Haley
I’d been to Thunder From Down Under and Chippendales shows in Vegas with my girlfriends. I’d seen male models do photoshoots for romance novel covers. Hell, I’d even seen the BUD/S classes running on the beaches of California. I’d viewed my share of ripped, sexy men. And none of those experiences even came close to the two men in the living room of that cabin.
They’ve gotta be brothers.
Michael the dark to his companion’s light, they both had strong jaws, broad shoulders, huge biceps and thick thighs. Michael wore surprise and chagrin, while the nearly-bald man’s lips curled into an amused smirk.
He rolled to his feet and held out his hand. “When my brother remembers more than your name, I’m sure he’ll introduce us. Name’s Luke.”
His warm hand closed around me and some of my sleepiness faded as I looked into his blue eyes. There was wisdom and weariness in them along with the amusement, and despite his snarky attitude, I liked him.
“Haley Michaels. Nice to meet you.”
“Haley Michaels?” He shot a look at Michael with raised eyebrows before turning back to me. “The pleasure’s mine. I understand you’re a reporter.”
I shrugged as he released me. “Of fluff pieces mostly, but I won’t be doing that forever. What do you do for the Concrete Angels?”
He flopped back into the chair he’d left. “Odd jobs here and there. I’m their nomad and I go all over.”
I nodded. Michael still hadn’t said anything, but his intensity had ramped up as soon as his brother shook hands with me. When the silence stretched, I cleared my throat and pushed the hair out of my eyes.
“I’m just gonna get my phone and call my friends to let them know I’m okay.”
There was a pause as Luke looked at Michael, but my guardian angel seemed to be keeping his silence.
“Uh, yeah, good plan. We’ll let you do that.” Luke rolled his eyes as Michael just watched me kinda like a deer in headlights.
Great, now I’ve stupefied him.
I nodded and headed back to the roll-top secretary. The phone sat fully charged and didn’t seem to be messed with. Of course it had been dead and he didn’t know my passcode to get in. Not that he couldn’t have hacked his way in. Stop living in the 20th Century.
I snagged the phone and powered it up, trying to ignore the two silent men in the room. Why weren’t they talking? What had they been talking about before I came out? Why don’t you ask her? That had been the last thing Luke said before Michael turned around. Ask me what?
“Looks like it’s fully charged.” I held up the phone and gave them my patented polite smile. “I’m gonna call from the bedroom.”
“Yeah, good.” Luke had gotten to his feet again and elbowed Michael.
“Uh, right. Good.” His words came out in staccato bursts and I wondered why he’d suddenly lost his ability to speak.
“Yeah, okay.”
I nodded as I hurried back to the bedroom, closing the door behind me. I shook my head and sat down on the bed with a large flower print against a white background. Seemed like an odd choice for the VP of a badass biker club, but somehow it fit Michael’s personality as far as I knew him.
Which isn’t at all and you need to call Tori or at least Jeff to let them know you’re okay.
I’d call them both. I took a deep breath and clicked on Jeff’s contact number in my phone, grimacing at how late it was.
The phone rang twice before a groggy voice muttered, “Hello?”
“Jeff? It’s Haley.”
“Haley? What time is it?”
I shook my head even if he couldn’t see it. “I dunno. Some time after three, I guess. I’m sorry to call you so late but I wanted to tell you I’m okay.”
“Okay?” His voice sharpened and rustling sounded in the background as he sat up in bed. “Why would you need to tell me that? What happened?”
I didn’t want to mention the murder I’d witnessed just in case the killers came looking for me. “Carl went off with someone else—several someone elses—and left me hanging. Then the cops showed up and this guy gave me a ride to his place.”
“Are you fuckin’ crazy, Haley?” Anger and fear threaded through his voice. “You went home with some random guy?”
When he put it like that, it sounded worse than I’d thought. “Yeah. Uh, he saw me come out of the building and gave me a ride to Jitters. But then I slipped and fell in the street and he saved me from getting hit by a car, and—”
“Holy shit, Haley. You’re not hurt, are you?” More rustling came from his side of the phone. It sounded like he’d gotten out of bed.
“No, I’m fine.”
“Okay. Hold on just a little longer. I’m on my way.”
“No!” I bit my lips, the word coming out far more harshly than I intended. “No, that’s okay. I’m fine, really. And there’s a raging snowstorm going on out there. No need to get yourself in an accident over this.”
“It’s barely flaking out there. Tell me where you are and I’ll come get you.”
“Jeff, seriously, I’m safe where I am and as soon as the storm stops, I’ll be able to come home.”
“Where are you, Haley?” When Jeff used that tone of voice, it saved a lot of pain and suffering to just answer him.
“I’m at the Concrete Angels’ compound in the mountains.”
A long ominous pause came from the other side of the phone. I could tell Jeff was still there by his breathing. Thank goodness he was still breathing because I’m sure I stopped his heart with that little piece of information.
“Oh my glory, Haley. Those people are criminals! Have you lost your damn mind?”
I wanted to argue the point about the Concrete Angels being criminals, but I didn’t have any proof that they weren’t. We’d all heard the rumors and seen some of the news reports. And hell, the FBI and Marshals had been investigating them for years. That can’t be good.
But Michael had done nothing to hurt me and he’d saved me twice tonight. Whatever else the Concrete Angels were, they weren’t completely evil. They were the ones to bring in all those kids and women who’d been sexually assaulted like Jeff.
“I promise I’m safe and I know what I’m doing.” I didn’t remotely know what I was doing, but I didn’t want Jeff to come up here in the storm. “As soon as the storm is done and the roads are safe, I’ll call you to come get me.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Yeah, I am, Jeff. Trust me, will ya?”
A loud sigh gusted through the phone. “You’re the only family I have who cared about what happened to me. Everyone else swept it under the rug and tried to ignore it. I can’t lose you, Haley. What if something happens to you and I did nothing?”
“I promise to come back in a dream and tell you it wasn’t your fault.”
“That’s not funny.”
“It was kinda funny.” Apparently not enough to make him snort. “I’ll be fine. The guy who brought me here has treated me well and my gut says he’s a man of his word.”
Jeff snorted. “That famous gut of yours. You keep telling me about it. Has it ever been wrong?”
“Not as of yet.”
He sighed again. “Okay, Haley. But keep your phone charged and handy. And if you need me, I’ll be there, snow or no snow.”
I smiled at his vehemence. “I know you will, Jeff. Thanks.” I took a deep breath. “How are you doing these days? Things starting to improve?”
Yeah, it was three in the morning. Yeah, I asked him these questions every other day. But I wanted to be present when the positive change happened.
“No, not really, and you’re not going to distract me from this. I’m serious about coming to get you.”
“I’m not trying to distract you.”
“Then why do you ask me the same questions over and over?”
I shrugged even if he couldn’t see it. “Because I love you and I want to make sure you’re okay. And I want you to know I’m thinking about you, sending good thoughts and blessings, and hoping that your breakthrough will be sooner rather than later.”
He sighed. “Thanks, Haley. I love you, too. But I don’t know if there’ll ever be a breakthrough. We might have to concede that this is the new normal and the best it’s gonna be.”
“I don’t believe that.” I knew it was a senseless and stubborn thing to say, but despite my jaded reporter’s exterior, I was a romantic at heart and believed in happily-ever-after. “I know it won’t be like this forever. Of course I don’t have the magic bullet to kill your demons, but my gut tells me you’re gonna find your balance, Jeff.”
“Your famous gut again, huh?” He sounded weary but reluctantly hopeful.
“Damn straight.”
He sighed again. “All right, then. Keep yourself safe and watch your back. Lock the bedroom door or something. And call or text me in the normal morning hours so I know you’re still fine.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t going to pull the ‘white knight’ move and come up to the compound in the storm.
“I will. Get some sleep and sorry I woke you.”
“I’m glad you did. Take care of yourself and I talk to you in the morning.”
“Okay. Love you, Jeff.”
“Love you, too. Good night.”
“Night.”
I ended the call and sighed. I really needed to get some sleep, but it seemed rude to ignore my host and his brother outside in the living room. I set my phone on the bedside table and headed back out to the main room.
The room sat in darkness and Luke had gone. I found Michael asleep in his Papasan chair, his feet propped up on the coffee table with a pillow under his heels. He snored softly, his chest rising and falling at an even rate. His arms lay crossed over his chest as if trying to stay warm.
I found a throw blanket draped over the other chair and picked it up to spread over him. It was the least I could do since he’d given me his bed. I made sure the blanket covered him from neck to knees but paused before I left him. Jeff was right to be suspicious of the Concrete Angels, but my gut said Michael was one of the good guys and I was safe with him.
I made sure the door was locked and the security chain was latched before I headed back to the bedroom. I didn’t want anyone surprising him before we were both awake enough to deal with it.
That’s ironic. Locking the door to make sure we’re safe. I snorted. I wasn’t remotely safe from Michael if he wanted to try anything. But I hadn’t been lying when I told Jeff I trusted him. I grimaced at my party dress as a nightgown, but I didn’t have anything else and there was no way I’d sleep naked. Now if Michael was in the bed with me...
I rolled my eyes as I slid under the covers that smelled like him. That would have to do because sleeping with him was out of the question.
****
Haley
Daylight found me crusty-eyed with a good case of cotton-mouth, but I was surprisingly rested. As promised, no one had disturbed me during the night and the bedroom door remained closed. The scents of coffee and food found their way into the room and my stomach rumbled with hunger. I hadn’t eaten anything since before the disastrous party and my body reminded me of it in no uncertain terms.
I slid out of the bed and rubbed my eyes, heading for the bathroom. I might not be able to take a shower, but I could at least wash my face and wet back my hair. The clip I’d worn would keep it out of my eyes. Once I was more or less presentable, I shuffled out to the main room and stopped.
Michael stood in the kitchenette with his back to me. All of his back. He wore a pair of sweats and nothing else, showing off the strong lines of his back and shoulders. Tattoos covered both arms and the top of his shoulders. He even had a Tramp Stamp right above his ass.
I’d never thought of myself enamored of ink, but on Michael it made my mouth water. I was so stuck on the beauty of his ink and muscle that I missed when he turned and looked at me.
“Good morning. How’d you sleep?”
I blinked, pulling my attention back to his face rather than his sexy body. “Uh, good. You know, as well as I could in a party dress. How did you sleep? Those chairs can’t be that comfortable.”
He shrugged and handed me a steaming mug of coffee. The set of angel wings tattoo over his heart flapped with his motion. “It was comfortable enough. I sent my brother over to the clubhouse to deliver us hot breakfast when Grub finishes cooking. I expect him to return with plenty of goodies.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Such as?”
“He should be bringing eggs, breakfast sausage, and some sort of pastry.” Michael gave me a lazy smile. “I made the coffee and tea, and I have some smoked salmon if that’s your preference.”
“Actually, my preference would be to get out of this party dress and into something more comfortable and warm.”
He nodded and ambled out of the kitchenette to a pile of clothing on one of his bar stools. “Luke dropped these by before getting breakfast. It’s just a T-shirt and sweats from Dollhouse, but they should fit well enough.” He handed the pile to me.
“Dollhouse?” I set my coffee down before taking the clothing.
“One of our members. She’s about your size.”
I frowned. “Is she Luke’s old lady?”
Michael’s eyes widened. “No, definitely not. She’s the club’s architect and resource manager. She’s no one’s old lady.”
“Do you have an old lady?” I have no idea where the question came from. I mean, I wasn’t interviewing for the job. But the words slipped out before I could call them back.
He smiled. “Not yet.”
Oh, damn, maybe I was interviewing for the job. Relief cascaded through me with the idea that he was single and I gave myself a mental head-slap. I am not looking for a bad boy boyfriend. Even if he was as sexy as sin and yet filled with genuine goodness.
I cleared my throat. “I’m gonna go change into these.”
“Right.”
I nodded and skittered back to the bedroom. It was a relief to get out of the party dress and I considered just throwing it away. While it had been an expensive purchase, the memories of what happened weren’t the best and I’d just as soon not be reminded. Yeah, that’d be no fun. I dumped the dress into a pile on the floor as I slipped into the T-shirt and sweats. They settled over my body with a soft caress and I sighed with relief.
I used the bathroom to check out my reflection and hoped Michael was in a charitable mood. I looked like I’d spent some time in a wind-tunnel. I’d heard the “wind blown” look was sexy, but I didn’t think I’d qualify for that particular adjective. I appeared more dazed and confused than sexy.
Shaking my head, I returned to the living room. Michael still hadn’t gotten dressed, which was a good thing, and Luke had arrived with breakfast, another good thing. The breakfast, not Luke, though he was pretty damn fine to look at, too.
“Good morning, Haley. Sleep well?” Luke raised a suggestive eyebrow but I just shrugged and nodded.
“Need my coffee.” I reached for my neglected mug and Michael’s hand brushed mine as he handed it to me. “Thanks.” I tried to ignore the tingle of excitement from the contact, but his divine beauty rocked my world.
“Luke brought us some of Grub’s best crepes.” Michael held up a plate full of thin pancakes folded around strawberries and cream, and my mouth watered.
“Seriously? You have a chef in your biker gang?”
“We’re not a gang, we’re a club, and just because we ride Harleys and dress in denim doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate fine cooking.” He kicked his booted feet up on Michael’s coffee table and sipped his coffee with his pinky finger in the air. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Point taken. Note to self: the Concrete Angels eat better than ordinary humans.”
I grinned but I caught an odd look shared between the two men and wondered why their shoulders had stiffened. And what nice shoulders they are. Still, I filed the reaction away for further consideration and sat down at Michael’s small kitchen table to eat.
I took a bite and damn near melted out of my chair. It was a foodgasm on the plate. I moaned as soon as it hit my taste buds and both men’s gazes flew to me. Luke wore amusement but Michael’s expression turned downright predatory. I shivered, not sure if I felt excitement or unease.
“And that’s my cue to head out.” Luke rolled to his feet, making me blink in surprise. “I gotta go tune my bike. The snow always makes it bitchy, and nothing’s worse than a Harley bitch. I’ll catch you later, Michael. Enjoy your breakfast, Haley.” He winked and let himself out the door.
I blinked. “What just happened?”
Michael reached out to take my plate from my hands. “I think he’s trying to give me time to do this.” He set the plate aside, cupped my face, and kissed the hell out of me.
At first, I froze. Surprise overrode all the other reactions. But as his tongue slid between my gaping lips, I whimpered and wrapped my arms around his chest, pulling him against me.
He tasted like strawberries and cream crepes, and sexy, divine masculinity. The perfect combination to melt my heart and rev my engine. The scrape of his tongue against mine lit my body on fire and I tried to get closer.
One thing stopped me. The hard ridge of erotic muscle pressed against my mound.
Oh sweet glory, I want him.
Hell yeah, I did. And this was my choice. I was going to take what I wanted and he didn’t seem inclined to say no. Jeff worried that Michael would take advantage of me, but I was all ready to take advantage of him.
I forced myself to pull back and meet his deep brown eyes.
“Take me to bed, Michael.”
“But breakfast—”
“Can wait. This can’t.” I tugged him toward the bedroom and hoped I hadn’t pushed things too far. Please say yes.
He tugged backward against my pull and waited until I’d met his gaze.
“Are you sure, Haley?”
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
He bit his bottom lip and dipped his head. “It was just one kiss.”
I tilted my head and raised an eyebrow. “Was it? Maybe you should try again, just to be sure.”
He growled and reeled me into his embrace again, taking my lips greedily. I met his kiss this time with my own desperate need, wanting his flavor flooding my mouth. There’s another way to get his flavor in my mouth. Oh yeah, my inner alley cat was making a comeback.
He kissed me like he hadn’t kissed anyone in way too long and the idea made me unreasonably happy. I wanted him for myself, and that included all his attention. No time for ex-lovers to be making an appearance, even in memory.
When at last he pulled back, we were both out of breath.
“Haley, if we do this, there’s something you must know about me.”
Oh no, not the ‘there’s something you must know’ excuse.
I placed my hand on his lips to stop his words. “Are you married?”
He shook his head.
“Do you have a long-term girlfriend?”
He shook his head again.
“Some really bad disease?”
He laughed. “No.”
“Then there’s nothing I need to know. Unless you don’t want me.”
The look he shot me as he gestured to his tenting pants was drier than the Gobi Desert. “Oh, I definitely want you.”
“I thought so. So there’s nothing you have to tell me.” I dragged him into the bedroom and stopped at the bed. “I just want your full attention and efforts on making love with me. What do you say?”
He growled and the scents of freshly baked bread with rosemary and basil hit my nose just before he grasped the hem of my T-shirt and drew it over my head.
“I say you have all of me, love, and there will never be another for me.” Then he buried his face in my boobs.
It was an odd thing to say so early in our relationship, but I wasn’t going to argue with him when he’d wrapped his lips around one of my nipples. The wet heat of his mouth on my breast made me moan and drop my head back.
“Oh, glory, Michael. Don’t stop.”
I wasn’t sure he heard me or not, but I was done worrying. Time to just enjoy.