I selected a black strapless bra with matching panties, a red strapless sundress, and then grabbed a gold pair of sandals to complete the outfit. I dressed in front of the mirror I had custom made to fit perfectly on the back of the door. My toned body had a golden brown tint to it, as a result of spending endless hours lounging naked by the pool. I sat in front of the vanity applying some black mascara and red lip gloss to my plump lips.
The girl looking back at me in the mirror seemed to be the happiest that I had seen her in a long time. I had a glow about me and my big hazel eyes seemed full of life. I towel dried my hair, ran my fingers through it and then piled it on top of my head in a messy bun. I was sure it would be dry within the hour. Satisfied with my appearance, I walked out of the closet in search of Luke.
I found Luke in the living room, admiring the mirrors that covered the wall. They were framed in antique wood and made the space seem much larger than it actually was.
"They were my mother’s," I said, standing beside him staring at our reflection in the mirror. “She had them custom made from wood that she found from an old barn.”
"You look lovely," Luke said, turning to me and planting a sweet kiss on my lips. "But, that outfit is not going to work." I looked back at him, only inches from his face, searching his eyes for a sign of humor and hoping that he was only kidding. "I'm serious. Go change into some jeans. We’re going out on the bike. My goon squad may get a little excited seeing your dress over your head," he said, smiling down at me.
The thought of riding on a motorcycle with him sent a chill of excitement through me. I bit my lip trying to hide my smile, and was rewarded with a smile from him that spread all the way across his face, making his eyes crinkle at the corners. I reached up, planting a peck on his lips.
"I'll be right back," I said, turni ng to leave and practically skipping back to my room. I stepped into my closet, selecting a pair of dark wash designer skinny jeans and a long black three quarter length shirt that was cut low in the front and belted with a rhinestone belt. I chose a pair of low heeled black boots that covered my calves and headed back to the bathroom to dry my hair.
Less than fifteen minutes later, I walked back into living room just as Luke was walking out of the kitchen. He stopped in his tracks when he saw me. I noticed that the dishes from earlier had been washed and the bar was cleaned off. His eyes roamed over my body from my face down to my boots. I had decided to leave my hair down and added dark eye shadow and black liner to my eyes giving them a smoky look.
"You are so fucking sexy," Luke said, sauntering over to me. I couldn't take my eyes off of his face. The stubble around his mouth and chin reminded me of what his face felt like between my legs. I could feel the sexual chemistry forming between us once again. "Why now, at thirty-two years old am I just meeting you?" he asked, still looking at me like he could eat me, which at the time sounded pretty damn good. "I mean, I feel like I have known you all of my life. I have always felt like I was missing something in the world, running a step behind, but with you I just feel... whole."
Hearing a confession like this from him had me thinking I had already fallen in love with this man that I had known for less than twenty four hours. I almost said it. I almost told him I loved him and I didn't even know his last name. My thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of his cell phone.
“I need to get this. Get your stuff. I’ll meet you at the truck,” he said, giving me a wink and heading towards the library.
I grabbed my clutch and emptied the contents on the table. My cell phone fell out showing I had absolutely no missed calls or messages. It made me sad to know that the only person I spoke to regularly was my assistant, Lindsey. She was the closest thing I had to a friend, although we never talked outside of work. I slipped my credit card, along with a little cash and my license into the back pocket of my jeans and sat my phone back on the table. I walked to the laundry room, making sure Neo had plenty of food and water, and that the dog door was accessible.
“Dallas!” I heard Luke yell.
“I’m in here,” I yelled back to him, filling Neo’s bowl with food.
“Sorry to rush, but you about ready?” Luke asked, coming to grab the large bag out of my hand.
“Yep, all set,” I said, leading us out of the laundry room and back into the kitchen.
“Don’t you need your phone?” he asked, holding my cell phone in his hand.
“Nah, I only use it during the week anyway,” I said nonchalantly.
“Well, what if someone calls?” Luke asked, seeming amused at my lack of need for such a popular piece of technology.
“They won’t.” I couldn’t hide the disappointment in my voice as I busied myself in the kitchen avoiding eye contact.
“Dallas,” Luke said, walking up behind me and turning me to face him. “I never want you to go anywhere without your phone, ever. This is very important, do you understand?” I nodded my head, still keeping my eyes from his. “I’m putting my number in your phone and I’m going to call myself so I have yours.” Less than a minute later I heard his phone ringing in his pocket. “There, now I can talk to you anytime I want,” he said smiling down at me.
Warmth flooded my body when he reached his hand up to move the hair off my face. He leaned down, kissing my head then grabbed my hand and we headed out.
As we headed out the drive and back towards Luke’s, I couldn’t resist the temptation of asking him to tell me something about him, even though I had promised not to pry. I decided to keep the conversation light in hopes that he would open up on his own just as I had. “Have you been riding bikes for long?” I asked, turning to him and admiring his profile.
“Ever since I was old enough to climb on one,” he responded smiling. “My grandfather was the founding president of the Devil’s Renegades Motorcycle Club. He passed away less than two years ago and since, I have taken over the gavel.”
“Gavel?” I asked, fully intrigued.
“The presidency. When he stepped down about 6 months before he passed, we voted that the Vice President be awarded the position. The VP refused and nominated me. Everyone was in agreement, so I was given the presidency and the opportunity to carry on my grandfather’s legacy.”
“I bet he is very proud of you,” I said, smiling reassuringly.
“I don’t know about that. Times have changed. My Pops was pretty old school. I don’t think he would agree with some of the decisions that I make,” he said to me in a voice not much more than a whisper.
“What about your mom and dad?” I asked trying to change the subject because I could tell he was becoming uncomfortable.
“Let’s just say my dad did not follow in my Pops’ footsteps and wasn’t really happy about me doing it either,” he said, laughing a little and lightening the atmosphere. “My mom is great. A true southern belle is what some would call her. You remind me of her,” he said turning to look at me.
I laughed, “You are kidding, right? Honey, I’m far from a southern belle. They’re charming, classy and refined and I am none of those things.” Most people would think so by my appearance on the outside and I could even convince some, mostly my clients, that I was a real lady. I was not. I had been broken and hurt and had a past that would make some of the worst kinds of people look like saints.
“I think you are all of those things,” Luke said, with no trace of humor on his face. I just smiled in response. It was hard to argue with him when he was being so sincere, and honestly, I didn’t want him to know the real me. I wanted him to believe I was all the things he thought I was.
“So, tell me about tonight,” I said, that same chill returning that I had earlier when I thought of being on his bike.
“Our club is hosting a benefit for a local boy who has brain cancer. We are going to a couple bars around town gathering the donations that were taken for him and then we are going to his house to visit with him.”
“Wow, that’s very charitable of you,” I said, blown away by what he had
just told me. I was not expecting that answer at all. I had stereotyped him, believing we would be intimidating people around town while delivering illegal drugs to the back of a warehouse.
“I try to do my part,” was all he said. The look on his face looked like that of guilt. I wondered if his show of charity was only a decoy, while he did the things I was silently accusing him of. “I should probably let you know that I will have some minor business to attend to while I am there, so I’m gonna have to leave you with the girls.”
I knew it. “Is that okay?” he asked nervously. It most definitely was not okay. I would much rather be in the comfort of my own home, hiding away in my big bed and away from the scrutiny and callousness that I was sure to endure by hanging out with the trashy bitches that he considered friends.
“That’s fine,” I responded tersely. I was not going to give these bitches the satisfaction of not having me there. I would handle it, one way or another. Plus, Red would be there and she wasn’t that bad.
“I promise I’ll make it up to you,” he responded. “They’re really not that bad once you get to know them.”
I didn’t respond. I just stared at him, my face completely impassive, but on the inside I was burning with rage. Hearing that I would have to be around those women tonight sent me straight into bitch mode. They had the home field advantage, but I had the sweet satisfaction of knowing I had Luke. That in itself was worth fighting for.
“Carmical,” he suddenly said.
“Pardon?” I asked confused.
“My last name is Carmical, Lucas Lorn Carmical. Some people may refer to me tonight as LLC and I didn’t want you to be in the dark when you heard it. Maddie will use anything she can to make you feel unimportant. Please don’t over think anything she says, she is just jealous.”
“You think pretty highly of yourself,” I said, not really meaning for it to sound as demeaning as it did.
He laughed. “No babe, it ain’t me she is after. It’s this,” he said pointing to the leather vest lying on the seat between us. “It’s a power trip for her. She thinks that if she can’t be the President’s Ol’ Lady, no one else should be either.”
“Ol’ Lady?” I asked, confused once again.
“We’ll get to that. Just remember, tonight you are with me and no one else. I don’t want you associating with any other men. Understood?” The seriousness in his tone made me feel uneasy, but it quickly vanished when he added, “I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else’s hands or eyes on you.”
I understood jealousy. I wanted to tell him the same went for him, but my phone rang, interrupting us. I was surprised that someone was calling me on a Sunday. No one ever called me. I dug the phone out of my pocket, seeing my assistant Lindsey’s name displayed on the screen.
“Yeah,” I answered, a little aggravated that she had called, messing up my conversation.
“Hi, Dallas! I’m so sorry to bother you, but my mother is coming into town tomorrow and I was wondering if I could come in a little late so I could pick her up at the airport,” she rambled, talking fast, probably in hopes that I would say yes if she said it quickly. Why did people do that?
“What time will you be in?” I asked, getting pissed that she would call on such short notice when she knew we had a closing tomorrow.
“By noon,” she responded, already sounding defeated. Good. She had just made my job a little easier.
“That’s ridiculous, Lindsey. Just send a car to get her. We have a deal to close in the morning. The clients will be there at nine.”
“Actually, Mrs. Holifield called today to re-schedule for twelve.”
How convenient. “Well, go ahead but you better be back by twelve. I don’t want to have to deal with that bitch on my own.”
“O-okay, I will. Thank you so much,” she stuttered. I didn’t even say goodbye. I just hung up the phone. So much for enjoying my morning. I would have to be at the office early tomorrow, all because she didn’t have her priorities straight.
“What was that about?” Luke asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
“My assistant. She wants the morning off,” I responded boringly.
“From what I could hear, sounds like you didn’t want to give it to her. Does she call in often?” he asked interested. I thought for a minute. In the two years that she had worked for me, she had never asked for a day off. Nothing outside of her two week vacation and holiday time, anyway.
“No, this is highly unusual for her. I guess she will start to. Now that I have given her an inch, I’m sure she will take a mile.”
“That’s not fair Dallas. I’m sure she had good reason to take off to call you on a Sunday and ask. Why are you so hard on her?” he asked, making me feel like shit.
“I’m not hard on her,” I responded, my defenses going up. “I pay her very well to do her job. I’m more than fair and I never ask her to do anything that I have not done. What’s the big deal about picking someone up from the airport anyway?” I asked, mostly to myself. I realized then how little I knew about Lindsey. I didn’t even know her mother lived out of town.
“Give her a break. I’m sure she deserves it. Everyone does every now and then,” Luke stated, making me feel even guiltier.
“Do you mind stopping somewhere? I am in desperate need of some caffeine,” I said, dropping the subject completely.
“No problem,” he said, turning into a service station just off the highway.
“You need anything?” I asked, opening my door to get out.
“No, I’m good,” he responded with a mischievous smile. What was that about? I walked inside, browsing at items that I did not need. I selected a candy bar and a soda and made my way to the cashier. I looked outside to see Luke looking down at what I assumed was his phone. He was so breathtakingly gorgeous, even from a distance.
“Thanks,” the cashier said handing me my change. I smiled in response and headed back to the truck.
“Lindsey texted,” Luke said as soon as I sat in the truck.
“I’ll text her back later,” I responded with absolutely no intention of doing so.
“I already did,” Luke said, pulling back onto the highway. I jerked my head around towards him.
“You did what?” I asked, trying to remain calm but failing to do so.
“I messaged her back. I told her to just take the whole day off tomorrow.”
“Why would you do that?” I asked calmly, too calmly.
“Because we are making each other better people, Dallas. I want to be a better person when I am with you and I can tell you do, too. I want you to act towards her the way you act around me. I bet she’s never seen the playful and fun Dallas that I know,” he stated, making eye contact with me as much as possible without running us off the road.
He had me. This sexy man knew that he couldn’t do or say anything that would keep me mad at him, and without knowing it, he had used this new found knowledge to benefit someone other than himself. I wanted to be mad, but I couldn’t. He was right, and as much as I hated saying that anyone other than me was right; I couldn’t help but smile. He had won me over with his good looks and his charm. Now he was making me feel better about helping someone, even though I had not done anything.
“You're welcome,” Luke said, grabbing my hand and pulling me across the seat next to him. I snuggled into his side and let out a sigh of contentment. “Sometimes those who are fortunate tend to overlook those who are not. I promise by doing this you will benefit more than you ever thought possible. Trust me, I know from experience,” he said, sliding his arm around my waist, pulling me closer and kissing my head.
“So, you were once a crude self-centered bitch, too?” I asked. He threw his head back and laughed. “I guess you could say that. I took out my own misery on others. It never ends well.”
I glanced down at my phone, reading the message of thanks from Lindsey. I wasn’t real happy about what had happened, but I knew in my cold heart that it was the right thing to do and just a
cknowledging that was a big accomplishment for someone like me. I opened my candy bar and took a huge bite, letting the chocolate soothe my worries and chased it with a large drink of soda. I continued in my own selfish thoughts, ignoring the world completely, consuming the entire thing in only four bites.
“I like chocolate, too,” Luke said, interrupting my thoughts.
“I’m sorry, did you want some?” I asked innocently, staring up at him with pure satisfaction on my face.
“I guess not,” Luke said, seeming hurt. I rubbed my tongue across my lips moaning to myself.
“It was so delicious, too,” I said, closing my eyes and dramatizing the moment.
“You’ll pay for that,” Luke said giving me his dark bedroom stare.
“Looking forward to it, LLC.”
Chapter 6
We pulled into Luke’s driveway around two-thirty. I took notice that everyone else seemed to have left and that it was just the two of us. Luke grabbed my hand and led me through the house into a room that I had never been in before. The entire room was covered in brick and the floor was concrete. The walls were decked out in black and white pictures of motorcycles. The ceiling was painted into an American flag and there were French doors that led outside. Parked in the middle of the room was a huge motorcycle that took my breath away. I had never seen one so beautiful. It was solid black and covered in chrome. The gas tank had orange flames outlined in white that ran all the way to the leather seat. The saddle bags were hard plastic and had a chrome bar that ran all the way around them. Road King was inscribed on the front fender.
“You like it?” Luke asked, staring at me with a huge grin on his face.
“I love it,” I replied enthusiastically. I was surprised at myself for having such strong feelings toward a motorcycle. I had never taken notice of one before, but then again, I had never fallen for a motorcycle man either.
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