I pulled out of the kiss and rolled my eyes at him. “I’m going to shower. I’ll see you later.”
Ripped slapped my ass hard as I turned to walk away and I let out a small yelp and laughed, spilling some of my coffee onto the floor. “Asshole.”
“Like I said, you love it,” he rumbled, and gave me a wink.
I shook my head and turned away from him, almost walking right into Battle’s naked, sweaty chest. “Oh shit!” I yelped again as coffee spilled onto my hand and down his chest.
“Fuck, Quinn!” he barked out, and we both turned to stare as Ripped laughed loudly.
“You on the whiskey too, brother?” Ripped asked Battle, who nodded. “You two are as bad as each other,” he laughed. “Keep an eye on my woman today, ya hear me? Make sure no motherfucker even looks at her the wrong way.” He turned and stalked away toward Hardy’s office and I looked back at Battle.
He was already looking down at me with heat in his dark eyes. I went to walk around him as he tried to do the same thing, but we both went the same way, a nervous laugh leaving my mouth. I stepped to the other side as he did the same thing and we both laughed again, louder that time.
Battle opened his arms wide and made a grandiose sweep, allowing me to pass him, and I curtseyed and headed toward the bathroom at the opposite end of the clubhouse so I could shower, brush my teeth, and try and make myself look at least half human.
So Ripped wanted Battle to watch me for the day. Hell, that was not a good idea. I was barely holding onto my sanity when I was around him as it was. I hadn’t been able to stop the dirty thoughts of Battle sliding into my mind when I’d been with Ripped the night before. Hadn’t been able to stop myself from closing my eyes and pretending that it was Battle’s body devouring mine and not Ripped’s. And that morning I’d almost reached up on my tiptoes and placed a kiss on Battle’s mouth.
He was gentle and caring yet he had no clue that he was. He was masculinity wrapped up in a perfect body with a mind that connected with mine on so many levels. I wanted him. Wanted his kisses, and his touch, wanted him to look at me with those pitch-black eyes that saw so much of me. That stripped me bare and stole my innocence.
I wanted Battle and I had no doubt that he wanted me too. And Ripped had put him in charge of watching me while he was gone.
Fuck.
*
After my shower I dressed in clean clothes—a little navy blue summer dress that brought out the blue in my eyes. I paired it with a pair of sandals and my yellow bandana to keep my thick mane of blond hair off my face.
I brushed my teeth and headed back into the main clubhouse in search of food and more coffee before deciding what to do with my day. I knew Gracie was busy that morning because they were getting a new nanny for Bonny-May and Gracie wanted to be there to make sure, and I quote, “the bitch wasn’t too pretty, and Bonny-May didn’t like her as much as me.”
I loved Gracie, and I missed her terribly now that I lived in Savannah, but she was all kinds of messed up, and being with Richard wasn’t doing her any good. He was a complete obnoxious asshole who tried to fuck everything in sight. He was worse than the bikers that he disliked so much, but Gracie stayed with him despite everything he put her through, punishing him by sleeping with his friends and work colleagues. Their relationship made no sense to me at all, and I couldn’t imagine spending my life like that, with someone I didn’t care about.
The clubhouse was quiet since all the bikers had left. There were still a couple of the women hanging around, finishing cleaning up after the previous night’s party, but those women tended to hate me because I had what they wanted, so I stayed away from them and grabbed myself something to eat.
The clubhouse was stifling, and after eating I headed outside, slipping my shades on to shield my eyes from the blinding sunshine. The clubhouse was set in large grounds, with the club’s auto garage near the entrance and the clubhouse at the back. I walked around, taking it all in and seeing how busy it was with cars, bikes, and customers. A row of bikes and a couple of black vans were parked to the right, with a small kids’ play area fenced in behind it—I assumed to keep kids entertained while their parents got their vehicles fixed or something.
I took a seat on top of one of the small picnic benches near it and lit a cigarette, blowing out the smoke and people-watching for a while. The sun was hot on my skin and I yawned and tilted my head back, letting the sun kiss my face, neck, and shoulders.
The roar of a bike pierced the air and I closed my eyes, breathing in the heady scent of oil and sweat that hung around the place. There was something to be said for a such a masculine smell, and it was one of the reasons I’d always been drawn to that life. I’d been born with a silver spoon in my mouth and the scent of Chanel No. 5 hanging thickly in the air above my crib. Luckily for me, my parents had always been open to new people, new lifestyles, and had never tried to get me to live like them. They were free spirits chained to a middle-class lifestyle, and I loved them dearly.
“You feelin’ any better?”
I opened my eyes as a shadow fell over me and I sat up properly, my gaze going to Battle. He was wearing low-hanging jeans and his cut, his heavily tattooed chest on display, glistening with a light sheen of sweat, his hands covered in grease and oil, and god-fucking-damn he oozed masculinity. It was almost a physical thing on him, something that I could reach out, grab, and probably lick off of him, the heady taste of maleness sliding down my throat.
“Much.” I smiled, glad I was wearing my sunglasses so I could ogle him without him realizing. “Thanks for the aspirin and letting me use your bed.”
He shrugged. “No problem.” He scratched at the hair on his chin. “You can’t handle whiskey either, huh?” he asked.
I shook my head. “Not unless I want to feel like I’ve been run over by a truck the next day. What about you?” I asked, already knowing the answer.
“Don’t agree with me much either. Prefer a nice cold beer anyway,” he grunted, and looked around him.
“How come you didn’t go on the ride with everyone else?” I asked.
“Busy fixin’ the A/C unit,” he said, gesturing to the clubhouse. “Place is like a fuckin’ sauna. Speaking of, I need to get back to it. Gotta replace all the electrics too.” He shook his head in annoyance. “I’ll catch you later, darlin’.”
He turned and started to walk away, and I slid off the end of the picnic table before I could change my mind.
“Wait!” I called after him, and he looked back over his shoulder at me. “Can I come with you?” I asked, because holy hell I was bored out of my mind sitting around there, and even if I couldn’t have Battle, I could still look at him, right?
