Finding Out (novella) (3 page)

“Holy sex on wheels, I totally wish I was there to hear that. I mean Killer is smoking hot,” Julian said.

Deanna and Zara shared a look, a look that caused them to smile. That look and smile had me on edge.

“What?” I asked. “What’s that look about?” I pointed from one woman to another.

“Nothin’,” Dee smirked.

“Should I be worried about this?” I squawked. “I mean, he’s a biker. Aren’t bikers bad guys? Oh, my God, did he get his name from being a killer? Do I need to run and hide?”

Zara placed her hand over mine. “Honey, no to all of the above. You have nothing to fear from this man. Sure he
is
broody and snappy, but it’s obvious you have caught his attention and honestly,” —she looked to Dee and then back— “we’re glad. He’s a nice guy, Ivy, and yes he may be a biker, but the Hawks MC Club members are good men. I should know, I married their president.”

My eye widened. “You did?”

“Yes and he’s wonderful, sweet, kind, but bossy and all alpha male. Deanna has just gotten engaged to another biker too.”

“You are?”

“Hell yes, they’re hot.” She grinned.

I turned to Julian and asked, “What about you?”

“Oh no, lovey, I’m not married, engaged or doing any bikers. My partner is Zara’s brother and he runs in his own kind of hotness. Though, I do have to say...not many bikers would put up with my,” he waved his hands over himself “whole greatness, but these men do and it just proves how special these women’s snatches are. These bikers love and devote their time and lives to their women. If I wasn’t with Mattie, I’d try and snag me one, because then I’d know I’d be safe and loved for the rest of my gay life. Not that I won’t be with Mattie. He is possessive and manly hot,” he sighed, smiling.

Wow. These men sounded wonderful.

“Are you going to go on this date with Fox?” Helen asked me.

They all waited with baited breath for my answer. I already knew I would, even after I found out he was a broody biker. However, these three awesome people had totally sold me on Fox.

Smiling, I said, “Yes.”

Helen smiled back at me.

Julian squealed. Deanna yelled, “Fuck yeah.” And Zara quietly said, “Yay,” with a big smile upon her face.

M
y afternoon was very strange. I left Justine and Manny in charge while I went home to find something to wear.

I wasn’t alone though.

No, Helen and my three new friends all followed me the block to my house. While Julian, with Trixie, my dog, at his side, riffled through my wardrobe looking for something for me to wear, I sat at the kitchen table with Zara standing in front of me as she applied my make-up. Helen was sitting opposite us gabbing with Deanna.

How was it possible that we had only met these three people hours ago, yet it already felt like we’d known them for years?

“Okay, I’m nearly done. It’s not too much so you don’t look like a...”

“Hooker,” Deanna supplied for Zara.

“Yes.” Zara nodded. She picked up my make-up mirror from the table and held it out in front of me. “What do you think?” she asked.

“Oh, my,” I sighed. She had done a wonderful job. It was delicate and subtle. Just perfect. “I love it, thank you.”

She beamed down at me. “My pleasure. Julian,” she called down the hall. Trixie came running. When we had walked through my front door and Julian started cooing over Trixie, she hadn’t left his side.

“What, cabbage breath?” Julian answered.

“We’d better get going soon, get your skinny butt out here.” She helped me tidy the makeup as she explained, “I can’t leave the twins with Talon for too long and it’s already been an hour.”

“You have twins?” I gushed.

“Sure do...” she paused to grin, “and Maya who’s seven and Cody who’s thirteen, one big, happy family.”

“That sounds wonderful. What about you, Deanna, do you have any children?” I asked.

She smiled a warm smile, her eyes softening. “Yes, my man has a two-year-old. Her name is Swan.”

We heard Julian’s shoes clip-clopping down the wooden hallway floor when he said, “And don’t forget you’re trying for your own little demon. God knows I’d never get out of bed if I was trying to get knocked up with Griz’s kid.” He laughed as he walked around the corner carrying a red and white sundress.

I gulped. “Really?”

“Shit, yes,” Deanna said.

“Killer will love that on you,” Zara added.

“And maybe you’ll get more than a sentence out of him.” Julian grinned.

“You’ll look smoking hot in that, Ivy.” Helen smiled.

# # # #

I
arrived back at work in the red-and-white sunflower dress. My hair was loose and wavy, my makeup minimal and pretty. I teamed my outfit with black ballet slippers. In case the night grew cold, I also brought along a black jacket. As soon as I was through the door, Manny wolf whistled and Justine clapped and said, “You look hot, Ivy.”

Blushing, I replied, “Um, thanks. Is everything nearly ready for lock-up?”

“Sure is, Miss M. But I doubt you’ll be checking everything twice before
you
leave.”

“Why do you say that?”

Manny gestured with his chin just as the bell jingled as the door opened. I turned to find Fox standing in the doorway. His body had stilled, except for his eyes. No, they ran along my body and finally landed on my face. “You ready?” he asked.

My body sagged. I was a little deflated from his reaction. I guess that maybe he wasn’t happy with what he saw.

Justine must have seen this and I was thankful that no one else, besides Manny, was in the store when she hissed, “Don’t be a jerk. You just eye fucked her, now tell her how much you like what you see.”

“Justine—” I started.

“Justine,” Manny warned. He grabbed her hand and pulled until she stood behind him. I was wondering why he’d done that until I saw Fox’s face. It looked like he was about to verbally rip shreds through Justine. His lip was raised, his brows drawn together and a growl rumbled from within his chest.

“Fuck,” he snapped. “This is why I don’t do this datin’ shit.” He took a step forward, wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close. His mouth met mine. It was hard and possessive, only too gentle, and when his tongue ran over my bottom lip, I gasped and he took the chance to force his tongue into my mouth, which I liked, a lot. Coming out of my shocked state, I wrapped my arms around his neck and gripped him closely to me.

He growled. I moaned and then a throat cleared behind us. Fox pulled away and I whimpered. He ignored our audience, and with our faces close, he uttered, “You look edible. In fact, you taste like cupcakes and I want fuckin’ more.”

I whimpered again.

“Wow, oh wow, oh wow.” I heard Justine say behind me.

“Now, are you ready?” Fox asked.

“Um...yes?” I said and made it sound like a question, because honestly, I wasn’t sure I was ready for Fox Kilpatrick.

He smirked for a second and then it disappeared. He looked behind me and said, “Later.” He took my hand and turned back to the door.

I looked over my shoulder to a worried Manny and a smiling Justine and said, “You’ll both be okay?”

“Oh, we’ll be fine, Ivy. Have fun,” Justine sang.

I managed a nod before we were out the door and in front of his black Jeep.

He opened the passenger door for me and nodded to it. “In,” he stated.

Biting my bottom lip to hide my smile, I thought of what Zara, Deanna and Julian had said. They were right. Fox was a man of minimal words. Climbing in, he shut the door and I got to admire the view of Fox in black jeans and a white tee as he walked around the front of his car and then climbed in.

“Um,” I started, “where are we going?”

There’s a seafood joint a few blocks away. Hell, do you even like seafood?” he asked. Worry marred his face with drawn brows.

“Yes, I do. It sounds nice.”

He looked at me and then back to the road. “Good.”

It didn’t take us long to get there. Soon enough, we were seated opposite each other with a menu in front of us. I knew
I
was studying the menu, but I could feel Fox’s gaze on me.

Looking up, I asked, “Do you know what you want?”

“Yes,” he growled.

My eyes widened. The heated stare told me that I was what he wanted.

“Ah...okay, I mean, um. What do you want to eat?” I blushed when he smirked. “On the menu...in front of you,” I clarified. “Because the seafood basket for two looks good. Would you share at all? You don’t have to, you’re a big guy, and...so you probably like to eat a lot. I don’t know if that will be enough for you...ah, is it?”

“Sounds good.” He gestured with his head to the waiter. Once he came over, Fox ordered for us. He also ordered us both a beer to drink, which I liked. I wasn’t a wine or champagne drinker. After the waiter disappeared, Fox said, “Let’s talk about why I was on the site.”

Playing with the napkin in my lap, I informed him, “Oh, I already know.”

“How?” he growled.

I bit my inner cheek and told him, “I met Zara, Deanna and Julian this afternoon. They told me all about the bet you made before Zara gave birth. I would have done the same and guessed both boys,” I mumbled.

He closed his eyes and uttered, “Fuck.”

Clearing my throat, he opened his eyes to glare. I continue when I saw his jaw clenched with anger, “No, it’s okay. They, ah, they’re really nice people. I like them and they obviously care about you and...um, all the men in your group.”

He rolled his eyes. “They like to stick their noses where they shouldn’t.”

“Well, at least I spoke to them, because, um, now I’m not so nervous about you being in your group and...I, you seem really nice and you’re very good looking. I know I’ve said that and I...you must get a lot of attention from women...I really don’t know where I was going with that statement,” I admitted.

He studied me with a small smile upon his face. “I like it when you get all flustered.”

My eyes widened. “You do?”

“Yes,” he said with a nod. “So I guess I won’t be tearing through the three musketeers for interfering if it means you’re here because of whatever they said.”

I licked my lips. “Yes, I mean, I’m glad I met them, and yes, they helped me be here, but...”

“But?” he asked.

“I knew I was going to come as soon as you asked me, no matter what.”

His eyes flared with surprise.  I had shocked him.

“I’m glad then, cupcake,” he whispered.

Had he just called me cupcake?

“Cupcake?” I asked

“Yeah, cupcake because you make ‘em, because you smell like ‘em, and because you taste like ‘em. You’re fuckin’ lucky we’re out in public or I’d be demanding more of a taste from you.”

That was intense and so damned hot in a scary, stomach-fluttering, happy way. I didn’t know if that made sense, but right then I didn’t care.

“Okay,” I whispered.

“Okay to what?”

“Um...” I looked around the restaurant and then back to Fox’s heated gaze. “Okay to everything.”

“Good.” He smiled, and this time, for the first time, it did reach his eyes. “Now, let’s talk about your bitch cousin and her wedding. Then we can move onto the subject of sex.”

My cheeks blushed. Immediately, I wanted to hide under the table. But then hiding under the table made me think of the fact that Fox’s crotch would be down there, and then that made me think of his penis and me undoing his zipper, taking his cock into my mouth.

“Oh, God, is it hot in here?” I asked before I took a big gulp of water from my glass.

“No,” he chuckled.

Nodding, I placed the glass back on the table and looked to my side as the waiter placed the seafood platter for two in front of us. As we both started to munch, I began to talk...not a good sign.

“So, um...as you know I have my cousin’s wedding to go to and its next weekend. But you see, I don’t reeeeally want to go. Though, if I don’t turn up, my mum will publicly be congratulating me about my sex change on Facebook.” He coughed on his mouthful. “Yes, she can be evil. She’s like the rest of them; they all think their shit don’t stink.” I sighed and took a bite of a prawn while thinking. “I love them, of course I do; they’re my family. But they annoy the hell out of me and can be...um, cruel in ways.” I looked up from my plate with wide eyes. “Oh God, have I just scared you away from the whole thing? Of course, it’s totally up to you if you want to go or not. Or, even, I mean...you might not want anything to do with me after this first date...shit, I really have to stop talking. I talk too much. It’s your fault.” I waved my hand that held a shrimp stick at him. “You’re too...everything. Sorry,” I mumbled and turned my gaze away.

“Finished?” Fox asked.

I glance back, then away again and asked, “Do you mean eating or talking?” I looked back at the platter in front of us. “I could do with more food.” I picked up a scallop in some sauce and sucked it back.

“I meant talking, even though it turns me the fuck on listening to your voice.”

“Oh,” I whispered.

“Ivy, finally, I’m fuckin’ pleased that my brothers made me go through with a bet or else I wouldn’t have met you, and from what I see, I like you, a lot. So much so, I’m willin’ to put up with your family at this goddamn wedding.”

Grinning widely, I asked, “Really?”

He watched my mouth, and in turn, his own lips formed another smile for me before he said, “Hell yes.”

With fisted hands in front of me, I did a little jig and uttered, “Yay.”

He chuckled. “Christ, you’re cute. Now let’s finish this meal.”

While we ate we chatted, okay, I mainly did all the talking, but at least when I asked questions, Fox answered them. So I ended up finding out that he was in construction. He was part owner of his company with another member from the Hawks MC club named Stoke. He also, when he could, worked in the mechanic business at the bikers’ compound. He lived on his own on some land in the suburb of Nerrina; he had no other family members beside his biker brothers. He joined Hawks after meeting Talon five years ago and learnt that Talon ran things differently than other biker clubs. Fox wanted to be a part of the cleaner, safer living. He said he wouldn’t have it any other way because what he had before he met Talon was shit.