Balance (The Chicago Defiance MC Book 6)

by K E Osborn

  Grabbing the shampoo and conditioner, I go about washing my hair, then scrub my body thinking the entire time about what Neve’s doing and how I wish like hell she was in here with me rather than out there with that weasel, Julian. I’m sure he’s thought of her naked more times than I’ve had hot dinners. Or maybe not, I do get a slight effeminate vibe from him.

  Grunting to myself at the first thought, I rinse off the last of soap suds, then turn off the faucet. I squeeze my hair out with my fingers as I step out of the shower wrapping the towel around my body.

  Then it hits me.

  I left my bag out in the bedroom.

  Fuck.

  Bending down, I pick up my briefs, make sure my towel is secure around my waist and then head back out into the bedroom hoping Neve and Julian are still in their meeting. But as I walk into the room, Neve’s big doe eyes open wide taking in my wet, practically naked form. Her mouth drops open as she stands stock still on the spot ogling me with no regret. Her eyes wander up and down my naked chest, her eyes taking in each sculptured ab muscle then her eyes drift to my hair—down, untamed, and wet like I’ve just come from the ocean.

  Her bottom lip draws into her mouth as she gnaws on it obviously, her thighs clenching together as I clear my throat. “Sorry, forgot my bag.”

  She tenses all over. “No, it’s fine.” A flush of red breaks out all over her face. “Feel free to drop the towel even.”

  I’m pretty sure she’s joking, but she doesn’t know me at all. So, I cock my head then grab the hem of the towel. Her eyes widen as her face falls like she’s terrified I might actually do it as I rip the towel off letting it fall to the floor.

  She gasps as her hand rushes to her eyes trying to cover them. “Shit, Ace! We’re trying to be good,” she blurts out as a small gap appears between her fingers.

  “I see you peeking.” I laugh as I stand naked and proud.

  Her fingers snap shut again as she spins her back to me. “For God’s sake, put on some damn clothes.”

  “Why? Am I making this hard for you?” She groans audibly as she starts walking toward the front door. “Where are you going?”

  She spins back around, her eyes still closed. “If you’re not getting dressed, I’m leaving.”

  “Okay, okay, come back… I’ll put some pants on—”

  “And a shirt.”

  I smirk. “And a shirt.”

  She puts one hand out while the other stays on her eyes, she feels for the bed then sits down. “Good. Now hurry up. We have places to be.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  I walk to my bag to start getting dressed while chuckling to myself.

  “And Ace, this better not become a morning ritual for us.”

  I contemplate doing this to her every morning just to wind her up, but then I figure her sanity is more important. “Noted.”

  I think my goal is to show her who I am, who the club is. I want to change her perception, but if I do this just for fun then that’s not doing that. Today shouldn’t have happened, no need to keep on doing it just for entertainment’s sake. If I want her to see my cock, she will when the time’s right. The connection between Neve and me is there. I have to let it grow naturally, not try to force it with humor.

  It needs time, and I’m willing to give her that.

  Nine Days Later

  Spending a little over week with Neve in close proximity has been a struggle. Not because she’s hard to deal with, just the opposite, in fact. My attraction to her grows exponentially every day, and sleeping on the fucking sofa while I know she’s only feet away in a huge bed is starting to do my head in. When we get back to the hotel at night, she’s so tired, we hardly have time for much talking, so we kiss goodnight and go to bed. Though the chemistry is definitely there, I know we’re both holding back.

  Everything in me wants to ravage her—I’m a man, and she’s one hell of a woman. Fuck, if seeing her prance around the hotel room in a cami and boy shorts doesn’t make my cock so damn hard I can’t concentrate. But I’ve been able to keep myself under control, somehow.

  “Shit’s been good at the set. I’ve been tailing Neve, and Noah’s been on Cindi. But the thing I’ve noticed the most is when I see Danny around Unit Base, I haven’t observed Roman with him since I brought in Brody and Grier to take guard. I can honestly say I’ve never been so happy to have uniforms around periodically and to be working with them. Normally, they make me a little unsettled, even these two. I know Brody and Grier bend the rules for us, but in the end, they’re still cops, so they will always do the right thing. That plays on my mind when I bring them into our situations.

  I know from the few conversations I’ve had with Neve that she finds it strange that cops and bikers can work closely together. Typically, they can’t, but Brody and I have a history. He trusts me, and therefore the club. Grier trusts Brody and that’s how this works so well.

  But over the past few days when Grier has been around, she and Neve have actually been getting along really well, which is strange considering Grier doesn’t tend to get along with anyone other than Brody. The thing about Grier is she’s straight-laced, she does her job with a stern face and hardly any emotion at all. It’s hard to break through her shell, but somehow, she and Neve are bonding.

  Neve and I are moving along at a snail’s pace. I need to do something to show her that this life, this club, shouldn’t be something to deny us from the chemistry we’re feeling. She needs to see the image she has in her mind isn’t reality. Sure, we’ve done shit that the everyday public doesn’t, but most of the time my brothers are decent, stand-up citizens.

  It’s Saturday night, and it’s been a long-ass day. We’ve just arrived back to the hotel, and I have an idea I want to run past Neve.

  She walks over to her giant bed throwing herself back on the mattress with a loud exhale. “What a day,” she grunts out as I stroll over, sitting on the edge of the bed next to her.

  Her eyes roll into the back of her head as she closes them like she’s exhausted. Maybe I should leave this for another time?

  “Ace, I can hear you thinking from here,” she mumbles with her eyes closed.

  I grab her hand threading our fingers together. Her lips slowly turn upward as she tightens her grip.

  “How can you hear someone think? That’s impossible.”

  Her eyes open while her smile intensifies, her eyes locking onto mine as she giggles. “Just ask me whatever it is you want to.”

  I inhale staring into her eyes, so she knows I’m not fucking about. “I know you think me being part of an MC is a bad image… that we have a lousy rep…” she turns away from me, guilt riddled all over her face, “… but, Neve, the thing is, I’m a man first. I might have a Road Name, I might have a duty to uphold and a club to answer to, but we’re not hardened criminals. Defiance isn’t about that life. I know people automatically think that, but we can set them straight.” She goes to say something, but I continue before she can, “Though, the one person I want to set straight first… is you.”

  Her head snaps back as she stares at me, her mouth ajar a little as she slowly sits up. Neve turns to face me as she lets that sink in. She exhales glancing down at the bed, then peers up at me through her lashes. “You believe I think you’re bad news?”

  Grimacing, I shrug. “I don’t know what you think, Neve. That’s why I’m taking you to the clubhouse tonight.”

  She stands abruptly from the bed as she takes a long stride away from me.

  Shit.

  Maybe this is a bad idea.

  “You want to take me to your clubhouse?”

  I stand to step over to her. “Yes. I want to show you it’s not a bad place. I want to introduce you to everyone. Neve, I know this sounds crazy—”

  “Crazy? Julian would never allow it,” she gasps out.

  I scoff out a laugh. “Julian? Why do you care what he thinks? Don’t you want to see what breaking a stereotype is all about? Don’t you want to see for yourself?�
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  She steps closer to me. I can see she’s wavering as I slowly watch the idea mulling over in her mind. “He’ll kill me if he finds out.”

  “So, you wanna sneak around then?” I ask with a smirk, loving this idea.

  Her lips lift causing her eyes to light up. Her teeth are perfectly aligned giving off a glow of happiness like a ray of fucking sunshine. “If we take the cars, then Julian will be alerted.”

  Excitement flows through me loving this rebellious streak in her. “Wanna go for a ride?”

  A harmonic giggle bursts from her lips making my cock lurch in my jeans as she steps up to me encircling her arms around my neck. My arms wrap around her waist holding her to me tightly as we stare into each other’s eyes.

  She exhales a heavy sigh. “Yeah, Ace. I wanna go for a ride.”

  Adrenaline pumps through my veins. I’ve never felt more fucking happy at the idea of having a woman on the back of my bike. Leaning in, I press my lips to hers, hard. She whimpers, kissing me as I slide my tongue against her lips, and she grants me access. Her fingers thread in my hair as I pull her to me as close as fucking possible. She knows what this means to me, and right now I couldn’t feel more connected to her if I tried.

  Slowly, I pull back letting out a contented exhale. “Well then, m’lady, your ride awaits.”

  She bounces on her toes, opening her eyes wide, but then searches around the room. “Wait, I got to do something first.”

  She detaches from me, taking off. I stand back watching the show as she rushes about grabbing black clothes, Nikes, and a baseball cap. I stifle my laugh as she hurries off to the bathroom.

  I sit on the bed. “Neve, you do realize you’re going to be wearing a helmet, there’s no need for a cap?”

  She ducks her head out of the bathroom, peering at me. “But there is. If I’m going to make it from my room to your bike without being seen by either someone from our crew or a fan, then I need to be incognito.”

  She’s right. “Good thinking.”

  She winks at me as her head snaps back inside the bathroom. While she’s busy, I grab my cell from my pocket and quickly type out a text to Torque.

  Me: Bringing Neve over to meet everyone. Need them all to be on their best behavior, they’ll listen to you if you make it an order? Joking… kinda.

  I hit send chuckling to myself when a reply comes in.

  Pres: Are you ordering me around?

  I grimace not knowing if he’s annoyed or messing about, sarcasm over text is so hard to tell.

  Me: More of a gentle nudge.

  Pres: I prefer things rougher than this gentle shit.

  Fucking hell, he’s in one of his sarcastic moods. I should have guessed. I go to type back, but another text comes in quickly.

  Pres: Bring her over, the boys will be on their best behavior. Is Cindi coming?

  Me: Thanks, Torque, and no, just us.

  Pres: Right.

  “You sexting with someone over there, Ace?” Neve asks as I glance up from my cell to see her vivaciously mischievous stare, but she’s wearing all black and a baseball cap atop her gorgeous head.

  I lock my screen and shove my cell back in my pants. “Not likely, just telling my president we’re coming.”

  She throws her hands out wide, spinning around. “Well, how do I look?”

  I hesitate. “Like you’re about to rob a bank.”

  Her arms slam down to her sides as she gasps. “What! I do not!”

  I stand to reach out for her hand. “All you need is some dark glasses, and you’ll be set.”

  Her eyes open wide. “Oh, good idea.”

  She rushes off to the other side of the room rifling through a bag.

  “Neve, it’s past eight at night, wearing sunglasses is only going to draw attention to you. I was joking.”

  She stands glancing at me chewing on her bottom lip. “Hmm, yeah, maybe you’re right. But normal glasses won’t.”

  I tilt my head. “You wear prescription glasses?”

  She shrugs. “No, but I have glasses with fake lenses.”

  Honestly, I’m not even surprised. “Yeah, okay. Put them on,” I suggest as she grabs them from her bag placing the rectangular black rimmed glasses on. It actually makes her look sexy as fuck. Taking a deep breath as she walks up to me, I take her hand in mine while she steadies her shoulders.

  “Okay, let’s go.”

  I chuckle. “Right, let’s do this.”

  We walk out of the suite into the hall. I look left then right, no one’s around. So I signal for Neve to follow. She does, and we make a dash for the elevator. She giggles like a little school girl—it’s great to see this adventurous side of her. We stand waiting for the elevator to reach us, her foot nervously tapping on the lush red carpet as I reach out grabbing her hand, holding it for support. She’s probably snuck out of hotels before, well maybe, but never to go to a biker’s clubhouse. I’m sure she feels like a rebel right now, and I’m more than happy to oblige her.

  The elevator dings, the doors opening enough for us to notice two young girls inside. Neve tenses, her head ducking down instantly so the rim of the cap covers her face. Her instinct is to back up, but I tighten my grip on her hand and walk us into the elevator. It will be more obvious if we don’t go in. Hesitantly, Neve and I walk inside, but the two girls are too busy playing on their cells to even glance at Neve.

  Her grip on my hand is so tight. She’s obviously freaking out thinking she’s going to get caught before we even leave the hotel. Slowly, one of the girls glances up from her cell as the elevator starts moving. She looks at Neve. Nothing registers on her face, but then she side eyes me. Her eyes widen as her entire face alights in shock. Her hand with her cell drops to her side as she looks me up and down. She’s got to be barely sixteen.

  “Dude, are you really a biker? Or are you like, dressing up?” she asks, making her friend glance up from her cell as well. Her eyes widen as she takes me in too.

  “Whoa! Your man bun is so extra!” The other girl gushes at her friend.

  “Totally, Sasha. O.M.G. are you totally like Charlie Hunnam? He’s so hot—”

  “You’re so right, Emma. Wait till we tell all the girls about this. We’ve met a real-life biker.”

  Sasha jumps on the spot. “Oh. My. God. Can we get a photo?” She pulls up her cell as they rush in next to me, but I grab her cell yanking it away from her while shaking my head. They both gasp wide-eyed, a little like they’re in awe of me.

  “No photos,” I demand in a gruff voice handing Sasha back her cell.

  Her eyes widen, glowing with excitement. “Wow. You are a real biker. Best. Day. Ever!”

  The elevator dings, and we all watch the doors as they open. The girls turn to us, and I’m sure they’re exuding rays of fucking sunshine. “It was so good to meet you, biker man,” one says as they both rush out into the hall without another word giggling together.

  The doors close, and we start the decent again as Neve and I glance at each other. She exhales while I rub the back of my neck.

  “What the fuck was that?” I ask.

  She lets out a hefty sigh. “My saving grace.”

  “Huh?”

  She exhales peering at the mirror on the elevator’s back wall to take in her reflection as she pulls her cap down a little lower. “If the distraction of you didn’t take over, they might have noticed it was me… but anyway, it was nice to see not everyone in the public is scared of bikers like Julian thinks.”

  While Sasha and Emma might have been a pain in my ass, they might also have been a helping hand in my plight to get Neve over to my side. “Well, we’re not all as bad-ass like everyone thinks. I have tried to tell you this,” I mock.

  She rolls her eyes as the elevator dings. The doors open, and she pushes me to the back leading us out of the small enclosure. “Yeah, yeah, Mr. Know-It-All. Get on your bike.”

  I stroll out into the hotel foyer where there are a few people milling around. She slides into my
side grabbing my hand as she nuzzles in as close as possible. I walk with her toward the underground parking garage exit, but we have to walk past a few people to get there. She’s tense, but I keep us moving at a normal pace without it seeming even more suspicious than it already is—a biker and a woman dressed in all black, wearing a baseball cap, walking through a lobby. The good thing is all the staff are busy, all the guests are occupied with getting their rooms, so we walk through without a hassle to the parking garage.

  She turns to me letting out a heavy breath. “Geez, this stealthy stuff is hard work.”

  I snicker as we approach my ride. I feel it, the moment the goosebumps litter her skin, the moment she inhales sharply, the moment excitement fills her body, and as I turn to watch her, it seeps out of every pore. An energy alights with an electric buzz. She glances at me almost like a child on Christmas morning. She’s eager to ride, not just my bike, but she’s eager to ride my bike with me. The thought has me on such a high, I don’t waste another second. I lean in planting a very brief kiss on her lips, then reach for my helmet. I turn to grab her baseball cap off her head. She peers at me curiously as I hand her the helmet. “You’re going to wear this.”

  She sighs. “But I’ll need the cap for when we come back.”

  Grabbing the back of the cap, I loop my man bun through the buckle hole, tightening it as tight as it will go as she pulls my helmet over her head. Leaning in, I do up the straps for her as she watches my every move with a look of awe written over her gorgeous face. I love the way her big doe eyes are gazing up at me through her lashes right now. If ever I’ve felt like a man, it’s right in this moment. The adoration in her simple gaze is unwavering. It’s intoxicating, but we have somewhere to be, and I can’t stand here all night watching her watch me. Plus, that would eventually be weird.

  So, I pat the top of the helmet making her giggle as I turn to face my bike to get on.

  “Is it wrong that I’m a little turned on right now?”