Ridin' Dirty: An Outlaw Author Anthology (OAMC Book 1) (34 page)

The girl who was ready to scratch my eyes out for stepping on her blanket seconds ago now looked up at Nickel with lust in her eyes, and I could tell I didn’t even register with her anymore.

“It’s ok. She can’t help it she’s clumsy,” the girl said, brushing off the blanket I had stepped on. “There’s plenty of room on my blanket if you want to sit with me. There’re no other places to sit.” She batted her eyes at him, and I swear to God pouted her lips. This was almost comical.

“I think your boyfriend sitting next to you might have something to say about that.” Nickel nodded his head at the guy who was sitting next to the girl. The girl didn’t even look ashamed at the fact that she had just hit on another guy when her boyfriend was sitting next to her.

“He’s just my date for the night,” she stuttered, her eyes not leaving Nickel.

“Either way, I’m not interested.” He pulled away from me, his hand trailing around my waist and grabbed my hand, pulling me behind him once again. I glanced back at the girl who was pouting her lips and giving me the evil eye. I shrugged my shoulders at her and continued following Nickel. I was just as shocked as her that he decided to stay with me and not her.

“We’re just on the other side of the lake.” I followed close behind Nickel, careful not to get knocked into anyone, and we finally made it to the spot he had saved for us. There was a tall guy standing guard at the edge of the blanket; his arms crossed over his chest as he talked to a short blonde who had a shirt, tight shorts on, and a crop top on. Her breasts were overflowing over her top, and she was leaning on his arm, rubbing against his arm.

“This is us,” Nickel again pulled me close, wrapping his arm around my waist. “Yo, Pyro,” he called, getting his attention. Pyro and the girl turned to us, each of them looking me over. I got the sense of approval from Pyro but from the woman, she looked puzzled as her gaze bounced between Nickel and me.

“I gotta head back. You good, Nick?” Pyro asked, picking up a bag next to his feet.

“All right, brother.” Nickel kneeled down on the blanket and held his hand out for me to follow. I glance at Pyro’s retreating back with the blonde following him close behind.

I kneeled down next to Nickel. “Um, I’ll sit over here.” I crawled over to the other side of the large blanket, trying to put as much distance between Nickel and me.

“Did you eat dinner?” Nickel grabbed a small cooler that was on the corner of the blanket and flipped it. He pulled out two sandwiches, a container of something and two beers. My stomach growled as he unwrapped a sandwich and ripped off a bite. “I’ll take that as a no,” he chuckled, handing me a sandwich.

I sat down on my butt and opened the sandwich, inhaling half of it without actually tasting it. I hadn’t eaten since eleven o’clock that morning and it was going on seven thirty. Hungry was an understatement at this point.

“So, how long have you worked at the nursing home?” Nickel popped open the top of one of the beers and handed it to me.

“Um, a little over four years. Thank you,” I mumbled, grabbing the bottle from him.

“You like working there?”

Hmm, did I like working there? It was a job, but I could honestly say that I did enjoy being there every day. It felt like I was making a difference, no matter how small it was. “I do. I love getting to know all the patients and spending time with them. Some of them feel like grandparents to me.”

“Do you have any? Grandparents I mean.”

“Um, no. I don’t have any family. My father is in prison, and my Grandma died over a year ago.”

“What about your mom?”

“She left when I was three. I never really knew her.”

“I’m sorry, baby.”

“It’s ok. It’s hard to miss something you never really had.”

We sat in silence as we both ate. I could tell Nickel’s eyes were trained on me, but I look everywhere else but at him.

Nickel stretched out on the blanket, his elbows propping him up and crossed his legs at the ankles. “How come you always avoid me whenever I visit Nan?”

I folded my hands in my lap and stared down at them. “I don’t avoid you. I know you are there to visit with your grandma, and I don’t want to interrupt.” That was the partial truth. The other half of the truth was I never knew what to say when he talked to me. I was a bubbling mess around him.

“I can tell you right now; Nan is only half of the reason I come once a week.”

“Do I want to know what the other reason is?”

“It’s you, Karmen. There’s something about you that won’t let me stay away.”

“Were you drinking before you came to pick me up, Nickel? You’re talking crazy right now. There is nothing about me that would make you want to stay.”

“I think that’s the ultimate turn on for me, baby. The fact that you have no idea how sexy you are and how much I want to take off all your clothes right now and have my way with you. The only way you could call me crazy is because you drive me crazy with your sweet, sexy innocence.”

I ducked my head down, embarrassed by what he was saying. None of this made sense right now. “You’re crazy,” I mumbled.

“Just for you, baby. Now scoot on over here and watch these fireworks with me.” He patted the spot next to him, beckoning me to lay down next to him.

“I can see them just fine from here,” I insisted. I looked up at the sky, seeing the sun had partially set, and it would only be a matter of minutes before they started the fireworks. I squealed when Nickel grabbed both of my legs and yanked me over to him.

“I don’t like to say things twice, baby. I want you in my arms while we watch the fireworks,” he growled low, grabbing another blanket he had rolled up and laid down, shoving it under his head. “Lay your sweet ass down, before I make you.”

His aggressiveness should have scared me, but I eagerly laid down next to him and rested my head on his outstretched arm. “I’m gonna have to show you what you are, baby. You are so much more than what you think.”

I glanced up at him; his head turned down to look at me. “I’ve seen the same thing my whole life, Nickel.”

“And what’s that you see?”

“Nobody. There’s nothing to see.”

He reached over, tilting my chin up. “You are the furthest thing from nothing, baby. Whoever told you that growing up was dead wrong.”

“You don’t even know me,” I whispered.

“I’ve watched you for a year. I know more about you than most. I see the gentle way you talk to all the patients. How you always check on my grandma when I’m there, even if you don’t come in the room, I see you walk by, making sure everything is ok. I know when you’re upset you run your fingers through your hair and twist the ends. When you’re happy, you have a smile that lights up the room, making everyone else happy. I see you, Karmen. Everything you think is missing, is shining through. Bright like the sun.” He leaned down, his lips a breath away. “You’ve become my sun this past year, and you didn’t even know it.”

“I… I…”

“Shh, baby. You don’t need to say anything. Just let that sink in. Everything I said, you are going to start believing.” He closed the gap between us, his lips brushing against mine.

I moaned under the light pressure of his touch. His lips were warm and soft while his body pressed against my side was hard and unyielding. His lips claimed mine, taking what I wasn’t even sure I was ready to give.

I reached up, threading my fingers through his hair and held on, not wanting to let go. He coaxed my lips open, sliding his tongue in.

“Whoa! Sorry, dude,” I heard mumbled from above us right before someone came crashing down on us.

“What the fuck?” Nickel pushed the guy off of us and pulled away from me. I sat up, patting down my hair and tried to figure out what the hell I had been thinking ten seconds ago. What the hell made me make out like a teenager in the middle of a crowded field surrounded by people. Nickel was pissed off we had been interrupted, but it was exactly what I needed to bring me back to reality.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Nickel thundered, standing up.

The guy who had fallen on us scrambled backward like a crab trying to get away from Nickel. I glanced around, seeing everyone watching. Nickel grabbed him by the collar and hauled him to his feet. “I’m sorry man! I didn’t see y’all there, I swear!” He held his hands up in surrender, his eyes filled with fear.

“Next time open your eyes when you’re walking, asshole. You could have hurt someone.” Nickel tightened his grip on the guy’s shirt and shook him.

“I will… I will totally… I totally will,” the man stuttered.

Nickel shook his head and pushed him away. He stumbled backward almost falling onto someone else’s blanket but righted himself before he fell. He scurried away, looking over his shoulder at Nickel the whole time, making sure he wasn’t being chased.

“What the hell was that?” I whirled around, trying to see who was talking. A tall guy with a leather cut like the one I had seen Nickel wear before walked up to us with two guys following close behind. I tried to see their patches with their names on them, but I couldn’t make any of them out.

“Some drunk ass fell on Karmen and I. I don’t think he meant to do it, but maybe Clash could follow him for a bit.”

“Clash, see what that hippie is up to.” The guy turned towards me, and I saw his name was Wood. The man who I assumed was Clash headed off in the direction of the drunk guy, and I turned my attention back to Nickel.

“You sure it wasn’t anything?” Wood asked.

Nickel ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. “I’m sure. I could smell the booze on the guy’s breath.”

“All right,” Wood nodded his head and stuck his hands in his pockets. “This place is fucking packed. You think we could sit with you?”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Nickel cursed.

Wood held his hands up and chuckled. “Not trying to cock block, brother, just ain’t got anywhere else to go.”

“You mind, baby?” Nickel asked. All eyes turned to me, and I nervously patted down my hair and shrugged my shoulders.

“I don’t mind.”

“At least your date has more manners than you.” Wood slapped him on the head and sat on the other end of the blanket. Thankfully Nickel had put down a big blanket because, with three big guys and me, it was full.

Nickel wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close. “I’m sorry, baby. This isn’t how I imagined this night to go,” he whispered into my ear.

“It’s ok,” I quietly replied. I turned my head, looking up at him and smiled.

His lips descended on mine, and he stole a quick kiss. “I knew you were special, baby girl.” He kissed me one last time, his lips lingering. I could tell he wanted more and so did I. “You live with your girl?”

“Um, what?” I asked, dazed from his kiss.

“Your friend from work; you live with her? I heard her in your apartment before I knocked.”

“Oh, Nikki you mean. No, she just came over after work for a second,” I lied.

“Good.”

“Yo, you got any beer left?” the guy who Nickel hadn’t introduced yet asked.

Nickel pulled away, his eyes not leaving mine. “Check the bottom of the cooler.”

“Nice,” he mumbled, digging through the cooler. “So, you gonna introduce us to your girl, or you just gonna be an ass?”

Nickel shook his head and laughed. He tore his eyes off me and looked at his friends. “I’m pretty sure Karmen doesn’t need to know you two assholes.”             

“Hey, Hop here resembles that remark,” Wood laughed.

“Haha, yuck it up, dipshits.” Hop grabbed three beers out of the cooler and handed them out.

“That asshole with his hand in the cooler is Hop,” Hop nodded his head at me and took a long pull off his beer. “And that guy sitting next to you is Wood. He’s the president of the Asphalt Lords.”

Oh, crap. I was sitting next to the president of the club. I had no idea what to say or do. “Hey,” I croaked out, lamely waving at them.

Wood threw his head back and laughed while Hop smirked at me. “How the hell did you manage to get this sweet girl to agree to go out with you?”

“Wasn’t fucking easy. It took me a year and about one hundred dollars in donuts,” Nickel laughed, smiling down at me.

“You made him wait a year, darlin’?”

My face blushed red, and I buried my face into Nickel’s chest. “She totally made him wait. Son of a bitch, I think I like this one,” Wood laughed.

“Shut the fuck up and watch the fireworks,” Nickel said, annoyed. “You ok, baby? I can tell these guys to leave if you want.”

I shook my head no, not wanting Nickel to have to choose between his friends and me. “I’m OK. I just didn’t expect them to ask that.”

“Yeah, these assholes don’t have any manners. You’ll get used to it.” He brushed a quick kiss on my lips and laid back down on the edge of the blanket. He stretched his arm out again, and I put my head on it, curling into his body.

Wood and Hop leaned back, drinking beer and talking.

A loud boom sounded, making me jump. “What the hell was that?”

“That would be Pyro. He always does a countdown. I bet he’ll do one each minute until the fireworks start.”