Trench

 

    “Come on. You’ll be doing me a favor.”

     Fuck. I even sounded like a pussy to myself. What the hell was I doing? When I left the diner two hours ago I never planned on seeing Tori again. Honestly, I hoped I wouldn’t. For her sake, not mine, of course. I was a selfish bastard when it came to the ladies. I knew what I wanted, what I needed, and what I could live without.

     I wanted Tori the minute she landed in my lap, I felt a need to protect her for reasons I had yet to figure out, and I could live without the stares my men were giving me as I crossed the street with Tori. Shit. My hand tightened possessively around her smaller one. I had the sudden urge to punch every last one of them for looking at her like she was the sweetest piece of candy they’d ever seen and they were fucking starved. The confusing stares and amused smirks in my direction, well, as far as I knew none of them had a death wish. I could only hope they used what little sense their mamas gave them to keep any opinions to themselves. Otherwise, Tori would have to be witness to one hell of an ass-whooping. Luckily, she didn’t see the way I dealt with Stryker, but Sadie sure had. The woman wouldn’t tell a soul, including Tori, but her knowing grin had made me question my strong reaction to Stryker touching Tori. I might have taken his warning a little too far, but at the time it felt right.

     I was acting like a damn hypocrite, a love-sick teenager. In all the years I’d enjoyed the many pleasures of women, and there had been more than I cared to remember, I never held their freaking hands. Truth be told, if I came across one of the brothers holding hands with a woman, I would never let him live it down.

     A blind man would stop what he was doing and take notice of Tori. Everything about her radiated beauty. Her voice, her laugh, those damn doe eyes that seemed to reach inside my own and slam the door on my demons with one simple glance. It just so happened she had a banging body to complete the whole package. Call me a bastard because I wanted the woman. That didn’t mean I should have her, but as far as I could tell there was no harm in keeping her company for a while at least.

     I called her dangerous in those clothes, but I was the one who should cause alarm bells to ring in her ears. Tori should stay as far away from me as possible. I wasn’t the type to settle down and Tori seemed as far removed from my lifestyle as there could be.

     But, like a wet dream or a fucking mirage, she had been the one standing across the street from Mike’s shop, looking like nearly every man’s fantasy in her cut-offs and a pink tank top that did nothing to hide her beautiful assets. Even more arousing was the way she handled herself with that piece of shit truck driver trying to pick her up. Those sassy lips were going to land her in more trouble today if she wasn’t careful. The men around me took notice about the same time I did, the moment she flipped that delicate middle finger in the air and scowled at the asshole like she was ready to end him, her tiny voice carrying across the street with enough venom to kill a dozen men twice her size. I had seen all I needed.

     I recalled how Clutch, my Vice President and best friend, stood on my left while Mike explained why the part wasn’t in stock. Clutch was an impatient man and Mike was readying himself for a lecture when we heard the truck horn blare. I searched for the source of the noise, surprised to find the beauty from the diner, sneering up at the bastard in his tricked-out rig, her tiny French-tipped hand giving him the one-finger salute. I could have sworn in that moment my dick swelled with pride. Okay, arousal, but that chick was quickly burying herself under my skin and if fate wanted to tease me with her again today - who was I to deny a second chance?

     Sandy blonde hair fell around her chest in soft, damp waves, while those toned, tan thighs that should have been on the front cover of every biker’s magazine stood out amongst the chaos. I vaguely heard Clutch calling my name, but I was lost in her. I had already started moving in her direction. I don’t know when I made the subconscious decision, but it felt almost primal, the need washing over me to protect Tori, when that jackass continued to heckle her. I tossed my helmet down and jogged the rest of the way.

     “Game. Over,” LoJack chuckled behind me. I had no fucking clue what he was carrying on about and I didn’t care to stick around and find out. I had tunnel vision and she was the light at the end.

     I knew she felt it too. Her body so responsive when I placed my hand on her waist, the tension in her posture washing away from the simple touch. I would be lying if I said her reaction did not get another rise out of me. Literally and figuratively. Tori did not strike me as the submissive type, given how she held her own around men, and I wasn’t a fan of weak women, but in the bedroom, I craved control. I wanted to be the one responsible for her pleasure, not the other way around.

     Charlie was gone and I was sure he got the message to stay away from Sparrow Creek. He wouldn’t cause Tori any more grief, but I was not ready to let her go. In a bit of a panic that she was going to leave, I offered her a fucking ride, agreed to have her heat pressed up against me. What the hell? I did not panic. Ever. Her hesitation had me squirming a bit. Maybe, I was curious because women didn’t turn me down and they never had a problem accepting big tips from me before. Women usually wanted whatever I was willing to offer them, but not Tori. She was sobering.

     Bikes weren’t her thing, huh? Wouldn’t she be surprised to know I have never had passengers. Ever. That extra space behind me on my bike is reserved for my old lady. At least, that was my answer anytime the brothers asked why the seat stayed empty. Of course, they were looking at me like I had grown another head and wondering why the sudden exception. Too bad I had no fucking clue myself and no plans of going slow and easy with the first woman to ever ride with me. Saying yes, meant she was placing her fate in my hands for those moments together, and I never did things halfway.

     No more indecision. I was too far gone to let her overthink this. It was just a ride. Nothing to get all squirrely about. I gripped her wrist firm enough to hold her close, but loose enough to let her make the final decision. We crossed the busy intersection together and I could sense her resolve slipping, but I wasn’t having it. The boys glanced over, a few knowing smirks on their lips, and a couple hungry gazes that had me shooting daggers at them.

     LoJack approached first. Of course, he had something to say. I could not recall a time Lo kept quiet.

     “Hey, sweetheart. Tori, was it?” Lo asked her, and she nodded her head in acknowledgement, probably surprised that he even remembered her name. That made two of us. “You causing’ trouble again?”

     “Not intentionally, but as luck would have it, it always seems to find me,” Tori shrugged. “Pistol meet target,” she shrugged and pointed to herself.

     “I can see that,” Lo glanced at me and smiled. “I hate to be the one to break it to you, darling, but your luck seems to be getting worse today,” LoJack laughed and jerked his head in my direction.

     Tori’s green eyes smiled back at me. I imagined a gazelle right before the kill. That moment the gazelle realized there was nothing to stop the predatory dance that had been set in motion. I expected to see fear in those eyes, but instead all I saw was grim acceptance. Lo wasn’t wrong about me and he was all but issuing a last warning for her to run the other way.

     I would save her the trouble. This could only ever be about the ride. One ride, I told myself. One ride and I would leave her alone. I acknowledged the baser need to protect her and I’d done it twice today. My mind argued that I would have done the same for any woman in the same situations. I had a few hours to kill. Hanging out with a beautiful woman sounded better than anything we could do to entertain ourselves at Mike’s Garage. After this, I could let her go.

     “I’m giving her a lift. Be back in an hour. Try not to let this asshole break anything else while I’m gone, yeah?” I spoke to Lo, jerking my head toward Clutch, who stood glaring suspiciously at Tori.

     I bent forward and picked my helmet off the ground where I had thrown it earlier. Tori was quiet and watchful as I placed the helmet on her head and adjusted the straps underneath. I could get lost in those eyes. Hell, I was pretty sure I was halfway there. Reminder to self, stop staring.

     I mounted my Harley and offered my hand to help her straddle the bike behind me. I cringed, noticing for the first time that she was wearing flip-flops for Christ’s sake. That would never work. If we were going any further I would have to rectify that. She could not ride long distance without boots to protect her feet, I thought to myself.

     For a woman scared of bikes, Tori accepted my hand and swung her leg over the seat like a pro, sliding into my back as though she were designed to fit there, as though she’d done it a million times before. Fuck, if she didn’t feel right. I glanced down where her leg now hugged my own, soft flesh warming me from the outside in. Her denim shorts had ridden high enough up her thigh to expose the delicate curve of skin just below her ass. Absolutely beautiful. I felt the gentle press of her breasts against my back and I gripped the handlebars a little tighter to keep my hands from reaching down and running along the length of tan skin. She was teasing me and not even trying.

     “Where’s your helmet?” Her voice held the hint of concern, and like a kick to my chest I groaned.

     “You’re wearing it, babe. I wasn’t expecting a passenger today.” I glanced over my shoulder to grin. “You worried about me?”

     I didn’t give her a chance to respond. I wasn’t sure I could stomach the answer. I turned over the engine and let the vibration run through her, feeling her tense behind me. She fumbled with where to place her hands, as though leaving them on the tops of my shoulders created a barrier between us. I chuckled, raised my skull mask over my nose and mouth and reached up to gather her hands, weaving them together around my stomach. Lo’s brow arched in fascination as he watched us interact.

     “Don’t move them,” I commanded loudly over the sound of exhaust and felt her head nod in agreement.

     I revved the throttle a couple times and pushed my feet back in the gravel to turn us around. Lo, Clutch, and the rest of the brothers stared on as though I had grown two heads. Maybe I had. A beautiful, blonde head that made me look more dangerous just by association.  

     “Have fun you two,” Lo waggled his fingers in the air like a teenage girl. Fucker, I laughed to myself. I effectively muzzled any further comments under the roar of my engine as I pulled us away from the lot.

     It wasn’t until we stopped at the first light that I remembered to ask her where we were going. I was too lost in the feel of her body hugging my own. Once she supplied the name of the store, the light changed to green and I shot off the line. Tori’s fingers tightened into my core. It was almost painful the way she dug her nails in, but I was enjoying the feel of her too much to give a damn.

     The ride was entirely too short. I wanted to keep her there, but two lights later and we reached our destination. I recognized the older department store. It had been in Sparrow Creek for as long as I could recall. I wondered if it even sold clothes from this decade, though, I doubted Tori was the type of girl who lost sleep worrying over designer labels and fashion trends. She was naturally beautiful.

     I found a space toward the front and killed the engine, helping her off first. Tori was already groping around to unfasten the helmet strap when I pushed her hands down and away to help as I dismounted the bike. I pulled the lid from her head and brushed a few stray hairs behind her ear. When her tongue darted out to wet her lips, I barely contained a groan.

     “That was, um…nice.” She broke the silence as I hung the helmet on the closest handlebar.

     “You sound surprised,” I smiled.

     “Yeah, I guess I am,” she nodded. “You’re unexpected, Trench.”

     On her lips, my road name never sounded sweeter.    

     “It was too short.”

     “So…,” she glanced around nervously and it was too fucking cute that she was at a loss for what to say. It had been ages since I had to work at flirting.

     “You trying to get rid of me, sweetheart?” I teased.

     “No. I mean, I was just going to do a little window shopping. Doesn’t really seem like your thing and I figured you would need to get back to supervise or…whatever it is you do, Mr. President.” She joked and pointed to my patch.

     “Supervise, huh? I’d like to know what Clutch would say about that. He’d probably argue that I get too involved. I should supervise more and participate less.”

     “I didn’t mean…,” she rambled.

     “Maybe I want to keep you company. Men need clothes and shit too. I prefer nothing at all, but I’m not willing to risk the boys riding bareback,” I winked, gesturing toward my crotch, and held my smile in check when her cheeks turned a delicious shade of pink. “Mind if I tag along for a bit? Or will I just cramp your style?”

     At that, she laughed, and I watched tiny dimples crease on either side of her mouth. Fucking adorable. Tori was so far out of my league, we might as well have been in completely different time zones.

     “Sure. But, I think I would be the one cramping your style. Seriously, look at you,” she gestured between us.

     “I’d rather look at you.”

     Her smile fell and her lips parted. Then she did the last thing I expected.

     “Ok, slick. If you’re sure you want to hang out with me. Let’s go,” she reached down and took my hand, pulling me forward this time.

     “Slick? Isn’t that a bit cliché?” I asked, listening to her beautiful laugh once more and wondering how the hell I was going to let her walk away when we were done.