Chapter One
I look at my watch for the third time since coming here. Amber said she would be here fifteen minutes ago and is still a no-show. I should have known she would flake. She hasn’t always been the best of friends to me.
At least she’s not like the other friend I had. Kimberly was my best friend in the whole world. We had known each other for over a decade. That all ended the day I walked in and found her fucking my long-term boyfriend.
Ugh, Troy. He was such a douchebag. I put up with a lot of shit because I thought that he would mature and grow into the relationship. Fucking bullshit, the therapist told me.
I shake my head as I think about it. I should have never agreed to see a therapist he chose. Or at all, really. To him, I was always the problem.
Well, I’m not his problem anymore.
A ping from my phone has me looking down. I frown when I see the message.
Amber: I’m sorry. I think you made a mistake, and I’m trying to help you. Forgive me?
I don’t understand the message at first, but when he walks up to me, I get it.
She fucking set me up.
My heart is pounding in my chest. I don’t want to see him. I never wanted to see him again. I haven’t even gone over and gotten the rest of my things from his place because fuck those things. It’s not worth dealing with this walking red flag one minute longer.
I don’t have a chance to escape him, though. He slides next to me, giving that smile I once found charming. Funny how when the rose-colored glasses are removed, you see the world for what it is, and let me tell you, Troy? Yeah, he’s a fucking creep.
Even now his eyes flit around the room trying not to be obvious.
“Go away, Troy.” I suck on my straw, needing the liquid courage to deal with him.
“Come on, KitKat. Why are you being like this? I made a mistake. Come home with me, and we can work through it.”
He reaches out to touch me, but I flinch away.
“KitKat is a dumbass nickname. It isn’t even a variation of my name. Stop using it.”
It feels good to get that one off my chest. He started calling me KitKat not long into our relationship.
He said it was a cute nickname because I was sweet like the chocolate on the candy bar.
Now I’m wondering if he was dating a girl named Kat when we started dating and it was his way of keeping it all straight in his head.
Fuck.
The familiar pang hits my chest. Not because I want him back. That ship has long since sailed, but the idea that I could have been the other woman at any point hurts me. That anyone would do that to another human being.
He’s such an asshole.
“You’re being unreasonable. I needed to sow my wild oats. I’ve done it now, and I want you back, babe. I miss you. I haven’t had decent pasta since you left. Please give me another chance.”
Seriously? That’s how he thinks he’s going to win me over, by mentioning missing my pasta? Get fucked.
“No. I’m here with someone anyway so go away.”
He snorts. “Amber set this up for me. I know you aren’t here with anyone.”
The look on his face makes my stomach sour. I’m sure I know exactly how he convinced Amber to betray me, and it has everything to do with the tiny member between his legs.
Of fucking course I’m not allowed to have one decent fucking friend. I make a mental note to block Amber as I glance around the bar.
That’s when I see them. The three rough-looking men, having a drink around a coffee table in the corner. They are smiling and laughing with one another. Well, all but the one in the middle. He is smiling, but I don’t see his mouth moving.
Before I can second-guess myself, I turn back to Troy. “Amber misinformed you then. I told her I was bringing my boyfriend so she could meet him. I’m sorry she didn’t tell you.”
“Bullshit. You’re sitting here by yourself. Don’t go making up boyfriends now, babe. It’s pathetic,” he sneers.
That familiar burn of shame fills me. I push it away, though.
“Believe what you want, but I’m done. I found someone to appreciate me for who I am. Leave me alone, Troy.”
Grabbing my drink, I turn and start to walk away, but Troy reaches out and grabs my arm.
“Esme,” he growls.
I pull out of his grasp, determined to get him to leave. I don’t know what I’m doing. This could backfire horribly, but I’m committed now.
Troy knows me a little too well. I wouldn’t even let him kiss me until our seventh date. To pull this off, I need to push my morals to the side and do something reckless.
As I approach the men, the one in the middle looks up and meets my eyes. He keeps his eyes locked on mine.
His hazel eyes draw me in. His black hair is kept short, more for convenience than style, if I had to guess. He’s got broad shoulders and looks like he would give the best hugs.
The man is effortlessly sexy. He is way out of my league, but I go around the man to his left before I hesitate beside him.
“I’m sorry about this. Please play along.” I perch on his knee, looking at him and only him.
He grunts softly, but then pulls me more firmly on his lap.
The air rushes out of my lungs. The man is huge. I feel so petite here on his lap. It’s intoxicating. For once, I feel feminine without effort.
Leaning down, I set my drink on the table before turning back to him and wrapping my arms around his neck.
“I believe consent is important, so I’m going to kiss you now, and if you don’t want me to, I need you to tell me,” I mumble.
He doesn’t respond. At least not verbally.
Instead, he leans down and takes my lips with his, kissing me deeply. My entire body tingles as he does. When he finally pulls back, I look up at him dazed.
“What are you running from, Pixie?”
His voice is gravelly. As if he isn’t used to using it often.
I swallow hard. “Cheating ex at the bar.”
He nods once, then picks me up. I squeal as he hands me to his friend, who nestles me into his lap. I look at the friend, noticing him for the first time.
His hair is dark blond and messy, like he could use a haircut, and his eyes are the same color as butterscotch. He even has a dimple in his chin.
Then I glance at the other man at the table.
His hair is a dark brown, but with the way the light hits it, it looks like it has some red tones in it. His eyes, though, are what get me. They are gray and pop against his sun-kissed tan.
I guess being hot is a requirement in this friend group.
I look back to the guy I first set my eyes on, retreating back.
“Where is he going?” I ask.
The man behind me squeezes me, but it’s the other man who answers me.
“He’s going to solve your problem.”
I clocked the pretty little thing the moment she walked in. Levi and Hudson had been talking about some show they are both watching, but I tuned out the moment I saw her black sundress with penguins on it blow through the door.
The woman has an aura about her. She demands attention, but not in the way some women do.
She is effortlessly beautiful with her hair so light it almost looks white instead of the blond I’m sure it is.
Her skin is a naturally sun-kissed tan even in the cooler weather of fall.
She has her hair pulled up into a messy bun, but instead of looking like she rolled out of bed, it looks like she did it on purpose.
My dick stirs in my pants just at the sight of her, which is shocking on its own. I haven’t been able to get my dick hard for any females since the last one-night stand decided to try and sink her claws in.
You can’t trust women. Not when they are manipulative and only care about their agenda.
So what is it about this woman that has me interested?
“What do you think, Walker?” Hudson asks, pulling my attention away from the woman.
We are nestled in the corner around one of the low coffee tables Hangover offers. It’s a bar, but not one that gets rowdy often. It’s meant for more intimate settings like dates or business meetings.
My eyes flick back to her. I’d bet she’s here for a date.
I grunt, not giving an answer to whatever idiotic thing my best friend just asked. He won’t be offended. They are used to it by now.
“You’re wrong. A megalodon wouldn’t be able to kill a lion on land. They can’t fucking move,” Levi argues with him.
He plays into his shit. Lets his nonsense get to him. I ignore him and let him talk until he tires himself out.
I tune them out once more, paying attention to the girl. She keeps looking at her phone and then to the door. Whoever she is meeting is late. That’s a strike against the poor guy. I hope she doesn’t give in to the fucker.
Then I see said fucker. He glances at her as she tries to avoid eye contact. That’s odd. Is she shy or is this not her date?
I keep my eyes on them as they chat.
“Come on, Walker. You know you want in on this action. Come on, big guy,” Hudson jokes, pulling a smile from me.
I glance at him, shooting him with a look. He smiles wider.
I feel the small smile on my face.
Fucker should be on a magazine, he is such a pretty boy. He has charisma for days, making even the grumpiest of fuckers want to smile at his antics. How he ended up in a biker gang, I’ll never understand.
That’s not true. I know how he ended up here, but I still think he could have been onto bigger and better things.
He’s my best friend, though, so I’m happy he’s here.
I glance back to my pretty little thing, only to find her walking this way. My eyes meet hers. She’s nervous. I wonder what she’s doing, but I don’t break the connection.
You’re so fucking gorgeous.
The thought hits me hard. I think I want this woman.
There is no way someone as shy as her could handle the lifestyle I and my brothers live.
Not only is the MC life hard, but we have a bit of a unique code.
One that is slowly changing, but I don’t think my brothers and I will be straying far from it.
“You know her?” Levi says, only loud enough for me to hear.
I don’t answer him as she rounds him and comes to stand next to me.
“I’m sorry about this. Please play along.”
Her voice is soft and unsure. Whatever is going on, she’s decided I’m the solution to her problem. I’m okay with it. I see Levi go to move as she perches on my knee, but I give him a hand signal to stand down.
I want to see how this plays out.
I grunt as I pull her all the way onto my lap. She feels like a pixie in my arms. She is so small. It has my protective instincts flaring up. I want to wrap this girl up in my arms and never let her go. No one would be able to get to her inside my embrace.
She turns, setting her drink on the table, giving me a chance to glance back to the bar. The man from before is still there, but he’s now glaring this way. I meet his eye and quirk an eyebrow.
He looks away.
That’s what I thought, coward.
Yeah, he doesn’t deserve the beautiful girl in my arms. When she turns back to me, I give her all of my attention.
“I believe consent is important, so I’m going to kiss you now, and if you don’t want me to, I need you to tell me.”
My mouth is on hers before I make a conscious effort to do so. Her tongue slips into my mouth as I open, making me fight back a groan. I only met this girl seconds before, yet I already know one kiss will not be enough. I want to devour her.
Pulling back takes real effort.
Looking down at her, I ask, “What are you running from, Pixie?”
My voice is husky from the kiss, and I don’t miss the looks my brothers are giving me out of the corner of my eye.
I’ll deal with them later.
“Cheating ex at the bar.” Her voice is so small when she says it.
I hate that this fucker made her feel this way.
I nod once, then stand with her in my arms. My dick twitches at the small squeal she lets out. Then I set her in Hudson’s lap. Without a look back, I wade through the crowd.
The coward is still at the bar, but he straightens up when he sees me approaching.
“You should probably leave,” I tell him, leaning on the bar.
The bartender looks at me and the guy and gives me a curious look. I shrug at him.
We come here often. We don’t make it a habit to cause issues, but if this fucker does, it won’t be me getting thrown out.
“Yeah, well, you probably shouldn’t be kissing other men’s girls.”
I laugh at how he attempts to puff his chest out. He has to be at least three inches shorter than me and not nearly as muscular. He is puny compared to me, but his ego won’t let him see that.
“She’s my girl now. You need to leave. Final warning.”
He scoffs but is losing some of his bravado.
“Fine, enjoy my sloppy seconds. She was a lousy lay anyway.”
One second he is standing, the next he is on the floor, blood pouring from his nose.
I lean over him, speaking low enough for only him to hear, “Don’t you ever speak about her like that again. I have killed men for less.”
I kick him as I look at the bartender again. He nods, so I turn and head back to my table. I can hear the fucker trying to argue with security as they drag him out.
I don’t give him a second thought. Instead, I go back to the girl I just risked it all for, and I don’t even know her name.
Not that it matters. It felt right.
She feels right.
Pulling her from Hudson’s lap, I take my seat and put her back where she was, her back to my front as I hold her to me.
I know I need to share. I can see the curiosity in my brothers’ eyes, but I can’t right now. Something inside of me needs her close. She relaxes into me, which makes me settle as well.
Yeah, this girl is something special, and now, she is all mine.