Page 8

Rebel

I knew Lacey was coming tonight but seeing her across the bar pissed me off. Tonight was supposed to be all about me getting patched into the club at long last. I wanted to relax and enjoy the nice party the old ladies planned for me, not have my business partner looking down her nose at me on what was supposed to be one of the most important nights of my life.

When it came to women, I’d never once been able to catch a break. That’s why when the newest club girl, Tonya, came sniffing around, I took her to my side and kept her there. So what if Lacey didn’t think I was good enough to socialize with? There were other women in the world. I didn’t know why I was so hung up on this one anyway. It didn’t make sense.

We went to shoot some pool while the food was being cooked. Getting off that grill was one of the best parts of being patched into the club. My club brother Forge started a grilling tradition when he was a prospect, but I didn’t quite have his talent for cooking meat. Thank goodness, I wouldn’t have to worry about being an utter disappointment on the grill moving forward.

Tonya hung all over me, wearing booty shorts and a tube top. Maybe it wasn’t classy, like I preferred, but she was bright, bubbly, and eager for my touch. It soothed my ego a bit at not being able to get close to the woman who caught my eye the first time she walked into the clubhouse. Part of me realized I was tryin’ to make Lacey jealous, but that was crazy thinking.

Being patched in got me Tonya’s attention, but of course Lacey wouldn’t care about things like that. I shook Tonya off my arm long enough to play a game of pool with Forge. I wasn’t going to let Lacey spoil my evening, so I just kept smiling, slamming shots back, and trying not to brood about it.

Something like excitement, possessiveness, and annoyance twisted together in my gut when I noticed her eyes following me as I moved around the clubhouse. There was something in her expression, an emotion that I couldn’t quite identify. Shit, at one point I decided it looked like longing, but that was probably just my imagination. As the night wore on and Tonya continued to orbit around me, staking her claim for the night, I grew less and less interested in her. Maybe that was a shitty attitude to have but I couldn’t help it. I used to love the fun-loving club girls, but the thought of another one-night stand just wasn’t appealing.

By then the party in the bar had wound down and my club brothers were disappearing, some went outside, others to their rooms, and still more wandered off to touch grass. I’d dialed back on the shots when the food came out, but I was nowhere near sober enough to think clearly. We ended up going downstairs around midnight, when Tonya pulled me towards the steps leading to the basement bar and I let her.

Going down those steps I decided that I wasn’t going to have sex with her. She was young, cute, and clearly motivated to get into my pants, but I wasn’t feeling it with her. In fact I hadn’t been feeling it with any women for the last couple of months.

My alcohol-addled brain couldn’t seem to work out exactly why that was. I was just on autopilot, drifting along enjoying the night. I glanced over my shoulder as we walked down the stairs and I saw Lacey following us, almost like a shadow. Something about her keeping track of me was thrilling and made me want to shove Tonya away in favor of having Lacey at my side. I didn’t though, because I remembered she didn’t want me. She wanted to keep things professional, and I didn’t understand what was so great about that.

The next twenty minutes were a blur, with Tonya pushing me down into a chair and doing some kind of sexy little lap dance for me. I glanced around the room, trying to figure out where Lacey was and if she was with anyone, but I couldn’t see her. I was trying to figure out how to get rid of Tonya in a nice way. I was a full-fledged brother now and with that status came the privilege of doing what I liked—as long as it didn’t break any club rules. Telling a club girl I didn’t want to fuck, certainly didn’t fall into the category of rule-breaking, though I knew I’d be getting ribbed by my club brothers for turning her away.

When Tonya brought me a beer from the bar then sat provocatively on the table in front of me with her legs spread wide, I didn’t know exactly why but it was a big turn-off for me. She kept trying to run her hands up my legs, but I just moved them away each time. When she made a disgruntled sound, I took a sip of the cold beer and shook my head.

“Maybe tonight’s just not your night, darlin’. How about I take a rain check, and you go find another brother to get frisky with?” I knew I sounded cold, but if I wasn’t feeling it, I wasn’t feeling it.

“You really don’t want me?” The incredulous tone of her voice was guilt-inducing for me, but not enough to do things I had no interest in doing with her. I wondered about the guilt for a brief second before determining that it came from feeling like I’d led her on. If I’d been more sober, I would have cut her loose earlier. “Sorry, maybe another time,” I told her with some empathy in my voice.

When she ran for the stairs, I wished that I’d gone on a bike ride like some of my club brothers instead. I always did better when it was just me, the open road, and no women to offend.

Suddenly, I caught sight of a dark shadow and looked up to find Lacey standing in front of me. In that moment I wanted to reach for her, draw her into my lap and taste her luscious lips more than I wanted air to breathe. I didn’t reach for her though, because a little voice in the back of my head whispered, she doesn’t want you .

When she took a step closer, everyone disappeared from my world except her. She was standing there, all hesitant and beautiful. She was wearing a short black skirt and a cute white button up vest. She looked sexy but classy and it pushed all my buttons.

I shoved the table aside, not wanting to be reminded of the woman who threw herself at me just now, sitting there with her legs spread wide. Beer from my glass sloshed all over the place but I couldn’t bring myself to take my eyes off Lacey.

When she began to move, my eyes followed her. For some reason she walked around me in a complete circle before stepping closer.

“Why are you here?” I asked.

“What does it matter?” she replied quietly. “The fact remains that you’re here, looking for some action. Maybe I want a sample of what every other woman in this place is getting.”

I snorted a laugh because my still-tipsy mind must have been playing tricks on me. It sounded like Little Miss Fancy Pants just propositioned me. That couldn’t be right. She didn’t socialize with co-workers, much less fuck them.

“I’m sure my ears are deceiving me, because you told me earlier today in no uncertain terms that co-workers shouldn’t socialize.”

She took a step closer, putting herself within grabbing distance of my greedy hands. And the temptation to reach out and bring her closer was almost irresistible. “I thought you were the expert on one night stands and here you are, trying to dissuade me from wanting one with you. What’s that about?”

“You been drinking Lacey?” That would explain this recent about-turn on the issue of us hooking up. I frowned. Yeah, that was definitely it.

Her hands landed on her curvy hips, and she huffed out an exasperated breath. “I stopped drinking hours ago, but I can start again if drunk women are your kink.”

“Aren’t you gonna do a little dance for me like the other girl?”

“You should be ashamed of yourself for not even remembering her name. I’m beginning to think us women are all interchangeable for you.”

Dark glee sparked in my mind. “And that bothers you, doesn’t it? A man not thinking you’re a special, unique snowflake that should be cherished and protected?”

Her chin came up and her eyes glittered with annoyance, but also with hot interest. “Just because I like being the queen bee doesn’t mean I see all men as worker bees.”

“You don’t say?” Reaching out, I gave into the overwhelming need to have her all soft and compliant in my arms. I tugged her forward and she came without complaint, climbing right into my lap face first. I tangled one hand in her hair and pulled her head back until I could look into her eyes. “Maybe I’m one of those special worker bees that services the queen. Did you ever think of that?”

Instead of arguing with me, her expression turned needy. “This queen definitely needs servicing. The only real question is if you’re up for the job?”

I loved the challenge in her tone. It turned me on. In fact everything about Lacey excited me. Holding her head firmly in place I plundered her mouth like a man long starved of the sweetest affection to be had from a good woman. Lacey was made of all the things that thrilled the fuck out of me.

Unlike the club girls, Lacey didn’t want me for my cut. I was beginning to think maybe she didn’t even want to ride my cock to ensure I kept making money for her. If I was being honest, it had occurred to me that our lives could fit seamlessly together long-term both professionally and relationship wise.

I got lost in the fantasy of having her in life and in my bed forever, as my free hand slid up her inner thigh to find her panties soaked for me. As our tongues tangled, my thumb skimmed over her swollen clit, causing her to groan into our kiss. The last thing I wanted to do was stop, but I had to.

I gave her ass a playful slap, “Look, if you really want me, it’s not gonna be tonight. Our first time should be special, not in sex club where other people can see.”

Disappointment swamped her expression. “You don’t want me?”

I grabbed her hand and pushed it onto my hard-on. Crude I know, but my cock was so hard it was practically bursting its way through the zipper on my jeans. “Hell the fuck yeah, I want you more than I’ve ever wanted a woman before.”

“I don’t understand,” she murmured as she glanced down at my lips again.

“Here’s what I’m offering. I can take you to my room upstairs. We’ll fool around and I’ll give you lots of orgasms, but the cock riding should be something special.”

I watched her fight to keep the smile off her face. “I think sex with you would be special because it’s with you.”

“Fucking hell, do not do that to me, woman.”

“Do what?” she said as she slowly licked her lips.

On one move I stood up and scooped her into my arms, grumbling under my breath, “Make a man feel special enough to start falling in love, why don’t ya.”

When she laughed, my tipsy brain reminded me that it was supposed to be an inside thought, not an outside thought. “You sure about this?” I asked.

“Totally,” she answered.

“Well then, who am I to disappoint a lady?” With that, I carried her up the stairs, through our regular bar, to the part of the clubhouse where our rooms are. As a prospect I’d had a room I stayed at on the weekends, it was basic but clean. I managed to get the door opened while still keeping a hold of Lacey, though once we were in the room I staggered and dropped her onto the bed.

“You sure you’re not too intoxicated to make a clear-headed decision about giving me orgasms, Mr. Ross?”

My head jerked down, and I found myself gaping at her softly spoken question. It was cute that she was trying to be funny by calling me by my last name like I demanded she do during our argument at the office.

“You can call me by my new club name from now on. It’s Rebel.”

Her expression lit up and I knew she was going to come off with a smart ass comment before the words even left her mouth. “I can see why you got tagged with that club name. Your personality is extremely rebellious at times.”

“Yeah, old habits die hard,” I muttered.

She raised an eyebrow, “There’s a story there, I think. But right now I want you to answer my question. Are you sober enough to not regret this in the morning?”

“I asked you to have sex with me stone-cold sober before. How can you even question if I still want to fool around with you?”

“I guess I shouldn’t question it. That would be like looking a gift horse in the mouth.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that, as no one had ever thought of me as a gift before. I made sure the door was shut, before heading back to the bed where she was still lying where I dropped her. “So, we’ve moved out of bee analogies and are onto horse ones. Fine by me, my pretty little filly.”

She shook her head pretty hard. “No horse metaphors.”

“Are metaphors analogies? Maybe all analogies are metaphors, but not all metaphors are analogies.” What the fuck was I going on about? I get the woman of my dreams alone, and I was taking shit.

She brought her hands to the front of her vest and began popping buttons as she spoke. “You’re looking at the girl who barely passed English in high school, so let’s not get wrangled up in the dynamics of grammar.”

I pulled off my vest and ran one hand over my bare chest. “Can grammar be dynamic?”

“You’re gonna need to stop, or the skirt is staying on.”

“Wanna bet?” I said as I crawled onto the bed with her.