Chapter 15
Cat
The place was bigger than I expected. It was way further out of the city than I’d realized, too. The property was the very definition of secluded. Buried in a forest of trees and nestled amongst the hills, I couldn’t help noticing how beautiful and quiet it was this far out in the woods.
In awe of the place as we wound up the driveway, I asked, “How many acres is this Clubhouse on?”
“The MC owns over a hundred fifty acres, and we buy up more every time any comes up for sale,” Sliver readily answered. “There’s a spring-fed lake out back that’s amazing. It’s cold but super clear. We go down there to swim all summer long. You’re going to love it.”
I already did. It was so quiet. Peaceful and serene.
Not exactly the adjectives that came to mind whenever I thought of MC living.
But I was beginning to realize I didn’t know jack about bikers and their clubs.
I was only going off what I’d seen in the movies and read in books.
And though some of that was accurate, there was so much more that wasn’t.
We parked in a large communal lot, and I stepped out of the car. Lifting my arms high, I began to perform a few subtle stretches after the hour-long ride. It was already past one in the morning, and I was usually in my pjs and asleep by now.
Ringo laughed when he caught me stifling a yawn. “You ready for bed, Sleeping Beauty?”
A guilty flush creeped into my cheeks. “I’m an early riser. I’m usually asleep by this time,” I confessed sheepishly.
“Once you get with Ace, that’s all going to change,” he predicted, as I followed him up to the front door. “This place doesn’t usually begin to come alive until around noon.”
What Ringo just said caught my attention.
Did Ace want us to be a couple and was he letting his club brothers know it?
Maybe I wasn’t just another notch on his bedpost. It sure sounded like the tough biker might have at least alluded to the possibility of a future between us.
I hoped so. Crazy as it was after so little time together, I’d never felt this intensely about another person before.
It was damn near overpowering. Like a flame that had unexpectedly exploded into a raging fire and was going on a rampage.
My skin hummed with excitement and nervousness the closer I got to the clubhouse and its handsome president.
The man was my own personal obsession, a drug that kept me constantly fiending for more.
The closer I got to him, the stronger the urge and need grew.
I almost felt physically drawn toward him, like there was an invisible cord between us, reeling me in.
Like most addicts, I was hooked and wouldn’t be able to give him up without a fight.
To be honest, I didn’t even want to fight this pull, this need.
It made me feel alive, more alive than I’d ever felt before.
As soon as I came through the door, my body began to ache for contact with his. Like we’d been kept apart cruelly by the gods, my heart beat faster and my skin prickled with longing. Embarrassingly, my pussy began to dampen and prepare itself for his inevitable entry.
Beats of loud music pumped through the house and deadened my hearing the moment we entered. The rest of my senses took over though, suddenly becoming even more sensitive than they already were.
“This way,” Ringo ushered me along, leading me deeper into the maze that was their clubhouse.
There were people scattered all around the club, but the greatest mass of them were in a large, side room. Dimly lit, it held a pool table, a bar, and many big screen TVs. My eyes frantically roved about, looking for Ace, but I didn’t see him.
“You want a drink?” Ringo asked, his feet pointed in the direction of the impressively stocked bar in the corner of the room.
With how nervous I’d suddenly become, I thought a drink would help out tremendously. “Yes, thanks. Can I have a vodka and seltzer?” Sure, the order was boring, but it was my favorite.
“Coming right up. I’ll even get you a double to help you relax,” he said with a knowing grin, before he wandered off to make me my drink.
As I waited for Ace, I began to scan the room. Two women talking animatedly in the corner immediately caught my interest. One was blond while the other had rich, dark hair that reached all the way to her rear end. While the blond was pretty, in a rough sort of way, the brunette was striking.
When I saw how the women were dressed, skin-tight Lycra, bold colors, glamorous makeup, and big hair, I glanced down at my own wardrobe and wondered if I’d gotten it all wrong.
An hour ago, when I’d gotten ready, I’d thought I was cute and sexy.
Now I felt like I looked like a meek and modest little girl in comparison to these women.
Sure, my style was never going to be theirs, but maybe I’d played it too safe.
Maybe Ace liked his women to dress more provocatively, like the women who hung around the club.
He was a biker after all. They weren’t exactly known for being restrained or subtle.
He’d certainly liked it when I’d worn the red bodysuit the other night.
Perhaps I should have picked something like that to wear, instead of the more casual outfit I’d picked.
Scolding myself for being so insecure, I swallowed my fear and decided I was just going to have to live with my decision.
Besides a small overnight bag, I hadn’t brought a change of clothing.
At least nothing sexier than I was wearing now.
Since I lived over an hour away, going to my apartment to change was out of the question.
I must have been staring at the women too long, because the brunette flipped me off and mouthed something suspiciously like “Eat shit, freak!” before the other woman scolded her and dragged her away.
Embarrassed that I’d been caught staring at a complete stranger, I immediately dropped my gaze to the ground.
This wasn’t going at all like I’d hoped.
I should have asked Ace if I could invite Anna.
I’d feel a lot better if my friend had come here with me tonight.
Not sure of what the etiquette was surrounding an invite to an exclusive MC, I’d held off asking and thought, if all went well, I’d inquire if she could come to the next party.
Right about now, I was regretting my shyness.
Digging into my purse, I decided to text Anna for some moral support. She’d had to tend bar tonight, so I knew she’d still be up. If she had a chance to check her phone, she’d tell me what I needed to hear to get my head back in the game.
Just as I snagged my cell in my bag, I felt fingers roughly pinch my butt from behind. Whipping around to see who’d done it, I gave the groper a shocked look.
A tall, muscular man, like the description of everyone else around here, was in front of me looking rather pleased with himself.
He had sandy brown hair that needed a trim, and dark eyes that leaned more toward black than brown.
They were quite unusual in both shape and color and gave the man a feral appearance that kind of unsettled me.
“Mmm,” the rude biker replied, staring at my chest, “nice and full, just like I like ‘em’”
I didn’t know what the hell to even say to that.
Trying to put some distance between us, I took a step backward.
“Um, I’m sorry but I’m with someone here,” I hurriedly explained, searching the room for Ace, Ringo, or Sliver to help me out.
The man in front of me was so large, and the room was so dark and packed, I wasn’t able to see around his wide frame.
“Yeah, me!” He retorted, grabbing me by the arms and physically pulling me close. “How’s about we go upstairs, and you can show me a good time, Princess.”
Like a bug caught in a web, I began to helplessly struggle against his superior strength. “Please, let me go! I don’t want to go anywhere with you.”
The man began to smile, and I noted his teeth were abnormally sharp looking. “I know the girls all have their favorites, sweet thing, but you’ll quickly learn that around here, all pussy is public pussy. You want to ride with our club, you got to ride club dick. Doesn’t matter which one it is.”
My face paled and I nearly hurled. Was that why Ace brought me here tonight? Did he think I was going to take turns fucking him and his friends? What had I gotten myself into? Were the Night Stalkers no better than Los Lobos?
I needed to get out of here before things escalated even farther than they already had. The only problem was, though I was pulling away as hard as I could, I couldn’t escape the iron grasp holding me in place.
Before I could come up with a plan, I saw the crowd begin to part. Ace, like a determined arrow, pierced through the throngs of people. He looked enraged! Even more pissed than when he’d caught Kane pawing me at Krammer’s.
Did he think I had instigated this assault? Or, even more upsetting, had he thought I’d be okay with it?
“Donner!” Ace shouted, and his powerful voice somehow managed to cut through the din of the music. “Let her go! Now!”
As if he’d been electrocuted, the man in front of me, presumably Donner, let me go and I stumbled back a few steps.
Ace and a slew of his biker brothers were by my side in an instant, Ringo trailing right behind them.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Ace bellowed, even though he was close enough now to not have to.
Donner folded his arms across his chest, pouting like a petulant child. “Sorry, Prez. Didn’t realize this one was yours. I thought she was just another slut from the titty bar coming here to party.”
Well, I guess that settled the debate about whether or not my outfit was provocative enough for a biker’s liking.
The blond man at Ace’s side placed a calming hand on his prez’s chest, but it did little to alleviate his friend’s anger.
“The fuck you just say?” Ace demanded, coming to stand in front of me, directly confronting his brother.