Riding the Night
Page 23
“Yeah. So what’s got you thinking?”
“Actually, I was pondering some things about you two.”
“Oh shit.” AJ looked to Pax, then back at her. “What did we do?”
Teresa laughed. “It’s not bad. I’m just . . . curious.”
“About?”
“This threesome thing.”
AJ leaned over, wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and drew her close for a kiss. She shuddered out a breath when he let her go.
“I would have thought last night might have answered at least a few of your questions.”
“Oh, it did,” she said, picking up her coffee and taking a sip. “A few, anyway.”
“But not all,” Pax said. “So ask.”
Teresa looked to AJ and swallowed hard. This needed to be said, the questions had to be asked because she had to know where things stood. “Pax and I had just had sex when you walked into the bedroom.”
AJ nodded. “Yeah. So?”
“Didn’t that bother you?”
“No. Why should it? Pax walked in on you and me having some fun before. It didn’t bother Pax.”
“Nope,” Pax said. “It doesn’t work that way, Teresa. We’re not territorial.”
She pursed her lips, not wanting to say what thought had popped into her head. It was stupid, really.
“You think it doesn’t bother us because we don’t care.”
Her gaze slid to Pax, wondering how he’d gotten so good at mind reading. “Yes.”
“It’s not like that at all. We don’t treat women like something we own. We want them to have a good time when they’re with us. If we didn’t care, we’d f**k ’em and forget ’em. We don’t do that. When we’re with a woman we want her to feel special.”
AJ leaned over and took her hand. “And we don’t want to f**k you and forget you, Teresa. Did you feel used?”
“No. I guess I just worry about how to . . . divide my time.”
AJ laughed. “Don’t worry about that. Pax and I aren’t jealous of each other. Whether you’re with both of us or one at a time, we can handle it.”
“It should always be your choice to make,” Pax said.
“Somehow, for a woman, that all seems a little too good to be true. What do you guys get out of it?” she asked.
Pax and AJ answered almost simultaneously. “You.”
THE BAR WAS SLAMMING BUSY THAT NIGHT. TERESA BARELY HAD time to breathe between filling drink orders, which made Steve and Sandy deliriously happy. Even Steve had to get behind one of the bars tonight, and though he filled drink orders, he wasn’t wowing the crowd with his looks or his body. That is until he tried showing some skin, rolling his T-shirt up over his ample belly and tying it underneath his sizeable man boobs, which damn near made Teresa choke she was laughing so hard, as were most of the customers, who promptly filled up Steve’s tip jar. But Sandy warned him: If he tried to get up on the bar and wiggle his ass, she was going home.
Fortunately, Steve declined and let the dancers handle that aspect of drawing in the customers. And Teresa was happy, because the loud music and sexy girls dancing on the bar, as well as the nonstop flowing beer and great food, meant a huge draw of customers streaming in and out and the possibility of the Fists coming in. And if the Fists came in, there was a chance the guy who killed Larks would be among them.
It was time for her team to get a break. She had to clear her brother. And she had finally convinced AJ and Pax to get out there and roam around on their bikes while she worked the bar. Spreading out was the best way to hunt for the Fists, rather than all of them holed up in one spot. She had this place covered, and it was biker central, with her situated at the main bar, next to the front doors. If the Fists came in, she was going to see them. Pax and AJ had gone out riding and said they were going to split up, one heading up to the concert area at the campground, the other one milling about down on the main drag and wherever else groups of bikers were hanging out. Teresa felt confident they had all the bases covered.
And the Fists were here in Sturgis, she knew it, she had a gut feeling about it, and her gut feelings were never wrong.
In the meantime, she was enjoying the music as well as the throng of bikers clamoring for another beer. The clientele was patient and friendly and out for a good time. She had a prime spot and the tip jar was full.
“Teresa!”
She flipped around and saw Russ, Joey’s best friend and VP of the Thorns. She grinned. “Hey, Russ.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Working.”
“I see that. I didn’t know you were coming to Sturgis for the rally.”
She leaned across the bar to whisper at him. “Well, I’m here to find the guy who stabbed Larks so I can clear Joey.”
Russ arched a brow. “By yourself?”
“No. I have a couple friends with me.”
“Find the guy yet?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t even spotted the Fists yet. Have you?”
“No. But there are a lot of bikers here. And we’re camping nearly a hundred miles away. So we’ve been mostly riding and seeing the sights. This is our first trip into the main drag.”
“It’s awesome here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is.” He grabbed the beer Teresa offered and took a long swallow. “So how did you get this gig?”
“They were shorthanded and I have the experience. This place is a prime location, so I figured it would be a good spot to stay put and see if the Fists show up.”
“Great idea. We’ll keep our eyes open and I’ll call you if I spot them.”
“Thanks, Russ.”
He moved off to join the other Thorns, who waved at her after Russ pointed in her direction. After about a half hour they all took off. It made her feel good to know Joey’s guys were all here, too. Between them and AJ and Pax, she felt safe.
“So what are you doing when you get off work tonight?”
A tall, good-looking biker leaned over the bar while she fetched him a beer. “Going home with my guys,” she said with a smile as she handed him his change.
His brows raised. “Guys? As in plural?”
She winked. “Guys as in plural.”
He looked her up and down, smiled and nodded as he walked away. She served another customer, and a decided warmth spread through her belly.
Yeah. Her two guys. It had felt good saying it. Even if they really weren’t hers, not for the long term anyway. But while she was here, they definitely belonged to her, so she intended to own that fantasy for as long as she could.
Funny how easily she’d adapted to the lifestyle. One night of hot sex with two men and she was all in. But who wouldn’t be after being with Pax and AJ? She’d never felt more completely loved and valued as she had been last night.
And there was that warm, giddy feeling again. Though they weren’t here right now, she could feel their presence, could smell each of them, so unique even in their individual scents, which went beyond soap and shampoo into something more earthy and elemental. She craved their touch, their kisses, the way she felt when she was around them.
She wanted more. More of them, more of that magic they’d wound around her last night. She knew they’d held back, and next time she didn’t want them to.
Next time. Her flesh heated at the thought of next time, her pu**y dampening as she conjured up visuals of what they’d do to her. So much potential, an endless variety of scenarios and positions.
And thinking about sex with AJ and Pax was not helping to keep her mind on her job, or giving her a keen eye to watch all the bikers filing in and out. She forced her attention into filling drink requests, grabbing a tall glass of water for herself, hoping it would quench the heat she’d conjured up with her fantasies.
Yeah, that damn had sure burst, hadn’t it? For someone who’d been repressed for so long, one night of great sex had sure sprung open the well of her imagination.
She’d been so lost in thoughts of AJ and Pax she almost missed him. But a flash of something familiar on the back of a guy’s vest caught her eye. She served up a few more beers to patrons hanging at the bar, her gaze following a biker who quickly blended into the thick crowd.
Dammit. Had she imagined seeing the Fists logo on that vest?
She tried to train her vision on where she’d last seen him, but he’d been swallowed up by the throng of people and she had customers clamoring for drinks. So she turned her attention back to the bar, and that’s when she saw them come through the front door.
Fists. A dozen of them at least, pushing through with a group of other bikers, their insignias easy to spot on the backs of their leather vests.
They were here! Her heart climbed up into her throat and her palms began to sweat as she struggled to fill drink orders and keep her eye on the group of Fists at the same time.
They didn’t stop at her bar, which was probably a good thing because she didn’t want to risk being recognized. It was also a bad thing because they’d moved clear to the other side of the room, where there was an exit door. What if they just came in and left right away?
She leaned over and whispered to Claudia, the woman tending bar next to her, “I’ll be back in a sec.”
Claudia nodded and didn’t even look up from her task of popping the tops off four bottles of beer. Teresa bowed up from behind the bar as unobtrusively as possible and made a circle around the dance floor. She knew the Fists—they wouldn’t be out on the dance floor. They’d be belly up where the beer and whiskey were plentiful, so she wound her way to the bar at the back of the club. No sign of them there, so she had to fight her way through the crowd to reach the bar located opposite the one she worked and near the other door.
That’s when she spotted them, all huddled together like a group of cattle, throwing back shots like they were dying of thirst, and following those up by guzzling down their beers.
She stayed in the background and studied their faces, tattoos and necks. Dammit, none of them was the guy she was looking for. But wherever the Fists were, she knew he’d be close by. He had to be.
So when they started to head out the door, panic set in. She waited until the last one was out and the door closed, then rushed to the bar where Sandy was working.
“I have an emergency. I need to head out.”
“One of your fellas?” Sandy asked, clearly concerned.
Teresa hated lying to her, but she nodded. “Yeah.”
Sandy laid her hand on top of Teresa’s. “I hope he’s okay. You go on. We’ll manage.”
Guilt slammed into her stomach, but she pushed it aside, sprang through the door and headed for her bike. Fortunately she had a good spot, and she climbed on, jumped on the throttle and headed out into the street in search of the Fists. They could still be on foot, or maybe they’d wandered into another bar. In this crowd of bikers she might not—
There they were, pulling out from one of the side streets and heading out of town. Grateful to have spotted them, she inhaled a deep breath and willed herself to relax. Now all she had to do was lay back a little, let a few bikers get between them and her, see if they picked up more Fists and figure out where they were going. She thanked the half million bikers at this event because it made it easier for her to blend in as she followed.
After about twenty minutes of heading up into the hills, the Fists pulled into what looked like a small, well-hidden campground in the middle of forest. Teresa stayed back at the entrance since you had to pay to enter. Instead, she rode just ahead, where she pulled into a lot—more of a scenic overview, really—that overlooked the camping area and the hills. She climbed off her bike and wandered around, trying to look like a tourist, even took out her cell phone and pretended to be taking night shots—of what, she had no idea since her cell would take crappy shots at night, but the overview was well lit and the craggy rocks rising up on the other side were spectacular for photos, so it would appear like she had a good reason for being there. And she wasn’t alone, lots of other people were enjoying the view despite the late hour. She meandered over to the edge of the lot and peered down at the campsite.
Unfortunately, it was dark and she couldn’t see a damn thing other than a few campfires and some lanterns. She had no way of knowing where the Fists had set up camp or even if they were actually camped there.
She blew out a breath of frustration and resigned herself to the fact she was going to have to call in reinforcements. Pax and AJ weren’t going to be happy that she hadn’t stayed put at the bar, but what was she supposed to have done? Let the Fists walk out of there and chance never figuring out where they’d gone?
She punched in AJ’s number.
“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, SHE ISN’T IN THERE?” PAX SHOT a glare at AJ as he exited the bar and rounded toward his bike.
“She’s not at the bar. The owner said she took off because one of us had an emergency of some sort.”
Pax crossed his arms. “That makes no f**king sense. So why the hell did she leave the bar?”
AJ shook his head. “No clue. Her bike isn’t parked where she left it when we were here earlier, so she’s obviously taken off.”
“Son of a bitch.”
AJ knew exactly how Pax felt. He was worried about Teresa. She should have known better than to leave by herself. And what reason could she have had for doing that? “You don’t suppose the Fists found her and hauled her out of there, do you?” he asked.
“No. She’d have put up a fight in front of a lot of witnesses. There’s no way she’d have let that happen without causing enough of a fuss that others would have put a stop to it.”
“Actually, I was pondering some things about you two.”
“Oh shit.” AJ looked to Pax, then back at her. “What did we do?”
Teresa laughed. “It’s not bad. I’m just . . . curious.”
“About?”
“This threesome thing.”
AJ leaned over, wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck and drew her close for a kiss. She shuddered out a breath when he let her go.
“I would have thought last night might have answered at least a few of your questions.”
“Oh, it did,” she said, picking up her coffee and taking a sip. “A few, anyway.”
“But not all,” Pax said. “So ask.”
Teresa looked to AJ and swallowed hard. This needed to be said, the questions had to be asked because she had to know where things stood. “Pax and I had just had sex when you walked into the bedroom.”
AJ nodded. “Yeah. So?”
“Didn’t that bother you?”
“No. Why should it? Pax walked in on you and me having some fun before. It didn’t bother Pax.”
“Nope,” Pax said. “It doesn’t work that way, Teresa. We’re not territorial.”
She pursed her lips, not wanting to say what thought had popped into her head. It was stupid, really.
“You think it doesn’t bother us because we don’t care.”
Her gaze slid to Pax, wondering how he’d gotten so good at mind reading. “Yes.”
“It’s not like that at all. We don’t treat women like something we own. We want them to have a good time when they’re with us. If we didn’t care, we’d f**k ’em and forget ’em. We don’t do that. When we’re with a woman we want her to feel special.”
AJ leaned over and took her hand. “And we don’t want to f**k you and forget you, Teresa. Did you feel used?”
“No. I guess I just worry about how to . . . divide my time.”
AJ laughed. “Don’t worry about that. Pax and I aren’t jealous of each other. Whether you’re with both of us or one at a time, we can handle it.”
“It should always be your choice to make,” Pax said.
“Somehow, for a woman, that all seems a little too good to be true. What do you guys get out of it?” she asked.
Pax and AJ answered almost simultaneously. “You.”
THE BAR WAS SLAMMING BUSY THAT NIGHT. TERESA BARELY HAD time to breathe between filling drink orders, which made Steve and Sandy deliriously happy. Even Steve had to get behind one of the bars tonight, and though he filled drink orders, he wasn’t wowing the crowd with his looks or his body. That is until he tried showing some skin, rolling his T-shirt up over his ample belly and tying it underneath his sizeable man boobs, which damn near made Teresa choke she was laughing so hard, as were most of the customers, who promptly filled up Steve’s tip jar. But Sandy warned him: If he tried to get up on the bar and wiggle his ass, she was going home.
Fortunately, Steve declined and let the dancers handle that aspect of drawing in the customers. And Teresa was happy, because the loud music and sexy girls dancing on the bar, as well as the nonstop flowing beer and great food, meant a huge draw of customers streaming in and out and the possibility of the Fists coming in. And if the Fists came in, there was a chance the guy who killed Larks would be among them.
It was time for her team to get a break. She had to clear her brother. And she had finally convinced AJ and Pax to get out there and roam around on their bikes while she worked the bar. Spreading out was the best way to hunt for the Fists, rather than all of them holed up in one spot. She had this place covered, and it was biker central, with her situated at the main bar, next to the front doors. If the Fists came in, she was going to see them. Pax and AJ had gone out riding and said they were going to split up, one heading up to the concert area at the campground, the other one milling about down on the main drag and wherever else groups of bikers were hanging out. Teresa felt confident they had all the bases covered.
And the Fists were here in Sturgis, she knew it, she had a gut feeling about it, and her gut feelings were never wrong.
In the meantime, she was enjoying the music as well as the throng of bikers clamoring for another beer. The clientele was patient and friendly and out for a good time. She had a prime spot and the tip jar was full.
“Teresa!”
She flipped around and saw Russ, Joey’s best friend and VP of the Thorns. She grinned. “Hey, Russ.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Working.”
“I see that. I didn’t know you were coming to Sturgis for the rally.”
She leaned across the bar to whisper at him. “Well, I’m here to find the guy who stabbed Larks so I can clear Joey.”
Russ arched a brow. “By yourself?”
“No. I have a couple friends with me.”
“Find the guy yet?”
She shook her head. “I haven’t even spotted the Fists yet. Have you?”
“No. But there are a lot of bikers here. And we’re camping nearly a hundred miles away. So we’ve been mostly riding and seeing the sights. This is our first trip into the main drag.”
“It’s awesome here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, it is.” He grabbed the beer Teresa offered and took a long swallow. “So how did you get this gig?”
“They were shorthanded and I have the experience. This place is a prime location, so I figured it would be a good spot to stay put and see if the Fists show up.”
“Great idea. We’ll keep our eyes open and I’ll call you if I spot them.”
“Thanks, Russ.”
He moved off to join the other Thorns, who waved at her after Russ pointed in her direction. After about a half hour they all took off. It made her feel good to know Joey’s guys were all here, too. Between them and AJ and Pax, she felt safe.
“So what are you doing when you get off work tonight?”
A tall, good-looking biker leaned over the bar while she fetched him a beer. “Going home with my guys,” she said with a smile as she handed him his change.
His brows raised. “Guys? As in plural?”
She winked. “Guys as in plural.”
He looked her up and down, smiled and nodded as he walked away. She served another customer, and a decided warmth spread through her belly.
Yeah. Her two guys. It had felt good saying it. Even if they really weren’t hers, not for the long term anyway. But while she was here, they definitely belonged to her, so she intended to own that fantasy for as long as she could.
Funny how easily she’d adapted to the lifestyle. One night of hot sex with two men and she was all in. But who wouldn’t be after being with Pax and AJ? She’d never felt more completely loved and valued as she had been last night.
And there was that warm, giddy feeling again. Though they weren’t here right now, she could feel their presence, could smell each of them, so unique even in their individual scents, which went beyond soap and shampoo into something more earthy and elemental. She craved their touch, their kisses, the way she felt when she was around them.
She wanted more. More of them, more of that magic they’d wound around her last night. She knew they’d held back, and next time she didn’t want them to.
Next time. Her flesh heated at the thought of next time, her pu**y dampening as she conjured up visuals of what they’d do to her. So much potential, an endless variety of scenarios and positions.
And thinking about sex with AJ and Pax was not helping to keep her mind on her job, or giving her a keen eye to watch all the bikers filing in and out. She forced her attention into filling drink requests, grabbing a tall glass of water for herself, hoping it would quench the heat she’d conjured up with her fantasies.
Yeah, that damn had sure burst, hadn’t it? For someone who’d been repressed for so long, one night of great sex had sure sprung open the well of her imagination.
She’d been so lost in thoughts of AJ and Pax she almost missed him. But a flash of something familiar on the back of a guy’s vest caught her eye. She served up a few more beers to patrons hanging at the bar, her gaze following a biker who quickly blended into the thick crowd.
Dammit. Had she imagined seeing the Fists logo on that vest?
She tried to train her vision on where she’d last seen him, but he’d been swallowed up by the throng of people and she had customers clamoring for drinks. So she turned her attention back to the bar, and that’s when she saw them come through the front door.
Fists. A dozen of them at least, pushing through with a group of other bikers, their insignias easy to spot on the backs of their leather vests.
They were here! Her heart climbed up into her throat and her palms began to sweat as she struggled to fill drink orders and keep her eye on the group of Fists at the same time.
They didn’t stop at her bar, which was probably a good thing because she didn’t want to risk being recognized. It was also a bad thing because they’d moved clear to the other side of the room, where there was an exit door. What if they just came in and left right away?
She leaned over and whispered to Claudia, the woman tending bar next to her, “I’ll be back in a sec.”
Claudia nodded and didn’t even look up from her task of popping the tops off four bottles of beer. Teresa bowed up from behind the bar as unobtrusively as possible and made a circle around the dance floor. She knew the Fists—they wouldn’t be out on the dance floor. They’d be belly up where the beer and whiskey were plentiful, so she wound her way to the bar at the back of the club. No sign of them there, so she had to fight her way through the crowd to reach the bar located opposite the one she worked and near the other door.
That’s when she spotted them, all huddled together like a group of cattle, throwing back shots like they were dying of thirst, and following those up by guzzling down their beers.
She stayed in the background and studied their faces, tattoos and necks. Dammit, none of them was the guy she was looking for. But wherever the Fists were, she knew he’d be close by. He had to be.
So when they started to head out the door, panic set in. She waited until the last one was out and the door closed, then rushed to the bar where Sandy was working.
“I have an emergency. I need to head out.”
“One of your fellas?” Sandy asked, clearly concerned.
Teresa hated lying to her, but she nodded. “Yeah.”
Sandy laid her hand on top of Teresa’s. “I hope he’s okay. You go on. We’ll manage.”
Guilt slammed into her stomach, but she pushed it aside, sprang through the door and headed for her bike. Fortunately she had a good spot, and she climbed on, jumped on the throttle and headed out into the street in search of the Fists. They could still be on foot, or maybe they’d wandered into another bar. In this crowd of bikers she might not—
There they were, pulling out from one of the side streets and heading out of town. Grateful to have spotted them, she inhaled a deep breath and willed herself to relax. Now all she had to do was lay back a little, let a few bikers get between them and her, see if they picked up more Fists and figure out where they were going. She thanked the half million bikers at this event because it made it easier for her to blend in as she followed.
After about twenty minutes of heading up into the hills, the Fists pulled into what looked like a small, well-hidden campground in the middle of forest. Teresa stayed back at the entrance since you had to pay to enter. Instead, she rode just ahead, where she pulled into a lot—more of a scenic overview, really—that overlooked the camping area and the hills. She climbed off her bike and wandered around, trying to look like a tourist, even took out her cell phone and pretended to be taking night shots—of what, she had no idea since her cell would take crappy shots at night, but the overview was well lit and the craggy rocks rising up on the other side were spectacular for photos, so it would appear like she had a good reason for being there. And she wasn’t alone, lots of other people were enjoying the view despite the late hour. She meandered over to the edge of the lot and peered down at the campsite.
Unfortunately, it was dark and she couldn’t see a damn thing other than a few campfires and some lanterns. She had no way of knowing where the Fists had set up camp or even if they were actually camped there.
She blew out a breath of frustration and resigned herself to the fact she was going to have to call in reinforcements. Pax and AJ weren’t going to be happy that she hadn’t stayed put at the bar, but what was she supposed to have done? Let the Fists walk out of there and chance never figuring out where they’d gone?
She punched in AJ’s number.
“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, SHE ISN’T IN THERE?” PAX SHOT a glare at AJ as he exited the bar and rounded toward his bike.
“She’s not at the bar. The owner said she took off because one of us had an emergency of some sort.”
Pax crossed his arms. “That makes no f**king sense. So why the hell did she leave the bar?”
AJ shook his head. “No clue. Her bike isn’t parked where she left it when we were here earlier, so she’s obviously taken off.”
“Son of a bitch.”
AJ knew exactly how Pax felt. He was worried about Teresa. She should have known better than to leave by herself. And what reason could she have had for doing that? “You don’t suppose the Fists found her and hauled her out of there, do you?” he asked.
“No. She’d have put up a fight in front of a lot of witnesses. There’s no way she’d have let that happen without causing enough of a fuss that others would have put a stop to it.”
