“I’m not sure whether to be happy about that statement or not. I mean, I have a reputation to uphold you know.”
“Big, bad biker? Don’t worry; I won’t tell anyone that you have a softer side.”
“You better not,” I said and laughed. “To be honest, about two years ago my house did not look like this. I lived in a rougher part of town, and the only decorations I had in the house were empty beer cans, which I had stacked proudly against the wall.”
“Really? So, what changed?”
“I guess I grew up,” I said.
“Do you miss that lifestyle though?”
“Do I miss coming home to an apartment that smells like stale beer? Not so much. I’m a lot happier with who I am now.”
Eliza smiled. “I like who you are too. And I feel the same. I’m a very different person to who I was last year. Hell, I’m a different person to who I was a month ago. So, did you talk to your father today?”
I took a sip of the red wine and watched as Eliza did the same. Her lips were beginning to turn red, and it was starting to turn me on. The red wine was tasty, but I had a feeling I’d enjoy it a lot more if I drank it off of her. I shook my head to stop my thoughts from going that way and concentrated on the conversation instead.
“I did. He was a bit funny about it, to be honest. He didn’t say much other than that it was no big deal.”
“He sounds like you,” Eliza said.
“You’re not the first person to say that to me these days. I’m starting to wonder if it’s true. Anyway, I guess he just didn’t want to speak about it. I suppose I can understand that. I told him that I was going to look after the club while he was getting better.”
“You did? That’s wonderful news!”
“Well, I didn’t say that I would take over from him for good. I just said that I would do it while he was away. Patriot told me that he would be in an out of the hospital for a few months. So while he’s recovering, I’ll look after the club. But after that, he must take it back. It’s far more suited to him.”
“I think you’re doing a lovely thing. In fact, I happen to think that what you’re doing is incredibly sexy.”
I looked at her in surprise. “Sexy? Why do you say that?”
“First, it’s always a turn on to see a guy do something nice for his father. Second, I quite like the idea of you taking control of the club. You have a lot more power and influence than you realize, Gunner.”
“I have a question,” I said suddenly. “How come sometimes you call me Ian, and sometimes you call me Gunner? It’s usually one or the other with people.”
She smiled bashfully and took a sip of her wine before saying anything.
“Are you blushing?” I asked.
“Maybe. It’s just . . . I guess I do it automatically. You’re Ian to me most of the time, I suppose. But, sometimes you become Gunner.”
“But why?”
“You’re Gunner when I’m thinking of you sexually?”
I grinned. I had not expected her to say that. “Didn’t you just call me Gunner?”
She bit her lip ever so slightly, and I felt my entire body give way to her. She nodded. “I did.”
“So, you’re thinking of me sexually?” I asked.
She nodded.
I put my glass of wine down and moved over to her. I took her glass and put it down too.
“I’m thinking about you in that way too, Lashes. Although, I don’t think I ever stop thinking about you in that way.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Eliza
Oh thank God, I thought when Gunner moved toward me. I’d been thinking about having sex with him since the moment he walked in. I was glad that he seemed to want me as much as I wanted him.
I thought about suggesting that we move to the bedroom. I’d taken a sneak peek at it when I’d been in the house without him, and his bed was big and inviting. But the sofa seemed good enough, and I wasn’t sure that I could make it all the way to the kitchen. I pulled off my dress as he got nearer and he grinned at me.
“You’re making this easier,” he said. He stood up and took off his clothes and then lay me down on the sofa.
Okay, I thought. The sofa is big enough.
I spread my legs and then as he moved on top of me I wrapped them around him.
“I had no idea you were so flexible, Lashes,” he said and sucked on my neck.
“All those years of yoga are finally paying off,” I said and then used my legs to pull him tighter. He groaned, and it immediately turned me on.
While he kissed, he reached down to feel me. I was wet and ready for him. With his mouth against mine and his fingers inside me, I thought I was going to totally lose control. How did he always know exactly how to turn me on?
“Gunner, wait, stop!” I said.
He stopped and looked at me. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m going to come,” I said breathlessly.
“So? That’s what I want,” he said and reached down for me again.
I groaned and felt myself start to lose control all over. I was just at the edge of no return when he stopped and climbed off me. I almost cried out, but then I saw that he was reaching for a condom. He slipped it on and then moved inside me. I cried out in pleasure and bit my tongue to stop myself from coming. But it didn’t take me long to lose myself again, and soon I experienced an orgasm even stronger than the times before.
Afterward, I stretched and fell off the sofa, and he laughed at me and pulled me back up. We lie side by side for a while, not saying anything.
“How do you keep doing that?” I finally said.
“Doing what?” he asked innocently.
“Every time we have sex, it’s better than the time before. I know you think you’re only good at motorcycle stuff, but I think sex is your main calling in life.”
He laughed. “Well, that’s good to know.”
A thought occurred to me. I wondered how many times Ian had slept with a girl on the very same sofa before. I thought about asking but changed my mind. I didn’t want to ruin the moment. Instead, I turned to face him.
“So, you hungry?”
He laughed. “I am, now that you mention it. I’d actually forgotten how hungry I was for a while.”
“Me too,” I said. “Thank goodness the food wasn’t cooking on the stove. We would’ve burned it. It was ready just before you got here, so I just have to heat it up. I have most definitely worked up an appetite for it, though.”
“Sex followed by spaghetti. I can get used to this.”
“Yeah, me too,” I agreed.
I dished up for both of us and then brought the bowls to the living room. It was so comfortable there that we decided to just eat on our laps. I thought back to the very first time that I had met Ian at the fundraiser. Back then, I was still living in my car and worried that the club was filled with dangerous men. The last thing that I would’ve expected was to be sitting in his house eating dinner together on our laps.
“This is amazing,” he said.
“I think everything tastes good after sex. I’m going to have to have sex with you before each meal that I cook. That way you’ll always think I’m amazing in the kitchen.”
“You are amazing in the kitchen. But I’m definitely not going to complain about that deal. So, how was everything at work? Good day?”
“Wonderful day!” I said.
“Oh yeah? Did something happen?”
I took a bite of the spaghetti and then smiled at him. “Well, John has asked Mae and me to organize this huge party next week Saturday. He hinted at it a while back, but he called us into his office to say that it’s definitely happening now. He wants the two of us to work on it together.”
“That’s cool. You’ve been saying ever since the fundraising event that you wanted to work with Mae on a big project again.”
“Yeah,” I said, impressed that he had remembered. “We can’t wait. And it sounds like a fun one to be involved in. I’m so glad
that John feels as if he can trust me with the assignment too. Because I know this is one that he doesn’t want to see messed up.”
“You won’t mess it up. This sort of thing is in your blood. I’ve noticed that about you—you’re good at figuring out what people want, even when they’re not sure about it themselves. And that’s what party planning is all about. You make their day into something they will never forget.”
That was by far one of the nicest things anyone had ever said to me. “Thank you,” I said. “I really appreciate that, Ian. I’m very excited. We’ve already started planning a few things, but we’re going to be working more seriously on it in the upcoming week. I love the fact that I’m excited to go to work.”
“You’ll do great!”
“There’s one other thing. And, of course, you don’t have to if you don’t want to,” I started and then laughed at Ian’s startled face. I wasn’t sure if I was going to ask him to come with me to the event, but at the same time, I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be alone at it, either. It would be fun to show off what I had created with Mae.
“Uh oh, what is it?”
“Well, we’re allowed to bring a date. I’m planning the event, but also going to it. And I’d love to take you. Now, I know it’s not your thing. But I’d love to have you there if you’d like.”
“A party? Do I have to dress up?”
“I guess so. But I suppose you don’t have to. It probably doesn’t matter,” I said. I already felt bad for asking him. It was clear that it wasn’t the kind of thing he enjoyed doing. And we weren’t even dating, so why was I asking him to do something he clearly hated? I was just about to backtrack when he interrupted.
“I’ll be there.”
“You will?”
He laughed. “Don’t sound so surprised. I might not dress up, though. But I do want to see what you’ve put together. I’m sure it will be nice. Will there be food?” he asked.
I chuckled. “Of course. It’s not a party without food.”
“Then I’ll definitely be there. What about Mae? Who is she taking?”
“She’s going solo.”
“She is?”
“Yeah, but so is John.”
“Ah!” he said. I’d told him about the attraction between the two of them before, so he knew what I was hinting at. “Are those two ever going to admit that they are crushing on each other?”
I shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe at the party they’ll be suitably drunk to finally let it out. We might have to nudge them in the right direction. They’re hopeless.”
“And you say he definitely likes her?”
“It sure seems that way to me. And she is all for him. And really, they would make a great couple. They’re perfect for each other.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing them. And I still need to thank Mae. If she hadn’t walked away at the fundraiser that day, I might never have had the chance to talk to you alone.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re coming.”
I smiled at him and changed the subject. I didn’t want him to change his mind or for him to know what a big deal it was that he had agreed to go with me. But I was happy. Happier than I even wanted to admit to myself.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Ian
I spent the rest of the weekend with Eliza. On Saturday, we woke up late, and I took out to what I thought was the best café in town. There I introduced her to chocolate dipped croissants and perfectly brewed cappuccinos. After that, I took her for another ride on the bike, and then took her to an empty lot to teach her how to ride. I had her fully kitted up from the shop so that if she fell, she wouldn’t hurt herself. She looked slightly ridiculous and incredibly cute. She was terrible, but she tried. And afterward she declared that she was more of a backseat rider. I didn’t mind. I liked having her arms wrapped around me. We bumped into Chris later that day, who raised his eyebrows when he saw us together. I knew that he was wondering what was going on between us, and I still didn’t have an answer. For someone that wasn’t my girlfriend, I sure was spending a lot of time with her. But I wasn’t about to just leave her with her crazy ex-boyfriend on the loose. That night, we stayed up late watching movies and eating popcorn. There was no sex involved, and yet I felt closer to her than ever before.
That morning I woke up early and decided to make Eliza breakfast. I eventually settled on peanut butter on toast and coffee. She seemed delighted, and I counted my lucky stars that she was the sort of girl that liked pretty much anything when it came to food.
“I love peanut butter!” she exclaimed as she took a bite. “And I haven’t had this for breakfast in ages. I’m so going to buy myself a jar later. When I was a little girl, my mom caught me so many times with my finger in the jar. I was constantly getting into trouble for that.”
I chuckled at the thought of her as a little kid stealing peanut butter, and then laughed even more when I looked at what she was wearing. She had on one of my t-shirts and a pair of her own bright yellow socks, and just seeing her dressed like that while eating toast made me laugh.
“Are you laughing at my outfit?” she said between mouthfuls.
I nodded. “Who on earth owns such bright socks?”
“I do,” she said without shame. I liked that. I once had a girlfriend who decided that she was going to dress like some sort of punk rocker just to match my style. It didn’t suit her at all, and I hated how uncomfortable she was in her own skin. It didn’t matter what a person wore or what they did, as long as they were true to themselves. And Eliza was very true to herself. She never wavered.
“I only have black and white socks in my closet.”
“You only have black and white everything in your closet,” she stated.
“That’s true.”
“Isn’t today the day of your first club meeting?” she asked.
“Yeah. It is. I have a whole list of things that I need to run through with everyone. I only hope that they listen to me. My father and I are very different people. You’ve met him. You know what I mean. He’s . . . well, let’s just say he’s a people person, and I’m definitely not.”
“Nah, you’ll be great,” she said.
“I hope so. Unfortunately, I’m not going to be able to see you tonight. I’ll be back after the meeting, but I’m going to be gone for most of the evening. Is that okay? Do you want to just hang out here? I’d feel safer knowing you are here than at your own place.” I thought of inviting her to the meeting, but it had always been members only, and I wasn’t sure that the other members would take kindly to me breaking the rules on the first day of being in charge. Also, if I messed up, I didn’t want her to see it happen.
“No problem at all. I’ll be fine on my own. And I can definitely hang out here. I think that’s actually a great idea. I’m just going to go home quickly and get a few things. I’ll be back a bit later. Although, I warn you, your jar of peanut butter might be empty when you get back. That’s just the payment you get for leaving me alone.” She licked her lips, and I wasn’t sure what was more delicious—her or the peanut butter.
Eliza came back a few hours later, and I was relieved to see her. I almost wished that her ex-boyfriend would just come so that we could finally face up to him. I hated the fact that I got nervous every time she was on her own. It killed me to think that anything could happen to her. I sometimes considered going to find him first, but I knew that would be a bad idea. Usually, that would be exactly the sort of thing I would do. But I was different with Eliza. I wanted to do what she wanted, not just what I wanted.
“You’ve got this!” she said and kissed me before I left for the club.
I had been to every single club meeting since I was a member, but today felt different from every other day. For the first time since I was old enough to join, I was going to be standing up in front of everyone to talk. This pretty much went against everything I knew I was good at. I arrived early and saw that Patriot was there. What was up with him these days? He was always around.
I looked around for some of my other brothers or cousins but saw none of them. I shook my head.
“Gunner! Why are you shaking your head?” Patriot asked. I hadn’t seen him walk up to me.
“Ah, I was just looking around for the other guys.”
“Who?”
“Our family! Our brothers, our cousins. Why are they even a part of this club?”
Patriot shrugged. “Who knows? I guess life got in the way.”
“Yeah, well I’m thinking of making a rule that if you don’t come to at least half the meetings, you get kicked out the club. It’s supposed to be a community of people who work together.”
Patriot smiled. “It’s not a bad idea, Gunner. So, how you feeling?”
“Honestly? Nervous as hell. Do I really have to do this?”
“You’ll be fine. You have nothing to worry about. You’re already making some good executive decisions. Pop would never kick out his own family members, but you realize the core reason for this group.”
“Well, he’s a lot softer than me.”
Patriot grinned. He looked like he was about to say something but he didn’t get a chance because the room was filling up and a lot of the members were coming up to greet me. I wasn’t used to getting so much attention. I wondered if they thought that my father was an idiot for giving the job to me. Were they looking at me with admiration or with annoyance? I couldn’t figure it out. But the meeting was about to start, and I didn’t have the time to think about it anymore. I saw that everyone was in place, and I spotted one of the guys at the back close the door. The meeting was about to commence.
I made my way to the front of the room and looked around at all the faces I knew so well. I was nervous at first, and I could feel my hands shaking. But then someone smiled at me, and I realized that these were people that I had grown up with. They liked the same things as me, and they were there for the same reason as me. So I cleared my throat and began to talk.
“Due to a very poor decision by my father, you guys are now stuck with me. I apologize in advance,” I said, and everyone laughed. The laughter helped to take away the nervousness, and even my hands stopped shaking. “Okay, I have a lot of things that I want to get through today. But I also want a chance to go for a ride after this. That’s something we haven’t done together as a group in a long time. So, how about we get this meeting over with, and then we all take a ride together?”
Dirty Roomie Page 37
