Chapter 3

ROSE

Ivory wasn’t for everybody. If you were new in town, there was one thing you had to learn before everything else: there were clubs here. You couldn’t go a few minutes without hearing one of the MCs rolling through the streets. You had to get used to it quickly. If you didn’t, you’d find yourself miserable in a hurry. I had to remind myself what I was getting back into when I returned.

Bikers were interesting. The tattoos weren’t that remarkable. Even seemingly average guys had some ink because it was the trendy thing to do. It wasn’t the demeanor. Give a man enough liquor and he’d think he had the biggest dick in the world. It wasn’t the leather or even the ride. Any man could put on a vest or some leather, hop on his bike, then pretend he was someone he wasn’t. No… It wasn’t any of that. It was the patch on their chests. Just a small piece of fabric. Funny to think that it was just some stitching that made a man more than what he looked like.

I understood that quick though. Not that I had so much experience with the inner workings of the MC. But I was an Ivory girl. I’d seen enough club members that it was normal to me. And right now, surrounded by a bunch of them, it was a good thing this was normal to me.

The bar wasn’t anything different from anywhere else I’d been to. Outside of the banners and photos on the walls to indicate it was a clubhouse and the members who all lounged around, the bar itself was just a place for guys to relax and have a drink. The lighting was dim but I could make out all of the men who looked like they were up to something. Some of the women put their bodies on display like they were trying to draw attention to themselves. The combination of leather and liquor in the air burned my nostrils. The music in the background was loud enough for me to hear but not so obnoxious it hurt my ears. The conversation was more distracting than anything else.

But all of my attention was focused on the man in front of me. Dark-blond hair, shaved on the sides and slicked back over his head and a neatly cropped beard to match. Tan skin with just the right of black ink on his arms. Some of his tattoos peeked out underneath his shirt and that leather kutte of his. On his chest, the affiliation to his club was clear for everybody to see. A baggy pair of dusty blue jeans and sneakers completed the ensemble. Even from a distance, he looked as rugged and raw as any biker you’d ever meet.

It was his eyes though. Calling them just blue would be an understatement. I found myself staring at him not because they were so striking but because I saw something. Something I couldn’t explain. An intensity. A softness. Whatever it was, I felt so comfortable around him, even in a place like this. Yes, Ashton certainly made me feel a certain way. I didn’t bother trying to figure it out. I just enjoyed it.

He gave me a half-smile as he took a sip on his beer. I looked around, taking in the scene with a bit of confusion.

“When you said you were taking me to a clubhouse, this wasn’t exactly the place I had in mind,” I said. “You’re not changing affiliations, are you?”

“I’m a Cobra. I’ll be a Cobra until the day I die.”

“Strong words. You don’t know what the future holds. Are you sure you’re ready for that kinda commitment? You can’t tell me nobody has left the club.”

“People have left the club, sure. But they’re always Cobras. We’ve never had a man ride off on bad terms.”

“Good to hear. That still doesn’t explain why you took me to Hades. You sure it’s a good idea to come to another MC’s clubhouse.”

“I got no beef with Cain or the Devils. They don’t got any problems with anybody. More patrons just means more money in their pockets. People will leave us alone.”

“Leave us alone?” I raised an eyebrow at him, leaning against the bar while I observed him sipping on his beer. “And what exactly did you have in mind for tonight, Ashton?”

“Well… I was hoping for a nice, relaxing conversation with a beautiful redhead over a few drinks. All by ourselves.”

“I suppose I can’t complain with that.” I took a swig for myself. The night was only just getting started but the alcohol was already flowing. I was enjoying myself and we’d only just arrived.

“Don’t get drunk on me now.”

“Hey! I’m an Ivory girl. I know how to handle my liquor. You don’t gotta worry about me. I’m doing just fine.”

“So, what have you been up to today, Rose?”

“Today,” I sighed, my eyes shifting toward the ceiling as I thought to myself. “I slept-in and had a late breakfast. Then I had lunch with my half-brother Joey who just came back to town.”

“Your half-brother, huh? What’s he like?”

“Joey’s… Joey’s a bit of a troublemaker but he’s my younger brother. I’m always looking out for him.”

“You don’t seem too happy about seeing him again.”

“Is that how it seems?” I raised an eyebrow and shook my head. “I just don’t know what he’s up to. He’ll be fine though. Nothing to worry about. But the rest of my day isn’t very interesting. I’m just… kinda relaxing. I’m waiting for a job offer to come in but I’m not in any hurry.”

“Just finished school. No need to jump into things when you’ve the rest of your life to work.”

“How about you, Ashton? How was your day?”

He took another gulp of beer and shrugged, nonchalantly leaning against the bar like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Spent all day at the garage. Working on bikes. Working on cars. Getting my hands greasy. Same ol’ shit.”

“Sounds like someone needs a career change.”

“Nah. There ain’t shit else in the world I’d rather be doing. I just know you don’t wanna hear about that shit. We’re out here tonight. A break from the MC. A break from work. Just us.”

“Just us… I like the sound of that.”

He tapped his bottle of beer to mine, toasting before swallowing the rest of his drink down. I tried to do the same the best I could. Ashton was more than a foot taller than me. The height. The muscles. He was bigger than me and it was pointless trying to measure. That meant he could probably handle his liquor better than me. Just one beer and I was already loose but not so much I didn’t have my wits about me.

“I’m thinking maybe we should grab a bite to eat,” he said. “You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”

“I had something but I guess I could eat again.” I looked out onto the dance floor next to us. A few of the couples moving slow, grinding against each other made me forget about any inkling of an appetite. “There’s something I wanna do first.”

“What’s that?”

“Dance with me.”

“Rose—”

“Don’t gimme that shit. Come on.” I took his hand in mine and dragged him out to the floor. He was strong enough to resist but he didn’t, just letting me pull on him until we were in the middle of everybody. I reached my hands up around his broad shoulders while I cupped my waist. My head found its place in his muscled chest. I enjoyed the feeling of his hard body against mine, getting a better whiff of the leather, oil and that unique masculine scent that reminded of just what kinda man he was.

This… This was nice. The kinda nice I could get used to. It was a reminder of all the good things I left behind when I left for school. It was good to be back in Ivory. And it was even better to see that all of the good men weren’t taken.

He pulled me closer in his arms and I felt a rise out of him. I didn’t hold back my grin, my eyes closed as I enjoyed him pressing against the side of my body.

“I feel something, Ashton…”

“I’d hope so because damn, it’s not something I’ve got any control over. It’s your fault, you know.”

“Blaming the woman. A typical male response…”

“We can stop if you want.”

I pulled away slightly and looked up into his eyes. That smile of his… So sure of himself. They didn’t make them anywhere else like they did in Ivory.

“I don’t… I don’t know what this is,” I said. “We only just met recently but I… I kinda like you, Ashton.”

“I like you, too, Rose—”

“But I know what the life is like. I know what it means to be an old lady and for you to be part of an MC. I know the patch is something. I know it’s your life. I don’t know what we’ve got right now. I don’t know if it’ll be anything more. But I like it.”

He nodded then leaned forward. I closed my eyes, letting my lips drift toward his. Our tongues intertwined. I licked the remnants of liquor on his tongue, enjoying the bitter taste and swallowing it down. He pulled away, still looking at me with those eyes that made me forget we were surrounded by everybody else in the bar.

“I don’t want you to promise me anything,” I whispered. “I just want…”

“…What do you want, Rose?”

“I just want you to fuck me… I want to fuck you…”

He put his face back to mine, kissing me so deep I thought I was gonna take me right there on the middle of the dance floor. I wasn’t even drunk but I probably would’ve let him. But his kiss was just a promise to let me know he was more than willing to give me what I wanted. Tonight was only about tonight. Nothing more.

He trailed his lips along the side of the cheek before kissing my ear and whispering it bluntly.

“All right, Rose. I’m gonna fuck you.”