Devil May Care (Four Horsemen MC Book 4) (16 page)

Oh, bad choice of words.

He turned red, from embarrassment or anger, she couldn’t say. “That’s different, I—”

“In what way? Because we aren’t talking about you?” She understood his concern, but she wouldn’t tolerate hypocrisy. “What if Elizabeth let your reputation stop her from dating you? If I recall, you didn’t have much to recommend you at the time.”

At the time, his idea of a relationship had been banging hellions in the back of the bar. He didn’t even have the decency to take them to his place to screw around.

“Okay, I get what you mean.” He crossed his arms across his chest. “But I still don’t like it. Or him. And I’m not on board with this.”

“Fair enough.” But she could see through all of his bluster. “Why don’t we talk about the real reason you’re so damn tetchy?”

He looked up sharply. “And what’s that?”

“You don’t want me to get hurt.” Her boys had been her protectors for years, stepped into the role Joker hadn’t been able to fulfill any more.

He met her eyes. “You’ve been through hell already. He’s not nearly good enough for you. You deserve better.”

She sighed, some of the tension draining away. “And would anyone be good enough?”

“Hell no.”

She rounded the desk and Ryker stood up, grabbed her up in a bear hug, lifting her up off her feet. “I hate to tell you this, kid, but I’m going to date who I want to date. Regardless of what you think.”

There
, she said it.

“And do whatever you damn well please,” he said, setting her down once more.

 “Yup.” She beamed at him.

“Fine.”  His brow furrowed.  “I guess I don’t have a choice.  So I’ll roll with it. Do I have to like him?”

“No, but you have to be civil,” she cautioned. “I won’t allow any macho man bullshit.” The last thing she needed was a pissing contest between Ryker and Captain. That could get really ugly. “And keep in mind, he’s the president of the club.”

“Yeah, believe me I’m aware,” he said, with a groan. “It still won’t save him, though. If he hurts you, I’ll play a round of baseball with his kneecap.” Ryker made a show of cracking his knuckles.

 “Holy shit, kid.”

He smirked. “Ain’t nobody gonna mess with you.”

Eddie bet he’d have some help. The brothers were protective of her. She didn’t envy Captain. If he broke her heart, they’d all come to her defense.  Yet another perk of being Queen Bee.

“And, I’ll be your bodyguard tonight,” he offered. “Tell Captain you already have plans. We could order pizza, watch movies? I’ll come by when I’m done here.”

“Are you sure? You’ll be leaving Elizabeth alone.”

“Actually, she’s staying with Daisy and Cowboy. They’re getting up at the crack of dawn and going shopping in Dallas tomorrow morning, so, I’m all yours if you want me.”

That’d work out fine. She’d be free after the date, and it would serve as an insurance policy if she got too frisky with Captain. “Sounds like a plan, kid.”

“See ya later.” He kissed her cheek and walked out the door.

Axel and Ryker were on board now, for the most part.  Tonight, she intended to loosen up and let Captain in a bit more. Yep, everything seemed to be falling into place.

This could work, but first she needed to pay a visit to Joker.

***

“Hey, baby, it’s me.”

 Eddie snuck over to Jackson Cemetery on her coffee break and she brushed  some dust from the top of the headstone as she reached his grave. She wished the caretakers did a better job.

“Sorry, it’s been a little while since my last visit.”

She tossed a blanket she’d pulled from the backend of her car on the ground and sat cross-legged on it. “I got something to tell you and you probably aren’t gonna like it.”

For once, she didn’t conjure an image of him, didn’t imagine what he’d say to her.  It would be hard enough to get the words out. She stared at the cold stone for a long moment, trying to gather her thoughts, so she could say this just right. Rationally, she knew Joker couldn’t hear her, but she needed to say the words and get some closure, if she wanted to be free to pursue something with Captain.

She sucked in a breath and then blurted it all out. “I had a date with Captain. You know him, he was a prospect back in the day. I like him and I haven’t felt this way about anyone since…well, you. I don’t know where it’s headed, but I want to find out.”

Eddie idly ran her fingers over his name, trying to make a connection. “I’m sorry, baby, but I’ve got to let you go, so I can make room in my life. And I’m not talking about room for him, I mean me. I need space for myself, for my life in the here and now.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I’m sorry, but I need to start living.”   

Tears sprang to her eyes and she swiped them away with the back of her hand. She stood up, grabbed the blanket, and then kissed her fingers and pressed it to the tombstone. “Bye, baby, I’ll see you at Christmas time.”

It would be the longest she’d ever gone without a visit, but it would be good for her.

She just hoped she could stick to it.

***

Later that night, Captain pulled up outside of Eddie’s place and killed the engine. He was about to walk in, when she came out onto the porch instead.  

“Come on, Killer Queen, let’s go for a ride,” he coaxed as she slowly waltzed down her driveway to his bike.

She hesitated for the briefest moment, watching him. Fuck, if she didn’t make him hard from just looking at her. He hadn’t gotten the privilege of touchin’ yet, but he hoped that all changed this evening.  

Tonight, she’d dressed up. She wore a green sweater that matched her eyes and a blue and green quilted skirt. Evidently, hauling around all those cases of liquor gave her a good workout. God, she still had fucking spectacular legs, muscular calves, and slim ankles. If he had a choice, he’d get his name tattooed on the back of one of her calves.  As soon as he took her to the doctor, to get Joker’s name removed from her wrist.

And, fuck me, she wore high heels, too.

 “I haven’t been for a ride in twenty years,” she said, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

“Then I’d say you're due.”

Eddie smoothed her skirt. “Is that outfit okay?”

“Why not?”

She glanced at the bike doubtfully. “I might burn my thighs on the pipes.”

Motorcycles ran hot and if you weren’t careful, you could get a nasty burn pretty damn quick. He should know. The first month he’d ridden, he’d gotten scorched a half dozen times until he learned to be more careful.

“We’ll be real cautious.”  Fuck, he needed those long legs of hers wrapped around him, wanted her to hold on to him. He was starved for her touch. Captain winked at her. “And if you get a burn on your thighs, darlin’, I promise to kiss them better.”

Her mouth parted a moment, and his cock jumped in his pants.   Then, she licked her lips and gave him a sassy smirk. “You wish.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

They stood on either side of his Harley Night Rod Special. She was a real beauty.  He’d gone with the jade color and she shined up like a new penny.  He’d given her an extra coat of wax today to make sure she looked her best.

He’d gotten her a few weeks ago and he fucking loved the machine. To mark the occasion, Goat had given him a brand new gremlin bell for his ride. It was a small silver bell that read:
Never Ride Faster than your Angel can Fly.

Bikers believed evil spirits or gremlins would grab onto your bike, especially when you went out on a long run.  They caused mechanical malfunctions, potholes out of nowhere, and other shit that ruined a perfectly good outing.

It was a tradition to get a gremlin bell whenever you got a new bike. According to legend, the little fuckers would be trapped in the bell and be driven insane by the constant ringing, which caused them to drop off your motorcycle.

Captain wished it would be so easy to get rid of Joker. That was one bad spirt he wanted to exorcise real personal like.

He’d planned an outing this time, to get her away from her home and all those old memories. Hopefully, it would put her at ease, make Eddie more receptive to his advances.

He grabbed an extra brain bucket from the saddlebags and handed it to her. She placed it on her head and he fastened his own helmet.

Then, he straddled the bike and started her up. She purred like a panther and he held out a hand to Eddie, to help her climb on. She stood staring at him with the most curious expression. “Aren’t you gonna ask?”

His cock kicked in his jeans again.  “For your panties?” It had been on the tip of his tongue, but he’d thought better of it. He didn’t want to press his fucking luck, especially with her.

“Yes, it’s tradition if my memory serves. One I haven’t participated in for years.”

 “Then, by all means, please give me your panties.”  He extended his palm to her.

Thank you, Jesus. Christmas came fuckin’ early this year.

 She was going to be wrapped around him not wearing any drawers. Temptation could be such a bitch. Hadn’t he sworn to take this slow and easy? To ease her into this? 

Right now,  that all sounded like a stupid fucking plan.

Eddie reached beneath her skirt, and quickly slipped them off, before tossing them to him. She wore a pair of satin panties. They weren’t the newfangled kind, not a thong or even bikini cut. Just lacy panties, and they were still warm.

Oh fuck me.

Captain had the urge to smell them, but kept his shit together. He didn’t want to come off like some kind of perv on their date. He tucked them into the pocket of his cut instead.

“We should be going,” he said hoarsely and she nodded. Then, he steadied her as she eased onto the bike. She wrapped her arms around his waist, placed her head on his shoulder, and placed those thighs on either side of him.

Oh, fuck me. This was gonna be a long, hard ride.

“I’m ready.”

Captain lit out of the parking lot, with Eddie clinging to his shoulders. He took them on a long, slow pass through town. Then, opened her up at the city limits, and the thunder headers boomed beneath them. Fuck, he loved controlling a motorcycle, the way machine and man merged into one powerful being. Nothing in the world, but the wide open road, and the woman on his bike.

 He took her to the bluff beyond the city limits, overlooking the town. From the apex, Hell was just some twinkling lights. In the distance, he could see the Smoke Desert, but he averted his gaze, focused on the beauty instead. You could see for miles, even by the light of the moon.

She perched on one of the big boulders, rubbing her hands up and down her legs to keep warm. “Damn, I forgot what that felt like.” Her eyes were bright, her hair windblown. She looked fucking gorgeous, bathed in that silver glow.  

She glanced down at their town, shining in the distance. “I haven’t been up here in years. I forgot how pretty the view could be.

“I agree,” he said, but he stared at her, not the scenery. “And did you get a burn on those luscious thighs of yours?”

They locked eyes and she shook her head.

“Well, I’d better check to make sure.”

 Next thing he knew, he was on his knees in front of her, reaching beneath her skirt. And fuck, she didn’t stop him, just watched him as he slowly slid it up her legs.

Ah, she was old school.

 Beneath the skirt, was a pair of thigh highs, and garters. If it was possible, he got even fucking harder.  He knew if he pushed the material up further, she’d be completely bare. But for now, he bided his time, and focused on the glory revealed to him.

 Damn, he had a thing for a woman in garters. Nothing sexier. He couldn’t help but slide his hands up and down her scrumptious legs, feeling every silky inch of them. He loved the way she looked in hose, and the way they felt against his skin.

He wanted to wrap those legs around his hips, just before he slid into her.

Captain couldn’t hold back anymore, he kissed her, right where the edge of her thigh highs ended and her smooth flesh continued on.

She made a jagged, needy sound. But didn’t stop him.
Thank God.

He continued on, pressing kisses to her thighs, inching the skirt up. He got higher and higher until the fucking Promised Land was in sight. No panties, just a warm, wet pussy. She hadn’t shaved or waxed, either, only trimmed it a bit.

Come to Poppa.
 He hadn’t seen full bush since the seventies and it fucking turned him on.  He loved when a woman actually looked like a full-grown woman. And that meant hips, thighs, breasts, and yeah…. some hair.

Trying his luck, he pressed his palm against her, letting her rock into his hand. And she did, making these sexy noises. God, he needed to have his cock in her when she moaned like that. With a roar, he hoisted her up in his arms, moving her further back on the rock, splaying her legs further apart.

She was fucking beautiful, spread out in front of him. Every inch of her stunning.

“Captain,” she murmured, sliding her palms down the face of the rock, then tugged at her skirt. “I’m not like one of those young girls. I have wrinkles and age spots. I’m—”

“Incredible?” he asked. He didn’t have a fucking clue what flaws she was jawing about. He’d waited decades to be where he was at the moment and she’d surpassed every fantasy already.  

Thankfully, she stopped trying to cover herself and leaned back on her elbows and let him look his fill.

“Are you sure?” he asked. He wanted this to be good for her, good for both of them.

“I’m not ready to…”

He met her eyes. “Let me make love to you?”

Captain understood.  He wanted to be inside her, more than anything. Needed to fuck her in a very primal, demanding way, but he would take whatever she gave him for the moment. And be grateful.

Hopefully, soon she’d have some mercy on him.

“I know I’m not him.” He refused to say Joker’s fucking name out loud. He hated that fucker, but he didn’t need to share his opinion with her. “But I’m standing right here in front of you. I’m a flesh and blood man. Not a ghost or a memory. I’m real and I want you more than you could possibly know.”