Chapter 12
CHAPTER
TWELVE
ASPEN
“I’m so excited to see what the bar looks like now,” Rain says as she bounces in the driver’s seat.
“You need to calm down and pay attention to the road before you crash.” Maggie laughs.
“I’m not going to crash,” Rain tells her.
While they banter back and forth, I stare out the window and think about him.
Ever since I made amends with Asher, things have been different between us…and I love it.
He makes me want more.
The guy has me completely wrapped around his finger, and he doesn’t even know it. Or maybe he does.
“I can’t remember. Did you ever see the bar before it was destroyed, Aspen?” Rain asks.
Guilt rolls through me.
The bar was a legitimate business for the club. One that also doubled as a place the brothers could party without tearing up their own clubhouse.
Then Adlet destroyed it.
Another thing that happened because of me.
No, I wasn’t the one who sent someone in with the intent to do the maximum damage to the structure, but it was my fault for bringing the Ragged Anarchy into their lives.
Well, Maggie and I.
“Hey, are you okay?” Maggie asks, pulling me back into the present.
“I’m fine. I was just thinking I don’t think I ever saw it. Not even from the outside. I knew it existed, but that’s it. Calloway kept me away from it,” I tell them.
“Well, this is it,” Rain says as she pulls into the parking lot.
The outside is rustic-looking with wood siding, which I wasn’t expecting. Not so close to the mountains, and where it could be a potential fire hazard, but what do I know?
“I like all the biker signs they put along the porch,” Maggie says.
“Yeah, they really went subtle this time around,” Rain quips, making us laugh.
The three of us get out of the car and make our way up the front steps and across the porch, which is covered in chairs. If I didn’t know any better, I would think this place was someone’s old hunting cabin.
When we step inside, though, the vibe changes. The walls are bare, but the place is well lit. My eyes instantly go to the beautiful bar on the side of the room. It’s made of real wood and has one of those edges that looks like it just came out of the woods. All rough and rustic.
“Hey, what are you guys doing here?” Ridge asks as he comes out of the back.
“We came to help decorate,” Rain tells him.
I don’t pay attention to them, though, because I see him.
Asher has on a white shirt with blue jeans and biker boots. His dark hair is a mess, and you can tell he hasn’t shaved since yesterday. He sets a box on the bar, and his muscles flex.
“Hey, Songbird.”
“Songbird?” Maggie teases quietly, elbowing me in the side.
“Shut the hell up,” I murmur under my breath before I smile at him. “Hey, need any help?”
“You know I do.” He smirks.
“You two have fun,” Maggie teases.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Rain quips.
“So my options are open?” I joke over my shoulder, making the girls laugh.
“No sex in the back of the bar. Panther will have your head if you defile his sister in his place of business, prospect,” Ridge groans.
“Stop being a party pooper,” Rain tells him.
Whatever is said next, I don’t hear. As soon as we are out of view, Asher pushes me against a wall. His hands cradle the back of my head as his lips slam down onto mine.
Once again, the world tilts. Colors seem more vibrant, and everything sounds louder. The world just becomes more when his lips touch mine.
It’s fucking addicting, and I know I’ll never get enough.
When Asher pulls away, I whimper and try to chase after him, making him laugh.
“Such a greedy little songbird,” he teases.
“It’s your fault.”
“I never said it was a bad thing.”
I hum as I wrap my arms around his waist. “I missed you.”
“Yeah? You just saw me a few hours ago.”
“Are you saying you didn’t miss me?” I pout.
“Put that lip away before I do something with it. You know I missed you.”
I want to tell him he can do whatever he wants with my mouth, but even I know this isn’t the time or the place.
Soon.
“What were you working on?” I ask as I push off the wall.
“I was getting ready to load the bar up.”
“Sounds easy enough. Put me to work.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to do something else? You came here with the girls.”
I scoff. “Please, they haven’t even noticed I’m missing. Now tell me what to do.”
His eyes darken.
“I can’t wait to hear you say that when we’re alone.”
I can’t help but shiver with anticipation.
Me too, Asher. Me fucking too.
Instead of pulling me out the back door and fucking me in the alley, Asher bends down and picks up a box.
“Come on. Grab one and follow me out front.”
Leaning down, I grab a box. It’s heavier than I anticipated, making me grunt.
“You good?”
“I got it. Lead the way.”
I follow him down the hall and back into the bar.
As we step out, Ridge turns on some music and then disappears into the back. Rain and Maggie fuck around while hanging decor. Asher and I stock the bar.
Every time we pass by each other, one of us lightly touches the other. Desire between us builds and builds with every passing minute.
When the girls aren’t paying attention and I’m stocking the glasses, Asher comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me. He kisses me behind the ear, making me gasp.
“You like that?” he asks quietly.
“You know I do. My panties are wet, and it’s all your fault.”
“You say that like that wasn’t what I was trying to do.” He chuckles under his breath.
“Well, are you going to do something about it?”
“Maybe later.” He steps back and slaps my ass. As he walks away, he calls over his shoulder. “Stop distracting me, Aspen. I’m trying to get some work done.”
Ass. He’s a fucking ass. But he’s mine.
ASHER
Teasing my girl is quickly becoming my favorite pastime. She comes alive with praise, and her breath catches every time I hint at doing something with her.
It would be so fucking easy to fall into bed with her, but we can’t. Not yet. Not until I know she’s ready. We’ve come too far to fuck it all up now just to fulfill a primal need.
No, my hand will do the job for now.
Soon though. Soon, I’ll have my girl under me once again with my hand around her neck.
“Dude, are you popping a chub while looking at your girl?” Yak murmurs as he leans in close.
I look over at him and shake my head. “Why are you even looking at my dick?”
“Hey, I’m just looking out for my friend,” he says, raising his hands in surrender.
“You’re so fucking weird.”
“But you love me. For real though, if you stare any harder, you’re going to come in your pants like a fucking teenager.”
“No, the fuck I’m not.”
“You’re not what?” Aspen asks as she wraps her arms around my neck from behind.
Shit, I didn’t even notice she left the girls and started walking my way.
“He’s not going to come in his pants like a preteen just from looking at you,” Yak tells her honestly.
“Wait, does that actually happen to guys? Like, without any assistance or anything?” Aspen asks with curiosity in her voice.
“Sure.” Yak shrugs.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Do you guys not realize how insanely inappropriate this conversation is?”
“But it’s so interesting,” Aspen tells me.
She moves around and sits sideways on my lap.
“What else don’t I know about the male species, Yak?” she asks as she adjusts her hips.
I grip onto her hips, stopping her from squirming anymore.
“I swear to god, Songbird, if you keep moving like that, I’m going to spank your ass,” I murmur into her ear.
“Promises, promises,” she says under her breath.
“Welcome to Men 101, sweet child,” Yak says in his most professor-like voice.
“Please shut the fuck up,” I beg.
“What’s he saying now?” Panther asks.
I look over and watch as he and Maggie take a seat across from us. He pulls her down into his lap, copying Aspen’s and my position.
“He was telling me that guys can come just by thinking about it,” Aspen says.
Panther groans. “Please, we are not having this conversation with my sister.”
“You could always leave.” Aspen shrugs, making Maggie giggle.
“You’re a fucking menace,” Panther tells his sister with no heat.
She blows him a kiss, making him smile.
When we left the bar earlier, after doing as much set up as possible, I planned on stealing Aspen away for a little alone time. I wanted to do something normal, like watch a movie and just hang out, but the brothers had a different idea.
I’ve heard that when the bar is open, the clubhouse is usually empty.
The sweetbutts aren’t around, and the only people who really linger are the members and their spouses.
The concept is completely foreign to me.
I’ve never seen it done that way in any of the clubs I infiltrated, but I can’t wait to see it in real life.
It will be nice for this place to just be ours. No bullshit, no drama.
“Hey, are you okay?” Aspen asks.
When she runs her fingers through my hair, her nails scratching my scalp, I groan.
“Fuck, that feels good.”
She leans in close. “I didn’t know me playing with your hair would make your cock twitch.”
“Just you touching me makes me hard.”
“So easy to please…” she says as she does it again.
“Can you two not fuck in front of me?” Panther grumbles, making me open my eyes.
I watch as Maggie slaps him across the chest. “Be nice. They are just flirting, and you know it.”
“No, I don’t know it,” he mutters.
“I don’t know. They don’t really look like the kind of people who would have sex out in the open,” Yak says, reminding us that he’s here.
Aspen tenses in my arms.
“Enough. Let’s change the subject,” I say harshly.
Panther’s eyes narrow as I begin to run my hand along his sister’s thigh.
Aspen takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly.
“Good girl,” I say quietly as our group begins to talk about the bar.
“I hate that I reacted. His comment was harmless,” she says just loud enough for me to hear.
“Yeah, but they don’t know about what we did. What we were forced to do.”
“I’m sorry.”
I squeeze her thigh. “I already told you, you have nothing to be sorry for. Now let it go. It’s in the past, and that’s where it’s going to stay. We’re moving forward, right?”
“Right.” She nods.
“Hey, do you guys need anything?” one of the sweetbutts asks as she approaches.
When we all tell her we’re good, she walks away, and Rain approaches, looking angry.
“Who turned you into a rain cloud?” Yak asks.
“Ridge, he’s being a fucking dick,” she mutters as she flops down next to Yak.
“What did he do now?” Maggie sighs.
“I was flirting, and he scared the dude away,” Rain tells us.
“You shouldn’t be flirting with any of the brothers,” Panther tells her.
“Fine, if you won’t let me flirt here, then I’ll go into Denver and head downtown. I’ll pick up the first guy in a polo and fuck him in the girls’ bathroom,” Rain snaps back.
“The fuck you will,” Ridge hisses as he comes up behind her.
“Go away,” Rain tells him.
“Excuse us. It seems like Rain and I need to have a little chat.”
He grabs her by the arm and pulls her off the couch and down the hall.
“You guys saw that she didn’t put up a fight, right?” Aspen says.
“No, she didn’t,” Maggie confirms.
Panther frowns. “How long has that been going on, and does her dad know?”
“I asked Ridge about it, and he said they are just friends,” I tell them.
I promised it would stay between us, but that seems to be his standard answer to everyone.
The girls scoff.
“Friends, my ass. That’s like someone saying you and I are just friends,” Aspen sasses.
I lean forward and murmur, “Songbird, we’ve never been just friends.”
Her breath catches, and her eyes dilate.
Yeah, that’s what I thought…
Everyone continues to talk around us, but I don’t pay close attention. Instead, I soak in the feeling of being at peace with where I am right now.
I have some kick-ass brothers at my side who are starting to accept me.
I have a place to sleep every night and do not worry about what might happen to me.
Then there’s Aspen.
The girl of my dreams in my arms.
Life can’t get much better than this.