Chapter 3
THREE
I HOPE SHE LEAVES SCARS
Rage
I wake up alone; it takes my mind a moment to replay last night.
Then, remembering her, I smile from ear to ear.
Rose is such a pretty name. Just like her.
I sit up and scan the room. Her dress is gone, and her shoes too .
. . She’s left. I frown and deflate but curse myself.
I don’t know why it bugs me so much. I was a distraction—a quick fuck to take her mind off her problems, nothing else.
When I saw her walk in, I was drawn to her. She looked like an angel in that dress, and so beautiful. I felt jealous of her husband, which intrigued me. Even the way she walked, the natural sway of her hips . . . she was sexy without even trying. Her tits looked amazing in that dress.
I’d never been so infatuated with someone I’d never met. When her husband didn’t turn up, I was cautious, but I was a dick and hoping he wouldn’t, so I went to her. I still remember the adrenaline pumping through me. The place was busy, but all I could do was focus on her.
When I sat down and took a closer look at her, it was like a sledgehammer to the face. Her beautiful eyes—green but ringed with blue—were haunted by pain, and her sadness twisted my gut. After finding out her ex cheated on her, I wanted to knock him the fuck out.
I hate cheaters with a passion. My dad cheated on my mom and left us to create another family.
My fists clench at my side. I’ll never forgive him.
I understand the pain cheaters cause and the destruction cheating leaves in its wake.
Some men just can’t help themselves. They’re insecure, and let’s face it, they should be because the women they’re with are too good for them.
The funny thing is they always downgrade and go for someone who’s half the person they’re cheating on.
But for Rose to find out on her wedding day?
What a piece of shit. I still think she’s better off finding out before having kids because I had a front-row seat for that, and it really fucked me up, left me thinking I wasn’t good enough.
My mom always tried her best for me and my brother, but the pain my father caused .
. . no amount of love from my mother could get rid of that knife in my back.
I couldn’t look away from Rose, and I wasn’t going to let her sit there alone in the pain she was in.
But I wasn’t just doing it for her. We got along well and gelled.
It felt good to spend time with her. I’ve been in a bit of a downer for a while now, and she made that feeling go away.
Maybe we took away each other’s pain for the night.
I knew Rose is older, but I still don’t know by how much.
She was right, though. It’s not that I don’t find bigger girls attractive—it’s just that the girls at the clubhouse and other women who approach me are on the thinner side.
I can’t even remember the last time I approached a woman, because they always come to me, but there was this magnetic pull to her that I wasn’t going to deny.
And now . . . those thicker girls . . . I blow out a heavy breath. I’ve clearly been missing out.
She was very self-conscious, but there was no reason to be. I hope I made her feel beautiful and at ease. I was so hard for her, I felt like I was going to explode. I’m getting hard again just thinking about her.
After the sex I was tired, but I didn’t want her to go, so I pulled her close and hugged her. Cuddling after sex usually isn’t my thing, but it felt right at the time. She had so trustingly curled into me.
Usually women just sleep with me because I’m a good fighter or I wear the club’s vest, but in the little time we had, we talked and she asked questions about me. When I’m with a woman, there usually isn’t much talking.
I peer around the room. Now she’s gone . . . and I’m left alone once more. I get up and go searching for my clothes. I pull the blanket up and look around for my jeans, but I don’t see them anywhere. My hoodie isn’t here either . . . Then it clicks: She wore my jeans and hoodie out.
I laugh and look down. I can’t ride my bike home in my boxers, shirt, and cut. Or can I? Looks like I don’t have a choice. I get ready and stroll down the stairs. There are whispers, and the group of women are looking at me with hunger in their eyes. I give them a cheeky grin, then go to reception.
“Here’s the key,” I say and hand it back to the receptionist.
“Thank you,” she says softly, her cheeks bright red.
When I go outside, there’s a breeze. My legs feel a bit bare. I get on my bike, rev the engine, and get out of there, but Rose’s face is what remains at the forefront of my mind on the ride home.
Once at the clubhouse, I pull my bike into the shed and walk inside. I’m met with Viper’s huge grin.
“Where have you been?”
Before I get a chance to respond, he looks down at my legs and bursts out laughing. “Did you ride home like that? Where’d your jeans go?”
My smile matches his. “The woman I was with needed them more than I did.”
“The woman in the wedding dress?” he asks with pinched brows.
“Yes, she never got married. Found out he cheated before she walked down the aisle.”
Viper’s face drops. “What an asshole.”
I nod. “Sure is.”
“So you gave her a night to remember, did ya?” He winks.
I think we both gave each other a night to forget about our lives. “She was perfect.”
He smirks. “Good on you. I don’t think I’ve seen you with anyone else apart from the sweet butts in a long time.”
He’s right. I haven’t been. I’ve just been focusing on winning the fights, so I train hard for them.
His eyes are bright with delight. “Look at you hitting up a cougar.”
I scrunch up my face. “She wasn’t that much older than me.” Well, I knew she was older, but I didn’t think the gap was too bad.
He gives me a pointed look. “She was at least in her thirties.”
I shrug. It doesn’t bother me what age she is.
Dolly, one of the sweet butts I sleep with, comes over to me. “What happened to you last night? I looked for you when we were going home, but I couldn’t find you.” She looks down and giggles. “What happened to your jeans?”
I flinch, but I’m honest. “I was with someone.”
Her eyes widen. I don’t miss the small downward tug on her lips, but she forces a smile because she knows we aren’t a couple. We just have sex. I guess it must have been a shock considering I’ve been sleeping mainly with her.
“I’m going for a shower,” I tell them, and take off my shirt and cut as I walk up the stairs.
Viper says, “You’ve got some claw marks on your back. It must have been good.”
I reach back and run my fingers over a few scabs. I didn’t even notice Rose doing that. A smile spreads across my face as I climb the stairs. I hope she leaves scars.