Inferno: A Devil Chaser's MC Romance (6 page)

“Sorry to hear about Myles’s mother. That had to be tough on you both.”

“Yes and no. She was never happy with us. She got pregnant when we’d just started dating. She really just wanted to get away from her parents. She moved into the clubhouse when he was born, but she left when Myles was four. She was into drugs and slept around…. Honestly, I was glad to see her go.”

Bishop paused and seemed lost in his thoughts for a moment before he continued. “She came back later trying to fix things with us, but she was a mess. She couldn’t break free from the drugs, and eventually it caught up with her. I hated it for Myles, but she wasn’t a great love lost for me.”

“Well, I’m glad you have your club and Myles. Everyone needs something they’re passionate about,” she said as her hand reached over and covered his. “Myles is a great kid. He’s lucky to have you in his life. I was wondering…do you ever get a chance to really talk to him?”

“What do you mean? I talk to him all the time. The kid never stops talking.”

“I don’t know. He seems so happy one minute, and then something sets him off and he loses his temper. Sometimes he seems so withdrawn in class, like he has a lot on his mind. I was just wondering if you had any idea why.”

“I guess he’s like his dad,” Bishop shrugged.

“I think there may be more to it than that,” Tessa said apprehensively. “Have you considered letting him talk to someone? Maybe talking to a counselor would help.”

Bishop stood up quickly as his body filled with tension. “You’re kidding me, right? All boys get pissed off about one thing or another. Myles is no different than any other kid!” Bishop shouted, turning to leave.

“Wait! You’re taking this the wrong way,” Tessa shouted with concern in her voice. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought it up like this. Myles is such a great kid, and I was only trying to help him. I don’t know what I was thinking. Really. I’m just worried about him.”

Tessa reached out and grabbed his arm and said, “Please, don’t go.” Her face pleaded with him to understand.

He immediately felt a loss of self-control. She looked so beautiful at that moment, and he just couldn’t help himself. The day that had been filled with so many emotions finally caught up with him, and she was his escape. He took a step toward her and slid his arm behind her waist, pulling her closer to him. Her body fit perfectly against his tall frame. He placed his hand against the brick wall behind her and leaned in close. He spoke quietly, his warm breath near her ear. “I get it. You’re right. I’m worried about him, too. I like that you care about my kid.”

He moved his lips closer to her earlobe as he said, “I also like how your arms felt around me when you were on the back of my bike. And I like how I haven’t been able to get you and those damn skirts out of my head. Now,” he continued as he moved his body closer to her, “I’m about to kiss you. I’ve wanted to taste those lips since that first day in your classroom, and I’m tired of waiting.” The grit of the brick marked his hand as he leaned in and claimed her mouth. She pressed her breasts against his chest and submitted to the kiss. The taste of the beer still clung to her lips, and the smell of her strawberry shampoo had him reaching for her hair. When her tongue met his, it sent a shock straight to his cock. He couldn’t help the growing bulge in his jeans. This woman had him twisted in knots. Her body was made for his, and he couldn’t get enough.

When she noticed his arousal, she quickly pulled away from him. She placed her hand on his chest and said, “We need to stop, Bishop. There are so many reasons why this is wrong.”

He stepped closer, closing the gap she created. “I know you feel just how right this is.”

Her hands quickly swept across the back of his neck. She pulled him in closer as she whispered, “I don’t want to feel it, but I do.” She gently ran her fingers through the back of his hair as she began kissing him again. She moved her body closer as she moaned into the kiss and his knee pressed between her legs. His hand was cupping her breast, when his cell phone rang. He ignored it and continued rubbing his thumb over her taut nipple. She arched her back towards him as he began to pull the strap of her tank down her shoulder. He had just started to kiss and suck the curve of her neck when his phone began ringing again. He groaned loudly as he pulled away from her body. “Goddamn it!”

He looked up at Tessa as she gave him a frustrated look. “Sorry, but I gotta take this call. It’s late, and something might be up with one of the brothers.” When he checked his phone, he saw that it was Goliath calling. “This better be good, man!”

“We need ya back at the clubhouse. Get back here as soon as you can,” Goliath said.

“On my way,” Bishop told him as he thrust his phone into his pocket. His fiery eyes locked on Tessa’s. “I hate to leave you like this, but something is going down at the clubhouse that I have to take care of. I’ll have one of my guys take care of your car first thing in the morning. Get some rest, and I’ll be in touch.” He gave her one more kiss, slow and hungry, and then left for the clubhouse.

Chapter 10

Tessa

Tessa gathered the empty beer bottles from the porch and headed into the house. The past few minutes were still replaying in her head. As she made her way into the kitchen, her mind kept wandering back to how good his mouth felt on hers. It amazed her how quickly things had become so heated between them.

She still felt the warmth of his body on her skin as she entered her bedroom. As she brought her fingers to her lips, she noticed they were slightly swollen, and she smiled. She could still smell a hint of Bishop’s cologne surrounding her, and she hesitated to change into her pajamas. Just having his scent around her made their time together linger just a bit longer.

She slowly slipped into her camisole and silk shorts wishing that he hadn’t been called away so soon. It had been such a long time since she had been with anyone. She hadn’t even really been kissed like that since her divorce. Tonight, she couldn’t imagine ever wanting a kiss more, and she was disappointed that it had ended so abruptly. Her thoughts led her to worry about what might have been wrong. She began to wonder what kind of things actually happened at his clubhouse, and what could have been so important that he would have to leave so quickly.
What do these motorcycle guys do anyway and why do grown men need a club?

She finally got herself settled in bed when her phone rang. She figured it was Courtney calling her back.

“Hey, Tess, you okay? I saw that you called my phone like twenty times earlier tonight. I tried calling you back, and you didn’t answer. Then, on my way home I saw your car on the side of the road. What the hell? Are you alright? Did you make it home okay? Do you need me?” Courtney asked frantically.

“Courtney, I’m fine. Chill out. I had to get a ride when my car broke down on my way home. The battery died just after I left Matt’s, and I had to leave it on the side of the road. I tried calling you first. When you didn’t answer, I figured you just couldn’t hear the phone ringing at the bar.”

“Well, that sucks monkey balls! I bet you were freaking out. You could’ve been out there all night by yourself. That’s why we just need to ride together, Tess. From now on, you’re riding with me when we go out. Wait!… How
did
you get home?”

“Bishop,” Tessa said as a large smile spread across her face. She couldn’t help but think of their kiss when she said his name.

“Oh my god! You’re shitting me! You know this has to be fate or something. My 5
^th
period daydreams just got a whole lot more interesting. Did he take you home on his motorcycle? I’m totally jealous right now! I wish I’d been there just to see it. Well? Spill it already!”

“To be honest, he was great. He pulled up just as I was having a total meltdown over my car. I’m pretty sure he heard me cussing like a sailor. I think I might have been kicking my car a little, too. Not a great impression, but he was really sweet about it. He checked the engine and noticed that my battery wasn’t charging. So, he offered to get one of his guys to fix it in the morning, and yes, he gave me a ride home on his bike. I really liked it.
A lot
. I think I liked it more than I should have.”

“That’s just stupid. Of course, you should like it. He’s totally hot, and he drives a badass motorcycle. That alone gets the girlie parts working overtime. You deserve to have some fun, and I think it rocks that he helped you out. It’s awesome that he’s getting your car fixed for you, too. He’s a badass and a gentleman. You don’t see that every day,” Courtney said encouragingly.

“I guess you’re right. There wasn’t any harm in getting some help from him and enjoying a ride on his bike. I mean, that’s all fine and good…. It’s the kiss that has me a little worried.”

“Holy shit balls! You little whore! You so skipped over the kissing part. Who, what, when, where, and why? What the hell? You should have led with that information!”

“When we got home, I invited him to have a beer since the kids weren’t here. We sat on the porch and talked for a while. It was really nice getting to know him a little better. He’s really a nice guy, and he’s easy to talk to. Then, I did something stupid. I happened to mention that I was worried about Myles, and I pretty much pissed him off. He got up to leave, and I knew he was angry with me. I was apologizing like crazy, and the next thing I knew, he was kissing me. It was really incredible. Probably the best kiss I’ve ever had. Am I delusional?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding. There’s nothing delusional about it! Don’t go overthinking everything like you always do. If you liked the kiss, then you liked it for a reason. There’s probably more things you’ll like if you don’t go running for the hills. It’s time to do something for yourself. Your whole life revolves around your kids. You’re always trying to do the right thing, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Just give this a chance to play out before you shut it down for some neurotic reason that only makes sense to you.”

“I get what you’re saying. I know I overthink things, but you know I have to. My decisions affect all of us, and I have to think things through. There’s obviously something about Bishop that has me all twisted up inside, but I’m not sure that seeing him again would be smart. I don’t really see this going anywhere.”
      
“Why does it have to lead somewhere? Just enjoy getting to know him a little better, and then decide if you want to take things any further.”

“You’re right. I’ll just see how things go from here. At least I have some good inspiration for my dreams tonight,” Tessa snickered. “Well, I’m beat. I need to get to bed. I’ll give you a call tomorrow when I get my car back, so we can make plans for shopping.”

“Good deal. I saw some cool pants at Sassy Chic that I want to pick up while we’re out. Talk to ya in the morning,” Courtney said as she hung up the phone.

Tessa tossed and turned for most of the night. Her thoughts kept going back to Bishop. She decided it was too quiet in the house without the noise of the kids, so she got up and turned on the TV. It helped to have some background noise, and eventually, she was able to drift off to sleep.

Chapter 11

Bishop

Things seemed pretty quiet when Bishop walked into the clubhouse. There were a few guys drinking at the bar, while Bulldog and Otis were shooting a game of pool. The music was playing low, and there wasn’t much going on. It was beginning to piss him off that he was called away from Tessa for no reason. He made his way over to the bar where Sheppard and Crack Nut Bobby were drinking shots of tequila. There were several empty shot glasses sitting on the bar, and Bobby wasn’t looking so good. He was looking a little green, and it was past time for him to call it a night.

“What’s shakin’, Bacon? Wanna shot of fire, Prez? Looks like you could use one,” Crack Nut said, swaying toward the edge of the bar and almost falling off his stool.

“Looks like you’ve had enough for one night. You need to go sleep it off. Like now. You’ll be hurtin’ tomorrow,” Bishop said. He turned to Sheppard, “Where’s Goliath? He said there was something going down, and he needed me back here.”

“He’s with Renegade in the kitchen. Some chick came up in here acting all kinds of crazy. She was laying into Renegade pretty good when Goliath took them to the back to talk things out,” Sheppard replied.

Bishop helped Crack Nut Bobby off his stool and led him toward the hall saying, “Hit the sack, man. Tomorrow you’re gonna feel like your head got smashed by the tequila hammer.” Bobby didn’t complain as stumbled into his room and shut the door.

Sheppard and Bishop walked down the long hall heading to the back of the clubhouse. As they entered the door of the kitchen Bishop saw Taylor, Ace’s sister, crying on Renegade’s shoulder. She was about twenty-five, and even with her tear-stained face, she was beautiful. Her blonde hair was pulled behind her ear, and she wore a pair of short shorts and a worn-out t-shirt. Ace had always bragged that she played competitive tennis, which explained her toned figure. She didn’t have on any make-up, but she didn’t really need it with her tan.

She looked up at Renegade and shouted, “How could you let this happen? I thought you had his back! You were supposed to protect him, and you weren’t even there? You were brothers, and he trusted you with his life. I trusted you. I trusted all of you, and now he’s dead, because you weren’t there when he needed you!” she yelled as she shoved Renegade in the chest. Renegade’s eyes never left the floor. He looked totally defeated.