Released: MC Secret Baby Romance (New Adult Contemporary Biker Romance) (88 page)

“I still can’t go, Meg. I don’t exactly have any clothes that are fit for a drink at the bar, or a club, or anything even remotely sexy. If you take me, I’m just going to be the odd one out again,” Hailee said miserably, and the three friends looked at each other sadly before looking back at Hailee with determination.

“Well, it’s a good thing I expected you to say that, because I brought another dress that I know would look amazing on you. Thank God we are the same size,” Meaghan said, taking out a little black dress from her bag.

“And I brought my makeup,” Karen said.

“And my hair curlers because your hair is a whole different part of the Amazon, and it needs to be tamed,” Trish added, raising a huge and very intimidating looking paper bag.

Hailee gulped, her face going pale.

She should have known her friends would be used to her excuses and would find a way to make sure she went with them. She opened her mouth to say no, but when all three pulled out their best damn puppy dog expressions, she merely sighed in resignation.

“Darn puppy eyes always get me,” Hailee grumbled. Her friends smiled widely as they finally had a chance to play Barbie on their very nerdy friend.

Chapter Two

Hailee felt like her scalp was on fire from the number of tugs and pulls her friends did to her hair in order to turn it marvelous. They practically pushed her into the tub for a bath first, then proceeded to put her under extreme torture by lathering lots of cream and lotion on her body before performing their witching ritual. They worked their magic on her face and made her so beautiful that she almost didn’t recognize herself.

“You are so beautiful, Hailee,” Trish gushed. Meaghan and Karen sighed as they looked at Hailee’s transformation.

Hailee’s eyes widened as she looked at herself up close. Contrary to what she expected, she wasn’t wearing much makeup at all. She was wearing just the right amount to make her violet eyes pop, and her pink lips were vamped up with matte red. Her hair was curled and teased, and she looked incredible. She walked backward to check out her dress, and her eyes started blurring, reminding her of one important thing.

“I can’t see,” Hailee said, and their brows furrowed. “I mean my glasses, I need my glasses,” she picked up her glasses from the table and put them on, making her three friends wince immediately.

“No way. You cannot be wearing that,” Karen said, still wincing.

“Don’t you have any contacts?” Meaghan asked, and Hailee shook her head.

“I’ve never had a reason to since my glasses work fine, and contacts are irritating,” Hailee explained. Meaghan sighed.

“Well, I guess you’re just gonna have to go blind tonight,” she said, and Hailee pouted.

“Can’t I just wear my glasses? I mean, I look pretty enough already with all the work you guys put in,” Hailee said.

“Exactly. We can’t ruin your look by having you wear those ginormous spectacles. It’ll be a waste,” Meaghan said.

“But, I can’t go there without seeing anything!” Hailee said.

“You’re near sighted, aren’t you? Then, don’t look anywhere far,” Karen said. Hailee sighed while rolling her eyes. They just didn’t understand.

“Guys, come on. Hailee’s ready. We’re ready. Let’s go,” Trish said.

Meaghan gave Hailee her arm. Hailee took it gratefully before taking a step and following the other two women out of her room and outside of the dorms. When all four of them piled into a cab, Hailee prayed that nothing bad would happen tonight, and that she gets home in time to do one more read-through for their exam tomorrow.

Chapter Three

Hailee did not expect a bar to be this crowded.

It was more of a club than a bar with this amount of turnout, really. There were other girls in skimpy outfits grinding with other guys and girls on the dance floor. Rowdy guys in leather vests and jackets played and drank over by the pool table, and the place was really noisy. Hailee was worried that she might not be able to hear tomorrow’s lecture because of her busted eardrums when the night was over.

Trish and Karen had separated from them to go get some drinks. That was fifteen minutes ago. When Hailee turned toward the bar, her two friends were already seated and flirting with a group of guys surrounding them. She shook her head as she watched them giggle at something one of the guys said before turning her head to look for her other best friend that left her to go to the bathroom.

Hailee was growing more and more uncomfortable by the minute, and the booming club music wasn’t helping her nerves. She was standing stiff where the girls left and had apparently forgotten about her, and she didn’t know what to do. She could go to where Trish and Karen were, but she’d only be a bother, and that would make it awkward for everyone there. She could search for Meaghan, but with her eyesight, it would be a miracle if she found her.

She shouldn’t have come to this place at all.

“Excuse me, kitten, but are you alright?” a velvety male voice asked from behind her before she felt a hand hold her shoulder. Her spine tingled from the touch and she turned around. She had to tilt her head up because he was really tall, and she squinted to see his face clearly.

Slowly, his face began to sharpen like a film when it’s developed. The image became clearer and clearer until she could see that his bottom lip was fuller than the upper lip. A five o’ clock shadow smattered in his angular jaw. His nose looked like it’s been broken a few times. His eyes were dark blue with green flecks around his pupils, and his brown hair was spiked up in a short faux-hawk. He…was…

“…beautiful,” Hailee murmured, and the handsome stranger raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Hailee’s eyes widened.

‘What have I just done?’ she thought.

Chapter Four

Carter Maxwell had a rough day.

The package they were supposed to deliver was a bust, and then the boss railed on him because, apparently, it was his job to keep the green members in line; as if he didn’t have enough problems running the operations on his own.

He took a swig of his beer as he leaned his back to the bar, his eyes scanning everyone who came and went through the door. He had spotted some newcomers earlier – four girls, and plenty attractive, too. It was the brunette in the simple black dress that caught his attention though, and he instantly thought that she’d be the woman who can take him home for the night. Or he’ll take her home – whichever way she wanted it. It didn’t matter to him where it happened, as long as before the night ended, he’d be coming out of this bar and inside of her.

He scoped the girl the way a hunter would his prey. The longer he watched, the more he realized that she wasn’t used to the feel of a club, judging by how stiff she was and the semi-fearful way her eyes took in everything. He smirked when she raised her hand up and made a motion to push something between her eyes before automatically dropping them once she realized nothing was there.

She really didn’t belong in a club. He wondered who brought her here and left her to fend for herself. It was a little sad.

In the corner of his eye, he saw that he wasn’t the only man that noticed this beautiful, yet uncomfortable bombshell. There were three guys over by one of the small tables holding drinks and looking her over lecherously, and Carter frowned. They didn’t look like they were up to any good.

In fact, Carter was sure they wanted to do the same thing he wanted to do to her, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all.

So he did what any male at this point would do when he wanted a woman that other men were gunning for: he staked his claim.

“Excuse me, kitten, but are you alright?” he asked, tapping her in the shoulder, as he walked up behind her. She jumped a bit before turning toward him, and Carter felt his heart skip a beat as soon as her dazzling violet eyes met his.

God damn. She was even more beautiful up close, he thought, utterly awed by her.

“Beautiful,” she said softly, and he was surprised because he’s heard a lot of women call him a lot of things – some of them were pretty horrible really – but never was he called ‘beautiful’ before. And, if anyone was beautiful in this equation, it was without a doubt her.

He coughed and she seemed to have come back to her senses because she slapped both of her hands to her mouth, her eyes wide, and he chuckled at how endearing and adorable she looked.

“Are you alright?” he repeated, and she nodded her head multiple times with her hands still covering her mouth. He had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. “I’m sorry to be blunt, but you’ve been standing here for about fifteen minutes now, and I’ve been wondering what you’re doing,” he continued, and she dropped her hands in shock.

“Has it really been that long?” she asked, and he nodded. She bit her lip and looked at something in the corner of her eye, and he followed it, seeing two girls surrounded by men at the bar. It was the girls that came with her to the bar earlier.

“Did they abandon you or something?” he asked.

“Or something,” she replied before sighing. “Do you know where the restroom is?” she asked.

Carter could still feel the guys from the table looking at them, so he nodded. “I’ll take you,” he said, putting his hand on her lower back, not giving her an option to reject his offer to escort her. He directed her toward the end of the opposite wall, and it looked like she was still looking around.

Hailee scoured the heads bobbing around the club and gasped when she saw her best friend trying to push a guy away from her. Hailee quickened her pace and got to Meaghan before the guy got any ideas.

“Hailee!” Meaghan cried in relief, clutching Hailee’s arm as they stared at the drunk guy.

“Are you ok? You were gone for a long time,” Hailee said.

“I’m fine, let’s just go,” Meaghan said, pulling Hailee away, but the drunk guy grabbed her hand, stopping her.

“Hey, where are you going? We’re still talking, hot stuff,” the drunk guy slurred. He tried to pull her back, but another hand grabbed at his wrist, making him look up in confusion. Carter had stopped him; his eyes livid as he positioned himself in between the two women and the guy.

“They don’t want to talk to you. Go away.” Carter said, his tone deep and threatening. The drunk man seemed to come to his senses and he nodded, sluggishly moving away from them and into the crowd. Carter watched him disappear before turning back to the girls. Meaghan was smiling brightly at him while Hailee looked anywhere but at him as she scratched the back of her neck.

“Thanks,” Meaghan said, and Carter nodded.

“Don’t mention it. The name’s Carter,” he introduced himself, putting his hand out for them to shake.

“I’m Meaghan. That’s Hailee,” she said, pointing to her best friend before taking his hand immediately with a smile.

He nodded and tilted his head to try to catch Hailee’s eye, and Meaghan noticed. “She’s been standing all alone on the dance floor while you were gone and your other friends stood over by the bar,” Carter explained. Meaghan gasped at this and looked at Hailee guiltily.

“I am so sorry about that! I really did go to the restroom, but when I got out, the guy started hitting on me and wouldn’t let me leave. It was great timing when you two came when you did,” Meaghan said, and Hailee grinned.

“It’s okay. At least you’re safe,” Hailee said. “Listen, this really isn’t my scene, so I think I should leave,” she said, and Meaghan pouted.

“But, we haven’t even been here for long. Come on, can’t we stay a little bit longer? I want to have some fun!” Meaghan begged her.

Carter, who had been keeping silent as he listened to their conversation, intervened at this point. “Listen, my guys are playing pool over there, so you gals can join us if you want,” Carter suggested, and Meaghan’s eyes lit up. She turned her bright eyes to Hailee and the latter raised her hands in surrender, much to Meaghan’s delight. Carter led them to their pool table, did a quick introduction for everyone, and sat beside Hailee who was sipping water from her glass as they watched his friends try and teach Meaghan how to play nine ball.

“How are you feeling?” Carter asked. Hailee shrugged.

“Beats standing in the middle of the dance floor like an idiot,” Hailee shrugged, and Carter chuckled.

“So, what’s a good girl like you doing in a place like this?” he asked. She raised one eyebrow at him.

“What makes you think I’m a good girl?”

Carter made a show of roving his eyes from her toes all the way up to her face, making Hailee blush. “Trust me. I’ve been around. I know a good girl when I see one.”

Hailee sighed, knowing she was busted before she even began.

“Yeah, you got it. My friends dragged me here because they wanted to celebrate that we were graduating next month,” Hailee explained.

“High school or college?” Carter said, teasing her. Hailee gaped at him and hit his arm, causing him to chuckle.

“College! Duh. I don’t look like a high school student!” she said, and Carter shook his head.

“I’m just pulling your chain,” Carter moved closer to her and Hailee shivered a bit. “You want to dance?” he asked, looking over at the dance floor when the next song played. Hailee bit her lip.