Sexy Bastards Anthology: Bad Boy, Biker, Alpha, Motorcycle Club, Contemporary Romance Collection (33 page)

“No,” said Tank.

My eyes widened in shock.

“Holy shit,” I said, leaning closer.

It was the older guy from the elevator.

Chapter 7

Lauren

As expected, Mark’s driver met me at the airport and dropped me off at his condo.

“Hi, Doris,” I said, when the housekeeper opened the door.

As usual, the woman greeted me with a warm smile and kind eyes. She was a plump woman in her fifties, with short gray hair and wire-rimmed eyeglasses. 

“Good afternoon, Ms. Macey. How was your flight?”

I yawned. “Fine, thank you. I’m a little tired, as you can tell.”

“Jetlag will do that. And what about the wedding?”

“It was nice,” I said, as she stepped aside to let me in.

“I’m glad to hear. Mr. Leopold will be here around six.”

“I heard. What’s that wonderful smell?” I asked, as we stepped into the living room.

“There’s a roast in the oven,” she said, nodding toward the kitchen. “I hope you brought your appetite home with you?”

My stomach growled. Doris was an excellent cook and her meals made my visits to Mark’s condo a little more bearable. “Yes. I’m starving,” I said. “All I had were peanuts on the airplane.”

“Would you like me to fix you a snack right now?” she asked, following me to Mark’s bedroom. “Something light?”

“No. That’s okay. I’m going to take a shower and relax until he gets here.”

“Okay. You can leave your clothes in the laundry basket outside of the bedroom. I’ll take care of it for you.”

“Thank you, Doris,” I said.

“By the way, Mark had me pick up a bottle of wine. He said you might want a glass when you got here, to help you relax. Can I get you one?” 

I normally didn’t drink when I was with him and the thought of drinking anything more made my stomach churn. I gave her a weak smile. “No, thank you. I’m good.”

“If you change your mind, let me know.”

“I will. Thank you,” I replied, closing the door. I turned around and noticed there was a large box on the bed. I walked over and found my name written on a card attached to it.

Wear this for me
.

I opened the box and pulled out a sheer white robe, a white teddy, and a blindfold
.

Shuddering, I took the items out of the box, brought them with me into the bathroom, and got into the shower. 

***

My cellphone rang at a few minutes before six. It was Mark.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his tone lighter than the last time I’d spoken to him.

“Sleeping. Where are you?” I asked, hoping that he was calling to let me know he couldn’t make it.

“I’m almost there,” he said. “Did you find box?”

“Of course.”

“And you’re wearing the items?”

I rolled my eyes. “Yes. Well, not the blindfold. You know, Doris has made a wonderful meal. Shouldn’t I put the teddy on later?
After
we eat?”

“Don’t worry about Doris seeing you. I sent her home,” he said, a smile in his voice.

“Oh. Okay.”

“You sound disappointed,” he mused.

You think?

The last thing I wanted was to spend the evening with him.

“No, I’m good,” I lied. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay, though. I have to get home and water my flowers. They’re probably dead by now.”

“They’re fine,” he replied. “I’ve been watering them.”

My eyebrows rose. “You? How did you get into my house?”

“I had a key made,” he said. “A few weeks ago.”

I gritted my teeth. “You never asked my permission. That’s my house, Mark. It’s off-limits.”

“A house that I helped you to keep out of foreclosure,” he reminded me sternly. “Don’t forget that.”

My eye began to twitch, I was so angry. “Yes and I’ve been paying you back,
obviously
.”

“I don’t understand why it bothers you so,” he said, as if talking to a child. “Are you hiding something from me, Lauren?”

“No, of course not,” I replied. “I just want my privacy. You need to respect that.”

He didn’t say anything.

“Mark?”

“Fine. I’ll give you your key back when I get there. Just make sure you’re ready for me,” he said. “Put the blindfold on. I’ll be there in five minutes.”

I let out a ragged sigh. “Fine.”

He hung up.

I used the bathroom and then checked to make sure that Doris was really gone. I then went back into Mark’s bedroom, put the blindfold on, and got into bed, still fuming. I still couldn’t believe he’d made a duplicate key. Our entire arrangement was getting out of hand and I needed to figure out a way to pay him back.

Soon.

There was no way I could stomach having sex with him for the next few months.

There was a soft knock on the door and I stiffened up, knowing that I was about to get manhandled by a dirty, old, man.

“Are you ready?” he asked, stepping inside.

I sighed. “Yes. Can I take off this silly blindfold, though?”

“No. Keep it on,” he said, sounding amused.

“Fine.”

“How about some music?” he asked. “To get us in the mood.”

“Sure,” I said, just wanting to get
it
over with.

The familiar sound of classical music began to fill the room. Mark’s choice, of course.

“How is this?”

“Good,” I replied, wondering what exactly he was going to do to me this time. Something in the pit of my belly told me that it wasn’t anything good.

“Are you sure you really enjoy that piece? Maybe you’d prefer this kind of music,” he said, changing it to a heavy metal song. It was loud, fast, and angry. “I bet that this might put you in the mood.”

Confused, I sat up. “What in the hell is this?”

“Lay back down,” he ordered, his voice harsh.

Biting my lip, I did what he asked. 

He grabbed one of my breasts roughly. “How does this feel?”

“It hurts,” I said, clenching my teeth.

Breathing heavily, he grabbed both my hands and placed them on his chest, which was clad in something that felt like smooth leather.

“What are you wearing?” I asked, running my hand across the fabric. 

“Why don’t you take off the blindfold and find out?”

I did what he asked and burst out laughing when I saw what he was wearing. He was dressed like a biker, even wearing a leather vest and a headband. It would have been sexy on almost anyone but Mark. Not with his softy, pasty skin, silver chest hair, and gobbler neck.

His eyes hardened. “What are you laughing at?”

“At your outfit. Are we role-playing now?” I replied.

“Yes. That’s what we’re doing. I’m the dirt-bag biker and you’re my bitch.”

I snorted. He really was pathetic.

“Where did you get that?” I asked, staring at his vest.

“I borrowed it.” He stood up and turned around. There was a gold snake on the back of the cut and it said ‘Gold Vipers’.

It took me a few seconds before I realized that Mark was wearing something that belonged to Taylor’s biker club. From what I understood, only members of the Gold Vipers were supposed to even have those vests.

“What’s going on here?” I asked, feeling ill.

“I know who you were with last night,” he said, a cold smile on his face. “I saw you together.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I was there. At the wedding reception. I saw you make a fool out of yourself on the dance floor with that boy. The biker. Then you brought him back to your room.”

I got off the bed. “You were
spying
on me?” I snapped angrily.

“No. I was protecting my investment. The last thing I need is for you to end up with some kind of disease from that low-life scumbag!”

“Okay, enough! You have no right treating me this way. I’m not your
investment
and I’m certainly not your own personal sex slave!”

“Maybe not, but you’re someone who owes me a lot of money and until you pay me what’s due, I
own
you,” he replied, moving toward me

I backed away from him. “Fuck you,” I said, hating him with every fiber of my being.

“That’s what I’m trying to do. Get over here.”

“Not on your life – and don’t you dare touch me,” I said, moving toward my suitcase. “Or I’ll call the police and have your crazy ass thrown in jail.”

“No you won’t.”

“Don’t test me. This arrangement is over,” I replied. “I’ll get you your damn money and I’m sure as hell not going to let you touch me again.”

“How do you plan on doing that? You have nothing.”

“I don’t know yet, but I’ll find a way and if you
ever
touch me again… I’ll –“

“Call the police?” he asked, sarcastically.

“No. I’ll call your wife and tell her all about this condo of yours and how you’ve coerced me into having sex with you for money.”

He glared at me. “You come anywhere near my wife and you won’t live long enough to tell her about it.”

My eyes widened. “You’re threatening to kill me?”

“Take it how you want but you stay away from her.”

“Then stay away from
me
.”

He watched as I started getting dressed.

“You’re overreacting,” he said, his tone softer. “Just, come back here and we’ll work something out.”

“No, Mark. I meant it when I said that it’s over between us,” I replied, buttoning my jeans. The man wasn’t just controlling and obsessive, he was now stalking me, and that was frightening. “I’ll get you your money, but I won’t sleep with you anymore.”

“Good luck with that,” he replied, his lip curling into an ugly scowl. “Especially being
unemployed
.”

My mouth dropped. “You’re firing me?”

“What else did you expect?”

“You can’t fire me,” I said. “That would be illegal. Heck, I’m sure it would also be considered sexual harassment.” I smiled. “Better yet, fire me. I’ll sue your ass and then have more than enough money to pay you back.”

He laughed. “Do you think I’m that stupid? You’re not going to be fired because of not having sex with me. You’re going to be fired because of tardiness and too many days missed on the job.”

I glared at him. It was true, I’d been pressing my luck and coming in at odd hours, but he’d never complained once. “Prove it.”

“My secretary can prove it. She’s been documenting your hours daily. So, you see… you can either stop playing these games and get back into bed, or find yourself a new job.”

“I’d rather sell my house and move back to Jensen then be indebted to you any longer, let alone get back into that bed.”

“You’re lying.”

He soon found out that I wasn’t.

Chapter 8

Two months later

Taylor

“Looks like there’s a storm rolling in,” J.T. said, wiping the sweat from his forehead. It was a hot, August afternoon and luckily, we’d just finished a roofing job in Davenport. It was our fourteenth one so far that summer, which wasn’t bad for a two-man crew. We’d been working our asses off and I finally had some money tucked away in my savings. I foresaw a trip to Vegas in the near future and possibly even a snowmobile. Snow was just around the corner, and as far as I was concerned, a new Ski-doo would take the edge off of a cold winter.

Shutting the tailgate of my pickup, I looked up at the sky. It was humid and dark clouds were moving in quickly. “Good thing we finished when we did.”

“No shit,” he said, pulling out two bottles of water from the cooler he was carrying. He handed one to me. “Damn, I’m fucking starving. You want to grab a bite to eat at Griffins?”

“I would but. I’ve got a date tonight and need to clean up.”

“Who with?”

“You know that liquor store near the clubhouse? Bosch’s? There’s a cashier there named Wendy –”

He interrupted me. “Yeah, I know her. The one with the red hair and big tits?”

“Yeah. That’s the one.”

“Damn, I’d love to get my hands on her. Didn’t you two already go out once?”

“No, I went out with Kim. Her mother. She owns the place.”

He looked impressed. “Jesus, does Wendy know?”

I shrugged. “I’m not sure. It wasn’t like we went out more than once anyway.”

“Did you fuck Kim?”

“Of course,” I said, opening up the bottle of water. “Why else would I go out with her?”

“Did she ever try calling you back after the date?”

“No. I was honest with her beforehand. I told her that I wasn’t looking for a girlfriend.”

“Just a fuck-buddy…” he said, looking amused.

“Exactly. I might have worded it differently,” I said, smiling. “But, she understood.”

He grunted. “Oh, yeah. I’m sure you did. At least you’re honest. If she finds out you’re dating her daughter, though, she might not be so amicable.”

“We’re only going out once,” I said, grinning wickedly. “Technically, I’m still not dating anyone.”

He smiled and shook his head. “Fuckin’ Tail. Only you.”

I felt a drop of rain just as thunder rumbled in the distance.

“Sounds like our cue to get moving. Have fun tonight,” he said. “I want details.”

“Okay. We have church tomorrow. I’ll catch up with you then.”

“Sounds good,” he said, walking toward his motorcycle.

I got into my truck and started the engine. The rain started just as J.T. drove away. I loved my motorcycle, but riding in the rain sucked and I didn’t envy the guy.

I turned the truck around and began driving toward my place. On the way, I stopped at the liquor store near my house and picked up a bottle of wine for Wendy. If everything went as planned, we’d end up back at my place and I knew she liked Moscato. Most of the girls in Jensen did.

As I was searching through the bottles, I noticed a woman in another row also looking at wine. It was Lauren Macey.

Holy shit
, I thought, staring at her. I wasn’t sure why, but seeing her gave me an unexpected warm feeling inside.

Grabbing a bottle of wine from the shelf, I quickly walked around the aisle and tapped her on the shoulder.

She turned around and gave me a surprised look. “Taylor. Hey, what’s up?”

I held up the bottle of Moscato. “Just shopping for some wine. What are you doing here?”

“Uh, shopping for champagne, actually,” she said, looking a little uncomfortable to see me.

“They don’t sell it in Minneapolis?” I joked.

She laughed nervously. “Not the kind I’m looking for, I guess.”

“Seriously, though… what brings you into town?” I asked, thinking that she looked even more beautiful than I’d remembered. At the moment, she had her hair piled up into a messy bun and had on a white bathing-suit cover-up.  Her skin was tan, I could smell coconut oil, and she had on a pair of black flip-flops. It looked like she’d just gotten back from the beach.

“Oh, I’m living here now.”

My eyes widened in shock. “You moved back to Jensen? When?”

“About a month ago. I would have done it sooner, but it took me a while to sell my house and get my finances in order,” she said.

“Wow. I can’t believe it. So, where are you living now?”

“I’m actually staying at Mitzy’s. She’s traveling with Fernando, until next fall, and was sweet enough to let me rent her guesthouse.”

“Must be nice,” I said, remembering the guesthouse well. It was a small bungalow behind the pool. When we were young, Carter and I used it more as a playhouse. During the day, we’d go swimming, and then at night, we’d watch horror flicks and scare the shit out of each other. “Carter and I used to have some good times there.”

“I bet. I know that I love it. Especially the pool, which is why I’m dressed like this,” she said, nodding toward what she was wearing. “I just left there, obviously.”

“Yeah, the pool is a nice perk. I haven’t been back there in years and have to admit – I miss hanging out there.”

“I’m sure Mitzy would let you use her pool if you really wanted to,” she said, smiling. “She adores you.”

I laughed. “She does, huh?”

“Yes. She talks about you and Carter all the time. He’s been so busy with Barbara, that I think she’s getting lonely. I think that’s why she decided to go on location with Fernando.”

“I bet. So, why
did
you move back to Jensen?”

“It’s a long story,” she said, softly. “Anyway, I’d better get going. Barbara has invited me over for dinner and told me to bring a bottle of champagne. I guess they have some kind of announcement to make.”

I hadn’t heard from Carter since he’d gotten back from his honeymoon and was a little irritated that he hadn’t told me about Lauren. “Oh yeah? Maybe she’s pregnant?”

“That’s what I’m wondering,” she said, breaking out into a smile. “I’d love to be an auntie.”

“I’m sure you’d make a great one,” I replied warmly, wishing we had more time to talk.

“Thanks,” she said. “Well, it was nice seeing you again. I know the last time was a little… awkward.”

“Not for me,” I said, giving her a wicked grin.

Her cheeks turned pink. “Well, it was for me, which is why I’m not drinking any of this tonight,” she said, holding up the bottle of champagne.

“Good idea.”

“See you,” she said, turning to leave.

I touched her arm. “Hey, wait. Can I get your number?”

Her eyebrow arched. “Why?”

“Why do you think?”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” she said, lowering her voice.

“Fine. I’ll give you my number. In case of an emergency. Nothing more.”

She gave me a doubtful look.

“Regardless of what happened between us, I hope you know I’d always be there for you if you needed anything.”

She bit her lower lip.

“Give me your cell phone,” I said, holding out my hand.

Sighing, she reached into her purse and pulled it out.

“Thank you,” I answered as she handed it to me. The battery was almost dead. “You’d better charge this.”

“I know.”

I added my name, my home phone, and my cell phone to her contacts list. Then I took a picture of myself and added it to my name.

“Really?” she asked dryly.

“Just so you don’t forget what I look like.”

Amused, Lauren rolled her eyes. “You really are pathetic.”

“Only when I want something,” I said, winking.

“I thought you already got what you wanted”

“I guess it just wasn’t enough,” I replied, surprising both of us. “I need more.”