Author’s note: Rome’s Chance takes place eight years after the events of Reaper’s Fire. Rome’s Chance stands alone, and you need not read any other books in the Reapers MC series to enjoy this story.
Hallies Falls, Washington
Friday morning
Randi
“So are you gonna buy me condoms or not? I don’t like buying them myself because it’s embarrassing, so I usually just steal them. But they said the next time I get arrested, I’m going to juvie.”
I stared at my little sister, wondering what the hell I was supposed to say. There were so many things wrong with that sentence. So many, many things… How could two girls who came from the same mother be so different? I mean, I’d been boy crazy when I was her age, but half the time I’d been too scared to talk to them, let alone have sex. Lexi, though… Lexi was sixteen going on thirty, and I swear to God, that had to be a push-up bra she was wearing.
Since when did sixteen-year-olds wear push-up bras?
“You know, abstinence education doesn’t work,” she said, popping her gum at me through dark ruby-red lips that went perfectly with her Betty Page hair. “They taught Mom abstinence. Look at how that turned out.”
Seeing as our mom had me when she was seventeen—and I was one of five by four different fathers—it was hard to fault the kid’s logic. I tossed a double pack of Trojans into the cart.
Cheaper than a baby shower.
“Thanks, sis,” she said, bumping her shoulder against mine, and I wondered when the hell she’d gotten so big. I’d been twelve when she was born. In some ways she’d been like my very own baby. Mom was always working, so it’d been my job to take care of the littles.
If you move back to Hallies Falls, you know you’ll get stuck taking care of them again, I reminded myself. Lexi stretched her arms behind her back, putting her already full teenage rack on display. Not good. Not good at all.
“Can we buy a watermelon and some of that salad mix?” Lexi asked, and I nodded, because this was a purchase I could get behind. There hadn’t been a fresh fruit or vegetable in the house my whole childhood, and so far as I could tell, Mom hadn’t changed her buying habits since I’d left home. To be fair, she was living on disability these days, ever since she blew her back out. Money was tight.
“Why don’t you go and get it?” I told her. “I’m going to stock up on some stuff for the freezer. Oh, and we still have to pick up Mom’s asthma meds. Don’t let me forget.”
“We need some TP, too,” she said. “And tampons. We’re totally out of those.”
Of course they were. Food stamps were great for a lot of things, but they sure as hell didn’t cover toiletries. “I’ll get some toothpaste, too.”
“You’re the best, Randi!”
Just like that, she was skipping down the aisle toward the produce section, and for a minute there she almost could’ve been the little girl I used to give airplane and piggy-back rides to. Happy, carefree, and full of mischief. Now she was forcing herself to grow up too damned fast, just like I had.
It wasn’t right.
“Randi?” I froze, because I knew that voice.
Rome McGuire.
The sound was rough and sexy, with just a hint of a growl. Deeper than it’d been eight years ago, when I’d thrown caution to the wind and hopped on the back of his motorcycle for one glorious night.
Back then, I’d still been a shy little thing, terrified that some hot biker might actually want to talk to me, let alone take me out. When I caught him watching me at the party, I remembered studying the floor, his shirt collar, even the beer in my plastic cup, because I hadn’t known what to do with myself around such raw male glory. Apparently some things never change, because when I turned to face him, I found myself staring at the floor again.
This was a mistake, because his feet were down there. And the battered, black leather boots he wore led to jeans-covered legs. Legs topped by thick, muscular thighs.
Stop it. You’re acting like a giant dork! My brain hissed.
Oblivious and mesmerized, my gaze rose to the faded denim around his fly, and it was all over. My eyes started tracing the folds of the Okanogan Fire and Rescue T-shirt covering his still-muscular chest, although the Reapers Motorcycle Club vest he wore was a change. Back then, he’d been hanging around the Nighthawk Raiders MC. That whole club had disappeared for reasons I’d never fully understood, and the Reapers had taken over the town shortly afterward. Apparently Rome was one of them now.
Interesting…
I’d always wondered what’d happened to Rome after I’d left. We’d never said goodbye. That summer, the wildfires had swept through so fast that my family had to evacuate with the clothes on our backs. We hadn’t bothered to come back and sift through the ashes.
I’d kept in touch with my old boss, Tinker, of course.
I’d even considered asking her about Rome, but in some ways those fires were the best thing that ever happened to me. Starting over meant starting college in Missoula, and then a whole new life.
Wasn’t like Rome and I could’ve ever been anything real, anyway. Guys like him weren’t for girls like me.
My gaze reached his neck, which bristled with thick, black stubble that was more than a little out of control—this was different from when I’d known him before. Not that he’d ever been baby-faced, but he’d definitely matured. Now there were a few wrinkles around those dark blue eyes, although the dimple was still there. So was the crooked smile that’d spontaneously combusted my panties.
Correction.
A crooked smile that was currently combusting my panties. Who knew that a supermarket could be such dangerous territory?
“Been a long time,” he said. I shrugged, unsure what to say. I mean, yeah, we’d gone out on a date. He’d kissed me and wow… Not that we’d gotten much past second base, but he’d scored a home run in the lower deck of my ballpark, if you know what I mean. But he was one of those guys—you know, the kind of guys who hit lots of home runs with lots of girls.
“Yeah, well…” My words trailed off.
“No worries,” he replied. “Things fell to shit after the fires. We spent months chasing them down in the hills. Tinker said you’d gone to Missoula. That you were going to school. She was proud of you for getting out of here, I think. What brings you back to town?”
“Um, it’s my ten-year reunion,” I told him, flushing. “My mom moved back a couple years ago. Good to see her, and she still has two of the kids at home.”
Awkward silence fell. Then he reached down and caught my hand. My left hand.
“No ring?”
I shrugged. “Not yet. You?”
“Nope.”
I waited for him to let go. To make some small talk, and then say he had to go do something manly. You know, like rebuild a carburetor, or maybe shoot a bear. Rome didn’t, though. Instead, he rubbed the empty spot on my ring finger, his expression thoughtful.
His own finger was rough. Calloused. It caught against mine, almost but not quite scratching me.
“You got plans for tonight?” he asked. I shrugged again, because my plans were way too boring to share. I was going to balance my mom’s checkbook and then go through the giant stack of bills sitting on her counter, paying them in order of importance. If things got wild and crazy, I might eat some microwave popcorn.
Yup. I knew how to have a good time.
“Funny,” he said, cocking a brow. Just the sight was enough to send a shiver of excitement through me. God, I felt twenty again. “That’s a lot of condoms for a girl with no plans.”
My eyes flew to the cart. Fuck. There they were, staring up at us. I opened my mouth to tell him that they weren’t mine, then snapped it shut again, because no way in hell way was I announcing that I’d gotten them for my teenage sister. For one thing, Lexi’s sexual activity was her own business, push-up bra or not. For another, I was a twenty-eight-year-old woman, which meant I was mature enough to buy condoms any damned time I wanted to.
Without blushing.
Except I was fairly certain that the blazing heat in my cheeks meant I wasn’t quite there yet.
“She likes to keep her options open,” Lexi announced, choosing the worst possible moment to come back. She looked Rome over curiously. My pulse quickened, because when Lexi got curious, things went bad. Fast. “Why? You interested in my sister?”
I jerked my hand out of his, mortified, then turned on Lexi. The little rat smirked. I was going to kill her. Kill her dead. With my bare hands.
As for Rome, he seemed to be biting back a laugh.
“And what kind of options is she keeping open?” he asked.
“All of them,” she responded, snapping her gum. “Consider me her agent. In charge of booking appearances and such. You asking her out?”
“Lexi, shut up!” I hissed. Rome burst out laughing. A real laugh, deep and every bit as sexy as I remembered.
“I was thinking about it,” he said. “Although usually there’s a little small talk first.”
Lexi gave him a slow once-over, biting her lip thoughtfully. “You got a job?”
“Lexi, seriously. You need to stop talking right now,” I told her.
“Yeah, I got a job,” he replied. “And a condo. Not married, no kids. Used to have a beta fish, but it died. Is that a deal breaker?”
“Rome, this is ridiculous. You don’t have to answer—”
He smiled at me, and my words trailed off, because I’d forgotten just how beautiful he was when he smiled. Not that he was classically handsome, not at all. But there was something about him. His eyes were almost… kind.
Which didn’t make sense.
I knew he was in a motorcycle gang—and I was pretty sure that the Reapers were a gang, despite what Tinker insisted—and the guy was clearly a badass.
Yet he’d been gentle with me eight years ago, that was for sure.
Looking back, I could see how easy it would’ve been for him to push, but he hadn’t. Not even when I wanted him to.
“Randi, I’d like to take you out tonight,” he said, the words formal, even while his eyes danced with laughter. “Assuming your agent here will allow it.”
“You can pick her up at seven, and I expect you to take her somewhere nice. Eleven-twenty Maple Street. Unit C. You keep her out past two in the morning and I’m calling the cops. I’m also taking a picture of you and your license plate before you go.”
Rome and I both turned to her, startled by the ferocity in her voice.
“What? I take my job seriously,” Lexi said, rolling her eyes. “Now scoot. She needs time to get ready and we got more stuff to buy.”
With that, she grabbed the condoms from the cart and studied the box carefully. Snorting, she put them back on the rack, and picked out another style. Ribbed, for her pleasure, according to the packaging. Then she caught the cart handle and started pushing it down the aisle, ass wagging in a way that was unmistakably sexy.
“Your sister is trouble,” Rome said, his voice more serious. I glanced up, wondering if I’d find judgment in his face. Everyone else certainly seemed to judge her. Our entire family, actually. But there wasn’t anything ugly in his expression, and he wasn’t staring at her butt, either. He was looking at me, giving me his full attention.
“I know,” I admitted, frowning. “I don’t know what to do about it.”
“She’s getting a reputation. Not a good one.”
“Like you can talk?” I said, taking a step back. Rome shrugged.
“Boy her age can fuck as many girls as he wants, and nobody cares,” he said flatly. “But girls? They get labeled and then they get used. Trust me on that.”
“That’s bullshit.”
“That’s reality,” he countered, holding my gaze. “Not saying it’s right. Just calling it like I see it. She loves you and she’s not afraid to stand up for you. I respect that—respect it enough that I’d hate to see her being passed around my club in a couple years, trailing babies behind her.”
My mouth dropped. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“I can’t believe you don’t see it coming,” he replied. My eyes narrowed, and while deep down inside I could admit he had a point, I still didn’t like his tone.
“My sister was mistaken,” I said, my voice tight. “I’m busy tonight, and while I’m flattered that you’d ask me out, I’m only in town a few days and there’s no way I could make the time. It was nice seeing you.”
With that, I turned away and started down the aisle after Lexi. I made it about two steps before he blocked me, arms crossed over his chest. I looked back to find middle aged women pushing carts side by side turn toward us, effectively ruling out escape in the other direction.
“Let’s start over,” Rome said. “I shouldn’t have said that and I’m sorry.”
I stared at his chest, trying to decide if I should accept the apology. On the one hand, what he’d said was hateful. On the other, it was true. I’d been thinking it myself. Not that it was fair or right that people might look down on Lexi for the way she dressed and carried herself… That was straight-up misogynist bullshit. But he was right—there were people who would take advantage of the fact that despite her tough act, she was just a kid.
“I accept your apology,” I said, still staring at his chest. He reached out, putting a finger under my chin and slowly pushing it up until our eyes met. His had grown serious but there was still that hint of kindness, mixed with a little heat.
“Then I’ll pick you up at seven, okay?”
“Okay,” I agreed, feeling a small smile steal across my face. I tried to hide it but it was too late. Triumph flared in his eyes, mixed with more heat. My cheeks flushed again. Then he put one big hand on each of my shoulders, leaning down toward me. Was he going to kiss me? I remembered what it felt like to kiss him, and without thinking I licked my lips.
Rome didn’t go for the mouth, though. Instead, his lips brushed my ear as he whispered, “Let’s go get dinner tonight, maybe ride over Loup Loup Pass to Okanogan. I’ll pick you up on my bike, so wear something comfortable.”
His breath tickled my skin as he pulled back. Then he tapped my nose before turning and walking away with a swagger not even a nun could ignore.
Not gonna lie—watching his ass in those jeans was the highlight of my morning. And I’d be riding behind that ass on his bike in just eight hours.
Now all I had to do was figure out how to convince my sister that sometimes, less is more when it comes to skin exposure…
“You look fantastic!” Lexi said that evening, then frowned. “I think my bra looks better on you than it does on me.”
I leaned over and adjusted my boobs, then glanced back at the mirror, which was attached to a vanity table I’d found for her at a garage sale. She was right—it really did look better on me, because my figure was fuller than hers.
Probably because I wasn’t a teenage kid.
It’d been a real stroke of luck when she offered to loan it, because that gave me an excuse to make it disappear. We still hadn’t had The Talk, and I wasn’t sure how it would go when we did, but I knew one thing for sure—at the end of the night, she wouldn’t be getting her push-up bra back.
If I got lucky, I could claim it died when Rome ripped it off my willing body before carrying me off into the sunset to have his way with me… Except I wasn’t really sure that I wanted that. I mean, he was hot and I’d had my share of fantasies about him, but I hadn’t actually talked to him for eight years.
For all I knew, the guy was a total douche.
But even if Rome was a douche, he was a totally fuckable douche, and I was only human. It wasn’t like I had to marry him to have a good time.
“What’s that?” Lexi asked, her voice suddenly suspicious. I looked at her, confused.
“What?”
“You’ve got this dirty, smug look on your face. You’re thinking about getting laid, aren’t you?”
Damn, but this kid saw way too much. “I don’t have to answer that.”
“I put six condoms in your purse,” she responded thoughtfully. “Do you need more?”
“Are you sure you’re only sixteen?”
She raised a brow. “I was born forty years old, Randi. Just like you. We just express it in different ways. Taking care of Mom was a lot of work for you, and now it’s a lot of work for me. Let me have some fun for once, all right? My big sister has a sexy biker on the hook. I want to enjoy the moment vicariously.”
I stilled, the words catching me off guard. Lexi had been so silly and happy since I’d gotten home, but that pain in her eyes was real. Shit. This wasn’t okay. It wasn’t okay at all.
“We need to talk tomorrow,” I told her, looking around the small bedroom she shared with our nine-year-old brother, Kayden. It was small, with bunk beds and dirty laundry everywhere. “It sounds like there’s more going on here than I realized.”
“Talking tomorrow works for me, but for now, all you need to do is strut your stuff and enjoy,” Lexi said, her serious mood evaporating. “Go out. Have fun. Then come back and tell me all about it.”
With that, she flashed a smile at me and then headed down the hallway, singing to herself. She could’ve been four years old again. Damn, that girl was hard to wrap my head around. Grabbing my phone, I checked the time. Ten minutes after seven. Hmm, he was late. Was there any chance he’d stand me up? Now that would suck.
Except we hadn’t even exchanged numbers, so if he was running late, it wasn’t like he’d be able to text me.
Oops.
I double checked my makeup (casual but careful) and straightened my boobs—which looked seriously good, because Lexi’s bra was top quality—then wandered down the hallway after my sister.
I found her in the living room, eating a bowl of cereal with Kayden. Cartoons blared from the TV—a giant flatscreen that my mom had somehow managed to buy, despite the fact that she couldn’t afford real food for the kids.
“Don’t worry, Rome will show up,” Lexi said, staring at the TV. It was like she could read my mind or something. “I saw how he watched you.”
As if summoned by her words, a motorcycle roared outside. Kayden ran to the window.
“Your boyfriend is here!” he shouted. I grabbed a pillow and threw it at him, then hustled for the door, because no way I wanted Rome coming into the apartment. God only knew what might happen if Lexi took another run at him.
Moving quickly, I grabbed my little purse and headed out to meet him by the curb. He cut the engine, then pulled off his helmet to look at me with those gorgeous, dark brown eyes of his. His jeans were worn, cradling his body like I wanted to, and he wore a button-down flannel shirt—the neck open just enough to show me a hint of a white T-shirt—under his Reapers MC vest.
Oh, holy crap, somehow between this morning and this afternoon, I’d forgotten how attractive he was.
I mean, I’d remembered him as being hot, and when I’d seen him in the grocery store, I’d felt felt that heat. But he’d also taken me totally off guard. I’d halfway convinced myself that I’d imagined how much I wanted to jump him.
But Rome was the real deal.
My heart started beating faster, and suddenly the scoop-necked blouse I wore was way too warm in the heat. Was I having a hot flash?
No, fuckwit. You’re just in lust.
Fair enough. I wanted to lick him all over. The thought sent a shiver of joy-slash-terror through me. Some of it was physical—the guy was just a solid wall of hard, male muscle—but there was something else, too. Something intangible. Something that made the space between my legs clench, and wish we were naked and alone, despite the fact that I knew almost nothing of what kind of person he’d become.
Chemistry.
This was pure chemistry, and we’d had it from the very first. Our eyes had met across that keg and it was all over… Now Rome’s eyes found mine again, and that same spark I was feeling flared in their depths.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he said, his face softening. I blinked, every bit as mesmerized as I’d felt at the grocery store. He leaned forward, still sitting on the bike, and caught my hand, pulling me toward him. “I’m gonna kiss you.”
“Yes, please,” I whispered, brain fully disengaged. His hand came up and caught the back of my head, then our lips met and I died a little.
He’d kissed me twice before, years ago. Those kisses had been soft. Devastating and intense, but very gentle. Sweet.
This was totally different. This came hard and fast, his mouth overwhelming mine with a powerful, masculine hunger I hadn’t expected. His tongue thrust against the seam of my lips, and when I didn’t immediately open, his teeth followed, nipping just enough to startle me. I gasped, and then he was inside.
There was nothing sweet about him right now.
Rome’s hand twisted in my hair, holding my head captive as his tongue pushed inside my mouth. Fire exploded through me, a deep well of heat settling between my legs. My hands reached up to catch his shoulders and then I was all in, giving as good as he gave me.
His other arm came around my waist, crushing me against him. This wasn’t nearly as awkward as it should’ve been, considering he was still on the bike. Maybe we could just skip dinner. Go straight to the fun part of the date…
A loud honking and the sound of someone screaming “Wooohooo!” from a passing car jolted me out of the moment. I pushed against his shoulders. Rome let me step back, although he kept his arm around my body. His eyes were smoky with lust, and I thought I saw the hint of a flush showing underneath the tan of his cheeks.
Yup, the feeling was definitely mutual.
Then he shot a glance toward the apartment and smiled. “Let’s get out of here. Your family is enjoying this show a little more than I’d like.”
My head jerked around to find Kayden and Lexi watching from the window. Kayden started waving frantically. Rome raised a hand, returning my brother’s wave. I turned back to her, sheepish.
“I’m used to living on my own,” I said. “I’d forgotten what it’s like to be around the kids.”
“I get it,” he said. “My people can be a little overwhelming, too. No worries. Now let’s get a helmet on you and get out of here. You know, before they decide they want to follow us.”