Riders - The Road To Ruin (I) Read online

  And that's what they were about to get.

  Chapter Three

  All eyes were trained upward, as Maggie started to cast off her clothing. She wrapped herself round the pole, tossing items at the male audience, to a cacophony of appreciative and loud whooping sounds.

  I had to admit, she was good... real good... teasing the poor guys to the point of insanity.

  I cast a glance at her fabulous red velvet underwear with its black lace ruffles. It was truly gorgeous. Riders wasn't a strip club, they always kept their underwear on. As well as the pole dancers, Mickey hired class acts now and then... live bands... comedy... singers.

  Kelly cleaned her end of the bar as I finished cleaning mine, working up to Maggie's space.

  I'd picked up a lot of tips watching Kelly. She'd been working here for years and handled the bottles, ice and glasses like a pro. But that was all I admired about her.

  She was a prize bitch.

  Kelly sauntered up to me, giving me a scathing up and down look. She obviously didn't care too much for my cheerleader look. Neither did I care too much for her fishnets and thigh-boots.

  “You look kinda stupid, honey. Where's your sense of style, stuck in tenth grade?” I was seething, but kept my cool.

  “I'm diluting the hooker uniform, something you might want to consider, seriously,” I replied, giving her much the same look as she'd given me.

  “Oh, now listen to you... you think you're so much better than me, don't you?”

  “I don't know, should I?” But I did think being a nice girl, who'd only ever slept with one guy in her twenty years, and studying the law, sat a good shelf higher in life than a bar hooker.

  She stood there, all wild hair and attitude, glaring at me. Not that I cared. I didn't particularly want to be friends with prostitutes, especially her. She was the worst kind of all because she didn't have a nice bone in her body. I could overlook the tart if she had some kind of heart.

  I turned away and loaded the washer with the dirty glasses, switching it on for a quick wash. Joshua was hugging the bar, close by my side, watching Maggie fake an orgasm. He had a very appealing little smile hovering on his lips.

  I did my best to ignore his appeal and got on with my work.

  “Hiya babe, how's things?” Kelly asked him, her eyes doe-like and her lashes batting away like crazy.

  “Cool, always cool, Kells, you know me.”

  “If there's one thing you ain't, is cool, Joshua Lyle,” she giggled. “... and hot don't come close.”

  He smiled at her, obviously agreeing one hundred percent, and swigged down a mouthful of beer.

  I wondered if he'd ever been with her. I expect he'd had all the good looking girls in the bar. And she was good looking, albeit in an obvious way.

  A few seconds later, he leaned across the bar, beckoning for me to come close.

  I took in the cool fragrance of biker badass and the amazing good looks, and felt a heavy stirring of desire. I tried to beat it back, but it was like a forest fire, spreading out of control, little embers whipping alight in my brain.

  “Wanna know something?”

  “I won't know till you tell me.”

  “You're beautiful.” He disarmed me with his words, and his eyes drew me in. A swarm of surprised but thrilled butterflies invaded my stomach, adding fuel to the fire.

  “Oh, well thank you,” I muttered graciously, with a small but genuine smile.

  “I noticed you started here last weekend. I'd have come over, but I was kinda busy.”

  “Yeah, I noticed,” I snorted, smothering a laugh.

  “It was my birthday, y'know?”

  “Cool. Get any presents?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Presents? Hell no. A few drinks from the guys, that's all,”

  “Aww, shame, no card, cake and candles?”

  He laughed. “I ain't one for any kind of fuss, I like things simple.” He licked his lips and traced his finger over my hand as it rested on the bar top. Every part of me heated up like a torch. I was very annoyed with myself, for responding so full on to him. He was a man-whore and I was a very respectable girl for crissakes.

  “Yeah, just drinks and a blow-job. What more do you possibly need for a great birthday, huh?” I slipped my hand away and gave him two thumbs up, a wink and a click of my tongue.

  His resounding, throaty chuckle and hot grin fanned my flames.

  “I was kinda trashed, I hardly noticed...”

  “Really? You didn't notice? Maybe Christie should work on her technique. I'll have a word later.”

  He slapped the bar with his hand, his laughter coming from deep inside him. I couldn't help but giggle and break into a wide smile of my own.

  “You're a fun girl. Wanna share a smoke outside? Let's go talk and get to know each other some more.” His eyes flared sexily.

  That was a definite no-go.

  I was sure Joshua Lyle was the kind of guy who liked to get to know you intimately first and talk after.

  “In case you haven't noticed, I'm at work.”

  “I'll have a word with Mickey? Get you my side of the bar for a while. You can come work on me, personally,” he smirked.

  “No! Don't.” I said panicking. I could quite easily imagine Mickey forcing me into a situation where I had to do something I didn't want to, just to keep Charlie Lyle's son happy.

  “What's the problem?” He probed my eyes with his.

  “You are,” I muttered quietly to myself, “No problem, just busy, you know... now if you don't mind, I have other customers to talk to and a hundred glasses to dry. You go hang with your badass gang. They're missing you.” I said, and shooed him away with my hand. As the words left my lips, and I glanced their way, I noticed they weren't missing him at all. His hot pal Kicker, who had an awesome scar on his forehead, was in a tight hip and lip-lock with Cherry, and the other two; whose names I didn't know, were being entertained by three girls, all vying for their attention. There were perfectly manicured hands all over their shoulders, arms and thighs...trying to get a prime handful of Rider guy.

  He cast a glance over his shoulder and turned back with a lazy grin.

  “They're doing just fine.”

  “Go join the party. Get some Friday night action in.”

  “Not my scene. Not that kind of guy.”

  Based on my intuition, what I heard and seen, I seriously doubted that was true. But I wanted to hear a little more of his lies in any case. I put down my dish towel, giving him my full attention. “So what kind of guy are you? I'm dying to know.”

  He paused for a few seconds grabbing an good eyeful of my tits and navel.

  “What kind of guy am I? Hmmm, let me think...”

  He scratched his chin and rimmed his teeth with his tongue, sexily. His eyes snagged mine. His penetrating gaze did things to me, forcing me to stare, unable to look away. My stomach fluttered and rolled. I couldn't get over his affect on me.

  “I'm honest... hardworking... fun-loving... pretty damn good with my hands...” he smirked, “and...” he beckoned with his finger for me to come closer. I leaned down on the bar to catch the rest of his great lying revelation.

  His hand slipped round the back of my head, grabbing my pony tail and twisting it tightly, imprisoning my head. A few seconds later, the softness of his lips crushed against mine.

  He really turned me on, but I swallowed my moan of excitement before it left my mouth.

  A raging fire lit inside me and my heart rate shot into the stratosphere.

  He was hot sex. Very hot sex. Fucking nuclear sex.

  As he kissed me, I was powerless to stop him. I loved every sensual second his lips were on mine. But at that moment, I hated myself for being such a walkover.

  I'd been kissed a fair few times, but no kiss had ever affected me anything like this before. If teasing my lips, softly nipping, and stroking his mouth over mine produced this kind of reaction, I seriously doubted my ability to defend myself against him, if he pushed
it somewhere private.

  For the first time I understood what my mom meant, when she'd said she found bad boys irresistible. It appeared I was attracted to them as well.

  He broke away, leaving me breathless and steaming as he spoke into my ear. “...I'm very choosy.”

  “So am I. Go choose someone else, mister,” I gasped.

  “Uh-uh.. “ he shook his head. “I've made my choice and it's you.”

  He removed his hand from my hair with a smug grin on his face.

  I was angry and confused, as a result of the conflicting emotions I was experiencing. I wanted him so bad, but I hated that fact. And I hated his assumption I was a done deal; his for the taking, but at the same time found it so arousing he wanted me.

  My anger won out. “Go find another cow for your herd, stud,” I snapped.

  He raised his eyebrows at me. “I don't have a herd, but I can rope you in, dead... easy...”

  He turned and cockily wandered the few yards back to his guys.

  Ooooh!

  He needed to be taken down a peg or two.

  I was now more than angry with myself for wanting him, and angry that I'd let him do that. What was the matter with me?

  I'm only human. It's a severe case of lust, that's all. I'll get over it.

  But I knew I needed to give him a wide berth, to ignore and avoid him until he got bored and moved on to someone more accommodating. I popped a piece of ice in my mouth to cool my anger and passion, and tidied up my wrecked pony tail which was now positioned on the side of my head.

  Christie appeared at his side, and she hung on his arm, possessively, but I noticed he was looking my way as he spoke to her. His tongue traveled sexily round his lips as he caught my eye, like he was tasting and reliving that kiss, and his body language was only too clear. He was roping me in, alright.

  He mouthed a kiss at me, slowly and sexily and I flamed even more. My thoughts were bordering obscene. Thoughts of him smothering my naked body with his, pinning me down, taking me hard and fast, saying my name, his breath hot in my ear.

  I moaned, silently.

  I really needed to get myself in check. This was ridiculous.

  Anger rose within me like a storm. I wasn't allowing this to go on a minute longer.

  He smiled, a very persuasive smile, his eyes flaring meaningfully, and he cocked his head toward the back door.

  I had the perfect opportunity to sort him out. My feet began walking to the end of the bar and out the door.

  I looked over my shoulder to find he'd dumped Christie. She stood open mouthed as he left her in close pursuit of me. I didn't think this would endear me to her much. But at that moment I didn't care about that. I had something to say.

  I paced to the end of alleyway, behind the kitchen, and turned to face him. I wasn't short at five six, but he was much taller and such an overpowering presence.

  For a moment I forgot why I was there, as I admired the way he filled out his fitted black jeans so perfectly and how his tight black T-shirt hugged his shoulders and muscular arms.

  Much as I wanted to sort him out, and tell him to take a long ride down the road to fucking nowhere, I could feel a big, bad mistake coming on.

  But thank God I had a blinding vision which saved me from making my mistake. I thought of my mom and all her bad mistakes and that hardened my resolve pretty damn fast.

  “So... you wanna go on a date?”

  I was pretty sure I knew what he wanted and it wasn't a date.

  “No thanks.” I shook my head.

  He looked confused, like he'd never heard the word no, and I was speaking in a foreign language to him.

  “A date... you know... that old fashioned concept where a guy and girl go out somewhere and have a good time together.”

  “Sorry, but I'm way too busy.”

  “Tell me when you're not busy.”

  “My diary's completely full for the next two years.”

  “Two fucking years?”

  “Aha...”

  He scratched his head, grinning at me, like he really couldn't believe I was turning him down.

  He took his black iPhone out of his back pocket and placed it in my hand. “C'mon, stop fucking me around, playing hard to get, gimme your number, babe.”

  I enjoyed the warm feel of it, all hot-ass-phone.

  “Sorry, but no, you can't have it.” I handed his cellphone back.

  He stared at me, looking seriously pissed off as I stood there defiantly with my hands on my hips.

  He must have decided mere words weren't persuasive enough, he needed to employ his whole mouth and his body to win me over, because the next moment he moved in on me.

  Did I push him away? No. The resist button in my brain was instantly deactivated.

  I melted all over him like ice cream on a hot cake.

  His lips met mine and I heated up rapidly at his touch, wanting him so very badly. So much so, that I throbbed and ached inside.

  He drew back and looked into my eyes, gauging my reaction.

  “Kiss me all night, it won't change a goddamn thing. I won't go on a date you.”

  “Yes you will,” he breathed into my ear, confidently. His mouth trailed up and down my neck scorching little circles of fire. In seconds I tipped into an uncaring needy state of insanity, my skin searing hot and my breath coming in tortured, gasping little puffs of air.

  “I don't even like you,” I protested, feebly.

  With a deep groan, the sound of which sent me shooting up in flames, he covered my protest with his mouth, and started to kiss me slowly and thoroughly. My toes curled in pleasure and everything contracted inside my belly.

  Oh no. Not a slow, killer kiss...

  He dragged my response out of me, with softly moving lips and a touch of tongue. My head exploded with desire as he nipped at my mouth and sucked my bottom lip. This guy could kiss. I mean really kiss.

  With a breathy sigh of pure pleasure, my arms slipped tightly around his waist.

  His tongue entered my mouth, conquering and possessing.

  At that moment I wasn't aware of anything in the world but the feel of him pressed against me and his tongue stroking mine; the rush of sensations flooding and overpowering me; the fire burning in my belly and an unholy ache inside my core.

  My stomach and legs turned to liquid.

  It was much too arousing and he was much too good at it.

  I kissed him back, hard and passionately, clutching at his hair, messing it up. My other hand slipped to his ass, as I ground into him, in wild abandon. I was intoxicated by him, my senses drugged and at his command.

  He broke away abruptly, his breath heavy and fast.

  His eyes were full of fire, passion and mischief.

  “So you don't like me huh?”

  His fingers stroked my face softly.

  I was ship wrecked on his shore as I looked into those eyes.

  The bastard.

  “I was pretending you were someone else.”

  He snorted at my downright lie. “The fuck you were...”

  He mouth came down hard on mine and our tongues began mating with an intensity which shook every nerve receptor in my body like an earthquake.

  Desire. Intense chemistry. Sexual need.

  All three raged through me uncontrollably. The blood started to sizzle in my veins as his hands roamed around the naked skin of my waist, up around my ribcage, skimming the underside of my breasts.

  Oh my God, I need to feel him, in the same way, to touch his body.

  I slipped my hands up the back of his t-shirt, touching the warm softness of skin overlying the muscle beneath. That seemed to kick things off in a big way, because the next thing I knew, I was against the wall, his heavy weight was upon me and his hands were everywhere. He cupped my ass and squeezed me to him.

  I could feel the hardness of his erection pressing into my stomach and I wanted it with a craving beyond all reason. My hand reached down, between us and I grabbed his cock through his
jeans, taking hold of my prize in in a tight grip.

  “Christ...” he groaned, in response.

  His fingers began traveling up my inner thigh to the top. To the most desperate part of me.

  I was steaming hot, soaking wet and dying for him to touch me there. He probed around as I squeezed and stroked at the object of my desires, working it through the soft denim.

  Blood pounded in my ears, as his fingers began rubbing inside the edges of my shorts and panties, spreading my wetness.

  “Omigod... yes... yes...” I panted, praying for more and more of this delicious experience; the pressure of his perfect fingers stroking me.

  My grip tightened around him. I needed all of that inside me like nothing else.

  A small click and a long draw of breath invaded our space..

  “Well now... look at this... can I join the party?” Mickey's voice broke through our heated delirium, throwing a bucket of ice over our passion.

  “Shit... fuck off Mickey...” Joshua groaned.

  I pushed Joshua away. The both of us seemed to find our sudden comedown, from that high point of arousal, to be both painful and hard to manage.

  “We'll finish this later, when we don't have a fucking audience,” he said quietly.

  “No... consider this done.” I corrected him.

  “Oh c'mon you want it as much as I do.”

  “I had a hormonal surge. I'm over it now.”

  “Goddamit woman, what is it with you, huh? One minute you're fire, the next you're ice...”

  “I'm having an hormonal day. Normally I'm just ice.”

  “Hmm... let me know when the thaw sets in.”

  “Don't hold your breath it ever will.”

  Joshua turned and stalked off, glaring at Mickey as he passed him at the doorway of the bar.

  I leaned up against the wall to support myself and recover from the shock.

  He'd placed an all out assault on my senses. Desire of this magnitude had never invaded me before. I could still feel his hands on my naked skin, his fingertips stroking my sex, his tongue in my mouth, tasting and claiming.

  That was a serious sexual meltdown.

  Thank God Mickey had come outside when he had.

  What would I have let him do? Go the whole way, in a fucking dirty alleyway?