Page 35 of Loving Smoke

My phone picked that exact moment to buzz with an incoming text from Marisol. “I don’t know.”

“Why don’t you come with. See what kinda trouble we can get into.”

“Nah, I’ll stay here. Relax a little.”

“Yeah, sure.”

I couldn’t tell if I sold the lie or not. Sometimes my VP was hard as shit to read, which made him an excellent VP and a pain in the ass as a friend.

The minute Blood left the office I swiped at my phone which annoyed the fuck outta me.

Marisol: What are you doing on your day off?

That seemed to be the question on everybody’s mind.

Smoke: No plans.

Yeah, he was a dog and yeah, he was going to make her work for it.

Marisol: There’s a secluded beach on the coast I’d like to show you.

Of course, she would have to bring up the beach. Living only a few miles from the Pacific all my life gave me a love for everything to do with the rolling waves of the ocean. In the bad old days, it calmed my demons and learning how to surf kept me off the dark road of drugs. A road traveled by plenty of guys I knew coming up.

I stared at the message bubble a few more long seconds. A flip response would back her down and tell her what happened last night meant nothing. I could even come right out and use those very words like I’d done plenty of times to plenty of others. ‘Great fucking you, babe, but that’s all it was.’

Smoke: Sounds good. I’ll pick you up in an hour.

Marisol: No. I’ll come to the club.

Marisol: My parents think I’m working.

Smoke: I’ll be here.

Marisol: See you soon.

Marisol’s concern over her parents’ opinions drove home her youth and how different she was than the other women he knew. Most of them got with me because I was an outlaw or just to fuck with their parents by getting with the bad boy. Yet, Marisol seemed genuinely concerned about their feelings which probably wasn’t good. Especially since I hoped I’d be back in California before the end of the year, and I had no business being with such an innocent.

I’d had a parole officer once who told me every human being has a choice. It was just a matter of making the right one. Well, fuck me, cause I still hadn’t learned how to make the right choices or decisions—especially when it came to women.

Obviously, Smoke couldn’t pick me up at my real home. Although Rita agreed to let me use her house as a home base, I didn’t want to take advantage of her kindness. I also didn’t want to involve her any more than necessary in my treachery so I agreed to meeting him at the club.

Now, I rushed around my room to get ready so I could drive to Rita’s and deposit my car. Then I’d walk to the The Tropics so we could drive to a beach literally a short walk from the villa.

Fifty minutes later, I walked into the empty club. Interesting how it took on a completely different look without people crowding the stage or the music pounding against the walls. Outlaw or not both Smoke and Blood did an amazing job renovating the space. A far cry from the original broken down building. They’d obviously poured money into the structure and the overall business.

Money from their illegal dealings much like my father. A fact I must always remember, even when my senses told me otherwise. Smoke and everyone affiliated with him was a criminal and the one and only reason I was a part of their life was to exact revenge.

“Right on time.” Smoke’s deep rasp spun me around and all my logical self-talk flew out the window.

The man was sex on a stick, as one of my college friends used to say. He moved across the floor, or more like swaggered across the floor, eating up the space between us until he stopped only inches from me. The clean scent of citrus tickled my nose. He gently tipped my chin with his forefinger and when he gazed into my eyes something else tickled me. “I’m glad you texted.”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d react.” Which was the absolute truth.

I’d done my research and apparently bikers had many women at their disposal and some at the same time. Their tastes ranged toward the bohemian with no boundaries, rules, or regulations. They basically went with the moment and what pleasured them at the time. No strings, no attachments.

“Especially since we said we should hold back for the sake of our working together.”

“I also said I’m nowhere near done with you yet.”

---