Chapter 10 – One Month Later #2
“Message received,” she murmured, turning and waving at Scrap, who came trotting over with a look of worship on his face that I suddenly wanted to punch off.
“Would you mind giving me a ride back to the clubhouse?” she asked him sweetly.
“Sure,” he agreed, too damned quickly for my liking. Still, I kept my mouth shut, leaned back on the bar, and let my gaze slide back to Candy.
Aislynn leaned forward, kissed my cheek softly, and whispered, “Later, honey.” Then she turned on her heel and strutted her sweet little ass toward the exit, completely unaware of all the male stares following her.
“What’s goin’ on? Aislynn left already?” Bootneck’s voice demanded.
I glanced at him as he slid back onto his stool beside me. “Yeah. Scrap gave her a ride.”
“And you’re here watchin’ Candy get her tits out?”
“Need some space,” I shot back.
He chuckled under his breath.
I slowly swiveled my face toward him. “Got somethin’ to say?”
“Don’t start your shit with me, Ade. You know what you’re doin’. Emotions runnin’ riot? Feelin’ suffocated? Brain fartin’? Feel like you’re livin’ in the goddamn fuckin’ upside down? You need to see a psych.” He shook his head at me like I was a stupid fuck. “Are you sleepin’?”
It was my turn to heave out a frustrated sigh. “Some.”
“How much is some?”
“Could be an hour one night, others three or four.”
He muttered obscenities under his breath and raised his hand to point an accusing finger at me. “Tomorrow, you’re goin’ to the VA in Rock Springs.”
I picked up my beer and took another swig. “Got the boys comin’.”
“Right, so we’ll go to the open meetin’ Monday mornin’,” he insisted.
“Jesus Christ, Boot,” I grumbled. “I feel fine.”
“Good,” he retorted. “Then you’ll feel even finer after the meet.”
I tipped my head back and silently asked God to give me strength. “Alright, alright. I’ll go to the meet on Monday, but it’s a waste of my damned time.”
Boot grinned from ear to ear. “Marvelous. It’s a date.”
I pressed my lips into a thin line, my attention again getting caught by Candy. “Doesn’t help that I haven’t fucked for months.”
“Still?” he asked incredulously.
I winced. “It’s not Ash holdin’ back. I like the idea of waitin’. It’s not somethin’ I’ve thought about before, but things hit different with her.”
“Could’ve fuckin’ fooled me the way you’re dickin’ her around.
” He took a swig of his beer, his stare never leaving mine.
“Okay, so get it elsewhere. That way, you can keep your girl all new and shiny but still get your rocks off. It’s not like she’s your ol’ lady or your wife yet; she doesn’t even need to know.
It’s not ideal, but at least you’ll sleep.
You’ve been a bastard to everyone lately, and the brothers are startin’ to notice something’s goin’ on with you.
How long d’ya think you can carry on like this?
Just exhaust yourself with one of the girls, then go to bed, and wake up a new man in the mornin’. ”
The thought of some random bitch touching me made my gut clench. “Nah. I’ll speak to the psych when I go to Rock Springs. Get some sleepin’ pills.”
“You still on antidepressants?” he asked.
“Haven’t taken ’em for a few years,” I responded quietly. “They weaned me off ’em, and I seemed to be okay.”
“You should talk to the nurse about that, too,” he suggested.
I nodded, my eyes darting back to Candy. She’d finished her set and was talking to a crowd of dudes out on a bachelor party.
Bootneck followed my stare and nudged me. “Want me to get her? You could take her back to the office.”
As Boot said the words, Candy looked up and caught me staring at her. My gut sank as I watched her lips curve into a sensual smile. She said something to the group of guys before sashaying toward us, looking like the cat that got the cream.
My heart gave a hard thud and began to race.
Nothing about it felt right, but Boot made a good point.
Maybe getting some pent-up frustration out would help me chill out.
I hadn’t gone this long without fucking a woman since I was in the military and there were no women around to play with.
Sex helped me sleep and keep my head straight.
I was so fucking exhausted, at this point, I’d try anything to get some decent shut-eye.
And it wasn’t like it would mean anything.
“Hey,” Candy greeted us breathily, glancing around. “Where did your ol’ lady go?”
My chest flared with annoyance, and I bit out, “She’s not my ol’ lady.”
“Right,” she murmured, her eyes sliding between me and Boot. She trailed a finger down Bootneck’s arm. “You boys wanna go somewhere for some private time?”
Boot got up from his stool, fisted the back of Candy’s blonde hair, and touched his mouth to hers. “I think you should come into our office, darlin’. It’s time for your performance review.”
“You coming, Prez?” Candy asked, her tone filled with innuendo as she looked at me expectantly.
I drained my beer, placing it back on the bar top, my stare resting on Aislynn’s cell. Picking it up, I weighed it in my hand while I glanced at the exit.
“Luiz,” I called to the bartender. “Call the clubhouse and let Scrap know Aislynn left her cell here. Tell him I said to come get it for her.”
Luiz took the phone from me with a nod.
I clambered to my feet, my body tensing like a coil as Candy burrowed under my arm.
The three of us turned to head for the offices at the back of the club, and Bootneck grabbed Candy by the back of her neck, angling her face up to drop another kiss on her mouth.
As soon as he let go, she leaned up and pulled my head down and kissed me, her lips pressing against the side of my jaw.
My gut twisted, and I jerked my head away, growling, “Don’t fuckin’ touch me again.”
Boot chuckled and gave her ass a loud slap, just as we approached the door that led to the back office. “S’okay, Candy. You can touch me all you like, darlin’.”
Her answering giggle was so jarring, I almost shuddered.
Boot grabbed the handle and held the door open, ushering us through and giving Candy’s ass another love tap as she walked past. He grinned at me. “Stick with me, Prez. I’ll make sure you’re sleepin’ like a baby as soon as your head hits the pillow.”
The door clicked closed behind us, and something tugged inside, pulling me back. The sick feeling in my gut intensified, but as I went to turn back, Candy grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the office.
I should have listened to my instincts, turned my ass around, and headed back to the bar. I was a Marine for twelve years; the only reason I was still alive was that I listened to my goddamned gut.
Maybe I was exhausted and being sloppy, because usually, I would’ve been aware of my surroundings, and also the dark blue-eyed beauty who, unbeknownst to me, was watching my every move.