’t do that. She’s my friend, and she is a really nice lady. We belong to the same MC.”
“What? You’re in a biker gang? Oh no, not again. I have got to go. Um, thanks for the food, but...”
What the hell just happened? She hates bikers? I couldn’t let her leave like that. She had no idea what the Predators were all about.
“Wait, Ruby. I feel like you need to explain your adverse reaction to MCs. Truthfully, we aren’t such a bad community.”
“So, you go around killing people? Selling women into slavery where their bodies are used for men’s pleasure? Drug dealing? That’s what you’re about?”
My face contorted into several different looks before I could process what she was saying. I shook my head to clear the cobwebs. She thought all bikers were 1%ers. I chuckled before explaining the differences between a MC and a gang. I told her about the community service aspect and how the Predators urged our members to become business owners and even provided start money when needed. I assured her we were nothing like those bikers she must have been watching on television. Though we had members that looked like bad asses, we were far from being on the wrong side of the law.
Once she was satisfied with my answer, she went on to share with me what happened to her last boyfriend. I had hear
d about the guy through the grapevine but had no idea he was with Ruby. The man was living a double life. She didn’t deserve that. The more she talked about what happened, the angrier I got.
“Bam! Bam! Bam! The knocking on the door shocked me out of my sleep. It was 3 AM for goodness sake. Who the hell could that be? Normally, as a single woman, I would never answer the door this late at night, but whoever was on the other side of the door wasn’t going away. I engaged the security camera on the doorbell and discovered it was a group of men with badges. Some had on suits while others were dressed like they were going into combat. What in the hell?
“My hands started shaking, and every video I had seen on the internet of people being killed by the cops had me trippin’. I didn’t know if I should answer the door or not. There was no one to call for help. My boyfriend, Archie, was out of town and couldn’t help me.
“Bam! Bam! Bam! “I know you’re in there. Open the door now, or we’ll break it down.”
“Fuck! I didn’t want to die tonight, but whether I opened the door or not, shit was going down. I took a deep breath to clear my head, snagged my bathrobe from the bottom of my bed and hustled my way to the door, calling out to let them know I was coming.
“Just a second!”
“No sooner than I opened the door did I find myself face down on the entryway floor. A huge man was straddling my body and placing me in hand cuffs. I was still confused as to why they were there. Hell, I wasn’t even sure who they were. No one identified themselves, and they damn sure hadn’t asked me who I was.”
“Eventually the man in charge came to his senses and realized I wasn’t the person they were looking for. However, I knew him. These men were DEA and were looking for none other than my boyfriend of three years. It turned out that he was a high-ranking member of a motorcycle gang called The Lords of Death. Apparently, they were into drug running, sex trafficking, and all kinds of illegal activities.
