Betad by kitchmill. Mistakes are my own.
Preread by Hoodie.
10
I have to apologize, you guys. I started writing this for fun then it kinda took a therapeutic route, I started rattling and-i-oop! Didn't realize how many chaps I had written that didn't include any Edward interaction :x Anyway … Here you go!
Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!
It wasn't so much a building as it was a house. Three stories high and historic by the looks of it. The wood plank siding had been painted black. The wrap around porch was also black, sat close to the ground, and had no railing.
There were a ton of people standing around outside mingling while drinking their beers. I could have really used one right about now.
A knock on my driver's side window nearly had me jumping through the sunroof. I grabbed my chest, looking over to find Jasper bent sideways at the waist smirking at me.
Gathering myself, I lowered the window.
"Sorry if I scared ya there. I was just out here takin' a leak."
TMI, but okay.
"Didn't recognize the car." He rested his forearm on the frame of the open window. "You here to see Mase?"
It seemed that way. Looking back at the house/biker club, I nodded.
"He's inside. Come on, I'll escort you. These wolves spot a beautiful woman, they're on her like flies on shit."
And to think Alice had the hots for this guy.
Jasper was gentlemanly enough to open my door for me.
"After you." He gestured and I started toward the house, ignoring the whistles and catcalls that followed me.
My phone pinged just before we headed into the house with a message from Emmett, like he knew.
What are you up to tonight? -Emmett
I was instantly annoyed. Why couldn't he just leave me alone and pay attention to his kid?
"He's back there in that corner. Can't see him for the crowd. Can I get you a drink before we head that way?" Jasper asked.
I put my phone on silent and threw it in my purse. "A drink would be great."
"What are we having?"
"A bottle of whatever's cold will be fine." I also wanted a shot of something but it was probably best not to.
Jasper gave a curt nod and turned to the bar beside us while I took a look around.
The inside of the house looked nothing like a house. It was open like an actual bar with booths and tables and a small stage in the back.
If it weren't for being so out of sorts I may had been more impressed by the layout and workmanship that went into the place.
"Here ya go. This buds for you," Jasper said, imitating those dumb commercials.
I cracked a smile for his sake and tapped his bottle with mine. I was probably coming off as a real bitch. If I had been thinking I would have brought Alice to run interference. She was good at the talking thing.
"Mase is gonna be so psyched you came. Don't tell 'im I said but he's really into you. I've never seen him this way. Always been when he hooked up at the rodeo it stayed at the rodeo, ya know? You must be something special." Jasper winked.
I stared at him blankly. "We didn't hook up at the rodeo. Did he tell you we hooked up?"
"Oh, shit. No. I just assumed. Shit. Look, don't tell him I said nothin'. In fact, forget I said anything. Bottom line, he likes you. I know because he's never invited a woman here before. Never. Plus your sassy little friend—"
"Alice?"
"That's the one. I like her. Anyway, she warned me if I let him hurt you she'd have my bald head. But that ain't gonna happen."
"And how do you know that?"
"I've known Mase my whole life. He's as good as they come. Respectful. Loves his mama but not too much." He gave me a look and I knew exactly what he meant.
Mase wasn't a complete mama's boy. It was good to know, I guessed. Though I wasn't planning on getting that deep.
"You're not gonna tell 'im I said anything, are ya?"
"Like what?" I asked.
Jasper gave me a smile and nod. "That-a girl. You're gonna fit in just fine around here." He threw his arm over my shoulder and we headed toward the back.
My stomach took a tumble when I spotted Masen through the crowd. My memory of him had nothing on how handsome he actually was. And that jaw. I could have popped my bottle top off on it.
He was sitting with some other guys, his lanky form folded into a chair and his elbows on the table. The neck of his beer bottle was clutched loosely between the fingers of one hand. He lifted the end to point it at someone, quirking his brow with a closed-mouth smile before taking a drink. Leaning back he put the bottle down on the table, the picture of cool and comfortable. The complete opposite of me. But he didn't seem to mind when he finally spotted me standing there.
"Hey, you came." He stood and embraced me in one fell swoop, catching me off guard. I had forgotten how touchy-feely he had been right off the bat the last time. It was disarming.
He had to bend slightly at the waist in order to wrap his arms around me completely. My arms opened to form a limp T until I breathed him in and slowly melded against him.
It felt so good to be held I almost cried.
All too soon he was pulling away but left his hands on either side of my waist to look me up and down before meeting my eyes.
There was a definite urge on my part to go in for a kiss, but then he turned away to stand beside me. His hand found a home in my back pocket as he introduced me to everybody at the table. When his hand slid out he let it run across my backside before pulling out a chair for me to take a seat.
He sat close to me, that same handsy hand coming to rest on the upper inside of my thigh and leaving me on the verge of spontaneously combusting as I casually sipped on my beer.
I listened while the guys talked, sharing stories about people I didn't know. Masen would clue me in on tiny details to get the gist of things by leaning in close and talking in my ear.
Whether it was conscious or subconscious, Masen's hand gently rubbed my inner thigh, working its way higher.
While these guys were laughing and having a good ole time I was faking amusement, trying to ignore how the ache between my legs was growing. So much so I had to work at not audibly panting.
Once I finished my drink I excused myself to the bathroom, making a pit stop by the bar to throw back a shot of Tequila. I was feeling it by the time I finished peeing. I was really feeling myself while looking in the mirror after washing my hands. My hair was good. Boobs were perky. Belly appeared flat. Yep, taking that shot had turned out to be the absolute best decision I could have made for my self-esteem.
Wiping the corners of my mouth, I exited the bathroom into the darkened corridor. I nearly screamed when someone grabbed me by the waist and pulled me toward them.
Their body was on me as soon as mine was pressed against the wall.
"I haven't stopped thinking about you since you ran out on me the other night."
The tension left my body and I relaxed when I realized it was Masen invading my space. In fact I was perfectly fine with it.
Brushing my hair behind my shoulder, he pressed his mouth to it then kissed his way up the side of my neck. His heavy breath fanned over the sensitive space behind my ear while mine filled the darkened hallway.
He didn't bother pulling back when someone passed us to head into the bathroom and I didn't push him away because honestly, I didn't want to. Running away from him once had been enough. He had me so worked up over the teasing touches under the table earlier, I was ready for him to take me right there, right against the wall.
"Is there a time you need to be back?" he asked.
I shook my head, cuddling it up against the side of his.
"I have a room upstairs for when I come down to stay. It's got a lock." I felt him smile against me and I hummed a laugh. "Would you wanna stay?"
My laughter faded. He pulled his body away from mine, caging me in place to show me what I'd be missing if I didn't.
I nodded.
Leaning in, he brushed his mouth over mine. "Good," he said against my lips. He covered them with a soft kiss, barely pulling away before coming back for another. This time a little harder, a little longer.
Grabbing his T-shirt at the waist, I pulled myself from the wall and melded my body to his. His mouth opened in invitation and I took it, sliding my tongue inside.
My mind went blank. All I could do was feel. Hard muscles, soft lips, and wet tongue that tasted like beer. His fresh, manly scent was all around me.
Before we started ripping each other's clothes off he ended the kiss and grabbed my hand, stopping by the bar for another couple of beers before heading back to our table.
His hand found its way back to my inner thigh while the guys chatted some more about their lives now compared to back then. The majority mentioned kids and their old ladies. A term Masen explained meant they were committed to each other, not necessarily married in the old fashioned sense.
"Mase and Jas here's the only two of us left with no woman, no kids. What are you waiting for, huh?"
Jas snorted. "Honestly, y'all don't exactly make it sound all that worth it."
Mase didn't offer up any thoughts on the matter. Instead he got up, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and excused himself to the bathroom.
The guys seemed to become more interested in me once Masen was absent, shooting questions like where I was from, what I did, if I'd ever been married or had any kids. All information Masen already knew. The only one that really stumped me was if Masen and I were "together" or not.
"I mean, in the technical sense, I guess. I'm here with him tonight."
They all gave me the same look as if to say they couldn't argue with me there then kindly dropped the subject.
"Tell me, Bella, you ever been on the back of a bike?" One of them asked.
"I've never been on one, period."
"No …" All the guys moaned in disbelief in unison.
"Masen." One of the others shouted before he even got back in his seat. "You're tellin' us you haven't given this beautiful bird a ride? What the hell's wrong with you, man?" The man gestured me toward him. "Come on, sweetie. I'll take you for a ride if Mase here ain't man enough to do it."
"Ain't none of you takin' her anywhere," Masen declared, putting his hand back on my inner thigh like he owned it.
I had to confess, I didn't much mind.
"Well, hell then. Let's all go for a ride." The guys all agreed with a round of manly "yeahs."
Masen leaned over to speak into my ear. "What do you say? Feel like going for a ride?"
I turned my head, nearly coming nose to nose with him and smiled.
At this point I'd go anywhere and do anything with him.
