“I don’t know.”
I squint at her, trying to figure out what she ain’t telling me right out. “He kicked you out of the car and made you walk here?”
“No.”
I lean in close to her, and she shivers as her eyes close. Not sure what she’s feeling from the energy radiating off me. I sure as hell can feel my mayhem and retribution like a flavor in the air. I hope she just sees it as a comfy blanket to snuggle into. She might not need a man to stand up for her, but she has one now, no matter if she wants it or not.
“I elbowed him in the face, then kicked him out of my car when he complained that I broke his nose.”
I’m completely caught off guard by that and find myself leaning away from her, confused as fuck. “Then why isn’t your car outside?”
She sighs. “Not sure what went wrong, but it stopped working. I got it off the road, but there was no cell reception, so I walked to the only place with lights on.”
She laughs at me, and I’ve got to admit, I would too. Here I was thinking I could save her when she really just proved she doesn’t need me at all. And it’s hot as hell.
We sit in comfortable silence for a bit till she looks over and asks a simple question. “What’s your name? I can’t keep calling you Prospect, and since I’m not connected to the club, you can’t get in trouble for telling me.”
“Gator.”
“Huh?”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Road name’s Gator. I just got patched as a full member of the Hounds of the Reaper.”
“So you aren’t going to tell me your real name?”
I shrug and smile. “Itismy real name. I’m Gator.”
The silence stretches between us. The music is playing, but you can still hear the sound of whips in the air, flesh being smacked by a hand or just from the impact of being impaled by a cock. I adjust my dick, ’cause I’m a guy and basically sitting in a live porno studio. The sounds might have helped me keep my dick erect, but it’s the woman beside me who got me hard in the first place. Even from here, I can smell the apple scent she wears. Like apple pie, and I fucking love that stuff. I just want to lick her and see if she tastes as good as she smells.
“Congrats, by the way.”
A slow smile spreads across my face. Full. Genuine. It’s the type of smile that’s infectious, and Bailey just caught it.
“Why are you smiling like that?”
“I can ask you the same thing.” I’ve got no reason to smile other than that I’m next to the girl I want and have a patch on my back that makes me proud.
She just shakes her head, as if she has no clue, but keeps smiling. Till she stops. Till the world seems to still as I reach out and put the small bit of hair that fell in her face behind her ear. I don’t move my hand to my side when I’m done but rather run it slowly down the curve of her face. Stopping only when I get to her lips, and then I trace my thumb around them. They’ve parted in a gasp, one I never hear but feel on my face as I lean in close to touch her.
I take my time looking into her eyes. Watching, memorizing, estimating what she’s thinking. I see nothing that tells me she’s hating this, so I chance a glance at her lips. They’re so soft that I can’t help but trace them with the pad of my thumb again.
Her tongue darts out as I make my pass, and I inhale as I focus back on her eyes. Did she do it on accident? Was it on purpose to touch me? Taste me?
“Bailey Haven! Where’s that asshole?”
Our bubble is popped when Kitten yells. I glance at the door and see all the old ladies filing in. Ruby and Kitten don’t even look around, zeroing in on Bailey and me at the bar as they march over. Lady, Mama Bear, and Fairy stumble after them as they eye their surroundings. Lady’s the only one who has flushed cheeks as she looks her fill, but I think it’s because she’s more turned on than embarrassed. Saw her with the same look on her face when I saw her man, Bulldog, whisper stuff to her a minute before they went to his clubhouse room and the screams started coming out. Mama Bear is just smiling like crazy, so she must be okay with everything. Only one I don’t know well yet is Fairy. She’s a bit odd in social settings but smart from what I’ve been told. She just keeps tilting her head, turning it almost all the way around as she watches an interesting scene play out that involves four people and a stockade.
I almost hate that they showed. Only ’cause I’ll never know what would have happened between Bailey and me if given another few minutes. But I can’t be mad that they came. I love that. A non-club member having the club’s support is huge. Also helps that I don’t have to get the girl I like vetted by the old ladies. They already like her. Not that old lady approval is necessary, but I think the club has realized that if the women can get along, it’s just easier for us all.
“Slow your roll, Jules. I left the guy like twenty miles away. He could be dead for all I know.” Bailey rolls her eyes but still gives Kitten, and the rest of the girls, side hugs as they come up to her.
I give a chin lift to Ruby, the unofficial woman in charge. She ain’t an old lady, but the president’s daughter gets her own level of respect in my book. Plus, she’s been with the Hounds the longest and has seniority.
“Left him? I thought you said he kicked you out for not sucking his cock,” Kitten asks, confusion all over her face.
I smirk as I drink my beer and watch Bailey bristle. I find it cute as hell.
“No, that’s what you heard. While I do love this new side of you since the head injury, the whole ‘hear only a little bit and go in guns blazing’ thing isn’t needed. I said, and I quote, ‘I kicked his ass out, and he wasn’t even worth my time to suck his cock, as he wanted to go Dutch on dinner.’ Usually I’m all for a girl paying her own way, but if you askmeout, then I expect you to pay. Not drive to my place and then ask me to drive because you’re out of gas, and then make a big point about ordering anything I want only to ask for two separate checks.”
