Chapter 3
XANTHE
The words on my screen mean everything to me.
I’ve worked so hard on this romance novel, and it’s almost finished. I don’t know what it means that the male hero has a shaved head, a sexy beard, and tortured, gray eyes that call to me. He might even have a tongue ring.
It might sound obvious, but it’s not like one of the Serpents of Chaos MC men is going to pick up my book, right? It’s under my pen name, X. M. Love. My middle name is Macey.
I don’t know why Ghost appeared as my male lead, especially when he was such an asshole at the clubhouse, but for some reason, I can’t stop thinking about him.
I’ve always been picky with men. I dated around in college, but I saved myself for ‘the one.’ What can I say?
I’m a romance author. I want the connection and hot chemistry I read and write about.
I’d say it doesn’t exist in real life, but I’ve seen it with War and Ora and Lu and Haze.
It’s there, and I want a piece of it.
Until I find it, I’m going to remain a virgin even at twenty-four.
It would be so much easier if I had my eyes on someone like Blade or Scorp, but it seems to be only Ghost can make my vagina sing.
Danger is pretty hot, and he was a little flirty when I met him, but there is nothing there between us, and it’s not the way I feel when I look at Ghost.
I’ve never felt anything like it before. My entire body goes on alert, like there’s no one else in the room. Well, no one else besides the woman he had on her knees in front of him.
I know I’m an idiot, and it’s not like anything will happen between us, so it’s just a harmless fantasy.
I’ve tried to forget about him, but then I find him in my dreams. Maybe I’ve been reading too many romance novels.
Speaking of, I have book club tonight at my house.
We like to do themed nights, depending on the book of the week, and tonight’s theme is shifters.
I’ve made cocktails with little werewolves on the straws, and there are coasters with a sexy man’s abs.
I look forward to these nights. Who doesn’t like to sit around and have a drink while talking about your latest book boyfriend with a group of like-minded women?
I’ve put on a black dress, some red lipstick, and my long hair is dead straight and down to my lower back.
I look a lot like my mother, who moved here from Vietnam when she was a teenager.
I have the same petite shape, but a little more ass than I should for my small frame.
I hear the rumble of a motorcycle on my street, and at the same time, there’s a knock on my door.
When I open it, I smile at Audrey, who is a good friend of mine and a teacher at the school where I work.
“You look hot.” She smiles, giving me a nod of approval. She lifts her hand, showing me the bottle of wine. “I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to tonight. It’s been a week.”
“Tell me about it,” I say, shutting the door behind her.
She’s wearing a tight pair of jeans and a crop top that shows off her stomach.
Her almost white-blonde hair is curled around her heart-shaped face, but it’s her ice-blue eyes that really command attention.
She’s taller than me and lean, like a model. She’s stunning and my total opposite.
“Oh my God, these are so cute.” She beams at the coasters and cocktail glasses. “And I loved the book. It was a good pick, Xanthe.”
“I loved it too.” I grin, pulling out a chair at my rectangular dining table and sitting. “I almost read the whole thing in one night.”
“I thought you looked tired on Thursday,” she teases, both of us laughing.
“It’s your pick next, isn’t it?"
She nods, tapping a pink fingernail on her cheek. “I think I’m going to go with a hockey romance.”
“Always a good choice.”
The other six ladies arrive, and we all spend our night talking about our book boyfriends, while Opie sits on the couch, judging us.
Once they all leave, I have a shower and sit down to watch a movie. It’s almost finished when I hear another rumble of a motorcycle. A biker must have moved in on my street, because it’s only been over the last few weeks that I’ve been hearing it.
Instead of scaring me, it’s almost comforting.
I hate that it makes me think of a certain biker.
I hate even more that my fingers start to wander.
Lying back on the couch, I pull down my panties and imagine what it would be like to be fucked by a man like that. Once I finish, I clean up and head to bed.
I’m fast asleep before the roar of the motorcycle starts again and then fades.
“How do your desserts just keep getting better?” I ask Lu, taking a big bite out of my cupcake. “My ass is going to get even bigger now, you know that?”
Lu, who is standing at her pastel-pink counter, laughs. “Oh, my steak is too juicy, my lobster is too buttery,” she teases, shaking her head at me. “Women go under the knife for an ass like yours.”
“It’s true,” Ora says as she comes out of the back. “It’s a nice ass.”
“Then why are you both the only ones looking at it?” I reply in a dry tone, and the two of them share a look.
“Why, who do you want looking at it?” Ora asks, raising an eyebrow.
“No one,” I reply a little too quickly. “It would just be nice to be appreciated. You two have a club full of hot bikers, and not one of them has asked me out or shown any interest in me. I want a War or Haze!”
The door opens just as I all but yell the last few words, and Ghost steps inside, his brow furrowing.
Yeah, of course, he just heard that little confession.
Ora starts laughing, while Lu covers her mouth with her palm.
“You want… who?” Ghost asks in that deliciously low, husky voice of his.
“No one,” I reply, and I can feel my cheeks heating. I slide my laptop back in its case and stand up. “And on that note, I’m going to head home.”
Just as I walk past Ghost, he stops in his tracks, so I do the same, looking up at him. Those gray eyes stare down at me, giving nothing away. When he lifts his hand and runs the pad of his thumb across my lower lip, I freeze. “You have a little chocolate icing.”
“Oh, thank you,” I whisper, swallowing hard.
There’s tension between us, and this proves I wasn’t imagining it. Then Ghost’s hand drops, the spell is broken, he steps away, and I clear my throat, waving to all of them. “See you guys later!”
I don’t know what it is about Ghost, and I’m not sure if I even want to find out.