Joyride: (Beautiful Biker MC Romance Series)

by DD Prince

  He looked surprised.

  I ran my thumb across that pillowy lower lip of his. “You take care of me. And no one ever has. And you’re sweet and charismatic and make me laugh, and you are so fucking handsome you take my breath away. I love that you’re tall and your eyes just do me in. The best sex I’ve ever had, Rider, even if some of it is way freaky-deaky.”

  He chuckled.

  I kept talking. “You make me let go in a way that no one ever has before. I want that rainbow, that joyride with you… so much. I try to be a good time girl but inside I’m such a fuck-up because of how my house was growing up. And I want lots of kids and a big family and to spoil them all with love, not stuff. And I want them to ride the banisters and laugh as loud as they want, and do backwards somersaults if they want to.”

  “Then that’s exactly what you’re gonna have,” he vowed. “Gymnastics classes for all of them.”

  Wow, that was a whole lot of verbal diarrhea.

  “I can’t believe I just said all that,” I announced with a wince.

  He shook his head. “Don’t you ever be afraid to say anything to me.”

  I gulped.

  “Why didn’t you tell me your parents were splitting? Has that been fuckin’ with you on top of everything else?”

  I nodded.

  “I’m also worried about Pip. Joe’s off the wagon and she’s not in a good place. She’s trying to help him detox. And last year, he beat her up when he was drunk. She forgave him after six months clean and gave him another shot. But, I don’t know if it’s good that she’s still with him. If he did that last time?”

  Rider went stiff.

  I sighed. I was suddenly exhausted. And yet exhilarated. I felt like I’d been through a war. Had I made it to the other side?

  I looked at him.

  He caressed my face and then he started talking, looking impossibly deep into my eyes.

  “My head’s been fucked for a while. Shit was rough with my parents splitting. Joelle’s paternity. My mother’s cheating with the enemy and all that shit. She’s a fuck up.”

  I was all ears. He was opening up. Jojo said he didn’t open up. But he did with me after Lick’s funeral, and he was doing it now, too.

  “I have a lotta guilt about Lick. Had it before he died. Those years he lost when I shoulda lost the same years and didn’t. Tried to make it up to him when he got out. We got in so much shit together, makin’ up for that lost time. And now he’s gone.”

  I caressed his face.

  “Never knew how it’d be having someone. All I saw with my folks was him giving, her taking. Her fucking him over. Deacon got repeatedly fucked over by women, too. Spencer wanting love and getting rejected whenever he put himself out there.”

  I nodded.

  “And then when D was ready to go all in with Ella? Seeing what they were building? I wanted something like that. Thought maybe we’d have it. Me and you. I didn’t know if it was a pipe dream.”

  “Relationships can be hard.”

  He smiled. “I see that.”

  “Especially when you try to build one with a drama queen high maintenance pain in your ass.”

  He hooked a hand around my neck and brought his lips to mine and then he kissed my forehead, too.

  “You’re worth it. The moments we’ve had when things haven’t been caught up in drama. Even some of those. I see what I’ll have with you. If you let me.”

  “I want to.”

  I snuggled in and we were quiet a minute.

  He loved me. He was opening up. I was, too. This was amazing.

  “Can we go for a ride?” I asked.

  He smiled. “Absolutely. This is another reason I’m in love with you.”

  God. He was so sweet sometimes.

  We got dressed and gassed up at the local Circle J. And then he drove until dawn, me wrapped around him, him taking us down all sorts of winding roads, on the highway, through the country.

  When the sun was up, we went to a nearby diner for pancakes.

  Deacon and Ella were there. But, they looked like they’d rolled out of bed and come.

  “You two are up and about early for a Sunday!” she exclaimed as we approached their table, holding hands. She looked at our hands and gave me a huge smile.

  Sunday was typically my only sleep-in day.

  “We haven’t been to bed yet,” I informed her and reached down and scooped a strawberry off her waffle and popped it in my mouth.

  She smirked.

  We sat down and ate with them, mine and Ella’s very first biker double date. And then Rider and I went back home and made slow sweet kissing-one-another-everywhere love before falling asleep. And since it was Sunday and I didn’t have to open the salon that day, we slept almost all day.

  22

  Sunday Night

  We were back in bed, cuddling and talking, hours after going to the Olive Garden for dinner on his motorcycle. In fact, we were having Olive Garden post-sex leftovers when my phone rang.

  I reached for it and then backed away like it was a poisonous snake. The screen read:

  Mom Calling

  “Should change her ring tone back to the death march,” I grumbled and curled back into him.

  He laughed.

  “She caught me: pocket dialed me once when we were together and heard the ring tone and got really angry.”

  “I bet,” Rider said, putting the end of a bread stick in his mouth. We got extras ‘to-go’ with our doggie bags.

  “Answer it. Be brave,” he encouraged. “I’m right here to take over if she goes cunt-a-saurus on you.”

  I winced and put the phone to my ear.

  “Hello?”

  “Hello?” she sounded surprised that I answered.

  “Hi Mom.”

  “Jenna.”

  There was awkward silence.

  “How are you?” I tried.

  “Very funny,” she replied snidely.

  My stomach dropped. I hadn’t been trying to be sarcastic with her. Not remotely.

  “I wasn’t trying to be funny,” I said softly. “Sorry I missed a few calls. Things have been---”

  “Yes, I know. Anyway, dinner at the house tomorrow night. Will that fit into your schedule?”

  “Dinner at the house tomorrow?” I parroted.

  Rider gave a single nod of his head, as if to encourage me and show he was fine to come. And suddenly, him at my side, I sort of felt no fear about it.

  “Sure. Can we bring anything?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Six thirty. Don’t be late.”

  “We’ll be there, or we’ll be square,” I said, feeling like eff this, I wasn’t going to act all contrite. I hadn’t done anything wrong.

  “We?” she repeated.

  “Mm hm,” I said. “Rider and me.”

  I wasn’t surprised she was going to try to have it be me without Rider. After all, he had tried to shield me from her more than once already. I felt a burst of affection for him. He needed a blowjob.

  “I didn’t invite Rider.”

  “Well, it’s a package deal this time, Mom,” I insisted.

  She let out a sigh. “Fine. Just remember, you did this. Six thirty.” She hung up.

  I rolled my eyes at her warning and put the phone down and then I climbed onto him, straddling him.

  He had his hands behind his head, fingers woven together, head resting against my mauve headboard. Chest bare. A pair of slightly baggy Adidas running pants on.

  I walked my fingers up his abs and then found my hands on his shoulders.

  “Good to get this done with, gorgeous.”

  I nodded. “It’s gonna be ugly. She just kinda warned she’d make it extra ugly to punish me for insisting you come.”

  He shrugged. “What I’ve seen and heard every time you’ve talked to her, it’s only her that’s ugly. Just keep doin’ you.”

  God, he was amazing. I threaded my fingers into his hair and kissed him.

  “Good thing we both a
te about a hundred of those garlic bread sticks. Otherwise this might be a gross kiss.”

  “You ate a hundred. I ate three,” he informed me.

  I started laughing. He was probably right.

  He rolled me and snagged the side of my panties with his thumb.

  “Again? Already?” I rolled my eyes. “God, you’re insatiable. I put all sorts of effort in last time, so if you’re prepared to do all the work.”

  He smirked and then he went down on me. And I did not make him do all the work.

  He got to finish in my mouth.

  ***

  Later that night, I asked him for an update with the Wyld Jackals war.

  Holding one another in bed, in the dark, he told me that Mantis, the president of the Jackals back in Sioux Falls had been shot in the leg by Christian Forker, Ella’s cousin. He’d gotten away, though, and was likely in hiding. Rider said that Edge was hunting him, and Rider said it with a coldness that made my blood chill.

  Yikes.

  Christian Forker had gone underground for a bit, waiting for some things to “play out”, whatever that meant. I guess he was a wanted man with his club, for saving Ella, for shooting a club president.

  Key, the Ipswich VP had been killed. Gordino, the Ipswich President, was laying low right now. Half his guys were either dead or in jail. Ella’s Uncle Willie was still in the hospital with complications due to head injuries after being thrown from a moving vehicle during Ella’s drama.

  Rider also said that the Jackals had lost respect of the last remaining clubs who were still willing to do business with them, so they were running out of options and a few more key moves would mean it’d be easy to patch over that club.

  Chances were that Wild Will Forker, Ella’s sicko uncle, would be released into police custody from the hospital due to what had happened with Ella being abducted.

  Rider didn’t elaborate, but said they were still talking about how to finesse things with the police. He assured me they were working with the police, but said a lot of things were being played fast and loose.

  The cops wanted the Wyld Jackals taken down and were willing to overlook some things to get that result, but the Dominion Brotherhood still had to be careful with how they played things. Rider said there were other clubs involved, and it wouldn’t be long before the Wyld Jackals were just a bad memory.

  “What’s happening with your mother?” I asked.

  I felt his body stiffen in the dark.

  “We tried to talk sense before she got beat up. Fell on deaf ears, obviously. Still don’t know who beat her up. She felt cornered, but wasn’t willing to be reasonable. My guess is she either got beat up for another reason and blamed it on Mantis to use it to her advantage or, more likely, she got someone to beat her up, so she could fabricate that story and buy some sympathy. Dad told her she has until the end of September to get herself a place to live. He’s selling the house, won’t have her there throwing parties and causing shit so that it won’t sell. He’s done covering all her bills. She started selling shit that wasn’t even hers to sell, so she’s done. With Joelle gone to New York, he wants to just shut the place down for the real estate agent. Me and the boys’ll go make sure it’s ready before the sign goes in the lawn.”

  “I can help,” I told him.

  He smiled and tucked my hair behind my ears. ”Thanks, baby.”

  “Why didn’t your dad ride a motorcycle at Luke’s funeral?” I asked.

  “He lost his license for a bit for a DUI.”

  I was sort of surprised.

  “Mom fucked with his head. She told him Joelle wasn’t his. He had to wait on a paternity test. Then he got rip-roarin’ drunk and drove his car into a tree. Good thing it was a car, not his bike, or he wouldn’t have survived. It was touch ‘n go there for a bit.”

  I bit into my lip.

  “He gets his license back soon. It wasn’t a good thing, but it’s what finally got him to wipe his hands of her for good. So, it was sort of a good thing.”

  “Yuck.”

  “Man’s put up with a lot of shit from her the last twenty-eight years. We’re all done, though.”

  “I hope you guys can somehow fix it.”

  “Ain’t likely. Hope you and your ma can patch things up or our kids won’t have a grandmother.”

  My heart felt like it was going to split open wide and that butterflies and flowers would burst out of my chest. He was talking about kids with me.

  “Ella’s mother is awesome. So’s your Aunt Delia. They’ll be okay in the grandma department,” I said.

  He pulled me closer.

  Yep, just a few weeks of knowing each other and discussing our future kids? These Valentine boys didn’t waste any time.

  ***

  Monday Morning

  I was sweeping up hair at the salon and chit chatting with Andie, who’d come over from the bakery next door to bring us a box of biscotti and do some gossiping.

  I didn’t say much about my biker drama. A) I had Jesse sitting there in the waiting area. B) Andie was a friend, but I didn’t want to flip her out. She’d missed most of the drama the past two weeks.

  She knew I was dating a Dom member and that Ella was dating his brother. She didn’t really need to know about rape, murder, videotaped gang bangs, kidnappings, and all the drama we’d endured.

  Andie was our age, really pretty, but no way was she the type to date a biker. She had pretty eyes, pretty hair, was really petite height-wise, voluptuously curvy otherwise, and shy. She liked to come out dancing with us, occasionally got a little bit rowdy, but the moment a guy showed her attention, she went super-introverted.

  She was currently eyeballing Jesse, though. Probably difficult not to. He was pretty damn hot, sitting there casually sprawled, eating a biscotti, in just a black muscle shirt and dark jeans and motorcycle boots. Tattoos and muscles on display. His Dom prospect vest laying on the chair beside him. He was scrolling something on his phone, yet he still seemed totally alert with our surroundings.

  I had a customer in the chair whose color was processing, another customer under the dryer. Pippa was between appointments.

  And that was when Daniel Sotheby walked in.

  In a suit. Looking handsome. Looking at Jesse with concern as his eyes bounced back and forth between Jesse and me.

  Biker Bigot was my first thought.

  “Oh… morning...” I said and stuck the broom in the utility room and went to the reception desk. He eyed me from head to toe and back to head again, then smiled.

  I was wearing a tan suede pencil skirt with a sexy front slit, a pale pink low-cut blouse, and pale pink stiletto sandals. My hair was in a sleek ponytail this morning. I had my last appointment at 5:30 today and figured I’d save time getting ready for dinner at my parents by dolling myself up a little bit this morning.

  Rider hadn’t seen me as he’d left for the garage while I was still in the shower, so I was looking forward to his opinion of my outfit.

  Badass Jesse had even done a bit of a stumble when I’d walked into the kitchen to meet him, so we could head down the stairs. He did a slow perusal of me. He hadn’t said a thing and went 100% business (in his bikerly way) with me after that, but a girl can tell.

  Now, I was seeing an appreciative gaze coming from Dan.

  “Hi. You look absolutely gorgeous today, Jenna.” He smiled.

  “Thank you,” I said, but I kept myself stiff, formal, and not feeling anything at his use of the g-word, the way I felt it with Rider.

  “You got time for a cup of coffee?” He jerked his thumb toward the direction of the coffee shop.

  “I don’t; sorry,” I said.

  I glanced at Jesse, whose eyes were on him and his jaw was ticking. Sheesh, that look on his face? I’d hate to see how he’d look at a guy looking at his girl instead of his buddy’s girl.

  “Oh. Shoulda called,” he said.

  I gave him a tight smile. “Actually, I’ve started dating someone, and…”

&nbs
p; His eyes went cold. “The guy who replied to the last text I sent?”

  I smiled. “Yeah. I saw that. Sorry about that.”

  He looked over his shoulder at Jesse, annoyed.

  “That’s not him, but that’s his friend, and, yeah. We’re early on, but, I just wanted to be straight with you.”

  “It’s early on? Don’t lose my number,” he told me.

  “It’s early but I’m fairly certain he’s the one.”

  He looked disappointed.

  “I have to check on my customers. Have a good one.”

  His eyes did a sweep of me. “You, too, Jenna.” And then he gave me a warm smile.

  This guy was definitely a potential catch. But, I was taken. Happily taken.

  Andie was looking at Dan with unconcealed lust as he left.

  Maybe I should set them up.

  Jesse was texting on his phone.

  “Are you ratting me out?” I asked after Dan left.

  “Absolutely,” Jesse said. “But, you get good marks for how you handled it.”

  I snickered and went back to check on my customers.

  ***

  6:15 PM

  Rider texted to say he was outside the back of the salon. Jesse and I walked back together and as I approached his orange Charger, he got out and walked around to the passenger side.

  He waved at Jesse who got on his bike and pulled out.

  And my beautiful biker looked good. No. He looked good.

  His hair was loose, he was clean shaven. He was wearing dark jeans and a royal blue and jade green striped button-down shirt. He had on motorcycle boots, but they looked like they’d been polished. His eyes were piercing.

  I got to him and he dipped me, Hollywood style, and it took me back to the night we met.

  My face split into a smile.

  “Where have you been all my life?” he asked, his voice husky. He approved of my outfit.

  “Waiting,” I told him.

  Yeah, that sounded rom-com cheesy, and it might’ve even been the exact line used in a 1980’s John Hughes Molly Ringwald movie, but it felt absolutely amazing to have him look at me like that and hold me like that again, the look in his eyes somewhere between adoration and possession.