“Oh,” I said, returning my gaze to Adriana. “I’m not really looking for one right now.”
She laughed. “I don’t think he wants to actually fill that position.”
“I think we all know what he really wants to fill, and probably in many positions,” Jessica said in a low voice, smiling wickedly.
We all laughed.
“To be honest, I’m not into one-night-stands either.” Plus, he was a little scary looking.
“I hear you,” she replied.
“Adriana… do you know anything about why Graham was in jail?” Jessica asked.
“All I know is that he beat some guy up he found in his apartment. That’s what Trevor told me, at least,” she replied.
“Who’s Trevor?” I asked.
“My husband,” Adriana replied.
“Raptor,” clarified Jessica. “They all have these road names. Even the women.”
“Ah,” I replied. “What about you two?”
Jessica shook her head.
“Trevor calls me Kitten sometimes,” Adriana said with a small smile.
Jessica sat back in her chair and stared past me. “Speak of the devils.”
Adriana’s eyes narrowed. “I wonder what their little pow-wow was about?”
I looked over my shoulder and saw Jordan, Raptor, and Graham walking out of the back room. I couldn’t help but notice how sexy Graham looked with his jacket off, especially in his low-riding jeans and simple, black T-shirt. My eyes grazed over his muscular biceps, broad shoulders, and lean waist. He obviously had great genes and were shared by the two guys next to him.
“They look so serious,” mused Jessica, playing with her straw.
“Yeah and that’s what worries me,” Adriana replied.
Jordan and Raptor headed toward us, while Graham went back over to the bar. Noticing the way his jeans hugged his ass reminded me of how much I missed having sex. Needed to have sex. The toy in my nightstand could only do so much and there was nothing like wrapping one’s legs around a man’s waist and feeling every inch of him.
Oh, God. The alcohol was kicking in.
“Hey, Babe,” Adriana said, as Raptor came up behind her and kissed her on the side of neck. “What’s up?”
“Nothing,” he replied, raising his head back up. He began massaging her shoulders. “Just getting to know Graham a little better.”
“Right,” she said dryly and then looked over at me. “By the way, meet Chloe. She works with Jessica at the hospital.”
He smiled. “Hey, Chloe. Nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” I replied, admittedly feeling a little nervous. He was the V.P. of the Gold Vipers, and obviously well respected by many. He was also feared by many, I suspected.
“You almost ready to go?” Jordan asked Jessica.
She looked at me. “I don’t know. What do you think?”
“Yeah, whenever you’re ready,” I replied. I knew that drinking any more would be dangerous and if I wasn’t careful, I’d end up making some bad decisions.
Jordan’s eyes narrowed. “How much have you had to drink, Jess?”
She shrugged. “A couple of cocktails and a shot. I spaced them out, though. I’m fine.”
He didn’t look like he believed her.
Noticing his expression, Jessica groaned and stood up. “Here, look,” she said standing on one foot. She closed her eyes and touched her nose with one hand and then the other.
With an evil smile on his face, Jordan poked her in the shoulder and she stumbled backward on her heels.
Gasping, she stomped back to him, her cheeks pink. “You ass,” Jessica pouted, trying to keep a straight face. “I ought to-”
Jordan reached for her, kissing away the rest of her words.
Smiling, I turned and found myself locked in a gaze with Graham again, who’d obviously been watching the exchange. He grinned back at me and I couldn’t help but think again how handsome he was.
Maybe, I’m being too critical of the guy?
I couldn’t exactly blame him for beating up some asshole who’d been trespassing in his home.
“What about Graham?” Raptor asked. “I doubt he’ll want to leave right now. Should I give him a ride later?”
“I don’t think he’s going to need one,” Jordan replied. “I think someone else already has that covered.”
Sure enough, the woman from earlier was already back at the bar and practically on his lap.
God, what a slut.
I couldn’t exactly blame her, however. Turning away, I reminded myself that it was silly for me to feel jealous and blamed it on the alcohol again.
“Leave it to Candace,” Raptor said, smirking. “Well, he probably could use some TLC after spending a couple of nights in jail.”
“You might want to let him know that he should probably get a tetanus shot after a night with her,” mused Jessica. She reached into her purse and pulled out her car keys. “You ready to go, Chloe?”
“Yeah. I should probably use the bathroom first,” I replied.
“Okay. I’ll show you where it is,” she replied.
We left the table and I followed her to the restroom, which there was a line of two others waiting to get in. As we stood there, Jessica’s phone rang.
“Huh, it’s Frannie,” she said.
She answered the phone and walked away from the bathroom line. A few seconds later, she came back over, a concerned look on her face. “One of my kids is throwing up, apparently. Drew.”
“Oh no,” I replied. “I wonder if it’s that flu that’s going around?”
“Probably. One of his friends had it a couple of days ago,” she replied and sighed. “I’d better tell Jordan so he can leave now. I’ll meet you back at the table.”
“Okay.”
She walked away and soon I was able to use the bathroom. After I was finished, I stepped out of the bathroom, rounded the corner, and walked right into Graham’s chest.
“Oh, sorry,” I replied, backing up, embarrassed that I’d also stepped on his food.
“No problem. I have another foot. Chloe, right?” he replied, staring down at me, his dark eyes twinkling.
For some reason, I was totally nervous standing there. Almost like a teenager talking to her crush for the first time. Not knowing what else to say, I asked him a dumb question. “Yes. Where’s your friend?”
He gave me a puzzled look. “My friend?”
“Ms. Spider Monkey,” I replied, wishing I wouldn’t have brought her up. “Candace.”
Graham laughed. “She’s not a friend. In fact, I’m using the bathroom as an escape.”
“Good luck with that. Let me get out of your way then.”
“You’re not in my way,” he said, staring at me with the kind of interest that made my stomach whirl.
Noticing Candace heading toward us, I warned him.
Swearing, he grabbed my hand and pulled me around the corner. “I could really use your help.”
I stared up at him in confusion. “With what?”
In answer, he pulled me into his arms and began kissing me.
Chapter 9
Graham
Two minutes earlier.
CANDACE WASN’T GETTING the hint. The chick was all over me and I’m sure a lot of guys would be thrilled. Not this guy. Truth was, she was bugging the shit out of me. Unfortunately, Tank was in his office and Jordan and Raptor were busy with their wives at the moment. The other guys were discussing club shit and I wasn’t much of a conversationalist anyway, which is how she ended up on my lap, I guess.
“Hey, I overheard that your ride is leaving,” she said, running a hand over my thigh. “How about I give you a lift home?”
“Thanks, but… I’m not really sure when I’ll be leaving. It could be late.”
“It’s okay, I’m not in a hurry,” Candace said, touching my zipper. She smiled wickedly. “Well, maybe a little bit.”
“Whoa,” I said, grabbing her hand. I needed to get away from h
er before I ended up doing something I’d regret. “You know, I think I need to use the bathroom.”
Candace leaned into me. “I think it feels like you need something else,” she whispered near my ear.
Yeah, maybe. But definitely not by you.
I pushed her gently away and stood up. “I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be waiting. Did I tell you I’m not wearing panties?” she whispered.
Fuck.
I didn’t have to use the men’s room. What I needed was a few minutes to myself.
I headed toward the bathroom and that’s when Chloe rounded the corner and we collided.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, staring up at me with those big emerald eyes. Her cheeks turned pink.
“No problem. I have another foot,” I said, smiling at her. “Chloe, right?”
She nodded and looked around. “Yes. Where’s your friend?”
I raised my eyebrow. “Which one?”
“Ms. Spider Monkey. Candace.”
I laughed “She’s not a friend. In fact,” I smiled wryly. “I’m using the bathroom as an escape.”
“Good luck with that. Let me get out of your way then.”
“You’re not in my way.” Not in the least. The girl was seriously gorgeous. Flawless, peach skin. Cat-eyes. Lips that were full, glossy, and heart-shaped. Plus, she was wearing this soft green sweater that hugged her tits in a way that made my mouth dry.
Chloe’s eyes widened as she looked past me. “Uh, oh. Here she comes.”
“Fuck.” I pulled her around the corner and into the hallway. I knew that if I didn’t do something quickly, Candace wasn’t going to leave me alone and eventually, we might just end up fucking. If I was going to bang anyone, I didn’t want it to be a slut like her. She was obviously one of the club whores, willing to spread her legs for any of the Gold Vipers or their close, personal friends. I decided to take a chance on Chloe and hoped that she wouldn’t get too offended and slap my face. “I could really use your help,” I told her.
She stared up at me, confused. “With what?”
Hearing Candace’s footsteps quickly approaching, I pulled Chloe into my arms and began kissing her. At first she was rigid in my arms, but then to my relief she began kissing me back.
Seeing us, Candace growled in the back of her throat. “Prick.”
Ignoring her, I gave all my attention to Chloe, whose lips were soft and tasted sweet, like berries. Taking it a step further, I slid my tongue into her mouth and pushed her against the wall, forgetting that it was supposed to be an act. Hungry and horny as hell, I slid my hand into her hair and held her in place as we kissed, surprised at the chemistry between us and how much I wanted her.
“Ahem.”
Recognizing Jessica’s voice this time, we separated quickly.
“Wow, I leave you alone for a minute… and this happens,” Jessica said with an amused gleam in her eyes. “I can’t take you anywhere.”
Chloe looked horrified. “It… we were just faking it,” she said, her cheeks red.
“Right,” Jessica said dryly.
I cleared my throat. “She’s right. Candace was heading toward us and Chloe was gracious enough to play along with me. Thanks, by the way.”
Avoiding my eyes, she nodded. “Yeah. No problem.”
“You’re trying to avoid Candace?” Jessica asked, looking surprised. “I guess now I know why she looked so pissed off a few seconds ago.”
“Yeah. The chick has been all over me. It’s irritating,” I replied.
“Hmm… Funny, most guys wouldn’t have a problem with that,” Jessica said, eyeing me suspiciously.
I shrugged. “I’m not-”
“Most guys,” Jessica finished, smiling. “Well, bravo. You two sure had me fooled. And her too, from the way she stomped away.”
“Good,” I replied.
“Anyway, I hate to break up this little escapade, but we have to leave. You ready, Chloe?” Jessica asked.
She nodded.
I suddenly longed to get the fuck out of there, too. As much as I appreciated the party and everything the club had done for me, I was both physical and mentally exhausted. Having spent the last two nights in jail, all I really wanted was to go back to my place and crash.
“Have a good night, Graham,” Jessica said. “It was nice meeting you.”
“You, too,” I replied.
Jessica looked at Chloe. “You sure you don’t want to stay? I can probably find you a ride home.”
“No. I’m ready,” she replied. “Goodbye, Graham.”
“See you around,” I said, actually hoping we might run into each other again.
She smiled and the two walked away.
Chapter 10
Chloe
“OKAY, WHAT IN the hell was really happening in there?” Jessica asked as we walked out of the club and toward her car. It was so cold, you could see our icy breath in the air. “I mean seriously, you two didn’t have to make out in order for him to tell Candace to take a hike.”
“I was just as surprised as you were, honestly. I didn’t see it coming,” I replied, still shaken from the kiss.
We got into her car and she started the engine. “I think he was just using it as an excuse to try and get with you,” she said, rubbing her hands together for warmth.
“He didn’t kiss me until I told him that Candace was walking toward us,” I pointed out.
“Well, maybe he really was trying to piss her off then.”
I nodded.
“There are probably a lot of cops out. I’m fine to drive but I should probably do something about my breath.” She reached into her purse and grabbed a stick of gum. “You want one?”
“Sure. Thanks.”
Jessica handed a piece to me. “So, tell me… was he a good kisser?”
“Oh, my God… yes. He was a fantastic kisser.” I replied, smiling.
Her eyes twinkled. “You should have stayed. Or at the very least, gotten his number.”
Despite the amazing kiss, I still couldn’t help but be wary of someone who’d been released from jail a few hours ago. Whether or not the guy he beat up deserved it or not, I wasn’t comfortable with having sex with someone with a temper. Been there. Done that.
“Yeah. I guess that I can’t blame you. There’s certainly a lot of other fish in the sea.”
“And, like I said, I’m not looking for anything right now.”
“Not even casual sex? I suppose there’s always Tinder.”
I grimaced. “Yuck. That’s definitely not my thing. Don’t get me wrong… I miss being with a guy.” Boy, did I miss it. “But, I’m willing to wait until the time is right.”
“Good for you. Some women think they can’t live without a man in their lives. It’s a shame, too. Anyway, I wasn’t looking for anything when I met Jordan.”
“How did you two meet?”
She smiled. “Like I said before, it’s a long story. One of these days I’ll have you over. We’ll share a bottle of wine and I’ll tell you all about it.”
“Sounds great. Thanks for everything tonight, by the way. It was nice to get out.”
“You’re welcome. The next time they throw a family friendly party like this, I’ll see if you want to join me again.”
“Family friendly, huh?”
She laughed. “Yeah. In fact, the Old Ladies aren’t usually invited to the crazy parties because they get so nuts. Tank has told me about some of the things that go on and it gets pretty bad.”
“Another reason you’re glad Jordan isn’t a club member?”
Jessica nodded. “Definitely. I mean, I’m sure that Raptor and Tank behave themselves around the club whores and strippers. They love their wives. But, they’re still exposed to temptation, which is why I’m glad Jordan prefers to stay out of the club.”
“I don’t blame you,” I replied, imaging what it would be like to be in a relationship with one of the Gold Vipers and knowing that there were girls like Ms. Spider Monkey hangin
g around. It definitely wasn’t something I could handle.
We talked the rest of the way home about work and then I told her about my roommate, getting back together with his boyfriend.
“Sounds like you’re not happy about that.”
“No. I don’t trust him.”
“That’s too bad. Hopefully, Kai won’t get hurt by him again.”
“I hope not. Otherwise maybe I should send the Gold Vipers after him,” I joked.
“The very threat would probably scare him straight,” she said, laughing.
“I don’t care as long as he chooses a side and sticks to it,” I replied.
After she brought me home, I stepped into the house and groaned at the sight of Trey’s luggage sitting near the entryway. They’d apparently dropped his things off and then went on their date.
And so it begins, I thought glumly, hoping that Kai’s boyfriend would land a job and get the hell out as soon as possible. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky…
Less than twelve months later…
Chapter 11
Wednesday, December 19th
6:30 pm
Graham
“TANK AND RAPTOR are looking for you,” said Ice, AKA Cole, who was brushing a fresh layer of snow from his truck. I’d just pulled up to the clubhouse, after finishing some electrical work at Sal’s. Raina, Cole’s sister and Tank’s wife, was remodeling and wanted to turn the place into a family restaurant. Right now it was nothing but a hole-in-the-wall and there was still a shitload of work to be done. Fortunately, my part was finished and I also had the next few days off of work. A couple of guys in the club had invited me to go snowmobiling over the weekend and I was looking forward to relaxing and having fun.
“Yeah, Raptor sent me a message. Where you off to?”
“Christmas shopping,” he replied. “For Terin. Last year I waited until the last minute to buy her something and I’m not making that mistake again.”
“I don’t blame you. The weekend is going to be horrible with last-minute shoppers.”
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