BAD BOY ROMANCE: DIESEL: Contemporary Bad Boy Biker MC Romance (Box Set) (New Adult Sports Romance Short Stories Boxset) (4 page)

Chapter 6

Diesel woke up in a sweat for the third time in the past week, and he hated to admit the reason behind it considering it involved some run in he had with a certain blonde woman that had enchanted him for some unknown reason. He wanted to blame it on the fact that he felt sorry for her or some unforeseeable connection because of her parents and his connection to the situation, but Spencer had more of a connection than he did. The truth was that Kim was more than just sexy; she was smart, strong, curious and completely infuriating in an enchanting sort of way. Diesel felt like an addict the way he was having withdrawal from just the few times he had seen her.

Despite any orders or warnings either of them had gotten about staying away from each other, they had run into each other two more times since the scene they made at the party. He was almost positive it was purposeful as well on both Spencer's and her part. Did she realize just how manipulative Spencer was, or did she still see him as the barely involved boy next door?

Diesel swung his leg out from under his crumpled comforter and climbed slowly out of his full size bed. His mattress squeaked and groaned at him as he stretched and stood up, shuffling his feet towards the bathroom. Just like the other mornings he woke up from a dream his subconscious had produced about Kim, he needed to get into the shower and turn the cold water on full force before he made a dumb mistake like calling his ex for a hook up. What a disaster that would be.

He stripped down to nothing but his tattoos and hopped in, gasping as the cold water blasted his back. It was for the best, though, as images from his dream began to come back to him. He had dreamed of being the one to peel off those leather pants inch by inch and taste what was under there. He imagined her with flawless pale skin that glowed in the moonlight that shown through his third story apartment window.

Diesel felt his head rest against the cold shower tile as he tried to erase the images and calm his body. The truth was that it was never going to happen for so many reasons. First of all, both Pops and Don would have him by the balls and probably chop them right off if they knew he was even thinking about her, and second, he couldn’t put her through that. He hoped that one day she’d get to experience a man outside of The Shadows; one that would want to wait and make the wedding night special who didn’t have impure thoughts every time they thought of her name. She deserved a man who made a lot of legitimate money who could make all of her dreams come true outside of the bedroom. He was not anywhere near that guy, and he couldn’t warn her that Spencer wasn't that guy either without getting way too close for comfort.

His mind traveled back to their first encounter only two days after the incident at the party. He had been shocked to see her dare to walk into the bar after what had happened, but Spencer came strutting in with her like he was some god in the late afternoon. Diesel had been shooting some pool with a couple of the other members and sharing prison stories when he caught a glimpse of her from across the room. Kim had kept looking at him like she wanted to say something, and it had made him feel guilty for the things he had said. He wasn't about to apologize, though, especially with the glares he was getting from Spencer. But the minute Spencer disappeared to his office, Kim had made a beeline for Diesel.

Diesel didn’t know what to do. He was caught off guard by her forwardness after how much trouble she must have been in for being at the bar before. He made sure he kept his head down and his face neutral as she started laying into him. “How do you know who my dad was? You look way too young to have been around at the time of the incident. And why did you look at me like you felt sorry for me before you walked away like that? I don’t need anyone feeling sorry for me.” He wanted to chuckle at her rant, knowing instinctively before she’d ever said a word that that was the type of girl she was.

“Didn’t your grandfather tell you to stay away from me little girl? You might wanna go home before he grounds you and you can’t go to prom,” he’d told her without even looking up at her. He felt like a total ass the instant it popped out of his mouth, but it was the best defense mechanism he had. After a long silence, he could still feel her presence, so he looked up to see her face twisted in anger, which on her somehow looked beyond cute. What the hell was wrong with him?

It didn’t matter because Spencer's reappearance nipped things in the bud rather quickly. He called out to her, and she turned with a sigh and walked away. Diesel had watched as they both looked at him with Spencer whispering who knew what in her ear. A battle began raging within himself at that moment. Did he really want her to learn everything about him from what those around her had to say?

The second time he had seen her was actually the next day. Unfortunately, he owed some money to Spencer's father and had to drop in to take care of it. Heaven forbid the man get up off the couch and meet him anywhere. On the way out of the house he caught her walking outside by herself, kicking up dirt with her black combat boots. She had looked lost in thought, and he couldn’t look away from her. But then he made the mistake of looking a little too long; long enough for her to lift her head and notice. Their eyes had locked, and Diesel felt like he was being choked.

Her mouth had opened like she was about to say something but then thought better of it. They just stood there for a few moments to see who would make the first move. It was her, of course, but when she had gone to cross the road to get to him, he turned and walked away. He couldn’t handle being so close to her again and not touching her or talking to her the way he wanted to. It was way too much for him to handle.

It was sad that things had to be that way because he was sure she didn’t understand and took the whole thing for rejection. He would have to hope it wouldn’t hurt her for long and she would just forget about him.

Diesel let out a sigh as he ran the bar of soap over his body. What a sorry lonely sap he had become compared to the tough no nonsense man he was when he first came to The Shadows. Everyone had instantly been afraid of him and respected him. He doubted they would continue to feel that way when Sophia finally showed back up and made him look like a pussy.

He rinsed himself off quickly and climbed out of the shower hoping that the Kim sightings would be over with now that it had been a week since the first time he saw her. Surely that was enough time for Spencer to make his move and her to get over any curiosities she had for him or The Shadows.

When he looked at the clock on the wall after dripping his way into his bedroom, he saw that it was after one in the afternoon. He had always been a bit of a night owl. He looked at his phone to see that it had been bombarded with messages that he hadn't noticed. All of the messages had to do with a surprise party for Pops. It was his 20th year as their leader, and everyone was prepared to celebrate. Diesel wondered if there was any way he could get out of it because he could almost guarantee Sophia would be there. Her and Pops had always been real close. She wouldn’t miss his big day if she was back in town, and he wouldn’t let her. But he knew there would be too many questions if he didn’t show up.

Look forward to seeing you guys tonight

Diesel threw his phone back down and headed into his living room, flipping on the television and his XBOX One. He would never admit it to anyone he wasn’t close with, but sometimes killing some nasty zombies on a screen could be great for his psyche. At least that’s the way it felt to him. He felt refreshed after all that blood went all of his huge television screen.

“Let’s do this,” he announced to himself as the game started and he grabbed the controller.

Chapter 7

Kim was a woman obsessed, and it was ridiculous. It had been a nice distraction to make it her mission to find out what Diesel’s deal was since he was sending so many mixed signals, and she had barely thought about the idiots she'd left back in the states. But she knew that what she was doing was just as unhealthy. Her constant stubbornness when it came to this one human being had made things extremely tense between her and Don. They had barely spoken in days other than her bringing up the fact that she was an adult and could do what she wanted. She had threatened to move out, but he wouldn’t hear of it. He loved her too much to take it that far.

Deep down she knew there was a reason that both men in her life were telling her to stay away from Diesel, but it just made her even more curious. At some point she knew she’d be the cat that got killed because of her own choices, but hopefully it turned out to be worth it. 

She walked into the bar where the infamous incident had occurred and ran into a wall of bodies. There was apparently some celebration going on; some kind of anniversary. Pops wasn't supposed to be there, so she felt safe going. He had a business trip with his legitimate job; the one that afforded him the house. Actually, she would have gone either way, but it was less stressful that way. She wasn’t going to have to dodge him constantly and maybe she could finally get the answers she was wanting. Though, with Spencer following her around like a lost puppy dog she wasn't as certain. Not that she didn’t enjoy his company, bit it seemed like him and Diesel had some beef that made things tough.

As she climbed off the back of Spencer’s motorcycle she found herself looking around for him as people leaked out the doors of the bar. It was packed full of talking sardines, and there was no way to pick out anyone in such a large crowd. “Have I told you how good you look?” Spencer’s question brought her back down to earth, and she looked at him and smiled. She was wearing a white leopard print top and tight light colored jeans that were purposefully ripped in various places down the front to show off her skin. Her boots had a slight heel and studs all over them.

Spencer bent over and gave her a light kiss on the forehead. Things were still so unclear with them. It seemed they were doing everything together and he acted like she was his date, but there seemed to be nothing set in stone. No questions had been asked or law laid down of exclusivity. But his constant compliments were doing their job of building her back up.

They went inside and were blasted by the shear loudness of that many people gathering; laughing, talking and playing pool. It was almost deafening like being at a concert. It was actually kind of nice and familiar for Kim. “I’m going to go and try to get us some drinks. It might be a while. Stay out of trouble.” Spencer gave a goofy smile, and Kim smiled back, though she knew it didn’t reach her eyes. Getting into trouble was something she was more than planning on doing. It was like she couldn’t keep herself away from Diesel no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to believe it had to do with her father and the fact that she wanted to change Diesel’s opinion of her, but deep down she knew better. There was something about him that drew her to him despite her better judgment.

That’s when she found him. He was sitting on one of those comfy chairs over by the television sipping on some beer. He wasn’t talking like the others were. He looked like he was in a bad mood as usual. Kim shook her head as she squeezed her way over to him, or at least attempted to. It really was like being at a concert.

Before she could make it over to him, though, there was a lot of commotion and cheering coming from the back corner, and she could see a woman coming through the crowd that everyone seemed to be all worked up about. The woman crossed right by Kim, her thick, curvy body sliding up against her. The woman didn’t spare a second glance her way, and there was something about the way the woman held herself that made Kim feel like she could never like her. However, the woman was commanding everyone’s attention, even hers, as she sashayed effortlessly across the room.

Of all the places the woman could have chosen to go, she landed right in Diesel’s lap making Kim feel a burning in her face all the way up to her ears. She searched him for a reaction, and was shocked to see him not as collected as he always was. His face looked a little stunned as the woman began whispering something in his ear. Kim could only guess what she was saying, but judging by her black corset and short skirt, it was probably something that would make anyone blush. She was clearly the type of woman that could have any guy she wanted.

Kim couldn’t help but glare their direction as if there was some kind of betrayal taking place. She knew it was stupid since they had hardly said anything to each other and what they had said wasn’t exactly friendly, but she felt that connection to him, that pull and it was so close to having something with him.

Kim dared to start walking towards him just as the woman got up and headed back the way she came. This time, Kim made sure that she knocked into the woman’s shoulder, feeling particularly hostile. The woman stopped and looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “I haven’t seen you around here before, sweetheart. Who are you here with?”

Kim panicked and said the first thing that came to her mind. “I’m Kim. I’m friends with Diesel and Spencer.” It was like she was a dog peeing on him to mark him. She would have to hit herself for it later. Kim dared to glance behind the woman to see if Diesel was watching, and even though he was being discreet about it, he was definitely paying attention.

“Oh, how rude of me. I guess I should introduce myself as well.” The woman held out her hand to shake, and Kim took it tentatively. The woman pulled her in so that she could whisper in her ear. Though it was quiet and implied the underlying threat was enough to send a chill down Kim’s spine. “I’m Sophia, Diesel’s wife.” The woman let go and walked away looking particularly smug, leaving Kim there to process the new information. Diesel was married? How dumb could a girl get, pining after a married guy who hated her guts?

She locked eyes with Diesel and felt humiliated. She needed to prove that she wasn’t pathetic and ridiculous, so she did the first thing that came to mind. Getting up on her tip toes, she searched for any sign of Spencer. Luckily, she spotted him almost right away, trying to make his way to her with a drink in each hand. He smiled sheepishly at her as he approached, and she took advantage of the fact that he couldn’t move and the fact that Diesel was still in her line of sight. She grabbed a piece of Spencer’s shirt to pull him towards her, causing him to spill a little of what was in his red solo cup. Then, she touched her lips to his, giving him the best kiss she’d given anyone in a while.

Kim purposefully placed her body against his, and she could feel Spencer’s reaction through his baggy jeans as well as his quickening heartbeat. His body felt incredibly warm as she pulled away and looked at the goofy grin that had spread across his face. She had just made Spencer’s day with that kiss, and she snuck a glance back at Diesel who looked furious. It both confused her and made her feel like she had won some kind of victory.

She turned back to Spencer and locked eyes with him, knowing what she had to do; what she should do. She needed to forget about guys like Diesel and the jerk that she’d left back in Seattle. They were wrong for her well-being. Spencer clearly had feelings for her and had never left her side for most of her life. He was the kind of guy any girl would be lucky to have.

Kim sighed and put a smile on her face as she slid her hand down inside Spencer’s back pocket and led them both out of the crowd to the side of the room. She stood against the wall and grabbed her drink from his left hand finally, taking several sips in silence. She could tell he understood a shift had been made, but he was thankfully quiet and didn’t ask any questions. What she needed most was understanding silence.

Kim brought her hips forward from the wall and fiddled with his belt loop, trying out the whole girlfriend thing, and she was surprised to find that it wasn’t as unnatural as she thought it would be. She looked up at him through hooded eyes and could tell she was driving him insane but in a good way. If nothing else, knowing that she was having that effect on someone made her feel better. She made a promise to herself not to look over at diesel again for the rest of the night. Hell, she probably shouldn’t look at him ever again.

She smiled lightly up at the man standing before her and looked him up and down, counting how many positive and attractive things she could find about him. He suddenly looked down at her incredibly amused. “What are you thinking about?” she asked him, squinting at him.

“I was actually thinking about asking you if you really wanted to be here or if you wanted to go somewhere else. I never did really fit in at these things, and it’s very crowded.”

“That it is,” she agreed, standing up straight and making the mistake of looking out at the crowd. She spotted Sophia sitting on the edge of a pool table and throwing her black and red hair back with laughter. She looked like she had just come out of a goth Lolita calendar or something, and right there against the wall watching her was Diesel. He looked like he was concentrating hard on something, and Kim automatically jumped to conclusions; sure that it had to do with running his hands across the curves in front of him. He probably did that every night in their home together.

Feeling sick to her stomach, she looked back at Spencer and nodded. “I think getting out of here might be a great idea. How about a Netflix TV show binge?” she offered. It was more up her alley anyway.

“I think it sounds absolutely perfect. If we watch
Sons of Anarchy
it’ll be like we’re still here.” Spencer’s joke made her honestly laugh for the first time in a while, and she slid her hand easily into his, dragging him down the hall and out the back door that she hadn’t ever made it to the first time she was in there.

They laughed all the way out to his bike, jumping on it and zooming off to her grandfather’s house. She felt incredibly freed, like a weight had been lifted from her chest as they headed to her room to do something completely normal but as a possible couple. Kim was proud of herself for making the right choice, and she was certain when her grandfather got back and heard, he would feel the same way. Maybe they could solve their differences.

Once inside the confines of her bedroom, Kim helped him off with his jacket and let him press her against the wall, planting a firm kiss on her lips while wrapping his hands around her waist. He was testing the waters with her, and she liked it. After a few seconds he pulled away slowly his face lingering close to hers with an unbelieving smile on his face. “Now, how about the TV show?” he asked huskily, making her chuckle softly. Kim shoved him off of her playfully and passed him the remote before retreating into her closet to find something more comfortable to put on. She came back out in some flannel pajama pants and a loose tee shirt with a pirate skull on it.

“Gee, if only I had a closet full of comfortable clothes I could just change into. I feel way overdressed now,” Spencer teased just as the show came on and they plopped down on the bed together.

Kim gave him a couple of sideways glances before daring to speak, thinking of whether she should say what had come to mind. “Well, you’re welcome to take your shirt off,” she told him casually. He looked at her as if gauging if she was serious or not before tugging his shirt off. He was kind of pale like her, and he had some well-defined muscles; particularly his pecks. He looked like he still had some working out to do, but he was still pleasing to the eyes. He kicked off his shoes as well, letting them fall to the floor with a loud thunk before scooting back onto the bed.

Kim slowly leaned herself against him, hoping he wouldn’t push her away. She felt super vulnerable and needed more comforting than she was ready to admit for the time being. Instead of pushing her off or questioning her, he moved his arm around her so that her head to rest against his chest. His heart beat was a little erratic, probably due to her proximity, but his breathing was even and calming for her. She hoped it was a start of something she could hold onto this time.