Steel Love: Alpha BBW Motorcycle Romance

by Rider, P. J.

  Beth frowned slightly, but then smiled up at Maggie, “I just want you to know that if you ever need anything at all you can ask me ok? You know that right?”

  Maggie’s smile softened at Beth’s words. “Of course, Beth. And I appreciate it. You’ve always been there for me. I can’t tell you how much you mean to me. Your friendship with Dad, and now with me… It means a lot.” Maggie wrapped her arms around Beth in a tight hug.

  Beth stepped back from Maggie and turned away quickly wiping the moisture from her eyes and calling out, “OK! Enough of that now. Let’s get this place closed up so you can have your fun night out.”

  Maggie laughed and finished helping Beth get everything ready for the next day then headed to the employee area to collect her bag. Beth walked her to the front and waived as she locked the doors behind her.

  Maggie made her way to her car and for the first time in months she looked, not for Reef, but for Ash. Sure enough he was there in the parking lot sitting astride his bike waiting for her. Maggie pulled her smile back. She was still annoyed with him from this morning. As she got close Ash pulled his glasses off, looked her directly in the eye, and nodded. She wasn’t sure what to make of that little gesture so she just narrowed her eyes at him while she opened her car door and slipped inside. She wasn’t ready to speak to him yet, but she was more than happy to have his protective presence at her back.

  Maggie started the Prius and pulled out of the parking lot to head toward home. Ideas about what she would wear to the bar tonight distracted her from her annoyance with Ash. She wanted to be comfortable, but she also didn’t want to feel out of place. She looked in the rearview mirror at Ash on his bike a few car lengths behind her. There was also Ash to think about. He would be at the bar tonight. Did she want to dress for him?

  Jessi said this outing was for girls only. To get out of the house and have a good time without the pressure of men, but Maggie wanted a little pressure from Ash. Even after his bullshit from this morning she couldn’t get him out of her mind the entire day. Sitting with him this morning having coffee had been really nice. It felt normal. There was no criticism about the coffee or the toasty-ness of the toast. He just sat with her and chatted and ate breakfast like two normal people.

  Maggie pulled into her driveway. She took a moment to collect herself and her bags. She needed to make up her mind about him. She needed to stop waffling about her feelings for Ash and just move forward. Maybe it was too soon after leaving Reef, but this back and forth was going to make her crazy and she didn’t need that on top of everything else she was going through.

  Maggie stepped from the car and turned to watch Ash pull in behind her Prius and cut the engine on the bike. As soon as the noise died down Maggie called out to him, “I’m going inside to eat something and change. Do you want to come in? I can make extra, and you can just hang out in the living room while I get ready.”

  “Yeah, thanks. I’d like that. All I ate today was that toast this morning.”

  Maggie laughed as she made her way to the front door, Ash following behind her. “Yeah that would never be me. I can’t go an entire day without eating. As I’m sure you can tell.” She gestured toward her hips looking over her shoulder at Ash as she slipped the key into the lock. The look he gave her made her eyes widen and her breath quicken.

  “The only thing I can tell is the fact that Reef is a fucking idiot.” Ash nearly growled.

  “Oh.” Was all Maggie could reply her mouth suddenly dry. She turned away from him before he could see the red creeping up her neck and quickly pushed the front door open. She held the door for Ash as he walked inside then closed and locked it. She felt Ash’s eyes on her as she made her way through the living room checking the windowsills and all her little safeguards. Then dropped her bag on the table in the entryway and gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen.

  “I have some raw shrimp that I was planning on sautéing with a little butter and white wine. I was going to eat it with pasta and asparagus on the side. Does that sound ok?”

  Ash plopped down in the chair at the table and grinned up at Maggie. “Hell yeah, that sounds awesome. Better than anything I’ve had in a long time. Do you like to cook?”

  Maggie laughed at his enthusiasm. “You know, actually, I really do like to cook. It was kind of a surprise for me to realize how much I enjoyed it. Cooking was such a place of contention in my marriage. Well actually everything was a place of contention, but I was always so agonized over cooking in particular. Every meal was accompanied by a litany of criticism from Reef. The calories, the flavor, the ingredients, the tenderness of the meat. Nothing was good enough for him. So when I came back here and took over cooking for Dad and me, well it was kind of shocking to realize I actually did enjoy it.”

  Ash smiled at Maggie, “How were you supposed to know what was normal in that situation? Until you get out of it, you can’t possibly know what’s good or right about you or life.”

  Maggie raised her eyebrows at Ash, “You sound like you speak from experience.”

  Ash looked away from Maggie and toward the window, “Yeah well... My stepfather was abusive toward my mom, until I was old enough to get in the way. And he didn’t stop until I was old enough to give back. I remember when I finally got old enough to get mom outta there. The first night in our new apartment when it was just the two of us was crazy. I remember not being able to sleep because I couldn’t hear his snoring. In the old place that was a sign of peace. Knowing he was passed out and that we wouldn’t have to worry about him for hours. I was shocked to find I couldn’t sleep without the sound of his snoring for a few weeks. I can’t imagine what it was like for mom. My point is that what we were living in was not normal. And when we found something that was supposed to be normal, it was hard to adjust.”

  Maggie was shocked by that speech. She’d never thought about it like that. When she took the time to consider his words Maggie found herself close to tears. He was so right. This was normal. Easy conversation was normal. Standing in the kitchen chatting without fear was normal. Maggie turned away from Ash and headed to the sink where the raw shrimp waited to be pealed. She took deep breaths and concentrated on getting her emotions in check. It was a shock to her system having this man who she barely knew, but obviously had a connection with, put her life into such clear and simple terms.

  Maggie jumped slightly when she felt Ash walk up beside her. “Can I help you?” His voice was so soft and sweet it took her breath away for a moment. This man, who by all right she should be terrified of, not only put her at perfect peace but he wanted to help her cook dinner.

  Maggie looked up at him not hiding the tears sitting at the brim of her eyes. Somehow she knew he would understand. She smiled when she felt one of the tears escape and rush down her cheek. Ash reached out to cup the side of her face, his thumb brushing across her skin to smooth away the tear. Maggie’s breath caught in her throat, stunned by how soft and sweet his hands felt even with all their callouses. Never in her life had she experienced a man treating her with such reverence.

  Maggie took a deep breath and broke the spell, “Yes, thanks you can help me peel these shrimp while I get everything else out.”

  Ash frowned slightly as if he didn’t quite understand her then his face cleared and he pulled his hand back. “Sure thing. I’ll take care of these while you get the rest.”

  They moved on from such heavy topics to speak about easier things. They talked about growing up around here. Where they went to school. Maggie tried to keep her curiosity about Ash’s club in check. It was nice talking to him. She didn’t want him to clam up and she suspected any questions about his club’s business would do just that. When dinner was ready Ash made appreciative noises as he ate. It made Maggie smile to know he was enjoying the meal. Before they knew it the food was gone and they had been sitting at the table just talking for nearly an hour.

  When they realized the time Ash stood and began taking the dishes to
the sink. When Maggie started to help he stopped her with a look. “Go get dressed. You cooked, I can take care of this. I’ll just wait down in the living room till you’re ready to go.” Maggie was shocked. A man doing dishes? She had surely died and gone to heaven.

  “Ok, yeah thank you. I’ll um… I’ll be down in a bit.” Maggie looked over her shoulder at Ash as she walked out of the kitchen. He stood at the sink running the water over the dishes and soaping the sponge. His ass looked really good standing in front of the sink scrubbing pots and pans.

  She laughed as she made her way up the stairs to her room. “Now to decide what to wear.” She thought to herself. Something that wasn’t too slutty. She was definitely going for cute, but demure. She wanted her outfit to say, “I have curves, but that doesn’t mean you can touch without my permission.”

  Maggie pulled out a black flouncy skirt that hit mid-thigh and a clingy royal blue tank top with a scoop neck. She found her chunky Mary Janes that had a small thick heal. She also pulled out her best bra that just happened to be a very close blue to the color of the top. For underwear Maggie preferred to wear boy shorts. She had a pair of black silk shorts that were loose and made her think of something women would wear at the turn of the century. They had lace along the hem of the legs with little bows and made Maggie feel exceedingly sexy.

  After she was dressed she went into the bathroom and pulled her hair down from her bun and let it cascade down her back. She fingered the long strands pulling it out and arranging the curls around her face. She swiped on some mascara, a little lip stain, and some rose oil on her neck. Then she put the rose oil in her hands, rubbed them together and brushed it through her hair.

  Lastly she got out the silver hoop earrings she had and put those on. She left off a necklace. She wanted her chest bare tonight. Her breasts always looked amazing in the blue bra and the scoop neck on the top showed off the perfect amount of cleavage and top boob. Maggie made her way down the stairs and into the living room. It had taken her maybe thirty minutes to finish getting ready. Ash was finished with the dishes and sitting in the living room on the couch when she came down the stairs.

  Maggie kept her eyes on Ash’s face as she moved into view. When she hit the bottom step he looked up from his phone. He stilled. That was the best word she could think of to describe the quiet that fell over Ash. His entire body stiffened, even his breathing seemed to stop. His eyes were the only thing that moved. He started at her feet and worked his way up slowly. Maggie stopped on the bottom step held in place by his gaze. This was it. This is what she was missing with Reef. This look of hunger and yes possession, but not anger or insanity. Just pure lust and desire.

  The air in the room felt like a ton of water had appeared and taken up every available ounce of space. She couldn’t breathe. Moving felt impossible. When Ash’s eyes finally met Maggie’s the air cleared and she took a deep breath. The smile that exploded across her face with her exhale was enough to break the stillness. Ash’s eyes narrowed as he pushed up off the couch. She watched him move across the room to stop in front of her.

  “You look amazing Maggie.”

  Maggie blushed deeply and looked down at herself trying to see what Ash saw. “Thank you Ash. I appreciate that.”

  Ash held his hand out to her. Maggie hesitated a moment then reached out to place her hand in his. “Ready to go?” Ash asked.

  “Yeah, let’s head out.” Maggie said as Ash pulled her along to the door. She grabbed her keys and purse as they passed the table they sat on.

  “I’ll drive.” Ash spoke while he unlocked and opened the door.

  “Um. No I don’t think so.” Maggie looked back at him with squinty eyes. What was he thinking?

  “Maggie, come on, you’ll be drinking, I have to follow you back here anyway. Let’s just take one car.”

  “No. I’m sorry Ash, but no. I need to take my own car. I don’t plan on having more than one beer tonight, and I need to feel like I’m not responsible or beholden to anyone but myself tonight. This isn’t personal. Well actually it is personal, to me. What I mean to say is it’s not about you. It’s about me, my comfort, and what I need right now. And one of the things I need is to feel… free I guess.” Maggie shrugged and smiled at him, trying to show Ash that she didn’t mean to be insulting. She was just trying to be honest.

  Ash took a moment to consider her words. He looked down at their hands still clasped together. “I realize I can’t force this issue. If I try I have a feeling you would not respond well. Fuck it. I can watch you just as easily from my bike, and I won’t be taking my eyes off you tonight.” Ash smiled as he spoke the last sentence. It made something deep inside Maggie clench in a good way.

  Maggie stepped up to Ash and put her hand lightly on his chest. There was definitely a little spark that shot off between them the moment they touched. “Thanks for understanding Ash. I really appreciate it.”

  Maggie didn’t look back at Ash as she opened the door, but she could feel his eyes all over her as he waited for her to lock the door behind them. This was going to be a very interesting evening that was for damn sure.

  Chapter 13

  ASH

  It was Maggie. Maggie in that short skirt. Maggie smiling and laughing. Maggie with heat in her eyes knowing how badly he wanted her. It was her image repeating in Ash’s head over and over as he followed her to the bar. He was fucked. Ash realized it now. How could he even remotely try to deny it? He couldn’t. This was the last of him. This moment right now, driving to the bar, following the woman that would completely fuck up the rest of his life.

  He knew it now, as clearly as if he was looking into a crystal ball at his future and all the possible avenues his life could take. It was Maggie that would decide where his life went from this moment forward. If she chose him he saw happiness. Maybe it would be difficult getting her to understand why he could never leave his club, but if she chose him she would stick by him. He knew that now. If she refused him… he would never be the same. He wasn’t going to kill himself or some bullshit like that, but he knew she was a defining factor for him. She had changed things. She was responsible for this new clarity. A woman that was worth working for, worth waiting for. What a fucking concept.

  Ash pulled his bike up to the bar and backed it into the line of bikes already parked. Maggie pulled into a space across the street that she had parked in the last time they were here. Ash jumped when he realized it was just yesterday. Had it really only been twenty-four hours since the first time he’d spoken to Maggie Quirke?

  Ash watched her climb from her white Prius. A breeze caught her skirt and lifted it slightly as she closed and locked her car. Flashes of thigh peaked out, teasing and tempting him. That same breeze caught her hair and lifted it around her shoulders as she moved across the street.

  Shit. He really needed to get it together. This was not going to work if he had to sit there at the bar and watch her with her friends dancing and laughing. Watching the other men in the bar watch her. He was screwed.

  Maggie’s smile faltered when she caught up to him on the sidewalk. He realized he was frowning at her and took a deep breath before re-arranging his face into a more neutral look. He heard a voice from behind him call out Maggie’s name. He stepped back and turned as Maggie moved around him and toward a tall redhead Ash had seen around the bar a few times.

  They embraced in a quick hug before Maggie turned toward Ash. “Hey Ash I wanted to introduce you to my friend. This is Jessi. Jessi this is my other friend Ash. I have two friends in town now. Isn’t that impressive?” Maggie laughed and Ash’s guts churned. THIS was Jessie? Make that Jessi. Damn. Of course he had just assumed it was a man taking her out on a date. He had been blind with jealousy this morning before he truly realized what Maggie was doing to him. What an idiot.

  Ash reached a hand out toward Jessi to shake hello, “Hey, nice to meet you.” Jessi’s eyes moved over him, an eyebrow tipped up inquisitively.

  “Y
eah, nice to meet you too. I’ve seen you around here before. I didn’t realize you and Maggie knew each other.”

  Ash smirked at her. “We just met.”

  “Ah. Ok then, Maggie you ready for a beer? I know I am.” Jessi grabbed Maggie’s arm and dragged her toward the entrance to the bar.

  Ash narrowed his eyes at the women as they made their way into the bar. He waited a moment, letting the cool night breeze clear his head before he followed them. He really did not need to be in fight mode. The last thing anyone needed was for him to get into a fight with one of his brothers over Maggie. If someone made a move he needed to deal with it as Vice President of the Steel Breed MC and not as a jealous boyfriend. Ash stopped at that thought. No. He wasn’t going to address the fact that he’d just referred to himself as Maggie’s boyfriend. That little detail could just wait for one fucking night. He would deal with that tomorrow.

  Ash nodded at the bouncer as he opened the door and stepped into the bar then stopped just inside to let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting. He found Maggie, Jessi, and a couple of other girls standing around a table across from the bar toward the center of the room just on the edge of the small dance floor. There wasn’t a ton of dancing that went on during the rest of the week, but on Monday nights usually a few people got out on the floor.

  Ash made his way to his usual table in the back corner of the bar directly to the left of the stage. Prentice sat at their usual table already nursing a jack and coke. Ash signaled to a waitress as he sat down and she made her way quickly over to him ignoring other patrons in favor of serving the second in command of the MC that owned the bar.

  “Just bring me a bottle of Amber Bach.” Ash instructed the waitress.