Chapter Six
Rebel’s house wasn’t fancy, but it was medium sized and Kori had a room and bathroom all to herself. Maybe while she was here she’d add a few feminine touches, spruce the place up a bit. It could certainly stand to be a bit homier. The furniture was comfortable enough but ancient and worn. Not a single picture adorned the walls. No knickknacks lay around on any tables.
Her bedroom held a simple, no-frills queen-size bed. Basically, a box spring and mattress on a metal frame. No headboard, no footboard, no colorful comforter. A dresser that could use some serious sanding and more than one coat of paint was shoved in the corner of the room. That was it. Nothing else.
Maybe she’d give the dresser a little TLC while she was around. She loved that sort of work. Refurbishing furniture, working with her hands to take something that, on initial appearance, was old and unimpressive and making it beautiful once again. It would give her something to occupy her time at least, while she decided if she wanted to apply for a job here in Vegas or venture back home. Or even go somewhere else. Really, there was nothing stopping her from starting over in a whole new area. And given the fact that she was leery about tying herself to another MC, moving somewhere she had no connections might be the wisest idea.
There hadn’t been much of an opportunity to chat with Rebel over the past twenty-four hours and she was okay with that. It gave her some quiet time to buy a few things for her room, settle in, and think. And she’d thought all right. She thought about Lucky’s hard chest and his shit-eating grin. She thought about his swagger and the muscles in his arms that bulged in just the way that made her want to sink her teeth into them. She thought about how his strong hands would feel cupping her breasts, pinching her nipples, parting her folds…
Basically, she’d thought herself into such an aroused state, she was forced to shove her hand in her pants and take care of the problem. She’d bitten down on the pillow to muffle any cries of pleasure the fantasy Lucky may have wrung from her while she pleasured herself in her father’s house like a horny teenager with no other outlet.
Apparently, her subconscious didn’t get the no biker message.
She shook off the memories from hours ago and tried to get in the mood for the welcome party Rebel insisted on hosting.
“Hey, I thought the boss said he didn’t want to see you lifting a finger for this party.” One of the three prospects who’d been running around all afternoon stood a few feet away. His colossal arms were crossed over a chest so massive it looked like a caricature drawing. Rebel had said his name was Vee, after Humvee, since he was built like one.
She rolled her eyes. “I’m just filling this cooler with beer. I think I can handle it. Plus, you guys have been working your assess off to prepare for this barbecue. No harm in me pitching in a little.”
Vee snorted and yanked the beer bottles out of her hands. “Sorry, babe, not even for your hot ass am I going against a direct order from the Pres. And it is a hot ass.” He winked. “So I recommend you sit it down in that chair over there. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to it.”
Kori rolled her eyes. Bikers. Different club, same in-your-face sexuality and macho bullshit. Now why couldn’t she have had the same uninterested reaction to Lucky?
“You threatening to spank the president’s daughter, Vee?” Lucky’s mesmerizing voice floated over her shoulders and wrapped around her like a soft, warm blanket.
Had her thoughts conjured him? Her face flamed, and if she was a betting woman, she’d wager it rivaled the beet-red flush that crept up Vee’s neck and invaded his face.
“Uhh, no, Luck. I was just…uhh…well, you see, Rebel said…” The poor guy sputtered and danced from one foot to the other like the ground was on fire.
It might have been mean, but she had to bite her bottom lip to keep from laughing. She shot Lucky a put-the-poor-guy-out-of-his-misery look as he drew up next to her.
Lucky didn’t bother to hide his own amusement and let the laughter fly. “Get the fuck back to work, prospect, and keep your eyes off the woman.” After Vee scrambled away, Lucky turned his panty-melting grin on her. “Well, that was fun. But you know what would be more fun?”
She raised an eyebrow.
“How about you let Uncle Lucky take you for a ride on my powerful—”
And back to predictable. She held up a hand. “Okay, let me stop you right there. Your club brothers are going to start arriving any minute so, no, I will not be going for a ride on your hog, or your bike, or your cock for that matter. I told you. I don’t do bikers. And for the record, can it with this whole King Shit act. I’m not buying it.”
With that snooty speech, she spun on her heel and marched into the house. There had to be some menial task they’d let her help with. At least until more people arrived and she could blend into the crowd.
The problem was that the man tempted her in ways she hadn’t experienced in ages. Her dating life was an abysmal story summed up in one word: nonexistent. She didn’t date bikers, and the many bikers she knew tended to run off any nice, tame prospective boyfriend she brought home. Just because she’d tried to steer clear of the MC her mom married into, didn’t mean she’d been successful.
Lucky was everything her brain and heart tried to avoid, but everything her body wanted desperately. Sometimes life was so unfair. She was almost grateful for his obnoxious cocky attitude because, without it, she just might throw caution to the wind and break her most important dating rule.
Then she’d just be a number in a long line of foolish girls who fell under the charming spell of an experienced womanizer. Wondering why she wasn’t enough to keep him for more than a night or two.
And that was the last thing she needed when everything else in her life was upside down.
~ ~ ~ ~
What was it with that woman? She was literally the only female to call him on his bullshit and flip him ass over ankles. For twenty years, he’d been charming women out of their panties with a quip and a smile. Hell, it was why they called him Lucky for fuck’s sake. He couldn’t recall a time when a single woman had turned him down, let alone read him the riot act.
It was different. It was disconcerting. It was…refreshing. But the weirdest part about the whole thing was how it did nothing to squash his desire for her. Instead, it only made him more determined to have her. Sure, the challenge of it all appealed to him a bit, but it was more than just a she-rejected-me-so-I’m-gonna-show-her thing. No, he felt an actual interest in both the body and the woman who owned it.
It was a strange as fuck feeling.
He snagged a beer from the cooler, popped the top, and let the frosty liquid extinguish the fire smoldering inside of him. Now he had to figure out how to get her to agree to a date.
“That one’s got an ass on her that gives a man all kinds of ideas, huh?” Savage’s voice cut through Lucky’s musings.
Lucky’d been uncomfortable around the man ever since he’d found out he was one half of the drug running operation. Savage had never been his favorite person to begin with, but he was the club’s VP, so Lucky afforded him the respect the position demanded. Now, though, it felt forced. And he was certain Savage could sense a shift in his attitude recently.
“You gonna make a play for her?” Savage grabbed a beer of his own.
“What’s it to you?” It wouldn’t pay to lay his cards on the table. Savage was also a man who had his nickname for a damn good reason.
“I just might give you a run for your money on this one. She might make a good ol’ lady.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Nor did it warm them. Those eyes were always cold, calculating, and way too shifty to read.
Ol’ lady? Really? What the hell was Savage’s game? He was already in line to take over the club whenever Rebel bowed out. That wasn’t likely to happen anytime soon, however. Maybe Savage thought of her as a bit of an insurance policy. Get in cozy with the new club princess to ensure he never fell out of Rebel’s favor. Not for one second did he consider Savage’s intentions were pure, or as pure as a hardened biker’s could be.
Whatever the reason, Lucky didn’t like it. Savage had a bit of a nasty reputation when it came to women. He was too rough, too severe, too controlling. Most who slept with him weren’t willing to go back for seconds, or so rumor had it. Lucky had never given much thought to those rumors. They’d never been his business before. Hell, they weren’t his business now. Except for the raging hard-on he had for the woman in question.
Silence settled between the two men. Lucky was at a complete loss for what to say to his VP. All that came to mind was, “Hey, what the fuck do you think you’re doing pushing drugs and working with the Grimm Brothers?” And that question would get him a serious ass beating at the very least.
After a few minutes of somewhat uncomfortable silence, they both turned their attention to the house where Rebel and Kori were emerging. His president pointed and nudged his daughter in their direction. She nodded at whatever he said and made her way toward them.
“Baby girl, have you met Savage and Lucky?” Rebel asked as they drew close.
A mischievous grin formed on her mouth. “Lucky has hit on me a few times, yes, but I haven’t met Savage yet.”
Lucky grimaced and Kori’s eyes twinkled with mirth. The little vixen. She had to know her new found old man wouldn’t necessarily appreciate a member of his club trying to worm his way into her bed.
Thankfully, Rebel laughed. “Well, you are a female, and knowing Lucky, I should have expected he put the moves on you already.”
“Funny,” he muttered.
“Well, Kori, this is Savage, club’s VP, and my right arm.” Rebel gestured toward Savage as he spoke.
Kori switched her beer to her left hand and shifted her focus to Savage. Her smile faltered a smidge as she looked up into his eyes, but she rallied and allowed him to grasp her hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“You planning to stay in Vegas a while, princess?” Savage asked.
She visibly bristled when the word princess rolled off Savage’s tongue, but Lucky seemed to be the only one who noticed.
“For a bit. Not sure how long yet. I’m still considering my options.” Her voice lost some of its warmth. She looked up at her father. “We haven’t really even had much of a chance to talk since I got here.”
Rebel nodded. “And I’d like to change that, baby girl. Dinner tomorrow? Just the two of us?”
Her face lit up once again and Lucky couldn’t help but stare. Today, her hair was down flowing past her shoulders, and if he thought she looked angelic yesterday, today she might as well be wearing a flowing white dress and a halo. She was smiling now, and he wanted to be the one to put a smile on her face, but for a very different reason.
What the fuck was happening to him?
“That sounds great, Rebel, thanks,” she said, totally unaware of the internal strife Lucky was suffering.
“Good. I’m gonna introduce her around a bit. Savage, I need to talk some business with you before you leave later, so don’t get too wasted.”
“I’ll find you in a bit,” Savage answered.
With a little wave, Kori turned and strode off with Rebel. Lucky risked a glance at Savage. The man’s gaze was riveted to her firm ass, an almost predatory expression on his face.
Attention from Savage was the last thing Kori needed. He’d have to keep his eye on that situation. Better yet, he needed to find a way into her bed. Once he got her there, he was certain he could keep all other men from her mind.