Cowboy Chapter 6
I’d been thinking hard and long since my talk with Raff after my return from Las Vegas.
I kept mulling over what he said about being positive that I was ready to commit to one woman.
It was true, there was variety out there, and as a biker and former bull riding champ, I had more than my fair share.
Finding bed partners wasn’t a problem. However, I found that the excitement was gone.
Lately, I watched the club sluts and hangers come around to the clubhouse to party, and their offers left me cold.
The same had been true of the buckle bunnies at the rodeo.
More than a few had come up to me and made their offers clear. I’d turned all of them down.
When I thought about Saranya, my whole body came alive, and I felt intense desire.
I’d been getting off, but it was alone, using my hand.
She was on my mind all day, and, at night, I dreamed of her.
I tried to picture what her body would look like naked, sprawled on my bed.
And I wanted to see her long, dark hair spread out on my pillow, to run my fingers through it, and then tug on it, which ramped up my craving.
I was a take-charge guy in bed. The thought of commanding an independent woman like Saranya made me burn to do it and take it to another level.
I’d come to some conclusions over these past dozen days.
I could pledge myself to a single woman and stay faithful if it were Saranya.
As for the willingness to support her spiritually, emotionally, and physically, it was more than possible.
I also had the financial means to do it.
I’d been frugal with my winnings over the years I’d competed and had invested them very well.
Assuming I could convince her to be with me and she became my old lady, her clinic would need to relocate here.
Such a move would be expensive. I’d insist that she allow me to help her do it.
My argument is that I benefited from her moving, so it was only fair that I help cover the cost. I had my horses cared for by a local vet, but he didn’t strike me as exceptional.
The way Raff talked about Saranya, she was at his level, which was outstanding.
As for Raff’s remark about her wanting to carry on her parents' legacy of a happy marriage, I would do everything in my power to make her happy. As long as she met me halfway, it was doable.
I’d taken Raff’s advice and asked my fellow Horsemen who were married what it was they did to win over their women.
What they shared demonstrated that flowers and chocolates didn’t work.
Sure, those could be appreciated when combined with other things and done from the heart.
Treating them as equals, including them in all aspects of your life, and communicating effectively were top requirements.
What was holding me back from finding her address in Ormond Beach and approaching her was that I didn’t know what to say to get her to even speak to me, let alone accept my apology and agree to date me.
God, dating had never been my thing, not since high school.
When I started professionally competing, I moved around a lot, which was never conducive to a long-term relationship.
Afterward, becoming a biker and having women offer themselves to me hadn’t led me to dating either.
I hadn’t been on a date in thirteen years.
In an attempt to get my mind off my obsessing over Saranya, I’d agreed to go out tonight with the rest of my club.
No, it wasn’t to a strip joint or bar. We were meeting Diablo, Scorpion, Swerve, and their families at a local coffee shop for coffee and dessert.
They were coming there after their trolley ride through St. Augustine to see the lights.
Not what I’d typically do, but when the president asked, we said yes.
Besides, if we were all together, it would be a good time.
We were gathered there waiting. The other customers were giving us wary looks.
We smiled and nodded or gave chin lifts, but most remained uneasy.
Some got up and left. If they wanted to do that, then let them.
It meant we’d have the entire place to ourselves.
The staff had seen some of us in there before, so they were less leery.
I was studying the menu when a cool breeze hit me.
I assumed it was someone entering the shop.
I didn’t bother to turn around. However, when my brothers began calling out and saying the names of our awaited crew, I finished my scan and turned.
My mouth was open to add my greeting to the others when I caught sight of her.
At first, I thought I was hallucinating.
It wouldn’t be shocking, not with the way I daydreamed about her.
After blinking twice and noting her stunned look, I accepted she wasn’t a figment of my imagination.
I vaguely heard Diablo say they had brought along new friends to meet us.
It wasn’t until I heard Turbo mutter that I reacted.
“Goddamn, will you look at that tasty morsel? I wouldn’t mind me some of that.”
“Tell me about it,” Crash replied.
Their comments motivated me to take action and speak up. First, I angled myself so I could see Crash and Turbo’s faces. They were next to me. I narrowed my eyes at them.
“If either of you dares make a move on her, you’ll be picking your teeth off the floor. Saranya is mine,” I growled low and mean.
Their eyebrows rose, and surprise registered on their faces.
“What the hell, Cowboy? You know her?” Crash asked.
“Yes, I do. You’ve been warned.”
They both held up their hands but remained silent.
I turned back to face our guests. Diablo introduced the gentleman as Preston Coleman.
His diminutive wife, who looked like an older version of Saranya, was Malai.
Then he introduced Saranya as their daughter.
Diablo explained how they met on the light ride.
I noticed Jaycee was holding Saranya’s hand.
Noting that some of my brothers were converging on the three of them, and seeing the glint of captivation in more than one set of eyes, I pushed to the forefront and reached them first. I stood in front of Saranya.
“Hello, Saranya, it’s good to see you again. How have you been?” I asked.
“I-uhm, hello, Cowboy. I’ve been great.”
“Wait, you know Saranya?” Scorpion asked.
“I do. What a welcome surprise. Here, come have a seat.” I gestured to an open table next to us.
“Cowboy, I think you should introduce yourself to her parents before you sweep their daughter away,” Diablo said.
I heard the amusement in his voice. No doubt, he and my brothers were wondering what the hell had gotten into me. I’d explain later. Right now, I couldn’t allow anyone else to charm her. Smiling my best smile, I turned to face her parents. Her mom wore a curious look. Her dad was studying me.
“Excuse my poor manners. I was so taken aback to see Saranya that I forgot anyone else was here. Hello, Dr. and Mrs. Coleman. I’m Cowboy. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
I held out my hand to her dad first. He gave my hand a firm shake, and I returned it. When it was time to shake her mom’s hand, I was gentle and smiled. Letting go, I returned my attention to their daughter.
“Since you seem to know her, why don’t you introduce her to the rest of us?” Toretto suggested.
Seeing no way out of it, I grudgingly ran through the names of my brothers who were all standing there, eager to meet her.
I took deep breaths to stop myself from telling them to back the fuck off.
Saranya was sweet and said hello to all of them, giving them a charming smile.
I hated it. I wanted her only to smile that way at me.
Taking control, I placed my hand on the small of her back and propelled her toward the table.
After hesitating a second, she let me do it.
I was gentle with my push. Pulling out her chair for her seemed to jar her, as evidenced by the look she gave me.
Once she was seated, I pushed her chair closer to the table and then took the seat next to her.
Swiftly, the other seats filled up, and the tables surrounding us did the same.
We ended up with Turbo, Crash, Lucky, and Thunder at ours.
“So, how do the two of you know each other, Cowboy?” Thunder asked.
“We met in Vegas at the National Finals. She’s a veterinarian and covered for my friend, Raff, who had a family emergency.” I kept it concise.
“Funny, you never mentioned her when you told us about Vegas,” Lucky added.
“There are some things that a guy likes to keep to himself. Meeting a beautiful woman is one of those,” I responded.
“I can see why you wanted to keep her a secret. You’re stunning, Saranya,” Thunder told her. His winning smile was out in full force.
“Thank you, Thunder. I must admit, I had no clue Cowboy was a biker, let alone lived in Florida and this close.” There was a bite of accusation to her tone.
“We didn’t exactly get to talk much. Plus, when one is in another club’s territory, you don’t wear your cut. It’s a good way to get your ass kicked or killed,” I explained. She clearly knew nothing of biker life. I’d have to teach her.
“Do you live here in St. Augustine? I’ve never seen you around town. Believe me, I would’ve remembered if I had,” Lucky remarked.
“No, we don’t. I live in Ormond Beach. My parents live in Daytona Beach.”
“That’s close. Why don’t you live in the same town as your parents?” Crash asked.
“Dad is a large animal vet like I am. We didn’t want to compete with each other. Plus, as much as I love them, I do have my own life. It’s close, and we visit each other often.”
“Tell me what you’d like to drink and eat, and I’ll get it. You must be cold after riding around on that trolley,” Turbo offered.