A/N: Many thanks again for the continued reviews and alerts. Writing and posting fan fiction is so new to me, I'm really happy that others are interested in my story demonicseer I'm not really sure how long this story is going to be as I don't really have an outline/plan for it – the idea just came to me and I started writing. The way its going though I think it'll be around 50,000 words maybe.Here's a new chapter, enjoy!
The next 2 days were a blur for Courtney. She was in nonstop motion during each day, constantly on the phone, or the computer, or talking to one of the mechanics to ascertain how long they were going to be on whatever job they currently had. Piney, Chucky, and Tara made sure one of them was always available to help her. By the time Friday evening rolled around, Courtney was drained but feeling confident she'd figured out enough to keep her head above water. She was still without a car, as the shop was still busy enough that she felt guilty for them taking time to work on it. When 6:45 rolled around, it was Kozik who entered the office door.
He cleared his throat and leaned against the door frame. 'Ready to go home?'
'You mean hotel?' Courtney quipped tiredly. 'Yeah, feel like I could sleep until Monday morning. Think my car'll ever get fixed, or am I gonna depend on one you guys to be my transportation until Gemma gets that anklet removed?'
'We get a couple more mechanics and things'll get better. Thanks for being patient about it.'
'Not like I have a lot of choice,' Courtney pointed out. 'Luckily I'm so tired every night, all I want to do is get to the hotel, order room service, then go to sleep.'
'When do you move into Tara's dad's place?' Kozik made sure the office door was locked behind them.
'When my stuff gets here. Tara said the movers and cleaners would be done today. I don't have more than a couple suitcases and the boxes in the trunk and backseat with me, got things being sent here from storage at home. Wanted to wait until the place was officially mine before I had things shipped.'
Koz nodded as he handed her a helmet. 'Makes sense. Gotta take my bike, Phil's grabbing a tow, and Piney has Miles doing some errand with the van.'
Courtney stood still for a moment. 'I've never been on a motorcycle before,' she admitted. 'Not entirely sure I want to break that streak.'
Koz turned and looked her in the eyes with an intense gaze. 'Are you saying you don't trust me to be a safe driver?'
'Not at all. It's just, it's a motorcycle. Do you know I once rode a bike into the side of a house? I was pretty tipsy at the time, but still… Two wheels kinda scare me.'
'It'll be okay, I promise. Just put on the helmet, keep your feet on the pegs, lean when I lean, and we'll be fine. Scout's honor.'
Courtney's lips twitched a little. 'Were you really a boy scout?'
'Yes I was. Trust me, Courtney. I won't let you get hurt.'
Courtney searched his eyes. 'Fine. But if I get hurt, I'm never going to let you forget it, you know.'
Koz fastened the helmet strap securely, and then pressed his lips against hers for a brief moment. 'Keep your feet on the pegs, and mimic my body language, okay?'
'Right,' Courtney breathed softly. She'd been totally unprepared for the kiss, short and innocent as it was. How sad their first kiss had been so short. How sweet their first kiss had been one of reassurance. She settled against Kozik's broad back, arms carefully circling him as he kicked the Dyna into life and they began to move. Her grip around him was panicky and too tight at first, but after a couple blocks she began to relax, going so far as to sit up a little straighter and look around.
Koz wasn't sure if he'd been more hurt or angry when he thought Courtney was dissing his riding abilities. Then he'd been disarmed by her casual reference to riding a bike into a house; a story he was definitely going to want more details of another time. It had felt good when she'd studied him for a second, then agreed to ride with him. He hadn't intended on kissing her, it was an impulse as he made sure the helmet was on her head properly. For a 2-second closed-mouth kiss, it had made quite an impact on him. Her lips were warm and soft and tasted like raspberries. Koz was pretty sure he felt the kiss from his hair to his toes and everywhere in between. Then she was snugged up against his back, holding on for dear life. He was pleased when she loosened the grip and seemed to relax into the ride. Going after a chick who wasn't into MC life was one thing; pursuing one who wouldn't ride with him wasn't going to ever happen. On another impulse, instead of going to the hotel, Koz headed for the diner.
'Hope you don't mind,' he said as soon as he turned off the motorcycle. 'I'm hungry, and I thought you might be too. If you don't want to eat here, it's cool if you take something back to the hotel.'
Courtney removed the helmet, a smile on her face as she tried to tame her windblown hair a bit. 'That was amazing, Koz. Much better than a stupid bicycle. Yeah, I'm hungry and would like to have dinner with you. Do they serve alcohol here?'
'Beer for sure. I think some wine and maybe a few mixed drinks. Am I on a date with a lush?' Koz teased.
Courtney couldn't help but light up a little when Koz used the word 'date' to describe the impromptu stop for dinner. 'Not a lush, but someone who could really use a couple drinks to unwind after the past 3 days. My hair must be a total mess, are you sure you want to be seen in public with me?'
Koz ran a hand over the fiery, slightly tangled waves before cupping her cheek and running a gentle thumb over her cheekbone. 'You and your hair are beautiful.'
The moment was ruined by the sound of a nearby car alarm going off. Koz's right hand reached inside his cut, resting his palm on the butt of his gun. Courtney jumped, taking a step back. She laughed a little, Koz relaxed and let go of the gun. He turned Courtney towards the diner, slinging an arm around her shoulder.
'You coming into work tomorrow? I think we're gonna have all the guys there until noon to finish up the final bit of backlog, including your car. Not to mention that Saturday mornings tend to be busy anyway.'
'Nope, you're stuck with Piney and Chucky and their horrid penmanship. Tara and I are going to be making sure her Dad's house is ready for me to move in. I want to paint some of the rooms so I'm going to be taking over some color samples so Tara can see what I have in mind. I'll probably be buying some new furniture and curtains too, so need to take measurements. I think Gemma wanted me to have the weekend off so I could take a break from the garage, and get settled in the house so I'd have a home,' Courtney grinned as she slid into a booth. 'I know she's not 100% sold on me, but she wants to make sure I'm committed to staying in Charming unless she decides to fire me.'
Kozik chuckled, 'Yeah, Gemma likes to cover her bases, that's for sure. Hey Sheila, how are you?' he greeted the waitress.
'Hi ya Kozik. I'm good thanks. Feet killing me but what's new? How's you doing?'
'I'm good. This is Courtney, she's our new office manager at Teller-Morrow. Courtney, this is Sheila, the best waitress in Charming.'
'Nice to meet you, Sheila.'
'You too, hon. What can I get you kids to drink?'
'I'll take a Bud.'
'Can I get a gin & tonic?'
'Sure thing. Back in a couple minutes to take your dinner orders.'
Koz watched Courtney while she studied the menu. She was frowning a little, flipping back and forth between a couple different pages, obviously having a tough time deciding what to choose. He always ordered a burger and fries, but her interest in the menu made him take another look for the first time in years. There were a lot more salads and sandwiches than he remembered, but the basics were still the same. For a moment he considered ordering something new, but then decided if he did Sheila would probably make a fuss over it and he wasn't in the mood for that. He wanted to have a good dinner, and a chance to talk to Courtney about something other than work. Or SAMCRO.
'One Bud bottle, one G&T. Decided on what you want?'
'Go ahead, Koz. Give me a few more seconds to decide.'
'Bacon cheeseburger. Mayo, ketchup, pickle, tomato. And an order of fries, please.'
'I'd like the coconut crusted tilapia, but can I get sweet potato fries instead of a baked potato?'
'Sure thing, Sugar.'
'Great, thank you.'
'Sweet potato fries? There's really such a thing?'
'You've never had sweet potato fries? You have to try some of mine. Amaaaazing. I make them all the time. Coat 'em in olive oil, season with a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and a lot of black pepper. Soooooo good.'
'I think I'll take your word for that. So you like to cook?'
'Yes. I like to experiment in the kitchen. Take a recipe and make it mine, if that makes sense. Add a bit more of things I like, get rid of things I don't. Do you cook?'
'Not really. Omelets, burgers, stuff like that. I like to grill. Used to do a lot of that on Sundays in Tacoma when there wasn't anything else going on. Lorca and I'd man the grill, the old ladies would bring a bunch of sides and salads and desserts and stuff. Charming doesn't do that much. Gemma likes to do big meals at the house instead. She's a real matriarch for the Charming charter, loves to cook for everyone. I wonder how that'll work out with both Clay and Jax inside. Wouldn't be surprised if she changes to more things like lunch the other day, with you and Lyla invited instead of Prospects and guys from the other charters; make it more about the garage and family instead of the club.'
'Maybe,' Courtney shrugged. 'You should suggest cooking out to her sometime. What else do you like to do besides ride a motorcycle and work on cars?'
'I like to box. I get in the ring, or working on a bag, and I lose myself in the zone, you know? Do some jogging and lifting weights, but it's boxing that gets me.'
'I'm that way with running. I hit my stride and suddenly I'm lost to the world. There's nothing there but my body working just right.'
'I saw you the other day. Running on the bike path couple hours after you left the garage. I saw that look on your face; knew that's what you were feeling.'
'I didn't notice I went past T-M. Why didn't you say anything before?'
Kozik shrugged. 'Hasn't come up until now. How far do you usually run?'
'5 miles for now. When I get settled and back into a routine, I'll increase to 10 miles, 4 or 5 times a week. I like to do 5 k's, half-marathons every once in awhile.'
'Yeah?' he asked enthusiastically. 'You ever run a full marathon?'
'No, don't think I'll ever be that ambitious. That's a lot of training. 13 miles at race pace is barely manageable for me, so I'm not that anxious to double it.'
'I can see that, I guess. I do a little jogging, but it's definitely jogging not running. And no more than 3 miles, that's for sure.'
'Maybe we could work out together sometime? I could give you some running tips; you could teach me a little boxing?'
'Yeah, I like the sound of that. Here comes Sheila. Hey Sheila, you like sweet potato fries? I ain't never tried 'em but Courtney swears they're good.'
'They're okay I suppose. Like home fries better myself. Is there anything else you need right now?'
'Another drink, please,' Courtney asked.
'I'll take an iced tea,' Kozik ordered to the surprise of both women. 'What? I've got a bitch-riding virgin on my hands, not gonna take any chances on spilling her. Gemma'd kill me if she had to train someone new 'cause I killed this one.'
Sheila laughed as she went to get their drinks while Courtney blushed a little at being called both a bitch and a virgin. ''Bitch-riding virgin'?'
'Now, don't take offense. Riding behind someone is called riding bitch, no matter if it's a guy or a girl. And well, I guess I popped your cherry on the ride here, but since it was only a few blocks, that hardly you being a pro. So, you still gonna let me try your fries, or did I embarrass you too much?'
Courtney tossed a few of the orange fries on Kozik's plate. 'Knock yourself out. Happy to pop your sweet potato fry cherry.'
Kozik choked on the fry a little as he struggled to swallow it around his laughter. 'Touche. Guess it's a night of firsts all-around. You're right, these aren't half-bad.'
And with that, their conversation dwindled down a little bit as both focused on their meals. French fries and sweet potato fries were traded back and forth across the table. Courtney also talked Koz into trying her fish, which he declared edible but no match to his burger. Which of course led to Courtney taking a bite of the burger to taste. Ketchup squirted out, covering her index finger. Before she could wipe it with the napkin, Koz had taken her hand, put it to his mouth, and gently sucked off the offending condiment.
Koz's mouth was warm and wet and when he sucked on her finger, Courtney felt it to her toes. There were flutterings in her belly, and she was instantly turned on. She looked at Koz's face and noticed his pupils were so dilated his blue eyes were almost all black. And she knew he was seeing the same thing in her eyes. This chemistry between them, it was strong and burning hot. Stronger than anything she'd ever felt before. Koz kept hold of her hand after releasing her finger from his mouth, and they finished their meal with fingers entwined, hands resting on the table top.
Unser was surprised to walk into the diner and see Kozik holding hands with a pretty redhead. He didn't think the guy had an old lady, and this was definitely no SAMCRO floozy from the clubhouse. The two hadn't seen each other since Koz had punched Unser in the jaw. Unser rubbed the faded bruise, knowing that even with the younger man pulling his punch, it had hurt like hell. On impulse, he headed towards the booth.
'Chief Unser, how you doing?' Koz asked the moment he noticed the uniform.
'Fine, thanks. How you doing, Kozik? Haven't had a chance to check in with Tara, she doing okay? Talked to Margaret when they x-rayed my jaw, she's still a little jumpy but seems to be recovering well.'
'Tara's doing good. Probably too busy with the hospital, Abel, and helping at T-M but I'm keeping an eye out for her. How's the jaw; wasn't broke was it?'
'No, just bruised. Hit hard enough to knock me out for a few minutes, that's all.'
'Good thing. Would've hated to see you go down with Jimmy O and Stahl like that. Hey, this is Courtney James, she's taking over for Gemma running the garage office until Gemma's allowed to leave the house. Court, this is Charming's Chief of Police, Wayne Unser.'
'Pleased to meet you, Chief Unser,' Courtney offered her hand to shake with the older man.
'Pleasure is mine. Are you from Tacoma?'
'Coeur D'Alene, actually. I was kind of passing through Charming when my car broke down. Ended up at T-M, mentioned to Tara that I was kind of drifting and looking for a new place to settle and a new job and she mentioned T-M needing an office manager and here I am, Charming's newest resident. That reminds me, I need to fill out change of address with DMV and get registered to vote in California again and all that stuff.'
'Welcome to town, then. Hope you enjoy living here. I'll leave you to finish your dinner. Just wanted to come over and say 'Hi'.'
'You should stop by and visit Gemma soon. I think she's pretty lonely and I know she'd like to see you, make sure for herself you weren't hurt too badly by the True IRA. You know she worries, and she misses Clay and Jax an awful lot.'
'Yeah, I'll do that. Thanks, Kozik. Good night.'
Courtney became silent and thoughtful once the Chief had left. Kozik started to speak, then thought better of it and let her have the chance to think about whatever was now on her mind. She was absently running her thumb over the top of his hand as she finished off the last of her fries. He ate the last bite of his burger, enjoying that he felt comfortable with the silence as much as he had with the earlier chatter. Courtney was deep in thought, but he could tell it wasn't anything bad. Or too bad anyway. He had a feeling that maybe she was trying to figure out how the big bad outlaw MC could be close enough to the chief of police that they would be trading inquires about health and welfare. And that led Kozik into his own thoughtful contemplation of recent events. The quiet was broken a few minutes later by Sheila.
'All done here? Want drink refills or dessert?'
'Not for me, thank you.'
'Just the check Sheila'
'Here you go, Sugar. Have a nice night.'
'Thanks Sheila.'
Koz left a very generous tip, Courtney noticed. He was a nice guy; he had seemed genuinely concerned about the police chief's injured jaw. And throwing out that he should visit Gemma; which seemed like something that would benefit both people. Gemma had certainly seemed lonely the other day. And Courtney didn't think the older man was in good health. Aside from the obvious bruise covering half his face, he had that look and way of carrying himself that she recognized as someone battling a deadly disease. And losing that battle. It didn't seem to make a lot of sense that the local police and outlaw motorcycle club would be on good terms, but the conversation she'd just witnessed proved otherwise. The more she heard, the more people she met, the more confused Courtney was about everything. She was so wrapped in thought, she didn't even realize they had reached Kozik's bike and stopped walking, until the biker put a finger under her chin and tilted her head so he could see into her eyes.
'What's going on in there?' he asked softly.
'Too much. Not enough. I don't know,' Courtney laughed and groaned at the same time. 'I think my mind has been turned to mush due to overstimulation of new information over the past 4 days. I keep thinking these heavy thoughts, but then before I can reach a conclusion, my brain switches to some other topic. I guess I'm suddenly a little scared of how incredibly much my life has changed in less than a week.'
Kozik wrapped her into his arms for a comforting hug, resting his chin on the top of her head and realizing how perfectly she fit against his body. 'It'll be okay. You need to take more time to get used to working the garage; we'll work things out so you can have shorter shifts. By Monday we'll have everything caught up in the shop, and Piney'll be able to do more in the office. Old man don't like it much, but he'll do it. He's been around since the beginning, he can handle it. You get overwhelmed with painting the house; I'll send Miles over to help. Prospect's worth shit at the garage anyway, maybe he'll do better with a paint brush than he does a socket wrench. He can move furniture and shit around for you too. Work on the yard. Whatever you need.'
'But I'm not part of the club. I'm garage only, remember?' came the muffled response.
'Don't matter. Miles and Phil work for T-M; if helping the office manager work on her house helps make the garage run smoothly, then that's going to be part of their job description. Garage business, not club business.'
'If you say so.'
'I do. You might not be able to see it 'cause it's all new to you. But I've been in this life over 20 years. Look at it this way. You got a job at a small, family-owned business. You need help settling into your new life, your new home. The owners, they want you to be happy so you can do a good job for them, right? They got another employee, he's a good guy but not so hot at his job, even though he's learning and tries hard every day. This guy, he gets sent to help you do handiwork at the house. He's still doing work for the business, just in a different way. Maybe he's good at this stuff and it gives him more confidence when he gets back to his real work. If not, nothing's lost, right?'
'Okay, I can see it that way. But can you explain to me how it would be club business not garage business. Because even though I get what you just said and it makes perfect, logical sense and I accept it, I know it can be the other way too. Not trying to be a pain in the ass, swear to God. Just trying to figure things out.'
Koz took a moment before answering. 'Well, I guess if I ordered Miles to paint your house because he's a prospect and I want him to do it because I want in your pants, not because I give a shit if you're focusing on work at T-M. Or maybe the club wants you to do something to help them not related to running the garage, so Opie has the prospects spend the day mowing the grass and trimming trees and shit so you owe SAMCRO a favor. It ain't that easy to explain the differences I guess. But it's there.'
Courtney sighed. 'So what happens after I let you into my pants?'
'What?'
'This thing between us,' Courtney pulled back enough to look into Koz's eyes again. 'It's either gonna die tonight and we'll just be coworkers, or we're gonna be dating, screwing, in a relationship… something. This chemistry, it's something fierce. I've never felt anything so strong with someone I haven't even properly kissed yet. I mean, I've been in a 2-year relationship less intense than the past 2 hours with you. But how does that work, you being involved with an outsider? Can it work?'
Kozik shrugged. 'I don't know. Only Old Lady I had grew up in the club life. Daddy was a patch, Momma was a croweater turned Old Lady. She left me five years ago, said she wanted to try life outside the MC. She's married to some blue collar factory worker in Michigan now. Most guys end up with Old Lady's who were either their high school sweethearts like Tara and Jax, and Opie and his late wife Donna, or they're with a croweater or sweetbutt so much it just turns 'em into an Old Lady eventually. Tara left the life for 10 years and I know it's been difficult for her to figure out how she fits back in. But I can't give you a definitive answer, Courtney. And if that's what you need, I guess we're just gonna be coworkers. If you want to take a chance, I'll do my best to figure things out with you. That's all I can offer you.'
'Yeah, okay. One step at a time?'
'Yeah, something like that. So, you're gonna let me into your pants?' he asked, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Courtney's laugh wasn't as hearty as he'd hoped, but it was a laugh. 'Let's just say chances are excellent, but it ain't happening tonight, Sparky.'
'Don't tell me, let me guess. One step at a time? You're gonna be forcing me to make out with you in the back of your Dad's Chevy before you even let me touch your boob, right? Dry humping at the drive-in? Lots of flowers and chocolate and doing chick stuff? Going shopping with you so I can carry the bags and tell you how hot you look in the clothes you try on?' Koz threw out teasing suggestions as he strapped the helmet back on Courtney's head, again pressing a quick kiss to her lips.
'Something like that,' Courtney agreed, swinging onto the back of the bike. 'Daddy was always a Ford man, though. Don't think he ever owned a Chevy. Did give my first blow job at a drive-in, now that you bring it up.'
'Oh, it's been brought up, darling. You're killing me,' Koz called over the roar of the motorcycle as he pulled out of the diner parking lot, onto the street.
The ride to Courtney's hotel was short. Koz had debated taking an indirect route, just to keep her clinging to his back a little longer, but in the end decided it was time to end their evening and head for the clubhouse and whatever party was happening there. He wasn't going to be taking company with another woman, but he was in the mood for several more drinks and a couple games of pool. Maybe a few rounds in the ring if he was lucky enough to find a willing sparring partner. Losing Half-Sack to death, and Tig, Jax, and Happy to Stockton meant the loss of the guys who could keep up with him in the ring. The Prospect had been small but tough as nails and he really missed the little fucker. Tig wasn't much of a fighter, their bouts were fun because of the hate behind them, not the skill. Jax and Happy were both good in the ring, he liked fighting both of them. And he definitely wanted to let off some steam tonight. Koz killed the engine to his bike, settling the kickstand and getting off after Courtney.
'Just walking you to your door, not even gonna ask for an invitation inside. One step at a time' Koz assured as he watched Courtney unlock the door, but not open it.
Without a word, she turned back around and threw her arms around his neck. Standing on her toes, she glued her mouth to his, pressing her body into him. Koz let her set the tone of the kiss, not opening his mouth until she licked his lips with her tongue, then tugged at his lower lip with her teeth. Her fingers buried themselves in his spiky hair, she tilted her head a little to change the angle of the kiss, sweeping her tongue over the roof of his mouth. Koz let the kiss continue until they were both breathing heavily, and his erection was pressing hard against her. He pushed her against the door, trapping her between the wood and his body, snaking one hand under her shirt to feel the fullness of her breast resting in his palm before running a thumb over her nipple. He heard her moan, felt her press her lower body closer to his, as he took over the kiss. It was hot and heavy and intense and it took every ounce of his control to end it and put some space between them. Koz kissed the tip of her nose, giving her breast a gentle squeeze before slipping his hand back out from under her shirt. He rested his forehead against Courtney's for a minute, as they both struggled to get their breathing and heartbeats under control again.
She flashed him a brilliant smile. 'Think that took care of making out, first boob touch, and that was a good start on dry humping. See you tomorrow?'
'Maybe. If there's nothing pressing that needs taking care of for the club, I'll head over and see how things are going at Tara's dads. Your place. You know what I mean.'
'Right. Thanks for dinner, I had a fantastic time. Have a good night, Sparky.'
'Night, Blaze.'
As she shut and locked the door behind her, Courtney wondered if she'd get any sleep that night. It shouldn't be possible to sleep when she was this horny. And her mind was racing as much as her hormones. But after taking a quick shower and crawling into bed with her laptop, expecting to be surfing the 'net for hours, she felt sleep overtaking her almost immediately. Remembering the final kiss outside her hotel room, Courtney fell asleep with a smile on her face.
