Page 26 of Ox

Surprised, her eyes widened with interest. “I didn’t realize your Club had a chapter in California.”

“They don’t. It’s for another Club that’s new to the area. My President wanted me to check it out,” I explained. “Don’t feel obligated to say yes. We don’t have to go if you’re not up to it.”

Nibbling on her bottom lip, Kayla gave a tentative nod. “It actually sounds like a lot of fun. And I think it might take my mind off of everything that’s been going on around here.”

“Good,” I said, texting Creed back, asking for the details. “You ever been to an MC party before?” I was fairly certain the answer was no, but I figured I’d ask so she wouldn’t be blindsided with how raucous they could be.

Kayla blushed a pretty pink. “No, but Maddy told me how wild they can get.”

I’m sure Maddy had told her some things, but I wanted to prepare her so extreme culture shock didn’t set in once we got there. “How much did Maddy tell you?”

Her color only heightened. “Just that there might be some women half dressed and doing all sorts of stuff with the Brothers.”

Her politeness was adorable. “If by half-dressed you mean naked, and by doing stuff, you mean open sex acts, then yeah, Maddy was dead on.”

Kayla’s face suddenly appeared like she’d been in the sun too long. “Got it.”

I was a sick bastard who enjoyed her discomfort though, so I didn’t let her get off that easy. “Of course, there’ll be a fuck ton of drinking and drugs, too. You good with that, Babe?”

Kayla nibbled her bottom lip further and I had the sudden desire to put her on her back and settle between those pretty tan thighs of hers.

“I’m okay with that,” she said, though I could tell by the way she’d said it, she’d never been to a party that came anywhere close to that level of debauchery before.

“Good,” I said, pulling her close and tucking her under my arm. “Now, what musical are we going to watch tonight? Is there a Newsies two I don’t know about? Not gonna lie, Babe. I really liked the first one.”

Kayla giggled. “Nope. But I’ve got a few others in the living room you might enjoy.”

Kissing the top of her head, I teased, “I’m willing to give one a try, just as long as you don’t talk about it at the Club party tomorrow.”

“Deal,” she returned, that playful spark I enjoyed so much lighting her eyes once more as she leapt out of bed to retrieve her tattered box of DVDs.

Kayla

I wasn’tsure what to wear to a Club party. And when I’d asked Ox, he’d said, “whatever you want” like a typical guy. Needing some help from a trusted source, I’d reached out to my friend Maddy. I knew she would have the answers I needed, and wouldn’t steer me wrong.

Maddy had let me know women dressed in a variety of ways at a Club party. So, technically, Ox wasn’t wrong. However, how you dressed signified who you were at the party, so that was a bit more complicated.

Club girls dressed scantily. I’m talking bikinis or less. Old Ladies could do as they pleased, but they also liked to show off their goods. And many women who were friends of the Club liked to come casual, so as not to stand out too much.

I decided that I was in the “friend of the Club” category, so I was going to wear tight fitting jeggings with a long sleeve bubblegum pink bodysuit underneath and tall knee-high riding boots. Putting a few barrel curls in my hair so that it had some volume to it, I focused on my eye makeup so that my best feature, my wide brown eyes, stood out.

Standing in the mirror now, I turned back and forth, checking out my reflection. Pleased with the final product I came out of my bedroom. Ox was sitting on the couch, watching some TV waiting for me. When he saw me, he stopped and stared, his eyes growing hard and unreadable.

Thinking I’d done something wrong, I asked, “How do I look?”

Rising from the couch, Ox came closer and said, “Like a fight waiting to happen.”

I laughed at his joke. But when he didn’t join me, I realized maybe he was being serious. “Should I change?” Maybe I’d misunderstood Maddy when she explained the dress code to me.

“No,” Ox returned, his voice even deeper and more gravelly than it usually was. “You look fucking amazing.” His hot gaze traveled down toward the low scoop neck of my bodysuit while his hands skimmed down my arms.

His standing over me, as tall and imposing as a great oak, made me want to lean against him for comfort. And for something more. My body came alive whenever Ox was near. And this moment was no exception. It was like I could feel every nerve awaken and become more stimulated in his presence. Like a powerful narcotic, it hijacked my brain and drugged my senses until all I could feel and see was him.

I swayed toward him and Ox’s grip landed on my waist, steadying me. “Fuck, Kayla,” he groaned, his fingers biting into the flesh of my hips. “You smell as good as you look, too.”

His phone chirped then with a message, breaking the spell we were under. Reaching into his pocket, he looked it over and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, worried that it had something to do with Ghost, though I’m sure my concerns weren’t the only ones Ox was dealing with at present.

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