6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Mason
I wasn’t entirely sure how I ended up being the one who got to take Evie back to the clubhouse, but as Levi checked Evie’s car to make sure no one had messed with it or had a tracker on it, Tucker handled going over security measures with Jenna and Isabel, and Evie got on the back of my bike for the ride.
“Hold on tight and lean into the turns,” I instructed her.
As she settled in, wrapping her arms around my waist, I tried not to think of what something like this usually meant for a biker. We didn’t let just anyone ride bitch. For a Thunder Rider, if it wasn’t a relative, it was almost always an old lady. I could’ve considered Evie family, but my body’s reaction to her hands on my stomach and her front pressed against my back was definitely not how I felt about family.
I glanced back to make sure she’d put on my helmet, and then we were off. When we took the first turn and she did exactly what I’d told her to do, I couldn’t help thinking how right it felt to have her there. I pushed those thoughts away, but I couldn’t stop my body’s reaction when Evie’s thighs squeezed me from behind and her hands flattened on my stomach.
Fuck.
I’d never been so glad that the clubhouse was close to my sister’s place, because if I had to go much longer, my zipper was going to be permanently imprinted on my dick.
As I neared the gate that blocked the entrance to the Thunder Riders clubhouse, I slowed, waving at the scrawny bearded guy who was keeping watch tonight. He waved back and opened the gate, stepping out of the way so I could drive through. As I made my way up the winding drive, I felt a burst of pride at what my brothers and I had done to the place.
A former horse ranch, it wasn’t turned into an MC clubhouse until the sixties, and a lot of work had been done between then and now. When Levi got in charge, he had a goal, and now the barns that’d just been used as garages before were bike shops where we could do legit work.
I pulled into my usual spot and then helped Evie off my bike, keeping a hand on her elbow until I was sure her legs were steady. She took off my helmet and stared at the house.
“This is your clubhouse?” she asked. “It didn’t look like this before, did it?”
I shook my head. “Levi’s ambitious. He’s got us doing mechanic work, and even learning some construction shit to fix up the additions to the house.”
“And you live here?”
“Let’s talk and walk, princess,” I said.
I put my hand on the small of her back and led her toward the front door, probably with a little more force than I needed, but I didn’t like the idea of her being out here in the open, no matter how secure the place was.
“Hey, Mason, who you got there?” Sweeper swayed as he stood, but that was pretty normal for him. “Haven’t seen you before. You’re pretty.”
“Back off, Sweeper,” I warned. “She’s off-limits.”
Sweeper took a step back, his hands up in surrender. “Sorry, man. Didn’t realize you’d staked a claim.”
“It’s not like that,” Evie said quickly. “Jenna’s my best friend and—”
“If Levi wants the club knowing details, he’ll tell them,” I cut her off. “All Sweeper’s got to know is to keep his hands off.”
Opening the door, I gave her a little shove to get her inside before she decided she wanted to spill more business to a stranger.
“I can walk,” she snapped at me. “You don’t have to be so pushy.”
“I’m trying to protect you,” I shot back. “Why don’t you let me do it?”
Her expression softened. “You’re right.”
I didn’t know how long she’d be agreeable, so I herded her toward my room as quickly as I could. It was late enough that only a handful of the guys were in this part of the clubhouse, and most of them were occupied enough that they didn’t even look at us as we made our way to the stairs that led to the second floor where my room was.
Evie suddenly sucked in a breath, and I grinned when I realized she’d seen what was going on. While two of the guys were playing pool, the other three were tag teaming one of the sluts. Based on the brassy blonde hair I could see, I thought it was Rikki, but most of her face was mashed up against Judge’s crotch and I wasn’t gonna take a longer look just to confirm it.
“Move it along, princess,” I said, unable to resist swatting her ass. “Unless you want to stay and watch. It’ll probably be a good show.”
Color flooded her face and she practically ran up the stairs. I followed, enjoying the view of that firm ass right in front of me.
“First door on the right,” I said, taking a minute to adjust myself. Last thing I needed was her seeing I had a hard-on and thinking it was from the show downstairs.
“This is your room?” she asked, standing in the middle of the room and looking around.
“Yup.” I motioned toward the door on the far side, and then the small refrigerator next to the bed. “Bathroom’s through there, and help yourself to anything from the fridge.”
“I’m fine,” she said even as she walked over to the bathroom and opened the door, peeked inside, and then closed the door again.
“You checking to see if I’m hiding any girls in my room?” I asked, amused.
“I wouldn’t put it past you.”
“Why would you say that?” I dropped onto my bed and leaned back against the wall, arms behind my head as if I didn’t have a care in the world. “When a woman’s with me, she wants everyone to know it.”
“I’m sure you think that,” she said, walking over to the door that led to the hallway. She didn’t open it though, instead just turning back around and going back to the bathroom door. “All you Bradshaw boys. Think you’re God’s gift to women.”
“Well, you have kissed two of us now,” I said, ignoring the bite of jealousy when I thought of the way Levi had kissed her. “You tell me.”
She gave me a look I couldn’t read. “I don’t think about that kiss.”
Even though she wasn’t naming it, I knew she was talking about the one time I’d crossed that line with her. The summer before her senior year, and right before she turned seventeen, we both got wasted at a party and I kissed her. I’d stopped us before it went any further. She was legal, but she wasn’t sober enough to consent.
I’d told myself more than once that I did the right thing. That I would’ve been taking advantage of her. But I’d always avoided thinking too hard about what I would’ve done if we were both sober.
“Damn,” I said. “That’s cold. I didn’t think it was that bad.”
“Well, you’d know all about being cold, wouldn’t you,” she said.
I winced, but I figured I deserved that. After our kiss, I had pretty much ignored her until she left Bedford.
“I don’t want to talk about what happened back then,” she said abruptly. “Most of my memories of back then aren’t anything I want to think about too much.”
“Then let’s talk about something else.” I patted the space next to me. “What do you want to talk about?”
She shrugged but sat down. Her body was still stiff, and she kept twisting her hands together. She’d kept her composure while Randall was threatening her, and even through telling us about everything that had happened in Nashville. It didn’t surprise me that she looked like she was on the edge of freaking out.
“We could talk about how interested you were in what was going on when we came in.” I gave her my most charming smile.
“What?” She jumped like I’d physically startled her. “I wasn’t interested in that.”
I looked at her a little harder, this time wondering if the blush on her cheeks was from more than embarrassment.
“It’s okay that you were.” I pushed the issue. “We don’t judge here. As long as everyone’s having fun, it’s all good.”
“I’m not judging,” she mumbled.
“I should warn you that you’re probably going to see a lot more while you’re here.” I bumped my shoulder against hers, but she didn’t even look at me. “Some of the guys’ll walk around with their dicks just hanging out.”
That jealousy reared its head again and I pushed it back. She wasn’t going to want any of the guys here, so it didn’t matter if they fucked right in front of her or decided to whip it out for some reason. And even if she did want someone, that was none of my business.
“On second thought, maybe I should just keep you in my bedroom the whole time,” I suggested.
I was saying it to try to get a rise out of her, I told myself. It wasn’t because I liked the idea of having her all to myself.
When Evie shrugged without a comment, worry started to set in. I’d never not gotten a reaction out of her. I knew how to push her buttons. Hell, I’d perfected it because I liked doing it. Now, though, she was just sitting there, twisting her fingers together, while her eyes glazed over.
I needed to snap her out of this.
At least, that was the half-truth I told myself as I reached for her.
Cupping her chin, I turned her face toward me and captured her mouth. I kept the kiss softer than the one Levi had given her, giving her the chance to pull away if she didn’t want it. Instead, I felt her break out of her daze, leaning into the kiss. I groaned as her mouth opened, our tongues meeting, stroking.
She moved suddenly, straddling my lap as she fought for control of the kiss. I nipped her bottom lip and grinned at the sharp intake of breath. I liked that she pushed back, that she wasn’t going to just take what I gave her. I wanted her to take too. I wanted her to want me.
Her nails dug into my shoulders through my t-shirt, the jolts of pain only turning me on more. I grabbed her hips, holding her in place as I ground against her. She moaned, rolling her hips as if she needed that pressure and friction as much as I did.
I slid one hand under the skirt of her dress and cursed as I found less fabric than I expected. She was wearing a fucking thong. I palmed her ass, loving the soft feel of her skin over the tightening muscle as she rocked back and forth. I was just deciding whether or not I should risk sliding aside that tiny bit of lace to get to the good stuff when someone knocked at the door.
“Mason? You and Evie in there?”
Tucker.
Shit.
Evie scrambled off me, face flaming. She couldn’t look me in the eyes, but I didn’t blame her. She was probably embarrassed that she’d gone that far with a second Bradshaw tonight, but it wasn’t embarrassment that had me climbing off my bed and keeping my back to her. No, it was guilt. Guilt because I knew that Tucker had a huge crush on her when we were younger, and I had no idea if he still had feelings for her.
Dammit.
I ran my hand through my hair and let out a long breath. I needed to pull myself together. We had a job to do. A job that would make it possible for Evie to leave Bedford again. Which was exactly why I needed to never touch her again. She was going to leave, and my brothers would still be here. They came first.
Always.
I reached for the doorknob and hoped Tucker couldn’t read the guilt on my face.