Bad Boys of Romance - a Biker Anthology (4 page)

“Let’s ride out,” I shout over the rumble of the bikes to my three brothers.  I wave my hand over my head and then revel in the beauty of the sound as my bike purrs out of the compound gates.

Fifteen minutes later, we pull into Joe’s Bar.

I give a wave to Glenda as we walk through the main bar toward the function room where the ball will be held tomorrow night.  I haven’t heard from her about her boys, so I’m assuming they’re either on the straight and narrow or she didn’t think my offer was genuine.  I’m putting my money on the latter.  I’ll have another word with her before I leave today.

I spot her immediately.  She’s standing near the open doors that lead out to the balcony, speaking to someone, a smile on her lips, her hands waving about in front of her as she explains something.

I walk to her and stop a few paces away.

“- Believe what you’ve come up with.  It’s simply stunning, Melissa.  It’s going to look amazing tomorrow night.”

“I better get back to work,” Melissa says to Jenna when her eyes slide to me.

“Sure thing.  And, thanks again, Melissa.”

Jenna turns and her eyes find me.  Her body seems to rock back and her eyes widen and her lips part.

Fuck! Those lips.  Soft, full and plump.  I want to sink my teeth into them and suck.  I want to kiss every inch of her body until she’s begging for my cock.  My eyes land on her jean-covered pussy and I feel my own jeans tighten at the crotch.

Slowly, I drag my gaze back up over her slender body until I land back on her face.

“Afternoon, Jenna,” I smirk.

She clears her throat before speaking softly.  “Good afternoon, Switch.  Thank you so much for coming in today,” her eyes dart over my shoulder to meet those of the brothers behind me and then they come back to rest on mine.

“No problems.  What can we do?”

“There’s a bunch of tables just off the balcony that need to be brought in.”

“Done.”

I lead the way outside and finally manage to take a deep breath.

I stand at the end of one of the tables, waiting for a brother to lift the other end when I’m startled with a slap on the back.

“What the fuck, Prez?  Talk about sexual tension,” my VP, Roam, grins at me.  “I think
I’m
gonna need a fuck after that in there,” he tosses his head over his shoulder.

“Fuck off, idiot,” I growl at him without malice.

He claps me on the shoulder again and walks to the other end of the table.

“You
gonna try and tap that?”

I don’t answer, I just shake my head.  No. I’m not going to tap that.
Yet.
  But, fuck, if I don’t want to.  I’ve even refrained from kissing her since that first night, as much as it pains me.  But I know Jenna deserves more than that.  She doesn’t want to be seen as the
other woman
.  And, even though I’d never view her that way, I don’t want her living with guilt, so I’ve kept my hands to myself.

“Well, if you’re not interested,” he trails off, shrugging.

“Keep your dick the fuck away from her,” I grind out harshly.

He holds his hands up in front of him, palms facing me.  “Chill out,
Prez,” he laughs.

“Stupid motherfucker,” I grumble under my breath.  Still, I can’t help the grin that tugs on my lips.  Roam has been my best friend for as long as I can remember.  We both grew up in the club and after my father passed the gavel on to me, I knew immediately who I wanted as my second.  There was never any other option.

Our father’s had managed had to take the club from a bunch of illegal outlaws to a law-abiding brotherhood that stuck together, helped our community and had each other’s backs.  There was no longer any tension – in the club itself, or otherwise – and my brothers could one hundred percent trust the man standing beside him to have his back.

We set about putting all the tables inside and lining them up exactly where Jenna tells us to.  She looks fucking sexy, chewing her lip as she thinks about the layout, but it’s when she bends over to pick a piece of paper she’s dropped that I
let out a audible groan.  Her jeans stretch tight across her ass and I can’t stop staring.

“Thanks so much for all your help today, boys.  I really do appreciate it.”

They all give me grins and chin lifts as they file out the door.  All, except one.  Switch.  He stands in front of me and my stupid body can’t help but inch closer to him.  His palm comes up to rest on my jaw and I can’t tear my eyes away from his.  No words are spoken, but they don’t need to be.  It’s almost like I can
feel
what he’s trying to convey.

“Are you all coming tomorrow night?” I ask softly.

“Yeah,” he confirms.

“Good.” 

He leans in, stepping closer so our bodies touch and a shiver ripples through my body.  His whispered words tickle my ear as he speaks, “Can’t wait to see you in a dress.”

I feel the loss of his heat as he steps back, my body instantly turning cold.  I stand stunned for minutes after he leaves without another word.

***

“Jenna!  You look absolutely stunning.  Wow, girl!”  Glenda gasps as I walk up to the bar before the ball.

“Thanks,” I say, nervously running my hands over my gown, making sure there are no wrinkles.

My hair is pulled to the side, clasped in a messy bun just below my ear.  My makeup is light everywhere, except around my eyes where the grey shimmer powder gives a seductive look while making my eyes pop.  My dress is gorgeous; floor length, the lightest of light blue and strapless.  It skims my body, giving the illusion of curves when I don’t have any.  I tug at the chiffon wrap draped over each of my elbows and give Glenda another smile. 

“You look lovely, as well, Glenda.”  Even the bar staff have dressed up tonight, forgoing their usual uniform of black shirts and black pants for gorgeous satin knee length dresses embroidered with Joe’s Bar just above the left breast.

“What can I do for you?”

“Nothing, I just wanted to double check that everything is ready to go?”

“Yes.  All set.  The bar’s stocked and everyone is ready to go.”

“Fantastic.  I better go check in with the head waiter.”

“Jenna, have fun tonight.  Try to relax.  You’ve done all the prep, this night will be amazing, but don’t miss it because you’re stressing out.”

“I’ll try not to,” I laugh, knowing there’s no way I’ll be able to relax until the end of the night and I know it’s been a success.  “You have a good night, as well, Glenda.  You deserve a stress-free night.”

After checking in with the catering team, I busy myself making sure all the donations are set out for the silent auction.

The prizes that have been donated are absolutely amazing.  The community really outdid itself.

“You look like you need a drink,” Melissa says, handing me a glass of wine.  “Sit.”

“Thanks,” I reply gratefully, taking the drink and bringing it to my lips.

So good.

“You need to calm down!  Tonight will be perfect, Jenna.  Sit back and enjoy your hard work.”

I watch the door as people begin filing in, dressed to the nines, the men in suits and the women in stunning ball gowns.

“I should go check in with the security team,” I mutter, attempting to stand.  Melissa grabs my arm and pulls me back down.

“The security guys know what they’re doing,” she laughs shaking her head.  “Relax,” she raises her eyebrows at me.

“Fine,” I give her an eye roll.

***

“Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of Joe’s Bar, I would like to sincerely thank you for coming out tonight.  I would also like to take a moment to say an extra special thanks to Jenna Mason for all her hard work in putting together such an amazing event.  Also, to Melissa Roth for creating a magical room tonight, the Mayhem Motorcycle Club boys for being our major sponsor, Grinners Catering team for serving us delicious food and all of the generous businesses that donated items for the silent auction.

Without further ado, I’d like to invite the stunning Jenna Mason onto the floor to kick off the fun part of the night – the dancing,” the Emcee laughs.  “Jenna
will be accompanied by Hunter Cruz, from the Mayhem Motorcycle Club.  Please, give them a round of applause.”  He bows and walks off stage.

The lights dim and I walk out in to the center of the dance floor, acutely aware that all eyes are on me.  I try not to fidget as the music starts to play.

My teeth sink into bottom lip. 
Who the fuck is Hunter Cruz, and where is he?!

I hear movement from behind me and I turn, gasping as Switch walks toward me.  I can’t take my eyes off him.  It’s the first time I’ve seen him all night.  He’s wearing black jeans, with a white button-down shirt and his black leather vest over that.

My mouth waters.

He stops in front of me and holds out his hand.  “May I have this dance?”

“Uh,” I break eye contact to look around the room, waiting for Hunter to show.

He steps forward, his arm snaking out and wrapping around my waist as he tugs me flush against his body.  My hands automatically go to his shoulders to steady myself.

“I’m Hunter Cruz,” he whispers in my ear as he begins moving us across the dance floor in time with the music.

I pull my head back to look into his eyes to see if he’s
kidding me.  “You are?” I ask, when I see only heat in his blue depths.

“I am,” he mouths.

Damn.  Hunter Cruz is a fucking hot name.

I drag my gaze away from his face and make the mistake of leaning into him and breathing deep.  He smells so good, my insides clench and my blood starts to heat.  Leather, fresh air and cologne.

I know it’s wrong, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I can hear my rational
self screaming at me to step away from him.

He’s still married.

I shouldn’t be pressed up against a man, breathing him in, and
loving it!
, when that man is married.

But, for now, I can’t find it in me to listen.  I ignore the voice and melt into Switch as he slowly sways us to the music.

I barely register the song changing and other couples moving in to dance as well or the fact that the music has changed from a slow beat to a hip dance song.  It’s like we’re in our own world.  A world where only Switch and I exist.  A world I don’t want to leave just yet.

“Jenna,” he rumbles in my ear, causing my body to break out in goose-pimples.

“Mmm?”

He pulls back and uses his fingers to tilt my chin up and back.  I open my eyes and blink and few times, trying to focus in the darkness.

“What’s going on?”

“I needed to be alone with you.”

“Switch.” His name leaves my lips sounding like a breathless plea.

“Tell me to stop,” he begs.

“I can’t,” I whisper back immediately.

“Jenna,” he growls. 

My hands move up the back of his neck, threading through his hair as I bring his mouth down to meet mine.  My lips part instantly and his tongue slides inside to tangle with mine.  My back hits the wall and he traps me there with his hard body.  I can hear the dull music from the band still playing but my mind has gone foggy as I let him consume me without a thought, without a care.

God!
His mouth.

He breaks the kiss when we’re both panting. Resting his forehead against mine, he closes his eyes and I sigh as his heavy puffs of breath mingle with my own.

“Damn, Jenna.  What are you doing to me?”

“I could say the same back, Switch,” I whisper.

He takes my hand and leads me outside onto the balcony.  There are a few people standing around chatting and smoking, but Switch finds a nice, quiet spot in the corner.  He pulls me up against him and I cup his jaw in my palm, the stubble of his short beard tickling my hand.

“I know this isn’t the type of person you are,
Jenn.  Hell, it’s not the type of person
I
am, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want you.  It doesn’t mean I can’t stop thinking about you, and it doesn’t mean that I want nothing more than to file for divorce without a second glance back and try and be the type of man you deserve.”

“I know.  I want you, too.  But, I would be lying if I said I don’t feel guilty about kissing you.”

“I’ve never wanted anyone as much as I want you, Jenn.  But, I’ve got to take care of Amber first.  I’ve got to get her the help she deserves so I can be the man
you
deserve.”

“I know,” I nod, swallowing hard.  I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt.  It does.  In such a short time he’s come to mean so much to me that I don’t know where I’d be left if he decided he wanted to try and make things work with his wife.

“I don’t want anyone but you,” he murmurs, capturing my head in his hands and bringing his lips to touch mine in a brief kiss.  “You don’t need to worry about that happening, okay?”

I realize I must have said the words out loud.

“Okay,” I reply softly.

“Good.  I know I’m not in a position to ask you to trust me, baby, but I need you to.  Trust me to do what I have to do so I can make things right for us and for Amber.”

“Okay,” I repeat.

He looks over my face, searching, and when he finds what he was looking for, he smiles down at me and leans in to kiss me again.  Not wanting to let him go just yet, I melt into his arms/body/lips?
and deepen the kiss, my arms go around his neck and I hold him to me as my tongue dances with his.

He groans, pulling back.  “I better go, baby.”

“Ride safe,” I whisper.

“Always.”  He touches his index finger to my nose and then walks away.  I sigh, leaning up against the railing.

I can’t believe I’ve become the
other woman.
  Essentially, that’s what has happened.  Even though Switch and I haven’t slept together, when push comes to shove, that’s exactly what I am.  The thought makes me nauseous.  Despite that, I know I need to trust what Switch says.  I have to trust that he’ll handle it.

I just hope he can do what he needs to do before the guilt eats me from the inside out.