Chapter 5 Tarzan
Chapter five
Tarzan
I would have been happy to just ride like this for hours with Keely on the back of my bike. The open road was before us, full of possibilities, wherever we wanted to go. Just like last night, her arms were wrapped around my middle.
But after getting a taste of her, I was even more attuned to the press of her body—the swell of her breasts, the squeeze of her thighs bracketing me. And her soft hands, sneaking inside my cut, gliding over my chest.
My cock jumped at her touch—a reminder of our unfinished business after Teddy’s interruption. I reached back and smoothed my palm down the warm skin of Keely’s leg, nestling in the crook of her knee.
Her words wouldn’t stop endlessly replaying on a loop in my head.
I want forever. I want happily ever after. I want a love that lasts a lifetime.
It was like a fucking dream. As if she plucked the words out of my goddamn soul.
I wanted that, too. I had wanted it for so long that I was beginning to think it might never be mine.
But one random visit to a diner had changed all of that in an instant.
Following Keely’s directions to her apartment complex, I finally pulled into the parking lot reluctantly. She gave me one final squeeze and climbed off the bike, removing her helmet. I looped an arm around her waist and pulled her close with one final kiss.
Keely hummed against my lips, smiling. Then she trailed a hand down my chest to my belt, dancing her fingers along my fly.
“Would you like to come in?” she offered. “We could finish what we started.”
I groaned, stroking the curve of her hip, wishing more than anything that I could say yes. As tempting as that idea was, I had to get back to the club. While I served as Prospect, I needed to make myself available as much as possible to prove that I wanted to be there more than anywhere else.
Especially now that there was a potential territorial threat, the club would be working on a way to defend themselves.
Besides, I made some vague excuse to Teddy this morning about skipping breakfast in order to get started on cleaning the clubhouse.
I could tell he didn’t fully believe me, and I knew the excuse was a flimsy one anyway.
So, if I didn’t have those floors scrubbed to a shiny polish by the time he showed up, he would know right away that I was lying.
“If I do that,” I said. “We would get nothing else done all day long.”
Keely’s eyes brightened. “Sounds good to me.”
Fuck, she was making it really hard to stick to my guns here and say no.
“I have to work, sweetheart,” I admitted. “Believe me, I’d blow it off if I thought I could get away with it.”
She sighed, following the lines of ink on my forearm, up the sleeve of my T-shirt and curling over my bicep.
“I guess I can’t argue with adult responsibilities,” she said, begrudgingly.
Then she poked me in the chest again just like she did last night.
“But you better call me this time, mister. No excuses. That tongue of yours worked its magic, so I forgive you for now. But I won’t let you string me along. ”
Laughing, I caught her hand and pressed a kiss into her palm as I held her gaze.
“I will call you. I swear.”
“Don’t break my heart, Tarzan,” Keely whispered, resting her forehead against mine.
I had no intention of doing that. Tightening my arm around her waist, all I wanted to do was hold her close and spend hours convincing her that she is everything I’ve been looking for in this world.
***
“You missed a spot, Prospect.”
Teddy gestured to the floor with a shit-eating grin as he entered the clubhouse. I stifled a growl and continued mopping, ignoring his jibe. After years of holding it over Teddy’s head that I was bigger and older than him, now he finally got the chance to turn the tables on me.
Even though he wasn’t an officer in the Reckless Order, he had been a member for several years by now.
Which meant that even if I earned my patch and my membership, he would have more seniority than me. And he would never miss the opportunity to rub my nose in it, the little bastard.
“Are you enjoying yourself?” I asked. “Bossing me around?”
Teddy nodded enthusiastically, sprawling in a nearby chair.
“Come on. Admit it. You knew some mild hazing from me would be part of this deal when you agreed to it. I can’t make things easy for you.”
“You could throw me a bone once in a while though.”
I lifted my chin, indicating a table in the corner where Pretty Boy was cozied up with a club bunny.
It didn’t take a genius to figure out they had slept here, in one of the back rooms. From what I’d gathered so far, Hillbilly had mentored Pretty Boy, and they were close.
He was roughly Teddy’s age—too young to take over the President’s position right now—but it certainly seemed like he was being groomed for it eventually.
“Have you heard anything in my favor regarding membership?” I prompted.
Teddy clucked his tongue with a faux stern look.
“Tsk, tsk, big brother. Are you fishing for compliments?”
I rolled my eyes. Clearly I wasn’t going to get a serious conversation out of him today.
“Besides,” Teddy continued, relentless and smug. “If you’re looking for sweet talk, you should take that up with your lady friend. The one you hustled out the back door this morning when I wasn’t looking.”
I froze.
Shit. How did he know?
I flicked a glance at Teddy.
“Lipstick on your collar betrayed you,” he said. “Is this Cherry Pie Keely who gave you her phone number?”
I didn’t mind letting Teddy in on my love life, but everything with Keely was still so fresh and fragile. I wanted the two of us to settle into it more before I started talking about it to anyone else, even my brother.
Before I could respond, the front door opened and Ironside stepped in, followed by Hillbilly and Bruiser.
“Prospect,” Hillbilly said. “Get some coffee started, will you? The rest of the club will be here within the hour so we can talk about that juicy piece of news you picked up for us last night. We’re not getting caught with our pants around our ankles and our bare asses in the wind when the Filthy Rebels come calling. ”
So I pushed Keely to the back of my mind for now.
We didn’t have much to go on, aside from Bobbie’s warning. Viper and I were tasked with keeping our eyes and ears open in town for any signs of Filthy Rebels who might wander through our territory, scoping it out.
Members who had family in the area would need light protection until further notice.
That included Hillbilly’s headstrong daughter, Lila, with her fiery temper, who wouldn’t appreciate being coddled.
And Hades, with his ex-wife and kids, which would be complicated, juggling so many variables around school schedules.
And what about Keely?
Her proximity to me could put her in danger. But she didn’t know about the Reckless Order, let alone the lifestyle I had committed myself to. I needed time to ease her into this, to break the news gently. Not bombard her with it all at once, which would probably scare the shit out of her.
At the thought of Keely, I shifted in my seat, restless. We hadn’t been apart for even a whole day yet and I was already itching to see her again.
When the opportunity to grab a moment of privacy came up, I seized it and slipped into the back alley. I still carried Keely’s napkin in my pocket, but I didn’t need to consult it, dialing her number from memory.
“Hello?” she said.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I replied.
“You called!” Keely declared with delight, a smile in her voice. “And it’s only been about two hours since we saw each other. You just couldn’t get enough of me, huh?”
You have no idea.
“I wanted to ask you a question,” I said.
“Interesting. I’m all ears. Fire away.”
Leaning back against the alley’s brick wall, I took a moment to compose myself. My previous relationships were usually short-lived. I didn’t blame the women who took one look at my lifestyle and bolted in the other direction.
Then I got stuck on Stevie, and I didn’t have eyes for anyone else.
Pining for a woman I couldn’t have. She was just as deeply entrenched in this lifestyle as I was.
Fighting to earn her place among the Desert Howlers MC.
I didn’t have to sugarcoat anything involving the club because we were in it together.
But Keely was sweet, bubbly, and full of joy. Club life could be rough, dangerous. She might have second thoughts and decide to back out. I had to be prepared for that.
“Can I take you to dinner?” I asked. “Tonight. Seven o’clock.”
Keely made a noise of surprise. “We just saw each other last night.”
“I know. But I thought we should make this thing between us official with a proper date.”
She hummed. “I like the sound of that. Keep talking, big guy.”
Big guy.
The breath rushed out of me at those words. I closed my eyes, attempting to cool the hot blood that raced south below my belt.
“How about the Old Spruce Pub? I’ll make reservations. Unless you prefer something more casual, like Pepper’s Pizzeria.”
“As much as I love pizza,” Keely replied. “I’m not looking for casual here.”
I smiled to myself. “Me neither. Glad we’re on the same page.”
For the rest of the day, a low boil of anticipation simmered in my stomach.
Rummaging through my moving boxes for clothes, I found a brand new pair of jeans that I’d only worn once or twice, and a dark green button-down shirt.
I wouldn’t be wearing my cut tonight, which felt strange, as if I was leaving behind a piece of myself.
“Honey, I’m home,” Teddy called with his usual level of little brother sarcasm. “I grabbed some groceries and I thought we could grill burgers on the barbecue—”
He broke off when I rounded the corner. His eyebrows shot up and he let out a low whistle.
“Well, hot damn. You’re looking classy as fuck, brother. I take it you’re meeting up with Keely?”
I nodded, scrubbing my sweaty palms on my jeans in an attempt to quell my nerves.
“I really, really like her, Teddy.”
He softened slightly, his expression sincere. “Then I hope she feels the same way about you.”
A beat of silence settled over the kitchen. Then Teddy grinned.
“Don’t forget to use protection when you two have all that sweaty, baby-making sex. Oh, and remember that condoms can fail. And you should totally name your firstborn after me.”
I groaned and shoved him in the shoulder.
“You’re disgusting.”
Teddy laughed as I headed for the door.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”