Chas's Fervor: Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 3) (12 page)

Red-faced, Addie said, “You’re in a public place, and it’s not fair to subject everyone to your anger or your petty name-calling. Please, try to conduct yourself as though you were out of middle school.”

As Brianna stomped away, she pushed Jack forward. “Butt out, bitch,” she called over her shoulder. “Why don’t you have your own kids instead of acting like you’re Jack’s mom? I’m his fuckin’ mother, not you.”

Calmly, Addie responded, “Then act like a mother.”

Brianna stormed out, slamming the glass doors with such force, Addie was afraid they were going to crack. The whole encounter made Addie nauseous.

“She’s a lovely woman, isn’t she?” Margaret commented.

Staring out the front door, Addie answered, “She has some major anger problems.”

“And the names she called you. I hope you don’t let her bother you.”

With a wave of her hand, Addie said, “I don’t care what she says to me or about me, it’s Jack I feel sorry for. His mother has such a wonderful gift, and she can’t appreciate it. Can you imagine a mother calling her kid ‘stupid’? My parents were both so loving and supportive of me.” Addie paused as an ache clutched her heart. “I know there are a lot of mediocre and bad parents, but that was too much.”

“Yes, it was,” Margaret said. “Why don’t you come over and have supper with me and Larry after work?”

Smiling, Addie said, “Thanks, but I’m going out with a friend.”

The wicked witch’s ex, but I don’t dare tell Margaret. She’ll think I’ve flipped for sure.

“Are you going with the young man who took you home from the rally?”

With cheeks tinging pink, Addie looked away. “Why would you think that?”

“I don’t know. You both seemed pretty taken with each other. He’s a nice-looking man, and he had kind eyes. I didn’t like all his tattoos. I don’t know why you young people want to cover your skin with pictures. In my day, the only people who had tattoos were the military men or the ones in prison.” Margaret shook her head.

Addie laughed. “I love a man with tattoos, and he does have kind eyes.” Addie turned around and went back to her office, leaving a smiling Margaret to tend to the patrons.

Sitting at her desk, Addie debated whether she should tell Chas about his ex’s treatment of Jack. In the short time she’d known Chas, she gathered he was not someone who didn’t take action. Afraid he’d fly off the handle and do something to Brianna, which would make the situation worse, she decided to let it go for the time being. But if another incident like that occurred, she’d have to bring it to Chas’s attention.

After she set up the interviews with the three applicants for the part-time job, Addie worked until the library closed, then went home to change her clothes for her dinner date with Chas.

At her apartment, she refreshed her makeup and put on a mid-thigh, pleated black skirt and a cotton knit sweater with a southwestern pattern. The rich color palette of greens, blues, rusts, and oranges in the top complemented her red hair. She completed her outfit with short black boots.

Sitting on the couch as she waited for Chas, her stomach fluttered.
Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I haven’t been on a date for several years. Why did I agree to this?

She leapt off the couch when the buzzer pierced the silence in her apartment. Rushing to the intercom, she pushed the button. “Yes?”

“It’s me, precious.” Chas’s warm voice wrapped around her like a caress.

“I’ll be right down.” Addie’s voice was calm, a complete contrast to the knots in her stomach. She hoped she could get through the evening without making a complete fool of herself.

When she was in the lobby of her building, Addie saw Chas on the porch, his back against the glass front door. Her breath caught in her throat as her eyes roamed over his firm ass, snug in his tight black jeans. A dull throb pulsed between her thighs, making her rub them together before opening the door. When she came out on the porch, Chas turned around and smiled at her. Her eyes landed on his tight black t-shirt, which molded against his chiseled chest. All she could think about was running her hands and tongue over his corded chest and stomach muscles. The throb pulsed harder as her stomach fluttered again.

He tugged at her, bringing her tight against his hard chest. The scent of him filled her senses; he smelled purely male. His aroma was of leather, motor oil, fresh air, and something else she couldn’t identify. An earthy, erotic scent which made her lightheaded.

Cupping her chin in his hand, he lifted it, bent down, and kissed her gently on her lips. A single bolt of pleasure rushed from her mouth to her dampening panties, causing her to squirm. Pulling back, she sucked in her breath and met his eyes. From their intensity, she knew he was aware of what effect his presence had on her body.

Heated dark eyes slid up her curvaceous body. Nodding, as if giving her his approval, he whistled. “Fuck, you look so tasty. I want to eat you up.”

Addie took a small step toward him, her hand lightly touching his forearm. “I’ve never had anyone call me ‘tasty’ before.”

“That’s ’cause you’ve never had a real man, who appreciates your assets.” He winked at her, grabbed her hand, and led her down the stairs toward his Harley.

“You’re pretty cocky, aren’t you?” she said, her green eyes gleaming.

“Damn straight.”

He helped her on his bike, shrugged on his leather jacket, took a handful of her hair, and pulled her head back. Bending down, he crushed his mouth over hers, his tongue diving in deep when she parted her lips. She moaned into his mouth as he took hungry possession of it.

Moving his head back, he said, “Your mouth is so fuckin’ wicked and sweet, precious. I can’t wait to have your hot lips around my cock.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip and laughed as her eyes widened.

“I can’t believe some of the things you say,” she responded as he jumped on the bike. It tipped to the side, and she grabbed him tight around the waist.

“I say it like it is. You’re a fuckin’ hot woman, and I appreciate it,” he told her, his head turned sideways. “Keep holding on, we’re ready to roll.”

The Harley roared to life, and they rode into the night.

When they arrived at Big Rocky’s Barbecue, Chas helped Addie off the bike, gave her a sweet kiss on her neck, and grasped her hand as they walked toward the restaurant.

“I heard this is one of the best barbecue restaurants in the county,” Addie said as they entered. “Do you come here a lot?”

“Too much. I don’t know how to cook, and I get tired of the same stuff the club girls make. Insurgents own the restaurant.”

“Your club owns this? Wow. Do you own any other restaurants?”

“No, this is the only one, but we do have some other businesses, like ink shops, a couple of dispensaries, a strip bar, and we’re building a strip mall over in West Pinewood Springs. We may open a burger joint in the mall when it’s done.”

“I didn’t realize your club was so business-oriented. Do the proceeds get distributed, or does the club keep all the profits?”

“Some of the businesses are just for the club, others we distribute to all the members. It works out okay.”

As Chas and Addie walked to their table near a large picture window, Addie heard a male voice say, “Yo, dude, what’s happening?”

Turning around, Addie spotted a man in his mid-twenties seated at a table with a plate of ribs in front of him. A pretty woman with white-blonde hair sat next to him, and a cute little girl, mouth stained with barbecue sauce, wiggled in a high chair.

“Hey,” Chas greeted, motioning Addie to come back. “Addie, this is my brother in crime, Jax, his old lady, Cherri, and their daughter, Paisley.”

Jax nodded to her while Cherri said, “Hi,” and threw Addie a warm smile.

“Hi,” Addie replied. “You have the most adorable baby.” She stroked Paisley’s soft cheeks with her finger, and the little girl gave her a gummy grin while she pounded on her plastic tray with her chubby fists.

“Thanks,” Cherri said.

“Good seeing you guys. We’re gonna grab our table.”

Saying “goodbye” and “nice meeting you,” Chas and Addie sat down at their table. The Rocky Mountains surrounded the restaurant, and the bright spotlights illuminated the glowing eyes from raccoons, opossums, skunks, and deer as they foraged through the wilderness.

“The scenery is beautiful,” Addie gushed, taking in the white-trunked aspen trees and the tall evergreens. “I bet it’s breathtaking during the day.”

“Yeah, it is. What do you want to drink?” Chas asked.

“A glass of merlot.”

Chas asked the waitress to bring them a glass of merlot, a shot of whiskey, and a bottle of Coors. When the waitress walked away, he looked at Addie once more. “Where do you come from?”

Hesitating, Addie countered, “You’re from here, right?”

“Yeah. There’s been Vickers living in the area since my great-grandparents.”

“Wow, your family goes back a long way. Do you know Denver very well?”

“Not really. I’m not much of a big-city guy, you know? I only get to Denver if there’s club business or a rally, but I don’t go there much. So, where do you come from?”

“Denver.” She took a big gulp of her wine.

“How ’bout that. Your folks still live in Denver?”

Shaking her head, she took another gulp of wine.

“Where do they live?”

“They’re gone. I lost them when I’d just turned twenty-one. I was a senior in college. It’ll be five years next month that they’ve been gone.” Turning away, she looked out at the dark, wooded forest.

Taking her hand in his, Chas squeezed it lightly. “I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about what happened?”

She pursed her lips, her gaze pained. “Not really much to tell. My parents owned a jewelry shop, they were robbed and murdered, and they never found the guy, or guys, who did it.” The last gulp finished off her wine.

Signaling the waitress to bring her another, Chas said, “That must’ve been rough. And not knowing who the sonofabitch who did it was would eat me up. Jax—the guy you just met with his old lady—his dad was killed at Sturgis when he was a teenager. It practically destroyed him. Fuck, I’m sorry.”

“We all have sadness and tragedy in our lives, and we just deal with it. We have to. What choice do we have?” An empty ache clenched her heart, as it always did when she talked or thought about her parents. “I really don’t want to talk about it anymore.” She moved her silverware around. “How did you end up with Jack’s mother?”

“Brianna?” Chas rolled his eyes. “Fuck, do you really wanna know?”

“Yes.”

Anything to take the conversation away from me.
Tempted to tell Chas the truth about her life, Ian, and her fugitive status, she put the menu in front of her face so she could concentrate better without his dark eyes boring into her. The truth was she didn’t care if Chas knew her story, but she wasn’t sure she could trust him or any of the Insurgents. She knew her husband was in thick with some of the outlaw biker clubs, and she wished like hell she could remember the names, or had paid more attention to the details. Ian had been hired to do hits for some of the outlaw clubs, and she couldn’t take the chance one was the Insurgents. The thought of seeing Ian again repulsed her; she had to keep her secrets from everyone, including Chas.

“Are you trying to hide from me?” His voice held a tone of amusement.

Lowering the menu halfway, she said, “No, I was looking to see what to order. What’s good here?”

“Everything. Since it’s your first time, why don’t you try the sampler? You get ribs, brisket, links, and chicken with two sides. Whatever you don’t finish, you can take home.”

“Sounds good.”

After placing their order, Chas asked, “Did you go to college in Denver?”

Laughing, she shook her head. “Not fair. I asked you how you and your ex got together, and you’re skirting the question.”

“I’m not the only one evading questions.” His piercing look made her tremble slightly, but she forced herself to hold his gaze until a smile curled on his lips. “I met Brianna at a biker rally. We were both nineteen and horny as fuck.” He threw a shot down his throat. With a wide smile, he said, “There’s nothing like a good shot of Jack.”

“Nothing?” Addie placed her hand on his and brushed her fingers across his knuckles as she looked at him through half-lidded eyes.

In a flash, hunger replaced amusement in his eyes as he tugged her across the small table, their lips meeting in the middle. They explored each other’s mouths with their tongues, only breaking apart when their dinner arrived.

“You’re teasing the shit outta me, precious. I like it. I’m gonna like it better when my cock is snug in your hot, slick pussy,” he whispered.

Tingles shimmied down Addie’s spine as her mound pulsed.

Drawing the wine glass to her lips, she asked, “So, how did you and your ex end up married?”

“She got knocked up, and I know she fuckin’ did it on purpose to keep me.”

“You didn’t want her? She’s pretty.”

“Fuck, I was nineteen, and any woman with big tits made me hard. Yeah, I thought she was pretty, and I knew I wanted to fuck her, so we hooked up, but I didn’t wanna get tied down at nineteen. No fuckin’ way. She wanted to be with me, like together all the time and shit like that, but I was tired of her, and I was movin’ on. She knew I had my eyes on someone else, and that’s when she quit taking the pill and didn’t tell me.” He shoveled in a helping of mashed potatoes.

“Did your parents like her?”

“No fuckin’ way. My mom wanted to exorcise the house every time Brianna would leave. The last woman they wanted me to be with was her.”

“So, you married her because she was pregnant?”

“Pretty much. At first, I didn’t believe I was the dad, ’cause I knew she’d fucked around on me. She’d sworn she didn’t, but I never believed her. Once Jack was born, I took a paternity test, and when the results came back that he was all mine, I took Brianna down to City Hall and we got hitched.”

“How romantic.” Addie rolled her eyes.

“If Jack hadn’t turned out to be mine, I wouldn’t have married her.” He popped a morsel of steak in his mouth and chewed.

“Jack’s a nice boy. He adores you, and I can tell you return the feeling, as well.”