Wild Ride (Wind Dragons Motorcycle Club) (2 page)

CHAPTER TWO

Tia

W
HEN
I get home from the bar, my mind is still on Talon. It’s extremely frustrating to feel something for someone, not just lust and infatuation, something else, and have the man in question not make a single move, especially when I know he’s interested. I see the way he looks at me, and that’s not my being conceited or whatever. I can sense that he finds me attractive; it’s all in his body language. Men aren’t hard to read, and all I get from Talon is that he wants me, but he doesn’t want to. The question is, why? I don’t think I’ve ever thought about a man so much, and I don’t even know what it is about him.

For a while I told myself I wanted him only because I couldn’t have him, but I don’t think that’s the case. I just want him. And the want isn’t going away.

Since my ex, Oliver, I’ve been a little detached with men. I’ve never allowed myself to get close to any particular one, and even though it sounds bad, they were always replaceable. But it’s different with Talon, and I can’t explain why. What draws me to him? Why can’t I stop thinking about him? Something inside of me recognizes something inside of him—that’s the only way I can think to explain it. If there were a million good-looking men in a room, I’d still run to him.

He calls to me.

“How was your night?” Bailey whispers, looking up from the TV as I walk into the living room. Rhett and Cara are fast asleep on the couch next to her.

“Good,” I say quietly, sitting down by Rhett’s feet. “Just had dinner with Sarah, and then a few drinks at Knox’s Tavern.” I pause and look at my best friend. “Talon was there.”

Her brows lift. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” I say, pulling some of the blanket onto my lap. “I just went and said hello, we chatted for a few minutes and then he left.”

“I know you like him,” she says gently, studying me. “But, Tia—”

“I know, I know. I need to let it go; it’s not a good idea . . . blah blah,” I say, cutting her off and sending her a droll look. “It’s just that . . . how can one man make me feel more with just a look than another can by kissing me, or sleeping with me?”

The sound of a car door opening gets our attention. “Rake’s here,” Bailey says, looking from the front door back to me. “I don’t know, Tia. If you really like him . . . It’s just that he’s a biker, and they take what they want. You can’t be alone in wanting to be with him. You’re a beautiful woman, and I saw the way he kept looking at you that night at the bar, but he still hasn’t made a move. Maybe he doesn’t want a relationship. Have you spoken to him about all this?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m not going to make the first move.” Not again. Been there, done that, and it didn’t go so well. I grin and add, “But that doesn’t mean I can’t give him a little nudge in the right direction.”

Bailey starts laughing, covering her mouth with her hand so as not to wake the children. “Rake won’t like it,” she says, her expression not giving anything away. She stands up, walks over to me, and kisses my cheek. “But it’s not Rake’s life. It’s yours. You have to live with the consequences of your actions, no one else.”

I look to the little body asleep next to me. “Except Rhett. If you and all the other women can make it work with a biker though, why can’t I? I know everyone would prefer I was with a Wind Dragon, but I can’t help who I’m attracted to. Besides, you all know him, I wouldn’t have met him if you didn’t.”

“Don’t remind me,” Bailey mutters, then walks to the door to open it as she hears a knock. “Just be careful what you wish for, Tia. There’s so many easier routes you can take.”

I know that, but those other routes are boring and don’t come in a tall, blond package, with green eyes and a panty-dropping smile. They don’t make my heart race, or make me just want to be around them.

Fuck. What is happening to me? After Oliver I told myself I’d never get so stuck on a man, never let one have the upper hand with me. There’s no denying that Talon has the upper hand here though, so maybe I should just leave it alone. I’m of two minds about the whole thing, and when I’m around him I just can’t help myself.

I guess that’s the key—to not be around him. Out of sight, out of mind, right? Not in this case, but I can keep my thoughts to myself. And my daydreams. Fuck, those daydreams. I can barely concentrate because my dirty mind just plays all the ways Talon will make his first move and have his way with me.

Rake comes in and says hello, then scoops up Cara in his arms. I hug Bailey good-bye, thanking her for watching my son. I know she doesn’t mind, but I never take it for granted. I see less of Bailey now, but I don’t hold that against her. If anyone deserves a happy ending, it’s her. After they leave, I carry Rhett to his room, tuck him in, and kiss his head.

“Love you,” I say, even though he’s asleep.

After a quick shower, I’m in my bed, mentally planning everything that needs to be done tomorrow. It’s not an easy job, being a single mother, but it would be much harder if I didn’t have the people around me that I do. I’m grateful. I don’t need a man.

I fall asleep and dream of Talon again.

Except this time, he leaves the bar with me.

Bailey sends me a message the next day, saying she’s picking up Rhett and Cara from school, which means I don’t have to rush straight from work to get him. It was much easier when Bailey still lived next door to me, but even though she moved into a new, bigger house, we try and make it work like we used to, mainly because Cara and Rhett don’t like to be without each other for very long. Sometimes when Bailey is working late though, Rake will pick up Cara, and it doesn’t feel right for me to ask him to get Rhett too, even though I know he doesn’t mind. Things have changed a little, and it’s going to take some time getting used to them, but I wouldn’t change anything for the world.

The truth is, without Bailey living next door, I’ve had to become more independent. She might be only a few minutes’ drive away, but before, she was literally next door, so I could walk over in my pajamas at any time of the day or night. Now I don’t really want to interrupt her as much, so I figure shit out on my own.

I drop by the grocery store to get a few things for dinner, then make my way to Bailey’s to pick up Rhett. The two kids are playing in the front yard, with Rake and Bailey sitting on the porch chairs watching them. Rhett and Cara both wave as they see me pull in, waiting for me to park and get out of the car before running over. I hug my son, then Cara, before walking over to Bailey and Rake to say hello.

“Thanks for getting him,” I tell Bailey, sitting down in the chair next to her. “I can get them both tomorrow. I have an early day.”

“You know it’s no problem,” Bailey chastises, reaching over to touch my arm. “I love Rhett like he’s my own.”

“I know,” I say, smiling gently, turning to watch the kids who are playing golf on the lawn. “I don’t know why he loves golf so much, or how he dragged Cara into loving it, but it keeps them occupied, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Rake says, chuckling. “They’ve been playing it for over an hour now. We’ve just been sitting here watching them. I asked them if they wanted to play soccer, but they both said no.”

“It’s probably a phase, like the Lego thing,” I add. Six months ago all they wanted to do was play with Legos and build things together—but I haven’t stepped on a stray Lego brick in ages.

“Do you want something to drink, Tia?” Bailey asks, moving to stand. “I’ll get you something.”

“No, it’s okay,” I say quickly, nodding my head to the car. “I have groceries in there and better get going. See you tomorrow? I’ll cook dinner.”

Bailey walks me to my car. I call Rhett and tell him it’s time to go.

“Does he have to?” Cara asks, looking to her mom for help.

“Yes, but you’ll see him tomorrow, Cara,” Bailey says, rolling her eyes. “At school and after school.”

I hug Bailey, wave ’bye to Rake and Cara, and then get in the car, Rhett sitting in the backseat. “How was work, Mom?” he asks.

“It was great,” I lie, glancing at him through the rearview mirror. Work is work. I don’t love working as a dental assistant, but it’s a job. A job that I need to pay rent. “How was school?”

“Awesome,” he replies easily, a smile lighting up his face. His blue eyes, so like my own, get animated as he tells me about his day. I hang on to his every word, asking questions when necessary and thinking to myself just how lucky I am to have such a wonderful son.

We get home, and I cook chicken with pasta salad, followed by Rhett’s usual post-dinner routine of a shower, a story, and bed.

I have to wonder if a man would fit into my life anyway. Maybe it’s better that I stay single, so that things won’t have to change, so that my son gets all my time. I can’t imagine Talon sitting here in a scene so domestic, but then again, if Rake can do it, so can any man. I really need to stop thinking about Talon anyway.

I watch a little TV and then climb into bed, alone.

I think I’m okay with that.

CHAPTER THREE

Talon

I
’M
on my way to the clubhouse when I turn my head to the right and do a double take. Is that Tia standing on the side of the road next to her car? It is.

I turn back and park my bike behind her car, taking off my helmet and walking over to her, watching in amusement as she opens the hood and looks under it. “Tia,” I call out, giving her warning so I don’t scare her as I approach. It has been more than a week since the last time I saw her, and when she lifts her blue gaze to mine, I take a moment to just appreciate her, from her face to her body. “What have you done now?”

She looks surprised to see me, her eyes widening, but then shrugs, “I have no idea. I don’t know anything about cars, but I’ve been stuck here for about thirty minutes now, waiting for roadside assistance.”

She peers down at the engine and sighs heavily. I step behind her for a moment, because I can now see that her shorts have ridden up, letting me see the bottom curve of her ass. My amusement fades and my dick gets hard at the same time. What the fuck does she think she’s doing? Standing here bending over in short fuckin’ shorts, where any man driving past can see. I glance around, seeing all the cars driving by, all the men who are probably perving on her. She’s lost in her own world too, and isn’t paying attention to what’s going on around her. She didn’t even notice my arrival before, and the rumble of my bike is not quiet. She should know better.

She turns and looks at me, frowning when she sees my expression. “What’s wrong?”

I tense my jaw, wondering if I should go with honesty or not. I decide it’s probably the best policy, or so I’ve been told. “Your shorts are riding up, showing your ass cheeks to every man driving past.”

And I didn’t fuckin’ like it, which just makes me even more annoyed. I really don’t need this shit right now.

She runs her hands over her behind, and turns to look, making me groan.

“Lighten up, Talon,” she says in a dry tone. “My ass isn’t even showing. They’re just shorts, and I have bigger problems right now than your opinion of my clothing.”

Right. Her car.

It’s probably going to be expensive to fix. I know Tia is a single mother and works as a dental assistant, so I doubt she’s raking in the money.

“You know the Wind Dragons own a mechanic shop, right?” I say in a dry tone, standing next to her and looking at her engine. “I’m sure they’ll sort you out.”

“I’m sure they would,” she replies, tucking her blond hair back behind her cute ear. “But that doesn’t mean I’m going to ask them.”

I study her, wondering why she didn’t want them to help her. Maybe she was the type of woman who didn’t like to ask anyone for a favor, the type who liked to do everything by herself. The independent type. Or maybe she just didn’t want to rely on anyone.

“I’ll have a look for you and see what I can do.” I find myself wishing that we owned a repair shop so I could offer to take care of it for her. I would offer to help her out anyway, covering costs, but I don’t think she’d appreciate my offer. Unfortunately the Wild Men don’t really own any legal businesses, or anything that will be of use to a woman like Tia, unless she wants a gun or something. Then, I could sort her out.

“Your engine probably overheated,” I tell her as I survey it. “If you’ve waited here for half an hour, it should be cooling down now. I’ll check the coolant level.”

“What is it?” she asks, looking adorably confused.

I grin and check, making sure there’s no leak. To be honest, I only know the basics when it comes to cars, but it’s enough to help a beautiful woman when she’s stuck. I inspect the radiator hoses for loose clamps, but everything looks okay.

“There’s no leak, which is a good thing,” I tell her, before I try to start her engine. I listen to it, and everything sounds like it’s in running order, but then again, I’m not a professional. “It will be fine to get you wherever you need to go, but I think you should take it in, just to be on the safe side. If you like, I can give you a ride and get one of my men to pick up your car and drop it off to be serviced.”

I don’t know where this Mr. Nice Guy act is coming from, but for some reason I want to help her. I have a soft spot for her, even though I try to tell myself that I don’t.

“No, it’s okay,” she says, placing her hand on my arm. She’s still wearing that sexy-ass choker around her neck. “Thanks so much for getting it to start again though. I’m so lucky that you rode by.”

I can feel the warmth of her fingers through my T-shirt, and before I know what I’m doing, I lean into her. “You sure? It’s no problem for me.”

Luckily I had finished my work for the day, although I don’t know if you can call listening in on other people’s phone calls work. The things I do for Shayla. She’s in some trouble and it’s my job to keep her safe, no matter how bloody my hands get in the process. I’m even thinking about calling in my marker with Vinnie, one of the Wind Dragons who owes me a favor, to help keep her safe, but I’m not quite there yet.

I was planning on going back to the clubhouse and having a beer and a talk with my men, needing to get to the bottom of the shit going on there. If there’s one thing I don’t like in my clubhouse, it’s heavy drug use. Weed—fine. But anything else, especially if it involves a needle, is a big fuckin’ no in my books, and it hasn’t passed my attention that a few of the men have been acting shady as fuck, showing signs of using, so it looks like I need to set the drug boundaries out for them again. Sometimes I feel like a fuckin’ parent.

“It’s okay, Talon,” she says, bringing me out of my thoughts. “I better get going or I’m going to be late getting Rhett.”

Right.

She actually
is
a parent.

“Give me your phone,” I tell her, holding out my hand.

“Why?” she asks, staring at my outstretched hand.

“I’ll give you my number. Your car dies again, give me a call, and I’ll handle it for you.”

She hesitates but then hands me her phone. I put my number in, hit
SAVE
, then hand it back to her.

“You play knight in shining armor for all women?” she teases, lips kicking up at the corners.

“Nope,” I reply with full honesty, then add, “just the beautiful ones.”

Amusement lingers in her gaze. A kiss on my cheek, then she gets into her car. “Thanks again, Talon!”

“No problem,” I mutter, watching as she drives away.

I’ve been trying to stay away from Tia, and I’ve been bullshitting myself when I say it’s because I don’t want to rock the boat with the WDMC. Sure, that is an issue, but it’s not
the
issue. Having a woman is a big fuckin’ responsibility, especially in my world, and I don’t need a weakness. I don’t want to like her. I don’t want to give another person power over me, and she doesn’t need to be mixed up in my shit. By staying away, I’m protecting both her and me. Giving her my number wasn’t my best idea, but I can’t exactly have her stranded somewhere. She doesn’t want to ask the Wind Dragons for help, so maybe she won’t feel comfortable enough asking me either, but at least I gave her the option. I get back on my bike and ride to the clubhouse, trying to get the vision of her perky ass in those shorts out of my mind.

When I walk into the clubhouse and see the men sitting around with women draped over them, I decide to wait until later to call the club meeting. Let them have their fun . . . for now. I kind of want to gather more evidence before ripping them a new one, anyway.

“Hey, Prez,” Ranger calls out as he sees me entering. He gets me a beer and then hands it to me. “We’re celebrating tonight.”

“What the fuck are we celebrating?” I ask, opening the ice-cold beer and taking a long draw.

Ranger looks toward the rest of the group, nodding his head toward Zip, one of the older men in our MC. “Zip is gonna be a father.”

The men cheer.

I don’t really think that’s a reason to celebrate, but I lift my beer in the air. “And who is the mother?”

Everyone breaks out into laughter, except that I’m being dead fuckin’ serious. Zip fucks anything with tits, and as far as I know he isn’t seeing anyone.

“Some chick who was here two months back,” Ranger answers me, shaking his head. “Carla, her name is.”

I’ve never even heard of a woman named Carla before. I know some of the women, the ones who come here whenever we throw a party. They stick around until someone loses interest, the men or them, whichever comes first. Some try to become old ladies, while others are just in it for a good time, getting their adrenaline rush or whatever. Who knows how women fuckin’ think these days. Carla mustn’t have stuck around very long, or I’d at least have heard of her before.

“Is this a celebration or Zip wanting to get drunk so he can forget fucking up his life for not wearing a condom?” I say quietly, so only Ranger can hear.

“Definitely the latter,” he replies, scrubbing his hand down his jaw. “I think we’re gonna need more booze.”

“I’ll send one of the prospects,” I say, pulling out my phone. We have only two prospects at the moment, and Kirk has gone to visit his family, so that leaves Smith. I send him a quick text and then slide my phone away. “We never really got to talk about what that fight was last week.”

Ranger looks me in the eye, then down at his drink. “He was being a fuckhead. I lost my temper—end of story.”

If that’s true, then so be it. But I can’t help feeling like there’s more to the story.

I lift up my beer to him, and he clanks his with mine. Zip walks over to me, and I slap him on the back.

“How are you feeling about impending fatherhood?”

He grins, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Carla’s a good woman. I’m excited. Not getting any younger, you know? There’s actually something I want to talk to you about, Prez.”

I nod. “Of course, but not tonight. Tonight we celebrate, tomorrow we talk, cool?”

Zip nods, and we clink our drinks together. I’m definitely going to have to keep my eyes and ears open, because something around here just doesn’t feel right. But for now—I’m going to enjoy this ice-cold drink and try to have a good time.