Pack Challenge

Chapter Three

TOC

“You know,” Angelina was quietly stating under her breath to her two friends, “I was just thinking I need to stop by the butcher. Pick up some steak.”

“I could use some sausage,” Sara added. Then she and Angelina began giggling.

“Aren’t you two freaked out by these people just a little bit?” Miki quietly asked.

Sara watched the group interaction. She had to admit, they didn’t act like any motorcycle club she’d ever met before.

A tall, amazing looking man walked over to Casey. His hair was grayer than the woman’s, but it looked premature. There were only a few lines on his face. As soon as Casey saw him she broke out into a huge smile. A smile he returned. But he didn’t kiss her hello. Instead, he brushed his head gently against hers. Nuzzled her under the chin, pulled her hair aside, and licked the wound on the back of her neck.

Angelina missed the moment. She was staring at her hands and muttering about her chipped nail polish. But Miki saw it.

“Okay. Does that freak you out?”

Sara shrugged and answered honestly. “I think it was kinda sweet. Weird, but sweet.” She was used to bikers grabbing their women’s crotches and shoving their tongues down their throats right in the middle of the shop. It always seemed like they were about to take them right there on the show floor. But what she just witnessed, that was affection. Something that she herself had never really experienced with the men she had gone out with over the years. They were nice, but she’d only ever let them get so close. There was never a time that she didn’t have walls up, or as her friends called it “The Armor.” She felt safer with it. But it also kept every well-meaning man at arm’s length.

Another male came in. This one blond and he seemed to be closer to her age. He was as big as a house. Like a blond bear. All muscle and strength. He greeted a few of the females but mostly with a pat on the shoulder or a nod. But when he saw Miki it was like someone hit him over the head with a rock. He looked stunned. He walked into the wall.

Sara looked over at Marrec in an attempt to hide her smile. He had gone over to greet the older biker as Casey spoke quietly to him. When she was done, the two men stared at each other and, finally, shook hands. “Name’s Yates. And I really appreciate this.” Yates said with genuine warmth.

Marrec nodded, “No problem. Just remember whose territory this is.”

Yates smiled at that. “I don’t think that’s a problem.”

Sara and Miki glanced at each other. Sara had never known Marrec to be so territorial before. Bikers came in to his shop all the time, but he never seemed concerned about any of them as he did this group. And these people looked positively kittenish compared to some of the hardcore criminals who’d walked through the doors of Marrec’s business over the years.

Of course, all this had Miki’s major brain power working on hyper drive. And she knew her friend was on the verge of saying something completely inappropriate…again.

Angelina, however, was putting on lip gloss using a mirror customers used to try on sunglasses. Sara had to admit, Angelina didn’t let herself get worked up over stuff she couldn’t control. Although that rather Zen philosophy did take years of court-ordered therapy to obtain.

Sara was thinking it may be time to take Miki out for a coffee or something. Anything to keep her from getting them all killed. Especially when the blond bear started wandering toward her, with the possible intent of trying to talk to her. Miki turned to Sara with a look of pure panic. “Tell me he’s not coming over here.”

“Not everyone is loved by Thor. God of Thunder.”

Miki glared but still couldn’t stifle at laugh, “I hate you.”

Sara grinned and would have helped her friend escape true love, but he walked in.

He had been outside checking out the damaged bike. He was tall. Taller than Yates. Taller than any of them, except for the big blond guy who just kept silently staring at Miki. And he was big. Sara actually wondered how he possibly got those shoulders through the door. And at 6 feet, there were not a lot of men who made her feel small.

Dark brown hair that reached just to his shoulders and swept across his face, practically covering hazel-colored eyes. He had several days’ growth on his chin, and a thick muscular neck that she could spend all day chewing and licking. He was dressed in black jeans, black T-shirt, and a black leather jacket.

He was, simply, the most beautiful man Sara had ever seen in her life. And she wanted him so bad she couldn’t breathe.

He didn’t notice her when he walked in, but everyone else did. The rest of the members stopped talking, stopped shopping, stopped moving. As one, they all lifted their heads and sniffed the air. Then they all turned and looked at Sara.

She couldn’t understand it. She hadn’t done anything. Hadn’t moved. And she’d also stared at Yates when he walked in. Exactly what cued them in to her sudden need to be naked and straddling this guy, she had no idea.

As she pondered this, Angelina leaned over to her, “Um…hon, are we going to need to peel you off that seat?”

Sara, distracted from suddenly being the center of attention, turned to Angelina, “Shut up.”

“You don’t remember him,” Miki admonished, her blond stalker quickly forgotten.

“Remember who?

“Tragic, black leather clad, biker guy over there.”

Angelina started laughing, “Oh, my god, it is him.”

“Who?” Sara snapped.

Sara realized that, after greeting the females of the group, he had finally noticed her. His eyes locked on her and she actually felt her face get hot and the walls of her pussy tighten.

“The good Samaritan,” Miki offered.

“I think your exact words,” Angelina added, “‘Pretty man is all mine.’”

“Just before you stuck your tongue down his throat,” Miki filled in.

“And I believe there was some crotch-grabbing.” Angelina shook her head, “Whore.”

Sara growled at her friends as the insanity from the previous evening came flooding back to her. Too much tequila. Asshole club pigs grabbing her. And the classic Sara-drinking stupidity, where she did something that she ended up regretting the following morning. Apparently, this time her regret was him.

“Oh, hell.”

“But clearly he remembers you,” Angelina giggled.

Of course he did. When a tall, scarred woman calls you a pretty man, and sticks her tongue down your throat—you remember her. And if she had any doubt, the sudden grin on his face pretty much confirmed it.

“Uh-oh,” Angelina whispered.

“He’s headin’ this way,” Miki added.

“I’m in hell.” Sara began to search for something, anything to do. But she was too distracted to focus. Her nipples had hardened. Her pussy was on fire. And she kept wondering what he looked like naked.

Naked with his head between her thighs.

Jesus Christ! What was wrong with her?

“Hi.” His voice was so deep she felt like he had just run a finger up her naked back. He leaned against the counter, and lowered his head so that they were eye to eye.

“Howdy!” Angelina piped up. A big smile on her beautiful face.

“Hey, y’all!” Miki offered, her Texan accent suddenly ten times thicker than normal.

Sara hated them both. A lot.

But she wasn’t going to let some guy freak her out. Sara looked up, a greeting on her lips. But it caught in her throat.

He was staring at her—well, more like smirking—with those eyes, and really it was all she could do to stop herself from giving him a hickey on that thick neck of his.

“Remember me? I’m your…what was it? Oh, yeah, I’m your pretty man. But I never quite got your name.”

Sara could actually feel her face getting red when the entire room erupted into laughter.

But before she could say a word…or punch, him in the face…Yates, interrupted. “All right people, let’s saddle up. Julie, we’ll pick up your new bike tomorrow.”

Marrec came back behind the counter and Angelina moved out of the way, so that he could get to the safe her long legs were in front of.

“You three,” Casey was now standing next to Sara’s deepest, darkest fantasies and she didn’t like it one damn bit. In fact, she wanted to punch the shit out of her for standing way too close to him, which was clearly not a rational response when she didn’t even know the guy. “Because you were so helpful today,” Casey continued, “I’d like to invite you to a little party we’re throwing tomorrow night out near that big park off the state highway.”

“Kingsley Park?” Angelina practically knocked crouching-Marrec over to get closer to Casey. The woman did love a good party.

“Yeah, that’s it.” Casey confirmed. “I think you guys will have a good time.”

“Or,” Miki interjected flatly, “You could just cut our throats and leave us for dead now so we don’t have to make the trip.”

Sara knew she was now completely ignored. Miki and her mouth had thankfully stolen the spotlight once again.

Everyone was staring at Miki. Except her pretty man. He was still staring at Sara’s face, but he did raise an eyebrow at Miki’s comment.

Marrec snapped to a standing position, “Miki!”

“What?” She asked with that damned innocent smile.

Marrec took a deep breath, something the older man often did around Miki. “You guys, go to the party. Have a great time. I will personally vouch for these people.”

Angelina answered for the three of them, “We’ll be there.”

“Great. 10:00 tomorrow night. See you then.” Casey walked out of the store, the females following her, all loaded down with bags of Harley- and Marrec’s Choppers-branded clothes.

“Let’s go, gentleman. We’ve got beer to buy.” The men moved out, but Yates waited. “Zach, let’s hit it.”

Zach stared at Sara for a few more moments. Straightened up and followed Yates to the door. “Tequila, right?” Sara watched him as he moved, she couldn’t help herself; the man had an amazing ass. “That’s your drink of choice?”

Then he was gone.

“Sara’s got a hottie on her tail.” Angelina was practically frothing at the mouth.

“More like a biker…and they’re on the List.” Miki pointed out.

“Fuck the List! She needs to get laid.” Angelina barked back.

Miki sighed, “Not if her last fuck will be a train pulled by some scumbag motorcycle club.”

“Okay!” Sara grabbed them both by the shoulder. “Marrec here is as close as I’ve had to a father since I was eight. I would really appreciate the two of you not discussing me and fucking in the man’s presence. Do you think you two could handle that?”

Miki and Angelina were silent for a moment. But it was just a moment.

“Did you see the bulge in the man’s pants? He’s packing major heat and it’s for her!”

“He’s on the List!”

She was much prettier than he remembered. And sweeter. She actually blushed when he looked at her. She wasn’t all that innocent, though. He smelled her lust from fifty feet away—as did everyone else. What surprised him even more was his body’s immediate response to it. To her. What was wrong with him? The woman wasn’t anything to him.

Let her fight this battle on her own. Why was he even here?

“Cute, huh, Zach?” Casey was sitting behind Yates. Her arm around her mate’s torso, her head leaning on his shoulder.

“You’re leaving your bike here?”

“Marrec will take care of it. So, what do you think?”

“I think that with all due respect, you should back the fuck off.”

Casey grinned, “Don’t take it out on me because you’re afraid to make a move.”

“Afraid to make a move? Really?” Zach shook his head, “I wish I could figure out what you’re up to.” He turned and looked at Yates’ mate. The alpha female of his pack. Affectionately known by him as the bitch from hell. “You’ve never given a shit about what I stick my dick in to before, why do you suddenly care now?”

“I don’t. I only care about the Pack. And, unfortunately, that includes you.” She flashed him a grin as Yates started his bike.

“So what exactly are you hoping I’ll do?”

Casey shrugged, “Follow your instincts.”

Zach Sheridan watched them pull out, annoyed that his mother raised him not to hit women in the face.

He walked to his bike and stopped. He looked back through the glass windows into the store. She was using her arms to haul herself onto the counter. What strength she lacked in her one leg, she made up for in the rest of her body. She lifted her legs, twisted her butt around, and slid down off the case so that she was in front of the counter. Her two friends seemed to be arguing, and she was standing between them. She was clearly trying to stop the fight, but the two women were in full swing. Finger pointing had just begun.

Zach straddled his bike, but he couldn’t resist looking back one more time. Apparently she had gotten tired of the fight. She grabbed both her friends by the face and shoved them in opposite directions. Zach laughed, causing Conall, who had been waiting for him, to stare.

“Those women are crazy.”

“Yeah,” Conall agreed. “But so cute.”

Zach turned to his big, blond friend. He had grown up with Conall and knew exactly what he liked, “The little black one, right?”

“Zacharias, I don’t notice color.”

“Maybe not. But you noticed the tight ass in those jeans.”

“Yes. That I did notice.”

“Did you also happen to notice the mouth that ass was attached to?”

“There’s nothing wrong with having an opinion.”

“If that logic helps you get through the night…”

“She’d help me get through the night.”

“Shame she didn’t even notice you were in the room.”

“Unlike yours. Jesus, I thought she was going to mount you right there.”