Chapter 10

Savior

I woke up and rolled over expecting to find a couple handfuls of soft, warm woman, instead I was met by a cool, empty bed.

I called out “Mandy?” but I could tell the room was empty. It was too quiet, so I turned over on my back, smiling as I thought about how wild she’d been after dinner last night.

I never knew women could be ravenous like that. I mean sure, they were eager and dirty, some were legit kinky, but most of the time they were just acting. Last night though, had been sweet, unadulterated Mandy.

My cock was getting hard just thinking about the way she’d pushed me down on the bed and sank between my knees, making love to my dick with her mouth. She’d laid those smiling eyes on me, never looking away as she slowly ripped away every stitch of my control. And now she was gone, which I confirmed by walking through the spacious hotel room overlooking the beach. She’d left a note. Gone surfin’, it said, which was strange since I was pretty sure she didn’t know how to surf.

After a quick shower, I got dressed and went to find the hot little pixie who’d rocked my world. I found her on the beach in the water with some blond model doing time as a surf instructor, though he was doing more smiling and flirting than instructing. I could see it from the shore. Hell, a blind man could see it. The closer I got, the more I wanted to bash the prick’s face in.

But this was her vacation, too, so I sat back and watched. Until he reached out to correct her footing and let his hand linger longer than he needed to.

“There you are.”

They both jumped and turned to me.

“Savior,” she said, a hint of surprise, and then heat as her gaze slid to my chest.

“Kip, this is Savior. A family friend.”

I quirked a brow at her and she gave me one right back.

“Don’t let me interrupt your lesson.”

I kept my voice even and my face blank. Kip backed up a little.

“Actually we’re done,” he stammered. “I was just, ah, giving Mandy some pointers.”

He scraped one hand through his hair while the other began cutting through the water.

“Just remember to tighten your core. I, uhm, see my next client. Enjoy your vacation,” he called out, already paddling fast with his back to us.

“Was that necessary?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know what you mean.”

“No. I won’t do this Neanderthal thing, Savior. It’s not my jam. It’s my least favorite jam, in fact.”

“What?”

“I’ll make it simple for you. Knock it off.”

She was cute when she was trying to be tough.

“I can’t help it, not when you look like you do in that.”

I pointed at the bathing suit, or the perfect likeness of one, anyway. Calling it ‘barely there’ would be generous. Not that I was complaining. The blue fabric looked like one long ribbon molded strategically to drive me out of my fucking mind.

“You’ve seen me in much less than this.”

“Yeah, but when I look at you in that, all I can see is myself unraveling it, kissing and nibbling every inch of skin as I uncover it.”

I waded into the water, catching up with her so I could reach over and tug on the bow at her hip but she smacked my hand away.

“You didn’t think I’d make it easy for drunken frat boys and frisky bikers, did you?”

“A man can hope, can’t he?”

“I never would have pegged you for an optimist.”

She squeaked when I pulled her up against me, treading water and unable to resist the urge to run my hands up and down the smooth skin of her thighs.

“I’m surprising even myself these days.”

I pressed a kiss to her neck that made her shiver. “But nothing was as surprising as you. Last night.”

“Must be the sea air,” she said in a muffled voice against my chest.

“Must be,” I agreed in a grave voice. “And I thought it was me.”

“You may have played a small part,” she said with a laugh and pushed away, paddling back towards the beach.

“Who you callin’ small, woman?” I said, stroking after her.

“Don’t worry, Savior, you were more than adequate.” She giggled as she widened the gap between us.

But I was determined to paddle faster. “You can’t run far enough from that, sweetheart!”

“I have excellent upper body strength. I’m a pastry chef!”

My body flamed at the reminder of her strong arms and hands. “I’m bigger.”

“Again with the size?” She couldn’t hold in her laughter after that, making it easy to catch up with her. “You’re a big guy, Savior.”

I snorted. “Yeah, thanks. But I know you remember exactly how big I am.”

Her cheeks flamed red, nostrils flared.

“I do. Sometimes I swear I can still feel you inside me.”

How was I not supposed to tip her board over and take her, hard and fast in the ocean, when she said shit like that to me?

“What time is your spa stuff with the girls?”

Her eyes widened and I knew any plans I’d been making with Mandy and my cock would have to wait.

“Shit, I forgot. What time is it?” She didn’t wait for answer, just grabbed my wrist, gasping when my knuckles brushed against one hard titty. “I have to go.”

“You sure?” I brushed a hand across the soft skin of her belly, reveling in the way she jumped at my touch. The way I affected her.

“Unfortunately, I am.”

“I hate that, but later you’re mine.” She nodded and brushed my lips against hers, soft and tender. Anything more than that and I’d say fuck both our schedules and carry her back up to the room. We’d reached the beach and she lifted the board out of the water like it was a feather.

“There’s a bridesmaid robe for you on the bed.”

She laughed. “I have no response to that. See you later.”

“Later,” I said too quiet for her to hear, but it didn’t matter because my focus was on her ass and the sway of her hips as she walked away. A little extra swing just for me.

***

“Man you have been moping all day! That cute little fairy got her hooks into you deep.”

Lasso laughed and clapped my back too damn hard as he sat beside me at the table on the beach. Tonight was the rehearsal dinner, but I didn’t get it. People have been getting married since religion was invented and they didn’t need a practice day for it. As far as I was concerned, though, all the free food and booze was good enough reason to party.

“I’m not moping, asshole. I’m pensive.”

“Oh, that’s a ten-dollar word. Jag, get me a twenty!”

“Yeah, real funny, Lasso.” I punched his shoulder, making him groan.

“So, if you’re not thinking about that sexy little baker, what’s on your mind?”

Shit, like I could tell him I couldn’t stop thinking about Mandy. I couldn’t. I wouldn’t. It was just the sex that had me going a little crazy. “Just life, brother.”

He barked out a laugh. “If that’s what you need to tell yourself, man. But I saw you two earlier in the water. You looked real cozy to me. Like those two over there,” he said, pointing to a young couple who were sucking each other’s faces right on the beach for everyone to watch. “There’s no harm in wanting a woman, especially a fine one like that.”

“She’s Ammo’s sister.”

Which was, honestly, only part of the problem. The bigger problem was, well. . .I didn’t do serious—or commitment. Women started looking for it right away and I wasn’t the guy. And being Ammo’s sister, Mandy deserved it all.

“And you were his best friend. There’s no other man on the planet he’d trust with his baby sister. No matter what that man thinks of himself.”

I had to laugh at his armchair psych words.

“Yeah, thanks man. But we both know I don’t do all this,” I told him, pointing at the decorations that served as a dedication to love and commitment, lifelong commitment. There were hearts and flowers, with a bunch of baby-sized foods on the menu to celebrate the new life they would soon bring into the world. This was a reminder that I wasn’t cut out for this life.

“All I know is that you say you don’t do it. But I also know that Max was too fucked up to even consider fucking the same chick twice less than two years ago and here we are, in San Diego, for his wedding. Hell, Golden Boy was locked up, wrongfully imprisoned for years, man. If that doesn’t fuck with your ability to trust . . .” he trailed off with a long low whistle. “Well, he’ll be marching down the aisle soon too.”

All of that was true, damn him, but irrelevant. “They aren’t me.”

I didn’t have shit to offer any woman, never mind one like Mandy. She’d already lost too much to end up with a guy born to a crack whore who had no problems abandoning her son for some asshole with a little cash in his pocket, and a drunk who’d never been curious about the kid he sired. One who lied and stole with ease. Sure, I’d done it just to survive, but in the end, none of that mattered.

“Whatever you say.” He stood and smacked my back again, this time with a purposeful harshness I couldn’t ignore. “Then I guess you won’t mind if I ask her for a dance.”

His gaze lifted toward the open doors of the hotel restaurant where Mandy stood, looking like a pixie goddess in her deep pink dress that draped over her curves with expert precision. It was silk or some other shiny fabric and it made my hands twitch to touch her.

“I damn well do mind.”

I put a hand to his chest to stop his path toward Mandy and ignored Lasso’s deep chuckle. “Find your own goddamn woman.”

“I already have,” he said, his gaze drifting toward a leggy redhead holding a silver tray filled with champagne glasses. “See you in a bit.”

“Don’t count on it,” I told him, my legs already carrying me to Mandy as she nervously smoothed her short hair.

“Mandy, damn you look like a dirty dream I had recently.”

Her soft laugh carried on the ocean breeze. “Yeah? Thanks. Who knew you looked so good without a stitch of denim or leather in sight?”

Her gaze was hot and hungry as she took me in, the suit we’d all slipped into at Jana’s insistence.

She’d laid down the law. “I don’t care that you’re bikers, I love my biker man. But you will damn well not look like bikers for my wedding.”

All of us had obeyed, more terrified of the tiny blonde than any threats we’d ever faced fighting for Uncle Sam.

“You should see me without any denim or leather on. At all.”

“I have, and I have to say, I prefer you without any of it.” She licked her lips seductively, her eyes flicked up and down the length of my body as she took in every detail.

“Just say the word, babe.”

Her cheeks turned a delicious shade of pink as she bit down on her bottom lip.

“I have so many words to say, Savior. But I think they’re waiting for us,” she said, gesturing to where Teddy stood in the center of a large group waving frantically at them.

“Come on.”

She grabbed my hand and pulled me along, stopping to kick off her heels, so sharp and pointy, I knew I’d ask her to put them back on for me later.

It took a total of five fucking minutes to get through the actual rehearsal for tomorrow’s wedding, Teddy and Golden Boy walked down the makeshift sandy aisle together, and then Mandy and Cross, followed by several other Reckless Bastards that Max had insisted stand up with him on this important day, me included. They pretended to go through the vows, but Mandy and Cross did it in place of the happy couple, some shit about bad luck. I figured if we were here for the wedding, it was too late to worry about something jinxing the relationship.

“And now, we eat!” Teddy clapped her hands to herd everyone toward the long table set up just for us, right on the beach.

I tried to wait for Mandy, eager to get my hands on her and that silky dress under the table, but the distance between us seemed to grow. Literally, every fucking time I looked up, there were more Reckless Bastards, more beachcombers between us.

“I’m starved,” I said.

“Me too,” Lasso groaned. “But Sierra is working until eleven, so I guess I’ll just eat the food until then.”

I laughed. “You have problems, man. Serious fucking problems.”

Lasso joined in. “You have no idea, brother.”

He was right. All I knew was that he had family back in Texas that he never talked about or talked to. Or went to visit. “Then I guess you’re my date for the evening.”

“No offense, bro, but I’d rather stare at Mandy’s face while I eat. Yo, Mandy!”

She turned at Lasso’s loud twang, smiling in confusion at his wide grin. She spotted me and her grin brightened, waved as she carefully made her way to our table. “Hey guys, did you save me a seat?”

“Here, take mine,” Lasso offered with his most chivalrous smile, Texas charm a mile wide and twice as deep. “He was miserable without you, sweetheart.”

“Yeah?” She flashed a teasing grin my way. “Then I’ll make sure to eat with my hands, remind him of what a lousy dinner companion I am.”

Lasso tossed his head back and laughed. “I really like her, Savior. Keep her or I’m stealing her.”

“I am a woman, not a piece of property, thank you very much!” She crossed her arms, doing her best to look offended. “Besides, I’d never let myself get stolen by a guy named after a rope.”

He laughed again, shaking his head as he walked away. “I think Lasso likes you.”

Her smile was sweet. “He’s a decent guy. Too much charm, but he seems nice enough. And I’m an expert at spotting the not so nice ones.”

I knew there was more there, but tonight I didn’t want to hear it. Tonight, I wanted to enjoy the beach and the food, the booze and Mandy. “Yeah, he’s good people.”

“You all seem to be,” she said with a sigh. “You know, when I was kid, I resented the hell out of you fuckers. I imagined the absolute worst because it made it easier to hate you than own up to the fact that my brother, my hero, preferred you all to me.”

“Mandy, it wasn’t like that.”

“I know,” she said on a sigh. “With age and hindsight, came wisdom. The resentment went away. I’m happy he had a family again.”

Damn, this girl killed me. She fucking gutted me and . . . I didn’t know how the fuck to feel about that. Women didn’t get to me, not outside the bedroom. They could make me holler, shake and come, but they didn’t get to me.

“You have that now.”

“No, I don’t. But that’s okay, you know. I’ve learned to live without it and it’s not so bad.”

“You don’t want a tribe of your own?”

She had to. Even the most fucked up of the Reckless Bastards had survived because of us. We kept our shit together, our noses mostly clean because of the club. The brotherhood. Because we knew there were other people relying on us.

“I don’t know. I haven’t had one since I was a little girl so I haven’t given it much thought. I do well on my own.” She seemed to believe her words but I knew it was because she didn’t know the comfort of having a tribe, a family.

And I also knew why I couldn’t get her out of my mind. Fucking Ammo, meddling bastard that he was. Found a way to give his kid sister the family he’d always wanted for her.

“For now, we should agree to disagree.”

Her brow arched. “Sounds like you plan to try and change my mind.”

I shrugged. “I can be very persuasive when I have to be. Or even better, when I want to be.”

“Yes, but is your meat this juicy?” She stabbed a thick slice of steak from the platter and bit into it with the most sinful moan.

Never in my life had I found myself so jealous of a piece of fucking steak.