Ghost Ride: A Biker Erotic Romance (3 page)

“That’s why,” I say before I stretch, working the kinks out with a groan. “What time is it?”

“Nearly six.”

We need to get up,” I groan, still trying to claw my way up out of sleep.

“We have a few minutes,” Shane says, as he pulls me into a snuggle.

I take a deep breath and snuggle in. “Why the hell do we have these meetings so early?” I grumble.

“Now that you are going to be the president, you can change it if you want to,” Shane says lightly. “What’s the point of power if you can’t abuse it? It can be your first official proclamation this morning after Philip swears you into office.”

I snicker. “Nothing, I guess. But the meetings have been held at eight o’clock for forever. It seems a shame to break such a long tradition,” I say. “It’s only once a month.”

“I know. I guess I can give you up for a few hours one Saturday morning a month,” Shane says with a grin. We are silent a moment, then Shane speaks to me quietly, “Mags?”

“Hmmm?” I murmur as I lie in his arms, enjoying the closeness.

“I just wanted to tell you, before we get busy this morning, how proud I am of you.”

“You’re just saying that because I’m about to be your boss,” I tease.

Shane chuckles. “No. I mean it,” he says softly. “The first woman member of the 417s. The first woman officer. And now the first woman president. That’s something to be proud of. Now look at us. Over four hundred full and associate members. We have twenty or twenty-one full women members, if I remember the count correctly. We are one of the most respected clubs in South Carolina and we go good works. Most of it is because of you. You’re the one that first started speaking to kids in school, remember? I think your dad, if he were still around, would be proud of you too.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, I do. I know he said he didn’t want you riding bikes or joining the club, but look at what you’ve done. You’ve taken his little motorcycle repair business and made it into the most respected restoration shop on the east coast, if not the entire country. And now you are taking over the club he founded. I wish he could see you now.”

I smile. “Yeah. Me too. I just hope I’m up for this.”

Now, it’s Shane’s turn to snicker. “You run a multi-million dollar business that employs fifteen people. People ship in bikes from all over the country, just so Maggie Perry can give them her magic touch. Not to mention you are in discussions to have the
Velocity Channel
come in and make a television series about your shop. I think you can handle this. It was a unanimous vote, remember? Everyone thinks the club is in good hands.”

“With one abstention as I recall.”

“It didn’t seem kosher for me, as the sitting vice-president, to vote for my own wife. How would that look?”

I snicker, as I sit up and stretch again. “But you nominated me.”

“Well,” Shane says with a shy grin, “the club functions best when we have the best people in office.”

“Get up. I’ll get the kids up and fed while you shower. Then, you can run them over to Mom’s while I get ready. Oh, and remind me…no more chips and salsa while we are watching a late movie. I had the craziest dream last night.”

Shane snickers. “I don’t think you need the salsa for those. You’ve been having them for as long as I have known you. Since before we were married. What was it this time? Bears on motorcycles chasing you through the woods again? Or was it the working in the shop while everyone is naked and a customer arrives one?”

I giggle at Shane. He has been making me laugh since high school. “No, nothing that crazy. You were in it this time.” I slink up to him and take him into my arms. “And we were involved in some pretty crazy sex. Oh, and motorcycle racing. In the nude.” I pause and stare into his eyes for a moment. “I think after the meeting we should just leave the kids with their grandmother for a while. What do you think?”

“I think your mom would love to have the kids for the day. I know I would love to have you alone for few hours. I’ll leave some money and they can all go out for lunch.”

I grin at my husband of fifteen years, warming at the thought of some alone time with him. “Yes. I would like that, too.”

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***

Allison Russell has a special knack for getting into trouble.
An intoxicating mix of beauty and bravado, she made her living unearthing things certain people would rather remain buried: stolen goods, dirty secrets, and more than a little trouble. She lived for the thrill of the hunt, and a fat stack of cash after a job well done sure didn’t hurt.
Jake Brighton has two talents, riding and thieving.
He loved them in just that order, too. There was no better feeling than making a clean getaway with his partners in crime and fellow bikers, the Dixon Crew. He’d been riding with the Dixons since before he was shaving. They were his friends and his brothers and he’d proudly take a bullet for any one of them.
And that’s why he ain’t buying what Allison Russell is selling.
A case of mistaken identity on the job leads Allison to a startling discovery, but before she can inform her client she must escape the Dixon Crew with her life. She must persuade the handsome but distrustful Jake Brighton to come to her aid, but his loyalty to his friends may just be the only thing more powerful than the aching tension growing between them.
Jake believes in his crew, but Allison intoxicates him.
If what she says is true, he’s been living a lie. But trusting a beautiful woman is never easy, particularly one who stirs a lust in him he’s never known. Is Allison the real deal, or is she using him to satisfy her client?

***

Grace is the very best at what she does.
Working for the Public Defender’s Office is thankless and the pay is meager, but she’s a true believer in the justice system. The beautiful, underpaid attorney has made it her life’s mission to see to it that ‘innocent until proven guilty’ still means something.
Tobey is a self-confessed career criminal.
Enforcer, thief, con-man ... He’s done it all and proudly. Tobey never cared for authority and a life of crime agrees with him.The handsome thug carved out a comfortable life for himself pulling odd jobs for a motorcycle gang, but only when he feels like it.
There are some things Tobey won’t do for any price.
Namely murder, so it’s a shock when he’s arrested for the death of a local businessman. Tobey knows he’s been framed, but the evidence is overwhelming and the outlook is grim.
That is until the lovely public defender comes to his rescue.
But when Grace uncovers evidence to exonerate Tobey both their lives are in danger and Tobey is quickly coming to the conclusion that he can’t let any harm come to his beautiful champion, not now or ever.

***

Casey Stone has always known her family was a little different.
She doesn’t know the details, but she’s heard enough whispers through cracked doors to know they’re criminals of some variety, and she’s happy not to know which.
Brian was just playing around when he sidled up to the Stone boys’ sister and offered her a drink.
He isn’t a cruel man, but the boys were watching and their sister is objectively beautiful - long legs, modest curves, and a face that begs to be kissed. He just couldn’t resist riling them up a bit. Then she spoke and he was lost.
The Stone boys were not about to let this one slide.
They couldn’t send her running to him any faster than by forbidding her to see him. If they’d told her she’d destroy the subtle truce between two rival gangs and cause a cycle of violence and death, she might have been more willing to listen.
Now there’s a line drawn in the sand, and Brian and Casey are standing on opposite sides.
Can Brian put an end to the feuding before he loses Casey forever? Or is it too late already to repair the fragile trust between them?

***