“Women often get the urge to slap the stupid off a man’s face.”  - All women, including Luxe.

 

 

The week ticked by at a fast pace. A few chapters started to arrive in town early for the anniversary celebration that was looking to be the biggest event in Armado in the last half century.  Trucks and trailers parked and set up camp around and on the compound grounds. Most nights the club was popping with a pre-party of sorts as people reacquainted with each other, and bragging began of which club was better.

Renegade Souls MC was fast becoming the biggest MC in the country, the most notorious, for sure, and at the helm as the mother chapter president was Rider who welcomed all the out of towners. Most he knew, and those new to him watched the prez with trepidation and awe, his reputation for how he’d cleaned house a decade ago and hauled the club back into the black wasn’t just stories the oldies told around campfires.

Grinder grinned and slapped Rider on the back as the pair strode through the clubhouse, heading outside to meet with yet another new batch of arrivals. “Shit, the way they’re all bowing and scraping to you, you’re gonna have an ego the size of Preacher by the time everyone leaves, Prez. Maybe I should get your autograph.” He told the man in charge who only smirked and rolled a shoulder.

The Renegade Souls weren’t the most violent MC around, that accolade would have gone to the Raging Rebels had they not been disbanded, now the Diablo Disciples were trying to take that title, but as Grinder thought on it while Rider did the meet and greet hand slapping with a pack of members from the Boston chapter, he knew the greatest glue for any club was the fear of the unknown. It was the easiest form of both protection and threat. Enemies feared the unknown and Rider ran a tight ship since taking the gavel and for good reason. They fought and killed, when they needed to, it was the simplest method to get their message across not to be messed with, but what worked ninety percent of the time was the reputation of the RS. Maybe someone on the outside would absolutely look at Grinder and crew and deem them violent thugs, men without morals who shifted the law to their own ruling, men who killed and stole and fought and crossed lines. And he was fine with that.

He’d rather have an enemy afraid than someone coming at him in the dark.

Staying back from the crowd, not much of a mixer, he could be friendly when he had to be, but trackers were notoriously loners, he would sometimes spend a month, two months tracking one man and do it on the road alone.

Now though, he mused, while he supped from a cold bottle, he had Luxe, didn’t he? Somewhere along the way of chasing his woman and tracking her sweet ass down, he’d fallen into this mystery fucking gray area of not wanting to be that lone wolf anymore, of wanting to stay on home ground more often, of not wanting to be gone for weeks on end just in case his thief came by. Thankfully, with the things the Russian’s were starting Rider hadn’t sent him out of town in a while.

Just as well, he thought, because he had a feeling he would have chicked out and toted his woman along with him.

And wouldn’t Luxe love that. Fiery thing would probably punch him in the junk.

Holy fuck. He loved that untameable short fuse of hers.

He must be damn crazy, but he wouldn’t change anything about her.

Maybe her location. This long-distance shit was wearing thin. He was about to break and beg her to move, to give her a key to his shitty condo and ask her to live with him, or to get a better place together. Just as long as she woke in his bed every day so he could slide through the sheets and taste his thief before she was fully awake, to tempt her into moaning while it was dark outside and she was wet in their bed.

Strange how fast things moved but felt right at the same time. Grinder was nearing forty and he wanted his own old lady.

While he was in his own head a mass of blonde hair came out from the entryway carrying a crate of beers, wind blowing it in her face, Rider growled and broke off from the crowd, instantly going to his woman. No one would dare suggest their president was pussy-whipped, not if they wanted to keep all of his teeth.

“Jesus, Zara. I thought I told you to delegate this shit an hour ago and rest?” complained Rider striding towards his old lady, he took the crate from her and dumped it on the floor.

Telling a woman what to do...Oh, damn, if Grinder was gonna be witness to his president’s murder maybe he ought to get his feet to moving, cause he’d seen Z-girl erupt her temper last year on the groupies and that verbal beat down had been brutal. Entertaining as shit, but brutal. Now it was her old man’s turn if the frown on her flushed face was any indication. Like any decent friend would do Grinder parked his ass at the bar and watched. “I’m fine, I want to do it.” She told him, resting her forehead on Rider’s chest when he brought her in, rubbing both her bare arms. Cute as hell Rider’s old lady was wearing her custom pink queen cut.

“You’re worn out. I’m taking you home.”

“Biker-man….”

“Zara. At least pass some of the jobs to the groupies for fucks sake. It’s what they’re here for.”

“Okay. I will,” a beat of silence. “I miss Tiny. It just hit me earlier when I was in the kitchen that he’s really not here.”

Damn. Didn’t they all miss him. That giant was missed by all. He would have slaughtered ten pigs and had them roasting by now.

Rider’s voice softened and Grinder looked away while the prez got gentle with his woman, no one needed to see more of their PDA, or he might hurl.

Just then he felt the fine hairs on the back of his neck raise, he swerved his head and striding in through the door was his own thief. Fuck. His heart just about galloped as he stepped off the stool and met her halfway.

What had he been saying again about PDA? He couldn’t think while he had his tongue in his girl’s mouth kissing her hello.

“Wow. I think you missed me.” She grinned up and ran her thumb against his beard.

“I wasn’t sure if you were getting in today.”

“Yeah, had some things change schedule so here I am.” Her dark eyes scanned as she turned in a circle, but it had been days since he’d seen Luxe, he wasn’t letting her out of touching distance any time soon. Though he had duties around the club he was very tempted to drag her home and welcome her back properly.

And very naked.

“What’s going on here? Is there some kind of biker convention in town? I’ve never seen so many of you all in one place. There’s a guy outside putting up a hammock.”

Grinder chuckled. Sounded like One-eye Pete. “Yeah, love. Remember I told you about the anniversary bash this weekend? Liquor, grub and orgies.”

Her head came up some fast Grinder barked a laugh. “Aren’t you the funny man.”

It was half-true, but he wasn’t about to enlighten his thief to potential sex shows. Things got wild at any RS party and now there was more than twenty chapters in town already, days before the main event, and it seemed like the groupies had swelled overnight, it wasn’t gonna be any sedated party, that was for sure.

For the first time Grinder wasn’t interested in staying around for them. “We can get out of here if you want.” He suggested.

“And tear you away from your little boy’s club.” She teased, making him want to bite her right there on her bottom lip she jutted out saucily.

He grabbed her and sat her on his lap.

 

******

 

Turns out a Renegade Souls MC party was much the same as an Apollo Kingsmen party she’d been to over the years. Too much noise, liquor flowing by the ocean load and a lot of rowdy men and boobs wherever you looked.

Only this time she had Nathan to hang with. He kept her by his side most of the evening, sometimes perched on his lap while he whispered wicked things.

She’d joined one of their card games, noting the sceptical looks from the other guys around the table wearing the familiar leather cut. It was okay they underestimated her, a mere woman, what was she to know about poker? Luxe only smiled and put her money in the middle.

“Go easy on them, love.” Nathan whispered humor in her ear. She elbowed him and raised her stake. She could handle a bunch of cocky men.

She won four rounds and a few thousand dollars.

“They think I brought in a ringer.” He laughed some time later pushing her into his room, shutting them in together. Luxe shrugged and smiled. Not her fault men were stupid and couldn’t get past a pair of tits. She could thank her Mimi for her shark skills, they’d play every night for months when she’d first been dumped on her. Before long Luxe was playing kids at school for their lunch money.

“They shouldn’t have been so arrogant. I had to teach them a lesson.”

“Yeah, love, you did.” Nathan was lifting off her tank top, then fingers were at the zipper to her jean shorts. “What are you doing?” she asked growing heated when he slipped his hand inside and cupped between her legs.

“I’m celebrating my girl tearing my boys a new one.” He gave her his bedroom smile and she melted.

Oh, well then. She answered with her own smile and stroked her hands under his T-shirt, touching hot, tanned skin. Her man was raw, hard, biteable, and the desire he ignited in her with only a look was ruthless. And addicting. God, she’d missed every inch of him.

The compulsion went deep, much deeper than she’d ever thought possible, it was all she could do not to hop a plane from Chicago these past two days while she was working and come and see him early. In her state of mind of emotion and feelings she remained silent as he laid her on the bed before she said something possibly embarrassing like she never wanted to leave him ever again.

Nathan…” she moaned scraping blunt nails through his hair, dragging him forward as his knees hit the floor and he got into position with his mouth between her legs.

She went wet really damn fast. “Show me how you missed me, chico.”

The growl was nothing short of lust soaked and he did just that.

His lips and facial hair moved up her inner thigh, tracking his path before his tongue slicked out and ran the length of her wet slit as he tormented her clit. “You’ve got me on my damn knees, baby. So fucking desperate for a taste of you.” Taking his hands to the back of her thighs making sure they stayed spread. Oh god, she arched with a giant shudder, he about attacked her with the fullness of his mouth open. Instead he prowled his huge self to kiss the tip of her nose, her breasts heaving with every breath.  “You’re gonna let me eat my fill, Luxe.”

“H-how much is your fill?”

He dropped back down to his knees and showed her, his growl shuddered the ceiling.

The first few licks nearly made Luxe black out, she squeezed his head like a melon because Ay dios mio the man could give good lick.

He rewarded her with several hard swipes of his tongue, before flicking, flicking, flicking his tongue against her tortured clit, again and again. Her mind pitched so dramatically, she found her hands clutching at anything she could grasp. There was no purchase between the first orgasm waning and the merciless way in which he savagely thrusted every inch inside, roaring as he did, turning her into a pleasured, sobbing wreck of a woman clinging desperately to the bed covers she was pressed face first into.  

The build-up had been amazing, but his fuck …. Indescribably amazing.

He sexed her up the way he always promised he would, all those wickedly whispered words he’d kissed under her ear each night, he came through and delivered.

Hard. Unrelenting. Perfection.

It seemed never ending, bolstered by his thrusts filling her to capacity. “So fucking sweet,” he groaned. “Can’t take this tightness,” he pumped moving her and the bed with a creak. “So.” thrust. “Fucking.” slam. “Wet.” On and on. “I love how you chase your pleasure.” His ragged dirty talk was her undoing. With her senses seduced and she could no longer think straight. Having never experienced a lover like Grinder, with very little inhibitions, he said what he wanted and felt and his passionate side resonated within her pussy walls, everything he said was the biggest turn on. Slapslapslap—his strangled grunts, the possession in his gaze made her pussy quicken and soften around his hard length. The pleasure in his throat was ruining her, she craved those sounds now as much as she did her own bliss.

The independent woman at her core winced how easy she succumbed to pleasure, willing to sacrifice any promise for this from him. Now she loved it, now it was craved the same way she wanted dessert every other hour of the day.

God, yes, touch me, I live for your callused hands.

It was hot and it was dirty and it felt so incredibly good.

God, she’d missed him. Missed his weight on top of her, missed the way he held her in strong arms, missed his smell. Missed that whiskey voice in her ear.

Accepting the kisses, he stroked along the exposed column of her throat, Luxe fingered his hair. “That was some celebration, kidnapper.”

“Mm. I’ll feed you then we can celebrate more at my place.” He didn’t ask if she was staying with him and she didn’t chide him for it. It was a given she’d be in Nathan’s bed while she was in town.

He cleaned her up then helped her to slip back into her clothes, they kissed and touched and enjoyed being with each other for a few more minutes before they’d join everyone else outside. It was an odd feeling yet one Luxe felt at ease with. “I’m starving.” She expressed and it was the right thing to say. Somehow, he got a kick out of providing food for her and for one who loved sugar so much it was win-win for her when he’d pick up anything she wanted.

He grabbed her hand, folding it in his larger palm. “Come on, love. Let’s get you fed. I think we can forage up a fucking carrot and hummus in this place somewhere.”

She laughed and followed behind, out of his room, down the long corridor and into a spacious communal kitchen area.

They weren’t alone in the kitchen, a slim dark-haired woman dressed in a three-quarter jumpsuit was assembling a platter of what looked like hot wings. The woman turned hearing them, her smile was beaming. For Nathan.

Looking up at him Luxe raised her brow when he seemed uncomfortable. Placing his hand on her back he shuffled her to the table. “Take a seat, love. Let me see what I can grab for you.”

“Hey, Grinder!” the woman smiled. “I’m bringing these out for Zara.”

He was heading to the fridge, and didn’t afford the woman a glance. “Okay.” He stated. The bland attitude didn’t seem to dampen the woman’s enthusiasm as she sidled up to him, a hip cocked out she fluffed her silky hair and asked. “Are you going to be around later? I thought we could spend some time together again like the other week and---”

“No. I’m taking my girl home.”

It was around the same time that something tickled in the back of Luxe’s skull watching how her man steadily tried to ignore another woman as if she didn’t exist.

As a woman tended to do, Luxe had a full internal conversation with herself before she showed a flicker of reaction. He’d spent time with this woman recently? In the same period as being with her?

Sure, they were nothing official then, were they? It shouldn’t matter, should it?

Yet there was that stab in her heart, digging deep, burrowing hard. Fucking hell.

“Are you sure, I mean---”

“Dani. I’m taking my girl home.” He stressed my girl so vehemently the other woman looked Luxe’s way finally and shrugged, her face crestfallen. “Oh. Alright. I should get these out to everyone. Bye.” She told Luxe even though the woman hadn’t said hello to begin with. She was gone a moment later carrying the large pan of meat.

“There’s some salad and cheese.” Grinder called out over his shoulder, half of his large body still buried within the belly of the fridge. “And I can make garlic bread. Snake has a chocolate thing in here, you can have that, tough shit for him if he wanted it.”

“Are we sweeping over the fact a woman just talked about being on your dick the other week?”

His head whipped up and shame stained his face for a second before it was gone.

But Luxe saw.

“She was not on my dick, Luxe. Jesus.”

“She sounded pretty sure. It’s not something a woman forgets.”

Dropping food on the table, his forehead was a mass of puckered wrinkles as he stared at her.

He ran a hand over his beard.

She waited.

And waited.

“I didn’t fuck her.”

It didn’t go unnoticed he dropped his eyes from hers and something cold settled in her belly.

It shouldn’t matter, she tried to tell herself. It shouldn’t. He could sleep with who he wanted then.

But there was no holding back the stab of hurt she was feeling.

Almost like a betrayal.

“But something happened …” she led him to the answer. Her voice strange to her own ears, she had to stand, nervous energy was suddenly zipping through her body and she needed to move.

“Luxe,” his sigh puffed hard enough to fell forests. “Baby. Don’t look at me as though I’ve hurt you. Fuck, don’t. I haven’t been with anyone but you for months.”

He strode in three big steps and took hold of her arms. It shouldn’t matter, she told herself. She was absolutely fine about it. Let it go, drop it.

She knew the MC life, how the men used women and discarded them just as fast. Groupies, sweet bottoms, bitches, hangarounds, whatever you wanted to call them, they were easily used women and plenty of them. A hoard hung around Jamie’s club regularly.

Her logic knew all this and still that fucking spike of jealousy pierced into her brain demanding attention. Dios. Drop it.

 “It’s you I’m a fucking monster for, to get back inside you every goddamn hour of the day and night. You don’t even know, Luxe. No other woman comes close and YES, I wanted to rid you from my system with her, I didn’t think I had a chance with you after what I’d done. I was goddamn drunk and missing you like a fucking open wound, I wanted you, hungered for you and I couldn’t stand it feeling like I’d fucked up too much.”

Hurt, deep and strong plowed into her. “You’re an asshole.” Anger filled her eyes as she tugged her arm from Grinder’s grip.

“Jesus Christ.”

“After all the chest beating you did because of Jamie, you do this.”

Nathan growled, eyes narrowed. “Don’t put his damn name in this conversation right now, Luxe.”

“Jamie. Jamie. Jamie!” She goaded.

The kitchen door opened and a dark head appeared. “Get the fuck out, prospect.” Nathan hissed sending the man packing.  

“How many weeks ago was it?”

“I don’t fucking know. A few. I was drunk.”

Stupid, really. To assume she was the only one. Amid all his insisting he wanted to make up for kidnapping her, that he wouldn’t be spending time with others.

She’d liked hearing how special she was, all the begging, so much begging, it turned her on, turned her inside out, to hear him detailing the lewd things he wanted to do to her, feeling it affect her. She’d never been spoken to the way Nathan spoke, like he had no filter between his cock and mouth and she’d liked it. More than that, she’d needed it.

Now she wasn’t feeling so special if he’d been spreading his special dirty sauce all over.

“Are you really angry over this? I know I can do dumb shit, but I didn’t fuck anyone else.”

“You wanted to.”

“So, I’m to be punished for something I didn’t do before we were even anything?”

Everything about this felt wrong, felt cold inside and she hated the emotions that tackled her, made her shaky. He tried to take her arms again, tried to pull her into his chest and truth be told that’s the only place she wanted to be, but not while she felt anger for something so fucking unnecessary, but no one said a woman had to make fucking sense. She was well within her constitutional female rights to throw whatever temper tantrum she wanted to right now and the law would be on her side.

Because stupid man doing stupid things would always lose.

Luxe huffed and shook her head, disappointed when she didn’t really have a leg to stand on with this. He had been a free agent, he could have slept with a hundred Dani’s.

“Yes, you are,” she told him, nose in the air, eyes blazing. “Now I’m going home and don’t you follow me.”

“For fucks sake, Luxe.” His head hung down on his thick neck. God, he was so handsome and she was so angry.

“How would you feel, Nathan? Switch places. I wanted to get you out of my head, and I was conveniently drunk, shitty excuse by the way, and a sexy guy was coming onto me, and I think, hey, I know how to stop thinking of Nathan, and I hop on him.”

His growl was felt in her stomach.

She went on. Holding his dark tumultuous gaze. “Keep in mind you and I are not dating, you have no claim on me other than a handful of times we’ve used each other.”

“I never fucking used you.”

“No, you didn’t.” She agreed quietly. He’d gave and gave and gave to her.

“I would kill a man for touching you.”

“But not me? It’s me who wants this guy, wants his hands and mouth all over me, to stop thinking of your hands and mouth. It’s me who climbs all over-----”

“Luxe, for the sake of my fucking sanity stop fucking talking.” With his hands braced on the table, his back bent over he heaved in air rapidly and she felt sorry for goading him. It was what her temper did, she fired in all directions not caring where the bullets landed.

“I’m jealous, okay! You, hombre estúpido,” it pained her to admit. “You shouldn’t have even been entertaining the thought of anyone else, period.”

His brows bunched together as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. “Jealous? You are so far above every woman I’ve ever known or would know that I don’t even see them.” Maybe Dani had done her a favor, not that Luxe would be thanking the other woman any time soon, but it brought some clarity to her tumbling emotions. Nathan loved her. It was kind of obvious when she thought about it, how hard he was trying to make amends.

She softened towards him and took a cleansing inhale.  

“I’m kind of a lousy sonuvabitch, love, if our beginning wasn't proof enough. I do dumb shit.”

“You do.” She agreed and he laughed hoarsely.

“What I haven't done is fuck anyone else, I can't, I'm yours. You own my dick. I want to be the one who keeps you warm, the thought of another lucky bastard getting to wrap you up in his hoodie makes my belly burn. That’s my job. Mine. I want to be the one who asks you if you want my mouth and have you say yes, every single time. I never thought I’d crave a taste on my tongue the way I crave yours. And you’re jealous of a woman that means nothing? My thief is in her own league. I see only you, Luxe.”

Her eyelids closed, irritation stung the inside of her nose at just how easily he could deflate her with a few choice sincere words spoken in that timber of his.

“I want every orgasm to belong to me because I’ve licked it there. I have this need in me, Luxe, that I never knew was there, never sought it before, to take care of you, protect you, fucking feed you so you're never hungry. I want to make you laugh and not have you look at me as you just did with disappointment in your midnight eyes. I hate that."

“Did you kiss this Dani?”

“No.”

“Did you touch her?”

“No, I---”

“Did she touch you?”

She had her answer when his brow puckered again.

“I woke up in my bed here fully clothed. Preacher told me he dumped me into it.”

“Did you nuzzle her?”

“No.”

“Do that nose thing you do on my neck?”

“Luxe,” he sighed. “No. She’s no one and means nothing to me.”

“Okay.”

“Okay? … we’re fine now?”

“Yes. I only wanted honesty. I have no right to feel … anything about this.”

“You have rights, love. You have all the rights, I want you to have them.”

To Nathan’s credit he hadn’t lost his temper with her. She meant it, she didn’t have rights here. Approaching him standing by the kitchen table, she placed her hands on his waist reaching up she kissed his mouth gently. “Not to say I wouldn’t break your balls now if this happened, you’ve made certain promises to me, chico. So, keep that in mind the next time you lose your faculties with liquor, sí?”

The tension of a few minutes ago drifted away as he laughed lightly. “So, does this mean you won’t be causing a fight with the chick then? I mean if you want to, I don’t mind holding your coat and bra and watching…”

Luxe huffed and glared up at him. “What do you take me for!” The cheek of the man.

“A hot tempered gorgeous thing.”

She huffed. “Wouldn’t you just love that, two women fighting over you.”

“Sí.” He answered lecherously rubbing his crotch on her belly. Luxe rolled her eyes playfully and pushed him away. “I thought you were feeding me? I could waste away waiting, kidnapper.”

He snapped to attention. “On it, love.”

It was while he went to hunt down cayenne pepper for her salad in a store closet that Luxe slipped out and took her leave. She wasn’t lying, she wasn’t mad any longer, but she did want a moment to gather her thoughts, to process the emotions this had provoked in her. Maybe she could call Mimi and talk it through.

Nathan wouldn’t be far behind her; the man did love to chase her down. She smiled and expected him very soon.

 

******

 

 

“You know your woman took off?” Asked Preacher as Grinder sauntered back into the main common room. Bikers were everywhere, he didn’t look too closely at what some were doing. There was gambling going on down the far end, music, boozing, weed in the air and a lot of conversation with dicks out and women on those dicks.

Jaw tight he nodded. “Yep. I gave her the minute she needed to sneak out. We had a fight.”

“Not going after her?”

“Yep. Giving her thirty minutes first. And if I don’t fix it I want you to punch me right in the fucking face.”

“Oh, man. I love this fucking night.” Laughed Preacher cracking his big knuckles.

Grinder hated that entire scene that went down between them. Fuck. The women…Dani, it had been nothing, or so he’d thought until he heard himself vomit out the details to his girl. Any other woman he would have walked away and not almost chewed off his leg to make it right between them. Man, his belly was burning, nerve endings rattling to go after her right away, but if there was one thing he’d taken close notice of his Luxe, she came to things in her own time, if he pushed her on this then she’d run much further than Jamie fucking Steele’s apartment.

He didn’t know it had started raining until he watched it trickle down the outside of the ceiling high windows. Was she fine to drive in the rain? Worry choked him. Bracing his forearms on the bar, turning his back to the room, he twisted his head and looked at Preacher who was just grinning like a big dumb idiot. “Don’t even say it.” Grinder warned.

“But this is so much fun for me.”

I miss her. I need her. I made her hurt.

He was running the gauntlet of a maze he’d never been in before, one he felt unsteady with because as sweet as Luxe was, he knew she still didn’t forgive him fully. He’d been in relationships, of course, but nothing like this, nothing that felt so real, so good, so fucking big he was in danger of putting his foot in it hourly.

One ex had called him evil right before smashing his condo up because he’d called it quits after a few months of boredom fucks. The bitch should have been thankful he let her walk away without retribution. He felt nothing then, not like he did now with his gut twisted in all directions.

After twenty minutes he grabbed his keys, left the party behind and went to meet his girl.

She was what mattered most.

Whatever he had to do.

Maybe if he didn’t inadvertently … almost … fall dick first into another woman that would be a good start.