Felicia’s statement that Saturday night at the bar is busy is the biggest understatement of the century. It’s full to bursting and everywhere Melissa looks there are bikers. The look that Hawk had given her when he’d arrived to pick her up from the house told her she had made an impression. After the wardrobe malfunction from the night before, Melissa had decided to look more like herself. She’d gone for a natural look with her makeup and in her skinny jeans and figure-hugging tank top; she was comfortable in her own skin. She had expected Ali to be all over her, telling her to be careful, that these bikers were dangerous, but she actually seemed to be relieved that Melissa was going out there and having fun.
As soon as she and Hawk walk into the bar, there are shouts of welcome from the guys and some of the women. Hawk smiles as he introduces her to members of the club. Melissa is surprised at just how many of them there are and how a lot of them just look like normal guys. She doesn’t know what she was expecting but it hadn’t been this. They’re funny, considerate, and clearly like to have a good time.
As the night wears on and the guys drink a little more, they lose their inhibitions and start talking more openly about ‘work.’ Melissa manages to piece together the stuff that the club (and, by extension, Hawk) is into. She sees pot being dealt over the counter of the bar numerous times and the smell lingers in the air. These guys clearly aren’t trying very hard to hide what they’re doing. Besides, cannabis was virtually legal now so the most they would probably get is a slap on the wrist and a warning not to do it again. It was hardly enough to turn the bikers into drug-dealing devils.
She and Hawk play pool and she tries to put together everything that she’s heard, but it’s hard to reconcile that these men she’s just met are serious criminals, despite the fact she knows they are. It isn’t hard to understand what Hawk likes about the life, what he’s attracted to. It really feels like a family, a little on the wild side, but still a family. They care about each other, look out for each other, and slowly she feels her defenses go down. She stops looking at them like a story.
“What’re you thinking?” Hawk is by her side, leaning lazily on his stick and giving her one of his signature sexy smiles.
“Just that I’m glad I came, that I’m glad I met you.” She laughs against his mouth as he pulls her in for a kiss. She can taste the sweetness of the whisky on his tongue and it’s intoxicating. They explore each other’s mouths, kissing for longer than she ever has in public, Hawk’s hands splaying at the base of her back until she’s right up against him, leaving her in no doubt that he wants to do more than just kiss. When they finally pull apart breathless, their hearts racing, there’s a roar that goes up from the crowd and Melissa feels herself blush like a schoolgirl.
“So, Melissa, are you Hawk’s Old Lady?” One of the older bikers, Clark shouts the question over the ruckus.
“I have no idea what that means.” Melissa looks between him and an embarrassed Hawk.
“It means that Clark has had a few too many and is talking crap.” Hawk shoots the older man a warning look and Melissa frowns, wondering what she had missed.
Clark ignores the younger man’s look and motions Melissa over to him. She looks at Hawk, sees that he’s mad, and follows Clark’s orders, just to find out what’s got him all riled up. Clark is the complete opposite of Hawk; he is short and round and totally inebriated. He hooks his arm over Melissa’s shoulder and leans in like he’s telling her a secret. “Don’t mind him. He’s just a little sensitive.” He waves over in Hawk’s direction. “But let me tell you something, Hawk is the best prospect we’ve ever had. He’s our most trusted guy and he’ll go far in the club, you mark my words.” Clark nods his head wisely at her and she finds herself mimicking his actions. “He always delivers, he always gets the job done, no matter what.”
Melissa winces at the thought of what that caveat might include, but pushes the thought away, Now really wasn’t the time. “Are you bigging Hawk up to me? Because you don’t really need to.” She gives him a look that speaks volumes and Clark laughs loudly, slapping her on the back so hard she stumbles.
“So what’s so fucking funny?” Hawk stands in front of them, looking like he wants to shake Clark.
“Nothing, Prospect, nothing at all.” Clark clears his throat, looking like he’s suddenly sobered up and Melissa wonders if he’d been pretending to be drunk just to get her to admit what she had about Hawk. The sly old fox, she thinks to herself, as he winks at her, telling her that her suspicions are completely founded.
“Right.” Hawk rolls his eyes at the older man good-naturedly. “You need a hand getting home, Clark?” Melissa can see the concern in his eyes.
“The day I need a babysitter to take me home is the day I give up my jacket.” He levels Hawk with a look that tells the younger man he isn’t kidding around and Hawk holds up his hands in surrender. “Besides, you have other plans tonight, I’m guessing.” He throws Melissa another wink and heads to the bar shouting for another round of drinks on him.
Hawk shakes his head as he stares after Clark and looks back at her a little sheepishly. “Sorry about Clark. He gets a little carried away sometimes, but his heart’s in the right place.”
“Yours, too, from what I can tell.” Melissa smiles at him surprised to find that she can’t come up with any reasons to think badly of him, or any of the other men in the bar.
He leans in and kisses her thoroughly, his hands going into her hair, deepening the kiss as she wraps her arms around his neck, pulling him up against her. Her entire body feels alive and tingling and all they’ve done is kiss.
“So pretty.” He murmurs the words against her lips as he strokes a line along her jaw and down her neck. His eyes are dark with desire and his pupils are dilated. Melissa doesn’t need a mirror to know that she looks the same. “Come on, I’m taking you home.” He takes hold of her hand and starts to march her towards the door, not waiting for her response and ignoring the shouts from the men around him.
Josh appears out of nowhere with that stealth mode of his and settles a fatherly hand on Hawk’s shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. He smiles at Melissa, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he takes them both in and then he’s back to business. “Don’t be late tomorrow. Remember, we’re breaking in the new guy and I need my best mechanic there.”
Hawk nods curtly. “I’ll be there.” He doesn’t waste any more time, virtually dragging Melissa until they’re right by the door.
“Wait! Wait!” The urgency in Melissa’s voice stops him and he looks at her, confused. “I’m having a good time! I’m not ready to go back yet.” Her voice is small and he has to move closer to her to hear over the noise of the bar.
Hawk gives her frustrated look. “I can’t keep kissing you here in front of everyone when all I want to do is lay you out over the pool table and do everything I’ve been thinking about since I saw you last night.” His voice is low and full of tension, but not from anger, from keeping himself in check. “So I’m taking you home.”
Melissa feels a small burst of pride at knowing how much she’s turned him on and then frustration at the idea of him ending the night like this. “I don’t want to go home.”
Hawk huffs out an impatient sigh, but he keeps a lid on his temper. “Then where do you wanna go, Melissa?”
She swallows hard, feeling her heartbeat quicken as she says the words. “Your place.”
Hawk looks at her like he thinks he might have misheard and takes a step closer towards her. “You’re sure? I need you to be sure, Melissa, because once we’re alone…Dammit, I just can’t control myself around you.”
Melissa smiles and pulls his head down, kissing him with everything that she has, telling him just how sure she is with her tongue.
“Is that a yes?” He seems to hold his breath, waiting for her answer.
“Yes, I’m sure.” She barely gets the last word out before he’s pulled her through the door and he’s marching towards his bike. When he hands her the helmet, she sees that he’s as turned on as she is and she gives herself a little internal fist pump. “How far is your place from here? Twenty minutes?” It seems like an eternity and she doesn’t want to wait.
The look he gives her tells her he knows exactly how she feels. “I’ll do it in ten.”