King took her hand and led her away from the bar. The music and noise from the crowd was so loud, they could barely hear each other and he took her to the back of the room, where there was a small section of leather couches. It seemed to be a more intimate and exclusive part of “The Bullet” as King called it, and Lexi instantly felt like she was being accepted into his secretive world.
He looked deeply into her eyes as he held tightly onto her hand, with his other wrapped delicately around her shoulder.
“I’ve been wanting to kiss you like that since the second I saw you through the window today,” he smiled. “You took my breath away.”
Lexi felt herself tingle all over with desire and nodded her head in agreement.
“I felt exactly the same,” she whispered. “It was instantaneous.”
King nodded and leaned in to kiss her again. She couldn’t believe how close to him she felt after only knowing him a few hours. But there was something between them that was just right. When she looked into his eyes, everything seemed to click into place.
“So,” he said as he gestured around the bar, “what do you think?”
“I think it’s fantastic,” Lexi grinned. “It looks like a lot of fun.”
“Oh, it is,” he laughed. “And I know you’d fit in here well.”
“What do you want me to do?” she asked coyly.
“Tend the bar?” he suggested vaguely.
“I thought you said there was a position?” Lexi was confused.
“Well…” He held his hands up. “Maybe I have a slight confession.” He smiled at her and licked his bottom lip. “I just had to get you to agree to see me again.”
“What?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.
“I needed an excuse to get you here,” he said. “So, what do you want to do here?”
“King, is there a job or not?” Lexi was beginning to get annoyed.
“If you want one, then there’ll be something for you.”
“Oh what, so you’re just giving me charity?” She got to her feet and was about to storm off when he grabbed hold of her wrist and pulled her back to him.
“Calm down,” he laughed. “I’m a major shareholder of this place, and I want a girl like you here at The Bullet, okay?” He was holding onto her by the shoulders. “It’s not charity, Lexi, believe me.”
She pouted and looked down at the ground. She wanted to get mad at him, but she knew she was overreacting, and he was only trying to help. She would be such a fool to reject his kindness.
“Okay,” she said grudgingly, “I’ll work for you.”
“Great,” King slapped his hands together. “And I promise I’m a much better boss than that last asshole you were working for. We’ve all heard stories about him…” he trailed off and looked out across the bar.
“Yeah, well, I’m sure they’re all true,” Lexi confirmed. “He’s a crook and a liar and he still owes me two weeks wages.”
The rage seemed to be building within King, and she could sense that he was on the verge of exploding. He cupped her face and looked at her deep in the eyes.
“I’ll get it for you,” he said. “Just leave it to me.”
Lexi knew she should have told him not to, but she needed the money, and Marv deserved to be a little scared. She’d told him that she would make him pay, and maybe this was her chance.
“So,” King said as he lit a cigarette and exhaled a plume of smoke up towards the ceiling, “when can you start?”
“Whenever you want me,” she smiled.
“I want you right now,” he whispered suggestively.
Lexi’s skin tingled and the butterflies in her stomach started up again. Desire was growing between her legs, and even though she had only just met him, she knew that she would gladly go to bed with him right then and there.
“Well,” she said shyly, “just name a day and time.”
“Tomorrow night?” he asked. “How about seven? Come on down, and I’ll show you the ropes and introduce you to everyone.”
Lexi nodded and smiled.
“That’s enough work talk,” King said as he took her by the hand again and led her back into the swarm of bodies. “We need another drink.”
At the bar, they wrapped their arms around one and other and knocked back shots. King kissed her and ran his hands through her hair, and for a man who was so wild and untamed, she couldn’t believe what a gentle touch he had. She could tell he would be a dominating and expert lover and she found it intimidating, but she also couldn’t wait to find out.
As the night progressed and they got to know each other better, King introduced her to some of the other bikers from The Forsaken Riders. Faces and names all blurred together, but there were ones that stuck in her mind… Monikers like Lynx, Tanner, and Carter all swirled around her head as she shook hands with the big, burly, handsome men, and King looked on at her adoringly.
When she finally looked at her cell phone, it was nearly 3:00 am and the tiredness was beginning to creep up on her. She was having such a good night, she didn’t want it to end, but she knew she had to get herself home and have a good night’s sleep if she was starting her new job tomorrow.
“I better get home,” she whispered in King’s ear as they lounged back on one of the leather couches and she ran her hands through his hair. “But thank you,” she smiled. “For everything you’ve done for me today.”
He looked up and her and shrugged. “It’s no problem, Babe.”
She leaned in and kissed him softly on the cheek. His stubble grazed against her lips and her sex pulsed.
“Let me give you a ride,” he said as he got to his feet and pulled her up with him.
He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and walked with her towards the front door. All of the guys she had been introduced to hollered goodbye and waved to her through the crowd that was still going strong.
Out front there were still as many bikes and revelers as there had been when she had arrived earlier, and King seemed to know every one of them as they passed them by.
He led her to the big machine she had seen him riding earlier at the diner, and he helped her onto the back before he climbed on and started the engine. She gripped onto his waist as he revved the bike with a loud growl. She was both nervous and excited as he pulled away from The Bleeding Bullet and out onto the streets of Slate Springs. They thundered down the roads and onto Main Street so fast that she barely had time to register how far they had gone in such a short span of time. Her heart raced with the speed and exhilaration, and she nuzzled into King’s back. She felt so safe and protected with him, and she knew that whatever she was feeling, he was feeling it too. Their connection was growing stronger with each passing second, and she was already looking forward to the following night and her first shift at The Bullet so she could see him again.
She directed him towards her house, completely not thinking that her mother may hear the revs of the bike. At the back of her mind, she believed on some level that both she and Dereck would be still comatose from the gin, but she hadn’t really thought about it at all.
King pulled up at the sidewalk at the foot of her drive, and Lexi slipped off the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Thank you for a wonderful night,” she smiled before she kissed him passionately again.
King took hold of her and pulled her close, he ran his hands through her hair and made her body shiver with lust.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Babe,” he breathed as he revved the bike’s engine again.
Lexi stepped back from the road and waited on her driveway as he thundered off down the street and her pulse quickened. She was hot all over and almost panting with desire. It had taken all of her willpower not to invite him inside, but as she watched him disappear into the night, there was a part of her that wished they could have spent it together.
She heard the click of the front door come from behind her, and she spun around with shock to see her mother standing in the doorway.
“Who the fuck was that, Lexi?” she demanded. Her voice was so loud it cut through their quiet neighborhood and set some of the local dogs off barking.
“Mom!” she hissed. “Keep your voice down!”
“Me?!” She was drunk and aggressive and Lexi found herself backing away. “You’re telling me to be quiet, you little slut? What the fuck were you doing with one of those bikers? What have I told you about them, huh?”
“You can’t control me forever,” Lexi threw back at her. “I’m twenty-two, I can see whoever I want.”
“Not while you’re under my roof!” her mother hollered into the night.
Dereck appeared blurry eyed from behind her and looked ready for a fight too, but Lexi wasn’t going to stick around and find out. She turned and marched off down the street, away from them both while they shouted after her and called her every name under the sun.
She didn’t have King’s number, and she didn’t know where she should go until she remembered that Tammy had asked her to let her know how her night had gone. She sat down on the curb at the end of her street and watched the lights go out at home and pulled out her cell phone. She reluctantly pressed dial and held it up to her ear.
She answered on the second ring, but she still felt guilty.
“Tam?” Lexi asked shakily. “Tam, I’m so sorry to call this late… but would it be okay if I came over?”
***
In Tammy’s small kitchen, they huddled together and drank cocoa while Lexi filled her in on the events of the night. Her eyes sparkled with excitement but hardened with both sympathy and anger when she heard of how she had been treated by her mom.
“You’ve got to get out of there, Lex,” Tammy said, shaking her head. “They’re destructive.”
“I know,” she said. “I’m not too far off now,” she smiled optimistically.
“I’m so glad you’ve got this new job,” Tammy pulled her robe around herself and yawned.
“God, I’m sorry,” Lexi got to her feet and tidied away the mugs and biscuits. “I just didn’t know where else to go. You get yourself to bed, I’ll be fine on the couch.”
“Never apologize,” Tammy laughed. “This is what I’m here for.”
She stood up and hugged her, and then the girls both made their way to bed.
As Lexi lay awake on the couch, she looked up out of the window above her at the stars. Even though she had just had the most up and down two days of her life, after meeting King, things could only get better… she could feel it.