Persuasion

by Violetta Rand

  Surprisingly, the place was modern and clean, not at all what she expected a biker club to be. Three bartenders wearing Valhalla T-shirts stood behind the polished wood countertops of the four-sided bar, surrounded by customers.

  Cocktail waitresses in black leotards and silky miniskirts shuffled back and forth with trays, delivering drinks to a couple dozen tables that were all full. There was a small dance floor, DJ booth, and raised stage.

  Three-quarters of the way to the bar, a guy in jeans and a T-shirt gripped her arm. “Hey, beautiful, want to dance?”

  Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” started and Lily couldn’t resist the invitation. She liked dancing, and why not start the night off right? “Do you mind, Tina?”

  Tina took her bags. “One song, wild thing.”

  The stranger dragged her to the edge of the dance floor, latched onto her left hip, and began gyrating. Surprisingly in tempo with the music, Lily responded, letting the lyrics and sexy beat take over. She draped her arms over his shoulders, grinned, and matched his enthusiastic moves with ones of her own. The lights overhead flashed, and the strobe light burst several times, flooding the Plexiglas floor with color. She twisted around, shaking her ass to the rising drum solo. She’d love to sing this song during a karaoke competition.

  Lost in the moment, she didn’t notice someone hugging her from behind at first, until he thrust his erection against her lower back. Dear God—one dance didn’t mean the nameless asshole had the right to…She met Lang’s heated gaze as she turned, ready to berate her partner for taking liberties. Her mouth hung open as he captured her hand, their fingers entwined, and Lang tugged her close, nipping her neck—squeezing her so tight she couldn’t breathe.

  He lifted her hair from her ear. “Correct me if I’m mistaken, Counselor. My girlfriend was dancing with another man.”

  Girlfriend? The word affected her more than she’d ever dreamed possible. Right to the depth of her core, where excitement pooled between her legs—she was ready for Lang to drag her back to his room and fuck her all night.

  “Is that against the rules?” she asked innocently.

  “Only if you don’t want me to dismember someone,” he said with dark humor. “I’ll let it go this time.”

  As if on cue, “Santeria” by Sublime came on and Lily wondered how long Lang had known she was here, because the lyrics emphasized everything he’d already said. He must have ordered the DJ to play it. She knew somewhere on his body he packed heat too—definitely not a hip holster or in his vest pocket or she would have felt it by now. Not that she approved or disapproved necessarily, having mixed emotions about gun ownership. With a decorated military father, she’d grown up in a pro-gun-rights household. She’d been taught to revere the Second Amendment as one of the reasons her father had fought and bled on the battlefield.

  However, after witnessing the aftermath of what illegal firearms could do in the hands of sick and twisted criminals, she’d always chosen not to own one. Lily shoved that thought aside, instead focusing on the moment and smiling up at him.

  “Tina is waiting for me,” she whispered in his ear.

  “Not anymore,” he assured her. “Vincent escorted her to the clubhouse.”

  “And my bags?”

  “Already delivered to my room. And if you’re a very good girl…” He attacked her lips with a desperate kiss as she studied his unfathomable blue eyes. “I’ll do things to you after the party that you never considered possible. Fuck that little snatch so hard you’ll beg me to stop.”

  The pulse of excitement turned into thundering need. Her knees nearly buckled. But Lang hooked his arm around her waist and ushered her off the dance floor.

  “I’ve had you already, Lilliana—but am nowhere near satisfied.”

  They ended up in a dark hallway, her back pressed against the wall, his knee shoved between her legs, his tongue wrestling with hers. He tasted like whiskey and smoke. She fisted her hands in his leather, eyes clenched shut, afraid if she opened them he’d disperse like smoke on the wind, or a wicked fantasy she conjured while playing with her vibrator on a lonely Friday night. Not flesh-and-blood maleness within her grasp.

  She gulped and opened her eyes as he bit into her neck, slowly unzipping the front of her dress. Halfway down, his left hand invaded, finding an already erect nipple. He pinched it hard and she arched her neck, crying out. But he swallowed the sounds of her pleasure with another mind-melting kiss.

  “Fuck me, Lily.”

  Now? The zipper dropped even lower, exposing her flesh to the cold air-conditioning streaming out of the vent high on the opposite wall. She shivered; the only article of clothing she was wearing underneath the layer of thin leather was a matching G-string.

  “Did you wear this dress for me?” he asked, pulling back enough so he could see her body. “Do you know how much I like leather—what it does to me?” With another light tug, her zipper came undone and the dress gaped open, leaving her naked.

  She looked to the right, terrified someone would interrupt, find her naked and spread-eagle against the concrete wall.

  “No, baby.” He coiled his fingers under her chin, tipping her face upward. “My office is the only door in this hallway. No one else comes here.”

  Except her, if he had his way. “Oh God,” she breathed. “I-I can’t…”

  “You can.” Strong fingers breached her center, filling her instantly. His strokes weren’t gentle, but demanding and meant to change her mind. “And will.”

  Without warning, he removed her panties, a one-handed magician. His thumb found her clit, and he circled mercilessly, plunging his fingers to the hilt, pinioning her wrists above her head with his free hand.

  “Spread those beautiful tanned legs for me,” he instructed. “Arch that back, baby, I want those sweet nipples in my face.”

  He suckled the left one first, moving slowly to the other. Wet with his saliva, they tingled as he blew on each one, and a chill spiraled up her spine. Pure bliss. All she could think about was fucking him now. Where they were didn’t matter. He’d successfully won over her body and mind. As his fingers worked hard to please her, his masterful tongue swirled over her already too sensitive areolas at the same time. Lily let go of her inhibitions and climaxed hard.

  “Sweet Lily,” he muttered, releasing her hands from above her head, then withdrawing from her. “My terms.” He picked her panties up off the floor and handed them to her.

  Still breathless and expecting him to get naked too, she couldn’t help the twinge of disappointment that hit her when he unlocked his office door. “There’s a bathroom in here if you want to clean up.”

  She zipped her dress, fully aware of Lang’s power over her. He’d stripped her of more than her clothes in a matter of seconds. Afraid seeing her dance with another man had pissed him off more than he’d said, she approached him with an apologetic look.

  “That guy didn’t mean anything.”

  He leveled his gaze on her. “I know,” he said. “Our worlds are about to intersect, Lily. If you have any doubts, any second thoughts, now’s the time to voice them or walk away. Because once I introduce you as my girlfriend, my Brothers and the old ladies will consider you something special. Which means you’ll be under their protection. Dancing with other men without my permission can’t happen again. Understood?”

  Was she ready to commit? To allow herself to be fully possessed by Lang Anderson? She stepped closer, caressing his stubbled cheek. She’d learned many things about him over the last few weeks. Including how good it felt to be in his arms. How it felt to laugh and smile so much her face hurt. She’d witnessed how dangerous he could be. Felt his compassion when he held her the night she found out her mother almost died.

  She eyeballed the patches on the front of his vest. Considered what it meant to be associated with him, weighed the consequences of his words—once I introduce you as my girlfriend, my Brothers and the old ladies will consider you something special. Which means you’ll be
under their protection.

  Had her life improved since the day she met him? Did she want to revert back to the almost bitter woman she’d become since she left Philadelphia, or keep exploring the new person she’d transformed into under his tender care and attention? Worth the risk? Lily followed Lang into his office and locked herself in the cozy half bath.

  She stared at herself in the mirror over the sink. “You let yourself change,” she whispered. “That happy woman has always been inside you, just needed a reason to come back.”

  She remembered joyous times in her life. Before that precious child faded in her arms, before her father screwed up, before she grew tired of failed relationships and men in general. Failure had remained a state of mind she embraced willingly.

  “No more,” she promised, and turned on the cold water.

  After fixing her tousled hair and refreshing her body, she stepped into Lang’s office with confidence. “I like the idea of being your girlfriend, Lang.”

  He looked up from the paperwork on his desk. “So do I. You’re the first, baby, and hopefully the last.”

  In spite of her lack of experience with a man as hard core as Lang, she looked forward to discovering a new world with him, especially one that included spending time with his family and sharing his bed.

  Chapter 22

  The frisson of jealousy that had run through Lang the moment he spotted Lily on the dance floor had surprised him. Even scared him a little, because he’d wanted to rip the bastard dancing with her in half with his bare hands. Instead, he’d directed the DJ to play a certain song next, then stalked across the room, waiting for the right minute to insert himself between them. It had worked seamlessly: once the guy recognized his colors, he nodded in respect and disappeared into the crowd.

  His club. His territory. His fucking woman. Those patches elicited instant fear and respect, and he liked it. Sometimes too much. And as Lang fingered Lily to orgasm, he had to tamp that intensity down. His restraint kept him from pounding into her, claiming her for the first time on sacred ground. As much as he preferred a mix of pleasure and pain during sex, Lily remained as delicate as the flower she was named after.

  Controlled desire would serve well until he freed her from all her inhibitions. Hell, he’d gotten her naked in a hallway, hundreds of people a breath away. The worry and excitement in her dark eyes was all the inspiration he needed to explore the depths of her sexuality again. Little by little he’d purposely pushed her limits, grooming her for his bed. And she’d bloomed under his touch. Radiant and confident, her cries of pleasure as free as her body. That gave him hope and demanded a certain level of responsibility from him.

  Lily’s body deserved all his attention. Making her his girlfriend seemed like a reasonable step to take. Especially when dealing with a quality woman. No half-assed games with her. She unknowingly motivated him to be a better man.

  He gripped her hand tight as he unlocked the exit door just outside his office. It opened into the clubhouse yard. She smiled when she saw the flurry of activity—two Brothers manning the industrial-sized grills, old ladies serving drinks, and at least a hundred guests lounging and dancing to the bar music delivered through an outdoor speaker system.

  He gave her a last perusal: the way that leather hugged her body left him mute—no words could properly describe what it did to his insides. I’m fucked, he thought. Walking around excited all night would be insane, but the sweet resolution was worth the wait. Lang had serious plans for her later.

  As soon as they approached the grills, his Brothers grinned and saluted.

  “Canyon, Arni, this is Lily Gallo.”

  Canyon twirled his spatula in his hand, showing off. “Welcome to the zoo,” he said. “Burger? Steak? Or Mexican food? This son of a bitch had the party catered.”

  Lily giggled. “What kind of steak?”

  “She didn’t just ask me that?” Canyon eyed Lang.

  The asshole wanted to say Tube steak. “Don’t say it,” Lang warned on a grin.

  “What?” Lily asked.

  “Never mind these idiots.” Arni joined them on the other side of the grills, offering his hand to Lily. “What can I get you to drink, sweetheart?”

  “Glass of white wine.”

  “Be right back.” Arni chased down one of the old ladies.

  “He’s huge,” Lily observed with obvious surprise. “Is anyone here not eligible for the NFL?”

  “Pee Wee,” Lang said, holding his hand knee high. “No taller than this.”

  She crossed her arms over her chest, visibly unconvinced.

  “Don’t believe me?” He arched a brow with obvious amusement, then scanned the group of people standing nearby. “Serena,” he called to a brunette with her back to them. “Let Pee Wee outside.”

  She nodded and walked toward the entrance to the clubhouse. Lily watched with keen interest. A minute later, a mixed-breed dog with a brown undercoat and white spots, sporting a red bandana around his neck, ran outside, headed for Lang.

  He knelt and opened his arms. Pee Wee sat in front of him, wagging his tail, then licked his cheek. “Meet Pee Wee.” He smiled up at Lily. “Club mascot.”

  Lily couldn’t resist his canine charms and lavished him with enthusiastic scratches to his ears. “Why didn’t you tell me you had a dog?”

  Arni returned with her drink. “Here you go, sweetheart.”

  “Thank you.” Lily stood, then took a quick sip of the wine.

  She watched as a van pulled up along the side of the clubhouse. Two guys jumped out, opened the double back doors, and began unloading instruments and sound-system equipment.

  “Who’s that?” she asked Lang.

  “Vincent’s surprise.”

  “A band?”

  “His favorite,” he said, climbing to his feet. Pee Wee sauntered away. “Vincent’s favorite Texas music.”

  “Wow.” Lily sounded impressed. “Where’s the birthday boy?”

  “Probably inside with Tina. Shall we find them?”

  As soon as he opened the door to the clubhouse, old ladies swarmed around them like bees; they’d been waiting to meet his mystery girl. “What do you think of the clubhouse? Now that you’re seeing it under normal circumstances,” he asked Lily, knowing she probably preferred forgetting the night she’d ended up inside while Doc stitched his head.

  The main room served as an indoor playground—a bar and kitchen off to the side, a dart board and pool table in the back, a half dozen custom-made barrel tables and chairs, a lounge area with a big-screen TV and three leather couches to the right. And the music—almost louder than inside the bar.

  A couple of years ago Lang had catalogued the club’s music collection on a computer, replacing the outdated stereo system. Four Bose floor-standing speakers delivered concert-class sound. The equally impressive home theater often clashed with the music.

  She gripped his hand extra tight as he moved across the concrete floor, pausing to shake hands with a couple of Brothers.

  “Very nice,” she said.

  Suzanne was the first to extend her hand in greeting to Lily.

  “Hello, I’m Suzanne—Arni’s old lady.”

  Lang eyed the belt buckle she wore—Property of Arni. One of the perks for marrying a Brother. Wearing a property patch, T-shirt, or buckle would make feminists turn over in their graves. But to members of the Sons of Odin, it represented the highest form of respect a woman could receive. In short, a hands-off warning.

  He grinned at the thought of Lily wearing one. Then he shook his head, realizing she never would. Two different worlds—but he still wanted her more than any woman he’d ever met.

  He draped his arm over her shoulders. “If I leave you in the care of Suzanne, will you be okay for a few minutes? I need to check on a couple things.”

  Suzanne grabbed her hand. “Silly question, Lang. Shoo, go do your man thing.”

  He rolled his eyes and left, confident Lily would find quick acceptance with the women. They
’d consider her somewhat of a novelty, or more like a freak of nature, and pepper her with questions, curious about what kind of girl had captured his attention.

  He shook hands with a dozen people as he made his way to the storage room to check on the food and alcohol. The caterers were set up in the tent outside. Several servers were solely in charge of the mixed drinks. He needed to make sure the supply from the clubhouse didn’t get mixed with alcohol from the bar. If the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission decided to make a surprise appearance tonight, he needed to make sure everything stayed organized. And drinks from the bar were restricted to Valhalla property only.

  Overall, Valhalla had one of the best records of any nightclub in the city. Only one disturbing-the-peace complaint in seven years, and no alcohol violations of any kind. IDs were checked at the door and reexamined by bartenders or servers. And as for drunks, Lang made sure the staff knew how to identify and manage inebriated patrons. Third-party liability scared the shit out of him, so all the cab companies were on speed dial. And if that didn’t work, the Brothers had a special way of confiscating car keys.

  Many customers had spent the night in the bunkhouse.

  After confirming the stock in the storage room, he checked in with the staff at Valhalla. They’d already broken the record for the number of customers showing up on a Friday night before eleven o’clock. With a ten-dollar cover charge and full-priced drinks, he’d make a healthy profit tonight.

  As he approached the back exit to rejoin Lily, Sampson stopped him in the hallway.

  “What’s up?” Lang asked, still unhappy with him.

  “Moco—he’s already drunk and mumbling about the way you treated him last week.”

  “To who?”

  “Anyone that listens.”

  Son of a bitch. Screw the keep-your-enemies-closer philosophy. Lang needed to get rid of the bastard before he did serious damage to the charter. “Shadow him for the night. If he gets out of line, find me before you do anything. Understood?”