Page 46 of Ox

Ox smiled and turned toward the bartender to order our drinks. As he was talking to the man who he obviously knew quite well, I caught snippets of conversations around me. The table to our right was getting quite loud, and they were arguing about some sports team I had no clue about. The table to our left was filled with men and women. The men were lining up neat little stripes of white powder and taking turns with the women to make them disappear. I might never have tried the stuff before, but I could only assume it was coke.

While it wasn’t my first time seeing people do drugs, I’d been to a few pretty out of control parties in my time, it was my first time seeing it so blatantly done. I mean, usually people had sex and drugs out of sight in some poorly lit side room. They didn’t do it right there out in the open. However, I was with bikers. And they didn’t seem to give a shit about public perception. For better or worse, they lived fast, hard, and on their own terms.

Melany came over then and said, “I’m going to the bathroom and figured you might want to join me.”

Ox gave me the nod of approval and Melany snagged my hand. Pulling me through the crowd, I followed her toward the back of the room where the bathrooms were. As we passed each new group of men, they openly appraised us. Some of them whistled, cat-called, or generally said things that made my ears burn.

As I walked by one table, I heard someone say, “You sure she’s Ox’s? I’d love to put that bitch on her knees for a few hours.”

The men chuckled as I rushed by, pretending I didn’t hear the comment. Melany tossed a knowing look back at me then. “You doing okay, kid?”

I forced a smile on my face. “Yeah. I’m good. I think Ox really liked the outfit you picked.”

Melany snorted. “I think everyone here tonight likes the outfit I picked. You do your man proud, looking as good as you do. Ox is the envy of every man at Skids.”

I really appreciated her saying that. “Thanks, but I’m not the only one rocking it tonight. That skirt you bought today looks amazing on you,” I returned. “I could never pull it off.” I know, because I’d tried on the same one this afternoon and it had been less than flattering on my figure. “I can tell you never skip leg day with as toned as you are in that badass miniskirt!”

Melany chuckled. “Hatchet is a leg man. The more of it I show, the more he flips me onto my back and fucks me hard and deep. And I’m a real fan of when he does that.”

I laughed, loving how easy the woman was to talk to. We got into line at the bathroom, standing behind a group of girls that had been at the Clubhouse with us earlier. I recognized a few of them, because they’d given me some pretty nasty looks when Melany and I had returned after supper.

One of the girls in particular, a tan brunette with long legs and the kind of body you found on Instagram models, shot mea look of death. I wasn’t born yesterday. I knew what that look meant. She hated me. And since we’d never met before tonight, there could only be one reason for that. Ox.

Melany caught her staring and said, “You got a fucking problem, bitch?”

Carmen looked like she’d just gotten a mouthful of something sour when she answered, “It isn’t with you.”

“It isn’t with any Old Lady, you understand, Carmen?” Melany shot back, her voice as hard and unyielding as steel.

Carmen’s gaze traveled over to me, and she snarked, “She’s not an Old Lady. As far as I’m concerned, she’s just another Club girl. And I don’t owe them any respect!”

“That’s where you’re wrong. And if you know what’s good for you, you’d shut your mouth,” Melany suggested. “But you’re a Club girl, so you probably won’t. Like most of them, you’ll have to learn the hard way.”

Angry spots of pink colored Carmen’s already rouged cheeks. “If I know Ox, and I do, very well,” she hissed, her red lips parting in an angry sneer, “he’ll never be satisfied with just one woman. Not unless she looks and feels like me.”

My inner lack of confidence rose in my chest and I had to work hard to squelch it. This woman was not going to get to me. I wouldn’t let her. If Ox and I failed, it wouldn’t be about her. It would be about us.

In response, I faked a casual air and shrugged right back at her. “It doesn’t matter what you or I think. Only what Ox thinks. He’s a man who knows his own mind. If he wants to be with someone else, he’ll tell me as much.”

My unconcerned energy only seemed to enrage the pretty Club girl. “You don’t know bikers at all!” she angrily spat back.

I smiled coolly. “Maybe not. But it’s clear to me you don’t know Ox at all, if you think he doesn’t keep his word.”

Fury ripped across her tanned face for being corrected in such a way. “We’ll see about that,” she vaguely threatened.

“We will,” I returned in earnest.

Melany erupted into laughter then. “Shit, Kayla! You sure put that bitch in her place. I only wish Ox had been around to hear it.”

We were next in line, so we scooted inside the bathroom, peed, fixed our hair and makeup, then headed back out. When we exited, Carmen and her friends had already disappeared into another one of the bathrooms. Something that pleased me, as I’d already had enough of the stuck-up woman! I mean, even though I hated the idea that she’d slept with Ox, and boy did I ever hate it, we hadn’t been together at the time and I wasn’t interested in holding a grudge. Life was too short and I didn’t have that kind of energy. I couldn’t imagine why Carmen would either.

I guess that was a lie. I understood why Carmen was angry. I’d be devastated if Ox decided he wanted to ditch me for someone else. But, really, the two hadn’t even been dating, just sleeping together. And not even exclusively. What did she expect?

Melany and I returned to the bar where Ox and Hatchet had grabbed a table in the corner of the room. As soon as we approached, Ox secured my hand and pulled me onto his lap. Melting against his chest, I looked up into his clear blue eyes and smiled.

Running his hand through my hair, Ox firmly gripped the roots, holding me in place. Lowering his head, his lips smashed into mine, slanting and plumbing the depths of my mouth. His free hand roved over my curves, first sampling my breasts, then running further down over my hips and ass.

“This leather looks fucking amazing on you,” he praised, slowly licking the swirl of my inner ear.

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