Chapter 6
Raelyn
Ihad good intentions when I’d gone to see Lynch at the strip club—or at least I thought I did.
It was hard to know for sure. I told myself I was just going there to thank him for helping Haleigh and me, but the second I laid eyes on him, I started having all these crazy, wicked thoughts.
I should’ve just said my piece and left, but the thought of spending time with the sexy biker seemed more exciting than parachuting off a busy hotel rooftop.
And I was right.
I had a great time with Lynch at DJs, and when he asked me out, there was no way I could refuse—especially after that unbelievable kiss. I’d never felt anything like it—not from a simple kiss, and I was eager to see if it was just a fluke or if there was more where that one came from.
It was a thought that immediately came to mind when Lynch stated that he could handle anything I could throw at him. There was a look of sexy determination in his eyes that spurred me to reply, “Okay, then. How ’bout we make a little wager on the next game?”
“Sure.” With a lopsided grin, he asked, “What are the stakes?”
“Oh, let’s not limit ourselves with something as silly as naming stakes.
” I could hear the words as they came out of my mouth, but I couldn’t believe I was saying them—especially since I barely knew the man.
I had no idea how far he might try and take things, but that was part of the fun. “Let’s just say winner chooses.”
“You got it.”
Lynch watched as I stepped forward and swiped my card.
I waited for the buzzer, then took my shot.
And missed. I missed again and again, and it wasn’t on purpose.
I was actually trying. Eventually, a few made it through the hoop, but my score was nothing to brag about.
Once my turn was over, I grimaced and said, “I was a little off my game on that one.”
“I see that.” He stepped into position and swiped his card, then said, “Maybe Lady Luck will finally favor me.”
His first two attempts hadn’t been all that great, but the third time was the charm. Lynch hit every stinking shot, and when he was done, he turned to me with a pleased smile. I tried to play off his success. “Not bad.”
“Not bad?” he argued. “I aced that round, and better yet, I won the bet.”
“Yeah, I guess you did.” I anxiously raked my teeth across my bottom lip. “So, do you know what you want as your prize?”
“As a matter of fact, I do.”
With one quick swoop, he reached for me, placed his hands on my waist, and pulled me towards him. Before I had time to think, he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me in a way that made my entire body hum.
His arms wound tight around me, inching me even closer as his tongue found its way into my mouth.
He was rough, tough, and sexy as hell—and my God, he could kiss like it was nobody’s business.
I was holding on by a thread, and just as I was becoming completely lost in his touch, he pulled back, quickly breaking our embrace.
His hazel eyes danced with mischief. “You ready for some skee-ball?”
“Yeah, skee-ball would be good.”
I was still feeling a little spellbound from our kiss as I followed him over to the game. I’d agreed to go on this date with him because I was looking for a quick thrill with a sexy biker, but the way I was feeling after that kiss had me fearing that he had something else in mind.
We played a couple rounds of skee-ball, and after Lynch won the third game, he turned to me, teasing. “Now that, ladies and gents, is how it’s done.”
“I have to say,” I giggled, “you have skills.”
“Damn right, I do. Best you don’t forget it.” He smiled and winked at me, then said, “Now, what do you want to play next?”
“I don’t know. I’d say we could race motorcycles, but you might have an unfair advantage there.” I glanced around the room for a moment, searching for the perfect game, then suggested, “How about the Zombie Apocalypse or snowboarding?”
“How ’bout we start with the zombies and work our way up to the snowboards?”
“Sounds good to me.”
We played a round of the silly zombie game, then a few other alien shoot’em-up games before making our way over to snowboarding. We’d been at it for about an hour when Lynch asked, “You ready for a drink and bite to eat?”
“Sure, that’d be great.”
He nodded, then led me over to the bar area.
We sat down at one of the booths, and it wasn’t long before the waitress came over.
She was a quirky redhead with massive boobs and a tiny waist, and it was clear from the doe-eyed expression on her face that she thought Lynch was hot.
With her focus solely on him, she said, “Hey there, guys. Are you having a good night?”
“Yeah, we are,” Lynch answered with a smile.
“Is this your first time?” Her brows furrowed. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you around before.”
“First time.” Lynch immediately looked over in my direction. “At least, it is for me.”
“I’ve been here before, but it’s been a while.”
“Well, I’m glad you decided to give us a try.” Her eyes remained trained on Lynch as she asked, “What can I get ya?”
“I’ll have a Bud-light, and she will have—”
“I’ll have the same.”
“Mm-hmm.” Still eyeballing Lynch, she asked, “Anything else?”
“Yeah, bring us some loaded fries and a couple of burgers.”
“You got it.”
She gave him a wink, then turned and headed back to the bar. Once she was out of earshot, I leaned towards him and jokingly said, “Looks like you’ve got yourself an admirer.”
“Unless she’s sitting across from me right now, I couldn’t care less.”
His words caught me off guard, and I could feel the warmth of my blush as it crept up my neck while I fumbled for the right words.
Thankfully, I was saved when the waitress returned with our beers.
She lowered them down on the table, then placed her hand on Lynch’s shoulder and said, “Your food shouldn’t be long. ”
Lynch didn’t respond to her. Instead, he gave her a chin lift, then turned his attention to me. “So, what do you do when you aren’t jumping off rooftops or spending the night behind bars?”
“I’m an event planner.”
“For weddings and parties and shit?”
“Yeah. I help handle all the details, so the client doesn’t have to.” I shrugged as I told him, “It can get a little tedious at times, but seeing how happy our clients are when it all comes together makes it worthwhile.”
“Sounds like you enjoy it.”
“I do. Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like a job.” I took a sip of my beer, then asked, “What about you? I know you have the whole strip club and biker club, but I don’t know much about either of them.”
“Well, I’m a member of the Ruthless Sinners MC, and together we own and operate the strip club.”
“What’s it like being in an MC?”
“Depends on the club.” Lynch sat back in his chair and explained, “Some are just about wearing a cut, trying to be something you’re not and partying too hard.
For us, it’s much more than that. We’re not just friends looking to have a good time; we’re brothers through thick and thin.
We look out for one another and have each other’s backs—even when it’s not easy. ”
“Sounds kind of intense, but pretty great, too.”
“It is. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Joining the Sinners was the best decision I’ve ever made. They’re my family.”
“I think it’s really awesome that you have that, but what about your real family? Do you still see them?”
“Not as often as I should.” A flash of sadness filled his eyes. “I’ve always been pretty close with my ol’ man, but he and Mom moved to Florida a few years back, and it’s harder to see them.”
“That’s gotta be tough.”
“It is, but my sister’s close. She’s married and has two incredible kids.
I hang out with them when I can.” As I sat there listening to his every word, it hit me that I was a little smitten with the handsome biker.
I tried to convince myself that it was just my hormones talking, but as I gazed into those gorgeous hazel eyes, I wasn’t so sure.
He studied me for a moment, then said, “What about you? You close to your family?”
“Yeah, as close as I can be.” I let out a little sigh before explaining, “I never knew my birth mother. She died when I was born, so Theresa has been the only mother I’ve ever known.
She and Dad both do more for me than I deserve, and I adore my brother and sister—Jacoby and Josey.
They all put up with all my craziness. I can’t ask for much more than that. ”
“Hate to hear that about your mother.”
“It was a long time ago.”
I didn’t really want to delve into the misfortunes of losing my mother at an early age, so I was relieved when the waitress suddenly returned with our food. As she placed our plates on the table, she glanced over at Lynch and said, “Here you go, guys. Is there anything else I can get ya?”
“No, I think this will do it.”
“Great, just let me know if you change your mind.”
She smiled and headed back behind the bar. Again, Lynch seemed completely unphased by her flirting and simply picked up our conversation from where we left off. “What about a boyfriend? You got one of those?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I did.” His question caught me by surprise, so I quickly asked, “What about you? Do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.” He chuckled as he said, “Hell, I can’t remember the last time I had one of those.”
“Why not? I wouldn’t think a handsome guy like yourself would have any problem snagging a girl.”
“Ah...” He cocked his eyebrow. “So, you think I’m handsome, huh?”
“Oh, come on. You know you’re hot. Don’t even try to deny it.” I motioned my hand over to the bar. “Our waitress obviously thinks you’re hot. The poor thing’s been practically falling all over herself just to get your attention.”
“Look at you. Using the poor waitress to get out of answering my question.” He shook his head and snickered. “And here I thought you were better than that.”
“Whatever.”
“Still not an answer.”
“Okay, fine. Ughhh…” I groaned dramatically. “Yes, I think you’re handsome.”
His lips curled in a satisfied smirk as he teasingly said, “See, that wasn’t so hard.”
“You still haven’t answered my question about why you don’t have a girlfriend.”
“I don’t have any problem ‘snagging’ one, as you call it. I just have a hard time keeping one. Nothing ever seems to stick.”
“Pretty much the same with me.” I reached for a loaded French fry, then took a bite. “I had a steady boyfriend in high school, but no one really serious since—for more than one reason.”
“A high school boyfriend, huh?” A sly smirk crossed his face. “What was he like? Was he a Jacob or a Brent or maybe Chandler?” he asked, then picked up his beer and took a drink.
“Chandler? Brent?” I scoffed. “What exactly are you getting at?”
“Nothing. I was just asking a simple question.”
“Mm-hmm. Sure.” I picked up my burger and before taking a bite, said, “You think I was one of those prissy girls in high school, but I wasn’t. I’ll have you know I was a bit of a tomboy. I liked fishing and hunting with my dad and even went to local drag races with my grandfather.”
“Drag racing? Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. I used to love going to the racetrack. There’s nothing in the world like it.
” I couldn’t contain my excitement while I continued, “That feeling you get when you’re waiting for the light to change, the smell of burning tires, watching those two cars barrel down the track, and everyone cheering when one finally crosses the finish line. It’s amazing.”
“I know.” A proud smile crossed Lynch’s face. “My father used to race.”
“He did?”
“Every weekend. I felt the same way you did watching those races—even more so when my ol’ man took the track.
” His eyes drifted away from me, and it felt like he was a million miles away.
A moment later, he smiled and said, “There was nothing like watching him race—as if the whole world stopped, and it was just me up in those stands. I’d cheer him on, and when he crossed that finish line, or better yet—when he won, I’d completely lose it. ”
“That must’ve been a fantastic feeling.”
“It was. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.” We continued eating for a bit, and then he asked, “What kind of fishing did you and your dad do?”
“Mainly crappie, but to be completely honest, I wasn’t as interested in fishing as I was in riding Dad’s bass boat. That thing would fly!”
“Somehow, I’m not surprised.” He chuckled briefly, then asked, “Have you ever ridden a motorcycle?”
“No, I can’t say that I have.”
“Well, I’ll take you some time. I have a feeling you’ll be a natural.”
I liked the idea of Lynch taking me on a ride.
I liked it a lot.
That was the moment I realized I was hoping for something more than a quick fling with a dangerous, sexy biker. I liked him way more than I thought possible and wasn’t prepared for those feelings.
I hadn't been looking to get involved with anyone. I knew what my future held and didn’t see any reason to start something I couldn’t finish.
But here I was with this electrifying, hopeful, tingly feeling in the pit of my stomach, and it terrified me. I suddenly froze. I couldn’t think or speak but only sit there and stare back at him.
After several moments, Lynch reached over and placed his hand on mine. “You okay?”
“I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta go.”
“Whoa, what?”
“I’ve gotta go.” I stood up as I told him, “Thanks for dinner and everything. It was great, but I, um, I just can’t.”
“You can’t what?” he pushed.
I motioned my hand between us. “This.”
Without any further explanation, I darted towards the entrance.
I could hear Lynch calling out for me to stop, but I ignored him and rushed out the front door. I never looked back as I raced through the parking lot and got into my car.
I had no idea if he was chasing after me.
A part of me hoped he was, which made me too scared to look, afraid I’d be disappointed if I didn’t see him rushing towards me. That unexplainable, unjustifiable fear had my heart pounding as I closed the car door and started the engine.
I whipped out of the parking lot and headed home. I thought putting some distance between us would make me feel better.
It didn’t.
Instead, I felt like I’d just made a terrible mistake.