Page 1

Chapter One

I tap my foot anxiously as I watch the clock move slowly toward six. Mindy, my relief and best friend, is usually early. Like clockwork, Mindy walks in fifteen minutes early, her light brown curls bouncing down the middle of her back with each stride as she walks through the bar confidently.

She disappears into the back but not before pressing a quick kiss to my cheek in passing. I shout out ‘last call’ before shift change to the two customers sitting at the bar. They’re older, a man and a woman, and they reek. Sitting at the end of the bar, directly in front of the window unit, the smell of body odor has been blowing into me since they arrived.

The first few times they came into the bar, I found myself nonchalantly attempting to sniff my own armpits, thinking maybe I forgot deodorant that morning. After the second time it happened, I realized it was them and not me. John and Melinda, a couple who’ve been married twenty years, give or take a few. They’re what Mindy and I call ‘semi-regulars’ because they only come in some of the time. It’s usually random or sporadic and sometimes they’re gone for weeks between visits.

“Lilly! Shifts over. Clock out and go home, woman,” Mindy yells from down the bar.

“I’m finishing paperwork now. Don’t fuss me. Besides, I’m leaving town when I get out of here,” I say, sticking my tongue out at her.

Mindy raises her brows. "Is that so? Where to this time, my little drifter?"

I can’t help but laugh. "Why must I be a drifter? Why can't I just be spontaneous?"

"Because you're a drifter, Lilly."

My eyes meet hers and there’s a look of understanding there. She knows me better than nearly anyone else.

"I'm going to Houston for a few days. I need a break from this place."

"Houston sounds wonderful. Let me know when you get there."

"Of course, ma'am."

I close the day-shift binder and put it in the safe along with my bank bag. Creek’s Sports Bar is a tiny bar room in the small town of Port Vincent, Louisiana, on a side road, just off the main highway. Although it’s a hole-in-the-wall, I love it here. I get a moderate amount of time off and my gypsy soul needs that.

I kiss Mindy’s cheek before heading to the car. My three days off will be spent in Houston with a camera by day and a drink in my hand by sundown. I’ve been a random road trip kind of girl, and I don’t think that’ll ever change. There’s something about the complete and utter freedom of a long drive and music, tuning out everything else in the world.

I whip into the driveway of my small, but cozy home. Making a beeline for my closet, I toss a week’s worth of clothes into my duffel bag and zip it up. It lands with a thud on my passenger seat, and I’m west bound and down. I think I’m more excited for the drive than the actual trip itself. It’s only five hours from my hometown and I’ve been looking forward to this trip for two weeks now.

Sammy Kershaw Pandora blasts through my speakers as I drive down Interstate Ten. The Atchafalaya Basin bridge feels endless and just when I feel like I’ll never reach the end of it, I do. With the sun setting in the distance, I’m entranced how the sunlight makes colors of purple and orange across the horizon. The water beneath the bridge is calm, like a perfect sheet of glass with the sun beating down on it. Moss hangs from the trees and a flock of birds fly overhead, catching my eye. Sometimes I think it would be nice to be a bird. To fly wherever, whenever, but the more I realize the technicalities of it, I realize it’s not for me. Heights are not particularly my strong suit.

I drive the rest of the way without paying much attention to anything. Listening to the music play and letting my mind run wild with ideas of what I want to do while I’m away. It’s midnight by the time I check into my hotel.

"Reservation for Lilly Summers,” I say to the clerk, setting my license on the counter.

"Here you are, Miss Summers. You're in room 6212. Building 6 is around the back." The clerk smiles at me as she hands over the key.

"Thank you."

"Enjoy your stay with us at The Hampton Inn."

I return her kind smile and walk back to my car. This week, I will make it a point to do absolutely nothing for anyone else and absolutely everything for me. It’s been so long since I’ve had my camera in my hand, and I am dying to take pictures at the Project Row Houses.

The first thing I do inside my room is close the curtain and turn on the air conditioner. I lay all my things out on the second bed since all they had available was a double bed suite. I open my phone and look for local pool halls. Something is bound to be going on in the night life around here and I need a drink and a game of pool in my life.

Shit. I forgot to text Mindy. I open my texts and send out a one-word message.

Lilly: Drifted

I scroll until I find a bar that catches my attention. A pool hall that looks perfect and is open for another two hours. I race back down the stairs to my car. Cranking Betty, I type in the address to Skeeter’s Billiards. It’s in a shopping center not far from the hotel and thankfully, it doesn’t look very busy when I turn into the parking lot and park near the streetlight.

Walking inside, I’m greeted by a curvy redhead behind the bar with average tits pushed up so hard, they look twice as big as they actually are. Her nametag says ‘Lacey’ and she’s wearing a green crop top with a pair of black shorts. Her hair is shoulder length and definitely naturally red.

"What can I getcha, babe?" Lacey asks.

"I'll take a Double-Crown and Sprite, please."

Lacey walks over to fix my drink and movement in my peripheral demands my attention. Next to me is a man in his mid-thirties wearing a ballcap turned backwards with the letters LHMC embroidered on it. He’s wearing a leather vest with patches on the front and back, a black Harley Davidson T-shirt and a pair of blue jeans. His arms are likely bigger than my head, with a half-sleeve on either one, and he has the most beautiful gray-green eyes with the slightest tinge of purple around his irises.

"Double Crown? I never would have pegged you for a whiskey girl."

"I'm sorry?" I ask, realizing I hadn’t understood him because I was too busy ogling him.

“Oh. Yeah. I’m not into the typical girly drinks. I know they all say that, but y’all can keep that fruity shit. I like my Crown,” I shrug.

Lacey returns with my drink and sets it on the bar in front of me. “It’s six fifty.”

“Here you go. Can I get five in quarters too, please?” I ask, handing her a twenty.

“Yes ma’am.”

She sets the quarters down along with the change from my drink.

“You can keep the rest. Thank you.”

Lacey smiles and thanks me before rushing off to take care of another customer down the bar.

“Quarters? Plan on shooting pool?” the man next to me inquires.

“Yes, actually I do. Know anyone around here who would be interested in shooting a few games?” I ask, giving him my best smile.

“I might give it a shot. But you’ve got to take it easy on me. It took me three weeks before anyone told me I was shooting with the wrong end of the stick.”

I cackle loudly and unceremoniously. “Oh, that’s good.”

He sticks his hand out for me to shake. “Cass. And you are?”

Taking his hand, I reply. "Lilly Summers. Nice to meet you."

"You too," he says, standing up and walking toward an open pool table.

"This table is the best one to play on, or at least that's the conclusion I came to yesterday."

"Yesterday?"

"Yeah, I just got in town yesterday and this place was closest to my hotel."

I load quarters into the slot and drop the balls. While I walk over to rack, I look up at him.

“Where are you from, then?”

“Gonzales, Louisiana.”

“No way. I’m from Livingston.”

"Where everyone dates their cousins, and they have family wreaths instead of family trees?" His laugh is like medicine. Soothing and has the ability to heal anything.

"Hey now! That is not the case for everyone in that town." I slap his arm playfully.

"You shouldn’t go around telling people you're from there."

I replace the rack in the slot allotted for it and step away from the table.

"Break 'em up."

Cass breaks and starts shooting out the solids on the table. I’m standing a few feet away, mesmerized by the look of determination on his face as he focused on making each shot. His eyes are hooded and unreadable as he plays the table.

“So, Cass. Are you one of those guys that walks around dressed as a biker, but isn’t really a biker?” I inquire.

“Define really a biker,” he says sarcastically.

“You know, a biker, like one of those biker gang guys they show on TV that wear vests like yours.”

I rub my hands together instinctively, a nervous habit I’ve had since I was a little girl. Everything seemed to line up so well in my head, yet when I attempt to explain something with actual words, it never seemed to come out right.

Cass’s sudden burst of laughter startles me. “You watch too much TV. First, they aren’t gangs. They’re clubs. Motorcycle Clubs, to be exact. Second, I feel like I’m really a biker as the President of a said Motorcycle Club. I even have my own bike and everything. Third, you call it a vest, but it’s a cut.”

“I didn’t mean any offense. I’m curious, though. I’ve never met a biker before, at least not any that I remember, and I’m intrigued. Do I bow since you’re the President of a club?”

“No, it doesn’t work like that, I’m just a man.”

"Stripes to you, Miss Summers." Cass says, walking around the pool table. He stands next to a small table with his hands resting on the pool cue as he watches me. His eyes sear into me with every move I make.

“I bet there’s way more to you than you lead on,” I note.

“I’m not much of a gambler,” he says with a wicked smile.

I step up to shoot, taking one shot at a time carefully. I’m not the greatest, but I feel like I’m decent. I shoot out five of the seven balls and glance at Cass to gauge his reaction as the cue ball spirals into the corner pocket. His face gives away nothing.

"There it is," I say, waving my arm at the table.

"There what is?" He asks.

"The game. You got that, all day long," I say, pointing to his last shot and then the shot he should be perfectly lined up for on the eight ball.

“I don’t know about all that. I mean, I’m only a badass biker who runs in a gang and probably beats up little old ladies,” he jokes.

“Hey, I never said anything about beating up people, especially not little old ladies.”

“You insinuated. It’s fine. Just fine,” he says dragging out his words in a higher pitched voice. His sense of humor and light, playful banter reels me in deeper every time he speaks.

The smile he flashes in my direction stirs butterflies in my stomach.

Leaning over the table to shoot, he looks up at me with a look of desire, a dark and heated look of desire that leaves me feeling vulnerable. Naked. Bared to him in this bar.

Cass keeps eye contact with me as he shoots his ball, sinking it into the desired pocket. Glancing back at the table, he lines up his shot and stares back at me. His eyes never leave mine as he knocks the eight ball directly into the corner pocket. The only legible thought I can focus on is what are his intentions and fuck I hope they consist of getting me naked. He breaks our eye contact to glance at the table to ensure his shot went and smiles a playful smile.

“Good game, Miss Summers.”

“Good game, darlin’.”

“Since you stereo-typed me, it’s my turn. I’d say you’re a schoolteacher and your parents probably bought your first house and car for you after they put you through school.”

I feign shock and slam both of my hands to the center of my chest and gasp dramatically. “Why me? Whatever would give you that impression?”

“You carry yourself well. Sexy, yet professional. Your eyes light up when you talk, as if they’re saying they have no worries, nothing at all to bother them.”

“You’re one for four. My dad bought a mustang as a project car for him to work on, and he gave it to me. Sounds like we both suck at stereotyping.” I take a swig of my drink before lighting a cigarette.

Downing the last few sips of his beer, Cass looks over at me. "Well, it's been a pleasure, but unfortunately I have to be at Reliance Stadium tomorrow and give the same pitch every time someone walks by only for them to not be interested and walk away.”

I smile while so many thoughts of what I want from him swim through my mind, but just like those people would do to him tomorrow, he walks away from me.

I reclaim the seat I had at the bar earlier and order one more double Crown and Sprite. Cass walks up to the bar, hands something to the bartender, and then leaves.

I really thought he was interested. I guess not.

Lacey appears before me, interrupting my self-pity party, setting a napkin down in front of me.

"This is from the gentleman that just left. The biker with the big arms," she says, making an awkward motion around her own arms.

I pick up the napkin and see it’s been written on.

You are so sexy. Can I have the rest of this night with you, and we see if this is what I hope it is?

A slow smile spreads across my face. I finish my drink and walk out the door, hoping to find Cass nearby. I spot a bike in the parking lot and a rush of excitement washes over me. He hasn’t left. I scan the parking lot and spot him leaning against the side of my ‘66 Mustang Fastback. Both of his hands are in his pockets and the way the light in the parking lot dances around him, looks like there’s a spotlight pinned directly on him. He is the epitome of sexy and there he is, standing there, waiting for me.

"Hello Miss Summers," Cass says as I approach him.

“Hi.”

“One hell of a project car,” he says, gawking at Betty.

“My dad and I fixed her up, and she’s been my baby ever since.”

“That sounds like a cool father daughter project. What’s your ol’ man do?”

“He was a retired prison guard.”

“Interesting.” Cass’s eyes never leave Betty.

"I thought you had work to do tomorrow?"

"I do, but not until noon. Want to go for a ride?"

"Abso-fuckin'-lutely."

Cass leads me over to his motorcycle. Opening a compartment on the side, he pulls out a smaller version of the chrome helmet he has and hands it to me. I settle it on top of my head, and he helps me buckle it beneath my chin. Unable to wipe the silly smile from my face, I wait patiently for him to get on the bike.

He pats the seat behind him. “Hop on.”

I throw my right leg over and position myself behind him. I’ve only ever been on the back of a motorcycle once in my life, when I was too young to worry about it. I don’t have anything against it, but it isn’t something that’s part of my daily life by any means.

I wrap my arms around Cass, slipping my hands inside the pocket of his cut. I don’t really know how to hold on, but this seems to work.

“Hold on tight,” he instructs, patting my hand through the thick leather.

Cass cranks the volume on the radio, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band blasts through the speakers playing the NYC Song.

Cass bursts into song, "Hey little girl."

I jump in, “Take me by the hand."

Cass turns the radio down. "You know this?" he asks, his surprise evident in his tone of voice.

"It's from one of my favorite movies."

"Huh. Mine too.” He blares it and we take off through the parking lot, both of us singing at the top of our lungs.

As soon as the tires hit the highway, Cass hammers the gas. I grip tightly to the inside of his pockets, trying to ensure I won’t fly off the back. Thank God for those two double crowns because I don’t know if my nerves could handle this sober.

I smile into his shoulder where my head rests as we ride down the main highway, weaving in and out of traffic.

Normally, I would be nervous and afraid, but for some reason, I find myself trusting this stranger in front of me. The adrenaline rush alone from being on the back of a motorcycle with a sexy stranger and the wind in my face as we race down the highway at high speeds is making me exhilaratingly happy. It’s so freeing and I soak up every minute of this bliss.

Riding past an eighteen-wheeler, I tap Cass on the shoulder. "What is that smell?"

"That's what a truck smells like in the open air. You'll notice different smells when you're riding that you never would have noticed in a cage."

"A cage?"

His body rumbles with laughter. "A vehicle."

Cass runs his left hand over my leg. As we race in and out of traffic, I sing my heart out. Lost in the moment, I forget about the world around me. For something so new to me, this feels normal. It feels right. I let my brain flitter and entertain the thought of riding with him on weekend rides, surrounded by other bikes, but that isn’t what I’m here for. This isn’t long term. If I’m lucky, it will be for the duration I’m in town. Isn’t this what I wanted? To relax and enjoy the little amount of time away without having to worry about everything back home? Yes. This is exactly what I wanted.

Rounding the corner by Skeeter’s, Cass taps my hand, and I hold on tight. He slams the gas, speeding into the parking lot. He kills the bike, and we glide across the parking lot, smoothly stopping next to my Fastback. He kills the bike and unclasps his helmet, resting it on the mirror, a move that appears to be second nature.

I step off the bike with a smile on my face that I’m unable to wipe off. I follow suit and unclasp my helmet, Cass’s eyes watching my every move. The intensity of his stare stirs something inside me, making me ache. I want him. I want him, bad.

“So, what did you think of that, Miss Summers?" he asks.

"That was amazing. I've never spent much time on a bike, not like that anyway."

Cass looks at me with a puzzled look. "Not like what?"

"Not for an extended period, and most definitely not with a real biker," I grin.

Cass’s chuckle awakens the butterflies he stirred inside my stomach earlier.

“Hey, I’m here all week, beating up old ladies and everything.”

I’m not sure where we go from here. I want more of him.

"I've had an amazing night with you, but I’m exhausted. I’m ready to get to my room and crash, but I’d like to see you again. Preferably tomorrow?”

"Let me think about it." He closes the distance between us, placing a hand on either side of my face.

My breath hitches. My heart rate quickens. The air around us has all but come to a halt and it’s just the two of us in this moment.

"I'd like that," he whispers, pressing his lips gently to mine.

My hands wrap around his back, pulling him deeper into our kiss. I trace my hands up his back and over his shoulders as I push to part his lips.

He welcomes my tongue into his mouth, his kiss so effortless yet firm that for the first time in my life I find myself breathless. His kiss is air and, in this moment, it is the only thing I need to survive.

Cass pulls away. Hot and breathless, he pants, “Slow down, turbo. We don’t need people seeing a biker with a pretty woman in the parking lot in the middle of the night. They might think I’m a bad guy trying to take advantage of you and if you keep kissing me like that, I might.”

I smile so hard my cheeks hurt. I take a step back in the hopes that putting some distance between us will calm the ache stirring inside me. If I don’t get it under control, the world is going to get a show because I won’t be able to tell him no if he wants to bend me over the hood of this car and fuck me senseless.

"You are an amazing kisser. Just. Wow." My face is burning up, either from the kiss or my confession.

Cass smiles. "I was thinking the same thing about you, Miss Summers."

Cass wraps his arms around the small of my back and I instinctively curl into his chest. I pull back until my face is only inches from him and kiss him again. It’s like his lips have a magnetic pull on mine that I can’t break. I stop myself, ending our embrace much sooner than I’d like.

Cass tilts my head downward slightly and places a kiss in the center of my forehead.

"Goodnight, Miss Summers.” He turns to get on his bike while I fumble recklessly with my keys.

"Goodnight Cass. Same place tomorrow? Say around six?" I ask nervously. I don’t know why initiating meeting him feels so vulnerable.

"Six is perfect. See you then," he answers with a smile.

I return his smile with one of my own then sit down in the driver’s seat of my car. The sound of pipes wracking as Cass cranks the bike is a comforting and welcoming sound.

I crank Betty and look at the clock. Three-thirty. It has only been three and a half hours since I met this perfect stranger and already I know that he will have me wrapped. I’m caught up in my own thoughts for a moment before I realize that Cass is still sitting next to my driver’s window. I roll it down and quirk a brow at him.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't leave you alone in a parking lot at three a.m."

"Okay, okay. I'm going.” I roll up the window with this same silly grin on my face.

I sneak one more glance at Cass then drive off toward the highway. Turning left out of the parking lot, Cass turns behind me. My hotel is only minutes away and now that the day is done, I can’t wait to get into bed. It’s been a long day. A great day, but long nonetheless.

I come to a red light and Cass pulls up into the lane with me. He’s singing and dancing with the biggest smile on his face.

Score one for the home team. Look at that smile. When the light turns green, I drive on and Cass returns to his place behind me.

Coming up on the driveway of the hotel, I slow down in ample enough time and put my blinker on. I expect Cass to keep going but he turns in behind me.

I park in front of the building where my room is, and Cass pulls up next to me. I look over and he’s still smiling as he takes his lid off and steps off the bike. As he approaches my window, I roll it down and stare up at him.

"Did I miss the part where I said I want you to come to my room? Because I’m sure that was just a thought."

"I'm going up to my room," he answers.

"Wait, you're staying at this hotel?"

"Yes ma’am,” he chuckles.

"What building?"

"This one. Building six."

"You're joking."

"Nope."

"Seriously what are the fuckin' odds?" I shake my head in disbelief.

I roll up my window and step out of the car. Cass pulls his room key from the inside pocket of his cut.

"See?" he says, holding it up for me to see. I slap his arm playfully.

"And here I thought you were only here to get me alone. Hmm.”

He holds his hand out for me to take.

"May I walk you to your room?"

"Abso-fuckin'-lutely.”

I place my hand in his. His hands are rough and calloused, yet gentle when they’re on my skin. He swipes his key to get us in the door and holds it open for me. Once inside, he grabs my hand again and leads me into the elevator.

"What floor?" he asks.

"Two.”

Cass drops his head, and a laugh escapes his lips.

"What? Let me guess, you're on floor two as well?"

"Yes."

"I guess that doesn't really surprise me.”

The elevator dings and we step out. Cass glances over at me, waiting. I turn right and pull him along with me. We stop in front of room twelve and I look up at him.

“Here I am.”

There’s a light in this man and when he smiles, his eyes hold a scorching desire in them. I can see the flames there and I want nothing more right now than to play with fire.

"Goodnight, again, Lilly.”

He’s being a gentleman and I’m not sure how I feel about that. Is that what I want right now? When he turns to walk away, I grab his arm. He gives me an intriguing look and I know right in this minute that I will not let him go without having him to myself, even if it is only for one night. I grab him by the top of his cut and drag him into my room.

Cass doesn’t hesitate. He walks in and shuts the door behind himself before he picks me up. His lips are on mine so fast. My legs wrap around his waist as he pushes me into the wall by the door. This kiss is nothing like the one we shared in the parking lot earlier. It’s rough. Hard. Fucking hot .

I’m wet and aching for him already. His hands run over my body, stopping at my black dress shorts. His skilled hands unbutton them and without missing a beat, he sets me down, strips them off, then has me back against the wall. I tug his cut off and pull on his shirt. He steps back long enough to remove those items of clothing and picks me up, carrying me to the bed. He lays me down beneath him and undoes his belt buckle.

For someone that looks like he can bench press a Buick, his touch is soft. I can only make out a silhouette of him in the dark room as he hovers above me, but my God if it isn’t the sexiest fucking silhouette. Broad shoulders that taper down to a slim waist. My mouth nearly fucking waters. He presses his lips to my jaw. Trails down my neck. To my ear. I gasp at the heat of his tongue sliding across my skin. I push my hips upward against his rock-hard cock. Cass mimics the sound I made, gasping at the movement.

My lips find his hungrily as my hands struggle to free him from his boxers. I toss them across the room and my hand finds him instantly, stroking his length. He’s thick and long and feels so fucking good in my hand. Cass lets out a whimper as I stroke him. The want in him fueled by my touch, he grabs the side of my black lace underwear and rips them off.

There goes that pair of underwear. His mouth never leaves mine as his fingers find my clit. I moan into his mouth at his touch, letting the sensation devour me. Cass pulls back and reaches over the side of the bed, grabbing his blue jeans. He pulls a condom out and opens it, sliding it on in record time.

My pussy aches, the need to feel him inside me intensifying with every passing second. I’m both nervous and excited. Cass’s hands curl underneath my back and he rolls onto his back, placing me on top of him. Gripping the hem of my shirt, he pulls it over my head and unclasps my bra, tossing them both on the floor.

His hands caress my nipples and my back arches. I tilt my head back with my eyes closed, soaking in the feel of his hands on my chest. I cannot wait another minute to know what he feels like inside of me. I lean forward and position him at my core. Slowly, I slide down as he stretches me. Fills me.

“Fuck…” he moans as I take him all in.

My legs tremble at the pleasurable sensation. I grind my hips against him slowly, leaning down to place gentle kisses across his neck, making an invisible trail to his lips. My tongue searches for his as I move up and down slowly, taking him in fully. Cass places his hands on my hips and thrusts upward into me. I let out a cry, mustering everything I have in me to keep moving. My orgasm is building quickly. He’s hitting that sweet spot inside me. I sit up straight on top of him and ride him hard. I rock my hips back and forth and he offers his hands for me to hold. I grip them for leverage and throw my head back. I’m so close to pouring over the edge of ecstasy.

I begin tightening around him and from the sounds he’s making, he can feel it. I want to hang onto this feeling of being right on the edge. It’s so intense though that fighting is starting to be too much.

"Lilly, you're going to make me come," Cass whispers, gripping my hips so hard that I feel his pulse through his fingertips.

Every move I make intensifies the euphoria of my building orgasm.

"Fuck!" Cass gasps. I feel his undoing as he releases inside of me. That was all I needed to be pushed over the edge. I come around him hard. My orgasm shakes me and last for what feels like hours. I force myself to keep moving; to elongate this bliss pouring out of me but I can’t take it anymore. Any energy that I had left was drained with that orgasm and I collapse on top of Cass. He wraps his arms around me, and I nuzzle my head beneath his chin. The will to move has left my body entirely.

Although we’re both covered in sweat and breathing heavily, I don’t want to ruin the moment. Cass cranes his head downward at an angle and kisses my forehead.

"You, Lilly Summers, are amazing." The smile on his face presses into my forehead, making me smile.

"Thank you. You're not so bad yourself." I struggle to sit up but somehow manage to and head to the bathroom to clean up.

"Sorry about your underwear," Cass calls from the bed. I walk out with a damp towel and lay it across his hips.

"I didn't like them that much anyway."

He sits up and looks at me. "You're so beautiful."

I feel heat rush to my cheeks, even more-so than was already there.

“Thank you,” I say, fidgeting with a lock of my hair. Cass lies back on the bed.

“Whew!” I lie down beside him and position myself in the empty space between his arm and his chest. I look at him, lying next to me with his eyes closed and quirky grin on his face. I close my eyes and run my hand through the hair on his chest.

I’ve never been with a man who had hair on their chest, but I learned today that I find it extremely attractive. Relaxed and drained, I let myself drift off to sleep in the comfort of his arms.