For crissakes, she’d quit.
Walk right out.
Powers leaned forward. “Here’s the deal. Take it or leave it. I’m sentencing him thirty days for the reduced offense of simple assault.”
Kiki couldn’t miss Hawk’s large frame straighten and go solid next to her.
She ignored him. “Thirty days, Your Honor... That’s—”
Powers raised his palm again. “Let me finish, Ms. Clark.”
Shit. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“I’ll release him on time served which is the ten days he already did, but and this is a big but, Ms. Clark, he needs to keep his nose clean for the next three months and he needs to do some sort of community service. I’ll let you decide what that will be. But I do want a report. In addition, you’ll be responsible to make sure he serves that community service. Then you’re free of him. I suggest letting them pay you for your time.”
Kiki opened her mouth to respond, but the judge wasn’t done yet.
“Furthermore, he needs to stay out of my district. His whole club does. I don’t want to see them again. He’s lucky I’m not slapping an ankle monitor on him for the remainder of his thirty days.” Powers lifted an eyebrow in Kiki’s direction. “What do you say, Ms. Clark? Does your client want to walk free today or cuddle up with his cellmate for a few more weeks so they can read each other bedtime stories?”
She glanced at Hawk, who was looking down. Not at the table, no. But at her feet. The heels she was wearing to be more precise.
Oh good lord.
“Can we have a minute, Your Honor?”
“Sixty seconds. Go.”
Kiki sank her butt into the chair and twisted toward her client.
“Those are so fuckin’ hot,” he said in a low, deep voice.
Jesus. His voice alone could make her panties soaked.
“No time for that. Do you want to take the deal? I’m not thrilled about—”
“Why? ‘Cause you’ll be stuck to me?”
“I won’t be stuck to you. I have better things to do with my time—”
“Take it. Ain’t goin’ back to that hole. Anyhow, me an’ you got an appointment I don’t wanna miss.” His dark brown eyes stared into hers. “You ain’t missin’ that appointment, either.”
Right. “We’ll discuss that later.”
“No discussin’ to be had.”
“Times up, Ms. Clark.”
Kiki pushed to her feet. “We’ll accept that, Your Honor. He’ll be glad to do community service. He has all kinds of progressive ideas on how to serve it.”
The judge snorted then got serious. “Fine. Just see that it’s done.” Powers pointed a finger toward Hawk. “Stay out of my district.”
When Hawk opened his mouth Kiki laid a hand on his shoulder and squeezed hard. “He will, sir. No problem.”
“Right.”
Then they all scrambled to their feet as the judge got up from his bench and disappeared through a side door.
A large presence behind her made her shiver. She looked over her shoulder to see Hawk’s brother standing right behind her with their father, an older and slightly, but not by much, smaller man.
Diesel clasped hands with his brother and did a shoulder bump over the divider that separated them, then Hawk turned toward his father.
“Pop.”
“Boy, you’re lucky you ain’t doin’ more time than you did.”
“Keeks got it covered.”
Keeks. She sighed. She already hated the name that her hippie, yoga-loving parents had given her but him calling her Keeks made it so much worse. She’ll have to thank them again the next time they returned to the States from one of their “soul-cleansing” retreats.
Ace’s eyes landed on her. “I see that.”
“We gotta date later.”
Oh shit.
Ace’s eyebrows rose. “Yeah?”
Diesel let out what sounded like a combination of a grunt and a caveman chuckle before muttering, “Lucky bastard.”
As one of the sheriff’s deputies approached them, Kiki cut in to interrupt the touching family reunion. “Okay, you need to go with the officer back to the jail. And I need to do paperwork. As soon as everything is processed, they’ll release you.”
“Diesel will pick you up,” Ace said to his son.
Hawk shook his head. “No. Keeks is gonna pick me up.”
I am? She stared at Hawk.
“Go on back to church or home. Wherever. She’s got this covered.”
I do?
He curled a heavy arm around her shoulders and pulled her against his side. “Right, babe?”
Oh shit. “I... uh...”
Ace snorted and shook his head, whacking his son on the back. “Got good taste, boy.” Then he turned and walked away.
“Wait,” she started, looking desperately at Diesel. “You’re going to pick him up, right?”
“Nope.” Then he also turned and walked away.
She twisted her neck toward Hawk who still held her like a vise. “Let me go,” she whispered.
“Let’s go,” the deputy said to Hawk, who gave the uniformed officer a big smile.
“Gotta go. See you in a bit, babe.” And with that, he dropped his head and planted a big, wet kiss on her lips before pressing his mouth to her ear. “Don’t be late. Got a lot to do.”
He gave her a wink as the deputy escorted him out of the small courtroom.
Kiki sank into her chair and dropped her head into her hands.
Jesus.
Just what in the hell had she gotten herself into?
* * *
She asked herself that again when she pushed through the double glass doors of the county jail, Hawk hot on her heels.
“Babe. Wait up.”
Every time he called her babe she wanted to close her eyes and scream. But she was a woman on a mission, one she wanted to finish as quickly as possible. And closing her eyes when she was rushing down the concrete sidewalk in three-inch heels might end badly and delay getting the man out of her hair.
“Yo, babe.”
“If you’re talking to me, my name is Kiki,” she threw out over her shoulder.
“Yeah, ‘bout that...” Suddenly he caught up to her. Which was actually no surprise. He might be bulky but he was tall, too, and his long legs had eaten up the distance between them. “Babe, slow down, don’t want you breakin’ your pretty little neck in those fuckin’ shoes of yours.”
Kiki skidded to a halt and slammed her hands on her hips, her briefcase smacking hard against her thigh. When he stopped and turned to her in surprise, she stated, “Let’s get something straight right now. You don’t get to boss me around.”
The corner of his lip twitched and Kiki had to fight stomping her foot in frustration.
“’Kay, babe. Got any more rules?”
“Yes, don’t call me babe, damn it!”
He shrugged his heavy shoulders. Shoulders which were covered by a black leather vest decorated with those filthy, disgusting patches on both the front and back.
“Hate your name, babe. Sorry. It’s the name of some stuck-up bitch.”
She blinked. At least they agreed on something. “Then call me Ms. Clark.”
Now the other side of his mouth twitched. “Only gonna do that if you’re wearin’ your glasses an’ nothin’ else.”
All the oxygen left her lungs in a rush. She shook herself mentally at the image his words put into her head.
What the hell? She was not getting naked with this man. This biker who had tattoos all up and down his arms, even on his scalp. And probably the rest of his muscular body.
No, she wasn’t.
“Babe.”
She glanced up from his broad chest and met his amused gaze. Oh good lord. She was actually considering it. What was wrong with her?
“Don’t have to imagine what I look like naked. You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
Kiki closed her eyes and sucked in air slowly, counting to ten.
And when she was finished, she realized she was no longer considering it. “Fine. Let’s go.”
She was doing it.
Fuck it.
She only saw his look of shock for a split second before she strode forward, leaving him frozen in place behind her.
She smiled and headed to the visitor’s parking lot and to her car with determination.
When life hands you lemons...
And all that crap.
When she got to her car, she turned to wait for him, wondering how he was going to fold his bulk into her Corvette Z06.
“Fuck me,” Hawk muttered, stopping feet from her little red Corvette and staring at it.
“Just so you know, your club will be helping me make the payments on that.” She dug into her black leather briefcase, searching for her keyless remote.
“Then I drive.”
Without looking up she said, “No.”
As soon as her fingers snagged it, he pulled it from her fingers. “No woman drives me. Whenever me an’ you are in a cage, I’m drivin’. Not an argument. Fact.”
“Cage?”
“Yeah.” He jerked his chin toward the Vette. “That ain’t a cage to you, but one to me. But I’ll suffer through drivin’ that sweet thing, then I’ll be drivin’ into somethin’ that’s even sweeter.”
She bit back a whimper and squeezed her thighs together. What was wrong with her? There had been plenty of times where men whistled or cat-called at her or said some perverted, stomach-churning things, but she’d never reacted like this.
Not once.
And now she had to get into close quarters with him. In her tight sports car. Why the hell did she ever buy that car?
He surprised her by opening the passenger door and offering his hand. She stared at his broad palm and long fingers. His tattoos stopped abruptly at both wrists like the cuff on a sleeve.
“Not gonna bite you.”
She lifted her eyes to him.
“Okay, yeah I am. But not now.” Then he laughed, which shot lightning down her spine and it landed right in her center, heating her belly.
She’d lost her damn mind. That was the only thing she could think of when she wondered why she was reacting to him like this.
She usually preferred men who wore suits and ties, polished shoes and expensive watches. Tailored dress shirts and pinstripes.
Not worn, holey jeans, a Harley T-shirt that looked like the sleeves had been ripped off, a leather vest and—her gaze dropped—heavy biker boots with all kinds of buckles and zippers on them.
Yes, she had lost her mind. Truly. Completely.
She sighed, placed her hand in his and let him help her into the car.
Chapter Three
Kiki chewed her bottom lip. She had no idea where he was taking her. Normally she wouldn’t be afraid to ask, and even though she was in no way shy, she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to know.
Maybe it would be easier to swallow if it was a surprise.
Because, apparently, the man who had stuffed himself into her driver’s seat took his “appointment” with her very seriously. What had started out as a joke for her just to get him to cooperate, now wasn’t so much.
However, the longer they drove, the more curious Kiki became on what it would be like to just let loose with someone like Hawk. It wasn’t like they traveled in the same circles, so no one would ever know. Plus, she was sick of men who were afraid to mess up their carefully styled and gelled hair during sex.
She was bored with the so-called “gentlemen” she’d dated after the separation from her husband. Their conversation was mediocre at best since they tended to talk more about themselves and boast about their many successes. Even worse, their skills in bed were just so-so. Once again, even in bed, they were more worried about themselves rather than making sure she was also satisfied.
Though, she couldn’t imagine the man sitting next to her cared about anything other than getting himself off, either. She turned her head just enough to eyeball his bulk.
“Did you even graduate high school?”
Without taking his eyes off the road, they crinkled at the corners and he barked out a laugh. “That a requirement to get into bed with you?”
I don’t know, is it? She never thought about any “requirements” for a man who she had a relationship with, sexual or otherwise. But she did have some standards. She did tend to gravitate toward a certain type of man.
However, the more she studied Hawk as he drove her car, the more she doubted he met any of those standards.
“To answer your question, babe, yeah, I did.” He finally turned his head to meet her gaze. “Feel better?”
No. No, she didn’t.
When he turned into a short, paved driveway in front of a house in a town called Shadow Valley, which sat just southwest of Pittsburgh, she blinked.
She leaned forward and looked closer at the small house through the windshield. It was well-taken care of with wood siding and painted shutters, a covered wood porch that ran the length of the front. It was a cute two-story cottage, or what some may call a bungalow, with dormers and everything. And surprise, surprise, it was in a really nice middle-class neighborhood.
What. The. Hell. “Are you lost?”
Pulling up next to the house in front of a detached, matching cottage-like, two-car garage, he put the car in park and shut off the engine.
He shoved the driver’s door open and, with a curse and a groan, untwisted himself out of the low, cramped sports car. Then he leaned into the open doorway and gave her a look. “Stay put.”
She did. He was probably just going to run inside to grab whatever from whomever owned this house and then off they’d go again to what he had called church, which was apparently the clubhouse where most of the members resided.
But she watched in shock as he moved around the long, low front end of the Vette and came to the passenger side to open the door. He leaned in really close—like she was glad he smelled like soap and not like he’d just-done-a-ten-day-stint-in-County close—and unlatched her seat belt before offering her his big, meaty hand.
She stared at it like she had no idea what it was.
He shook it at her. “C’mon. Let’s get crackin’.”
Her eyes traveled up his arm until she had to lean out a little bit to see his face, which clearly showed his impatience. “Why?”
“Whataya mean why?”
“Why am I getting out? Aren’t we headed to your place?”
“So you wanna go back to my place?” His impatience quickly dissipated and he gave her a grin.
Uh oh.
“Well, I thought that was the plan...” Her voice drifted off when his whole face changed and his eyes darkened.
“Yeah, babe, it is. Didn’t think you were all in. But now I see you are. Good to know.” He offered his hand again and this time she tentatively took it.
Was she all in?
With a grip that could easily crush her hand, he helped her out of the car, and before letting her go, he pulled her against his chest and wrapped his beefy arms around her, embracing her tightly.
She automatically grabbed his biceps, her eyes dropping to his hard muscles as she squeezed them.
Yes, she may just be all in. At least for tonight. Tomorrow she’d scrub him off and go back to her life.
“So soft, babe,” he murmured in her ear as he palmed her hips, his breath fanning the hair by it.
Her thighs quivered and she felt a traitorous rush of wetness. “And you’re so... hard.”
He tilted his hips, brushing his denim-clad crotch against her, proving his muscles weren’t the only thing hard.
Her breath caught in her throat and her heart began to pound. “Aren’t you anxious to get going?”
Because if he wasn’t, she sure was. Or at least the lower half of her body was.
“We’ll go in the house in a sec.”
“No, I meant back to your place.”
He leaned back and stared down int
o her face. “Babe, this is my place.”
Wait. What?
“You don’t live at this ‘church’ Pannebaker told me about?”
“Gotta room to crash there. That’s it. Got tired of that shit years ago. Bar does well, club coffers are full. Ain’t hurtin’.”
Whatever all that meant. But even so... “I wasn’t expecting—”
He released her abruptly and stepped back. His eyes narrowed and he gave her a sharp nod. “Right. Bikers like me can’t have nice things.” He tilted his head toward her car. “Like your Vette.”
“I didn’t—”
“Like a house.”
“I—”
“Like you.”
“Me?” she asked, her voice slightly higher than normal.
“You,” he repeated. “Though that’s gonna change in a few.”
“I wasn’t expecting this.” She glanced over her shoulder at the very normal looking house and then back at Hawk.
“Expected me to be slummin’ it, huh? Some stained mattress with dirty sheets, or no sheets at all? Empty beer bottles an’ cans? Cloud of pot smoke? Bunch of drunk bikers scratchin’ their beer bellies an’ belchin’ with naked bitches runnin’ ‘round?”
Umm. She decided to keep her mouth shut, but that actually was what she had expected.
Her boss had been to their “church” a few times before and described it exactly like that.
“Maybe you’re disappointed now you know you won’t be gettin’ as down an’ dirty as you thought. That take away the thrill?”
“I... No. Sorry, I... shit.”
She really didn’t expect this bad boy biker to live in this quaint little house in the ‘burbs of Shadow Valley. She had a tough time picturing him outside mowing the grass or weeding the flowerbeds.
Without warning, she was against her car, his hands grasping both sides of her face as his head dropped and he took her mouth.
He didn’t just kiss her. Hell no, he took her mouth. Like he was claiming it as his.
His tongue pushed between her lips, shoving them open so he could take the kiss deeper, harder, and she swore he explored every part of her mouth.
A sound bubbled up from her throat as he stole her breath.
Down & Dirty: Books 1-3: Dirty Angels MC Series Box Set Page 41
