Easy Rider: An MC Erotic Romance Page 2

  “Hi,” she replied tentatively.

  He could tell that she was rattled. She made great efforts to stop herself from trembling. She may have been shaken, but she deserved credit for not moving when he pulled her into him. After all, he was just as unknown as the other two men. He felt her move and reluctantly let her go.

  “Thank you, Mr. Knolls,” she said, her voice low and her eyes wide. “I appreciate your...intervention.” She swallowed as though the effort to speak was nerve-wrecking. Then, she extended her hand to him and added, “I’m Ria Glenn.”

  Jay held the hand she had offered to him and looked her in the face. He absently rubbed his thumb over the back of it as they talked. He was soothing her, he told himself. Only he knew he did it so he wouldn’t drag her back into his arms. Finally, he grudgingly let go of her hand and looked around.

  “Where are your friends?” he asked.

  He wanted to get to know her. In order to do so, he had to make her feel at ease with him. Acting as her knight in shining armor was a start, but she was clearly still afraid of something. He could only hope it wasn’t him.

  “They went to find us a booth,” she answered, offering him a tentative smile. “Would you care to join us?”

  He knew instinctively she had only made the offer as a matter of courtesy. He let her off the hook, but with one proviso. “I won’t, but thank you. You’re with your friends and I’m with mine, but there is one thing you can do for me.”

  “What’s that?”

  “I’d like it if you’d save the last dance for me. That would be the best thank you of all.”

  She looked at him intently, as she tried to formulate an answer. He knew what she was doing. He also realized she didn’t know what to say. She could be rude and refuse, but he was sure that went against the grain for her. In the alternative, she could grant him permission to get up close and personal on a crowded dance floor.

  “All right.” Her voice was tight. “We’ll probably leave in a couple of hours.”

  He nodded and smiled, as she turned and hurried off to find her friends. He watching her high, round bottom in her skirt. He wondered if she knew how delectable she looked to all the men who also watched her move through the crowd. She was too damned delectable. If he had his way, he’d make sure everyone knew she was all his...and only his.

  Given she was a relative stranger, he was astounded at the possessiveness of his thoughts. He had no right to her; yet, he acted like a husband or at least a lover. It wasn’t a good idea. He turned and headed back to the bar, determined to suppress his feelings with a drink. He would only be around for a couple of days. Then, he’d be gone, again. For how long, he didn’t know.

  As he stood at the bar with his drink, he told himself, once again, he shouldn’t think like this about anyone. He especially shouldn’t think like this towards someone he didn’t know at all. It wasn’t as if he was searching for the one.

  He was a hard man who lived a hard life. He expected those around him to fit in with his decisions. Little Miss Glenn might have the body of a wanton, but she appeared far too innocent and too inexperienced for the likes of him. He wanted her in his bed; but, he doubted she would appreciate his intention to have her and then leave her. Even so, here he was, plotting her seduction. As he mulled it over, he watched her. She sat at a table with a group of other young people, sipping beer and talking.

  “What’s your poison this time, Jay?” Jordan asked, eyeing him as he settled his left hip against the bar.

  “Another Scotch sounds good,” he said. He turned to his friend, as though he had been doing nothing other than absently watching the room.

  As Ria sat at her table with her workmates, she sipped her beer and tried to concentrate on their conversation. Without looking, Ria could feel Jay’s eyes on her. She was unsure how it would affect her still shaky nerves, if she caught his eye. So, she resisted the temptation to look over towards him.

  “Are you all right?” Annie whispered.

  Ria snapped to attention. She turned to face Annie and nodded. “Just more tired than I realized, I guess.”

  “Who was the hunk?”

  Annie’s whispered question embarrassed her and made her blush. It left her struggling for something adequate to say in response. She swallowed and tried to provide a deadpan answer. “His name is Jamison Knolls. He helped me when it looked like I might have a problem with a couple of bikers.”

  “He’s a biker, too, sweetie. In case you hadn’t noticed.” Annie’s tone was dry. “And he sure seems to be into you.” She indicated the bar with her eyes. “He hasn’t stopped looking over here since you sat down.”

  Ria’s blush deepened. “It’s a free country. He can look, right?”

  She tried to sound nonchalant, but Annie was too smart to buy it. Suddenly feeling hot, she stood up and said to no one in particular, “I’m a bit warm. I’ll be back in a few, okay?”

  She hurried away, heading through a side door to the outside. Standing in the parking lot, she inhaled the cool evening air. She tried to clear her head and get a grip on her emotions. She wanted to have a good time, but she wasn’t sure Jamison Knolls was the way to go. His presence had made her body spark, a sensation she thought she’d forgotten. She had never had such a powerful a reaction to a man before. She found it both scary and thrilling.

  She was old enough to know that sex was a powerful tool--one that could be used against her. Her last boyfriend had been an expert at that. She was still naïve enough to believe she could handle someone like Jamison Knolls, if he were try that on her now.

  A sound made her turn. The man she was thinking about stood behind her. His deep blue eyes watched her. He came towards her. She tried, unsuccessfully, to look away. It was as if she thought that if she couldn’t see him, he didn’t exist. She didn’t think she was ready to handle his brand of sexuality quite yet.

  When he reached her, he stopped and said, “You shouldn’t be out here alone, you know. This club can be a dangerous place, particularly if you’re a stranger and by yourself.” His voice was sensual, almost mesmerizing. She watched as he reached out and touched the strand of her hair that rested on her shoulder.

  She looked at him. Her voice, like his, was laced with sexual tension, as she asked, “Is there something else I should know, Mr. Knolls?”

  He stepped closer. He was close enough for her to feel the warmth of his body through the thin shirt she wore. He was not touching her, but her body reacted as if he were.

  “Call me Jay,” he invited her, before continuing, “I know this may sound pushy and you might be offended, but I find you very attractive. You should also know I am looking forward to our dance.” His voice had the same seductive tone she heard earlier. It washed over her, excited her, and warmed her already overheated body. It induced the first feelings of dampness in her pussy.

  She ignored his compliment and held his gaze. Against her better judgment, she asked, “And why is that?”

  “It’ll probably be the only chance I’ll have to be as close to you as I want before you disappear and I never see you again.”

  When he finished speaking, she watched as a smile appeared on his face. She smiled in return. His words had the potential to be threatening. Rather than feeling frightened, she felt relieved that he was honest with her. At least he was open about what he wanted from her. She found, in spite of her earlier resolve, that she didn’t want to continue to pretend she wasn’t interested. She was a grown woman and she had to learn to handle seduction like an adult.

  “I’ll see you, then.” Ria responded, as she turned to go back indoors. She hoped to escape before he could say or do anything designed to keep her with him. Once she was out of his reach, she looked back. To clarify her previous statement, she added, “On the dance floor, I mean.”

  She heard his chuckle and felt her insides warm. He was an odd mixture of danger and desire. She’d had no experience with men like him. He had a disarming sexuality. She was glad she h
ad only agreed to one dance with him. She wasn’t sure she could handle more than that.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  “Where did you go?” Annie asked her when she sat down again. “You weren’t in the ladies’ room.”

  “I stepped outside for a bit of fresh air. It’s warm in here.”

  Apparently satisfied with her answer, Annie turned away for a moment. Ria took the opportunity to search the club for Jay. Her eyes scanned the room until she saw him back at the bar, talking to the barman. As if he knew she was watching him, he turned, raised his glass, and smiled at her. She felt her cheeks warm and turned away. If she had been warm before, his smile raised her temperature almost to the boiling point.

  She looked back to the table and was met with a stare from Annie.

  “What’s going on with you two? Every time I look at you, you’re staring at him. Why aren’t you doing something about it?”

  “Nothing’s going on for heaven’s sake. I don’t know the man.”

  Another unnecessary lie. She knew her friend wasn’t convinced by her protestations.

  “But you can’t deny you’re interested,” Annie commented. “Look, why not go over, order another drink, and talk to him? I mean, it’s obvious that he’s interested in you. And it’s not like he can do anything to hurt you while you’re in here. Mind you, judging by the look in his eyes, hurting you seems like the last thing he wants to do.”

  Annie chuckled when Ria punched her in the arm.

  “Come on, Ria, let loose! It’s been so long since you’ve let yourself have a little fun. And I’m not just talking about the time since we began this dig. You’ve been off the radar socially since your junior year in college.” She put her drink down and touched Ria’s arm. “Two years is a long time to be scared, don’t you think?”

  It had been actually been four years. Although Annie spoke the truth, she was not prepared to admit it.

  “I’m not scared! What could I possibly be scared of?”

  “Cautious, then,” Annie insisted. “You can’t live the rest of your life protecting yourself from all men because one man was a jerk.”

  Ria remained silent. She willed herself not to rehash the misery of four years ago. It had been a huge and humiliating wake-up call. She had been on her guard ever since. Maybe Annie was right. Maybe, if she could relax and have some fun with Jay, she’d be on her way back to normal. It didn’t mean anything would happen between them, but he may be able to help her regain some self-confidence.

  “Okay. I need a drink anyway,” Ria said and smiled at her friend’s encouraging wink. “I’ll be back soon.”

  “Not if he can help it,” Annie said, laughing and looking over at Jay. His eyes had not left them.

  Ria made her way to the bar. She skirted around the dance floor until she was standing next to him.

  “What’s your pleasure, little lady?” the barman asked, smiling broadly at her.

  “I’d like a dark beer, if you don’t mind,” she answered. “You choose. I don’t know which brands you carry.”

  She smiled at him and watched as he picked up a bottle and poured the beer into her glass. Just as the beer reached half-way up the glass, Jay leaned in towards her. She had been watching the bartender pour the beer and hadn’t expected it. His voice startled her, as he whispered, “Miss me?”

  Recovered from the shock, Ria looked up at him. She noticed again how surprisingly deep blue his eyes were, even though he had almost black hair. Genetically, it didn’t make sense.

  “I came to get a drink,” she hedged. She wasn’t surprised when he laughed. His laugh was intoxicating. It made her want to shiver, but she fought it and smiled at him. He was setting the agenda. She was determined to gain some degree of control.

  “Did you miss me?” It was a game two could play. She wasn’t about to let him win every round.

  “You have no idea just how much,” he answered. His sexy smile made her breath hitch.

  The barman handed her drink to her. She was glad she had something to do. She had asked the question and was now having difficulty with his answer. She sipped her beer and lowered her gaze. Then, she set her glass on the bar. Once it was safely there, she paused. She placed one hand on the rim of the glass, the other on the table.

  She tried to think of her response and said, “I’m sure I don’t, but thank you for the compliment.”

  “It’s me who should be thanking you for lighting up my evening. What I don’t like, however, is when you try to hide from me.”

  She blinked. “But I’m not hiding. How can I be? I’m standing here in plain sight,” she protested.

  “Yes, you are. Every time I catch your eye, you hide those beauties from me.” Still watching her, he swallowed the last of his drink before taking her hand and saying, “Let’s dance.” When she looked up in surprise, he added, “If you like, you can consider this your promised thank you.”

  She let him lead her to the dance floor. A fast tempo country song was just beginning. It was line dancing music, something about which she knew next to nothing. When she protested, he told her it was simple and to follow his lead.

  It may have been easy for him, but she found it difficult. By the time the tune ended, she had figured out a few of the steps. She was out of breath and laughing in embarrassment at her own incompetence.

  “Did you enjoy that?” he asked, as he led her back to the bar.

  “Sort of, but I probably need a two semester course before I’ll be ready to try it on my own.”

  “You’ll never have to dance on your own.”

  It was another unexpected compliment, but she liked it.

  Once back at the bar, she watched as the barman as he took her drink out from under the counter. She raised her eyebrows to him in a silent question.

  “Couldn’t let anyone slip you a mickey now could I, missy? Jay would never forgive me.”

  Ria thanked him and picked up her glass. She enjoyed dancing with Jay. She just wasn’t sure how far she was prepared to let things progress. Her body told her she was prepared to take a chance, but her head told her it would be a mistake.

  Jay ordered soda water, he’d already had three large Scotches. He suddenly realized he didn’t want liquor to impair his faculties - mental or physical. There was something about this woman. It was something he couldn’t quite pinpoint. She was attractive and had a beautiful body, but it was more than that. Although just what the more was, he wasn’t sure.

  Her voice brought him out of his reverie.

  “So, your gang is called...?”

  “It’s a club, not a gang,” he corrected her. He smiled to take any sting out of his words, “We’re called the Demon Riders. Do you ride?”

  She laughed in response. A laugh he found erotic. It made him harden instantly. The woman was a stranger, but in just an hour she had enchanted him. It had never happened to him before.

  “No,” she said, when she stopped laughing.

  He sensed there was something else she wanted to say. Then, he realized she was laughing at the double entendre. The thought made him harder. He tried to adjust his stance to ease the growing erection in his jeans. He had been with a lot of women in his time. He couldn’t remember the names and faces of many of them. None of them ever made him so hard so quickly.

  He hadn’t even kissed her; yet, he wanted her so much he ached. He wanted her between his legs. He wanted to make slow, sweet love to her. He wanted so much more.

  “Are you hiding from me again?” He hadn’t meant to ask the question, but it had slipped out. It was a verbalization of his thoughts.

  “Why do you say that?” She didn’t understand his question and wondered if she had missed something.

  “You didn’t say everything on your mind,” he replied.

  “Do you like women who say everything that’s on their minds?” she asked. She still held his stare, as she sipped the last of her beer.

  “I like you,” he countered, “and I’d like you to say whatev
er’s on your mind. So, the answer is yes.”

  “How do you know you will be pleased to hear what’s on my mind – if anything?”

  He didn’t know. So, rather than risk hearing something he didn’t what to hear, he asked her to dance.

  The DJ played a slow song when they started to head for dance floor. It was a song for lovers rather than dancers. He hooked his arm in hers. When they reached the floor, he pulled her to him. He put his arms around her back and waited until she reciprocated. For a moment, she paused. Then, she made her decision. She wanted to dance with him and she wanted him close. Without any further hesitation, she locked her arms around his back and snuggled against his chest. For the rest of the dance, she let him lead her wherever he wanted. She made no protest when, halfway through, he led her to an alcove to the side of the dance floor and at the farthest point from the bar.