Forbidden (Star Crossed MC Lovers, #1) (6 page)

I learned a lot of things about Lucky. He loved burgers with extra mustard. His favorite color was blue. He used to be scared of thunder when he was young. His dad never let him live it down. Now he runs into a rainstorm and stands there, just to prove he’s not afraid. He helps the old lady next door and even runs to the store for her. He loves dogs and wants to get a German shepherd. He loves a challenge. So I assume that’s why he’s pursuing me. He loves an adrenaline rush. Again, I assume that’s why he’s on a date with me. He works out at home multiple times a day. He has a gym in his basement. He works out to escape and forget his troubles. He’s beyond muscular, so he must stress a lot.

I grabbed two bottled cokes from the cooler and walked to the front before pulling out my credit card. I offered it and Lucky popped my hand back.

"I got this. I'm not letting a lady pay." He winked and wagged his eyebrows.

"I'm not usually a lady. Perhaps you should take advantage of that?" I smiled and snuggled in next to him as the large woman at the register scoffed and turned an ugly glare at me.

"Ladies don't talk like that, child. Someone needs to teach you manners." The woman barked at me and I moved back a little, ready to whoop someone's ass. How dare she butt into our conversation and leave me looking nasty when I was just teasing Lucky?

He turned and shook his head 'no' before looking back at Mage. "Not all of us have the opportunity to be raised by good people, Mrs. Lansom. I wish we did, but we're not all that lucky."

Her expression softened and she glanced from Lucky back to me as I worked to settle the rage building inside of me. "You're right. I'm sorry. Forgive me."

"Nothing to forgive." Lucky picked up the bags and turned, wrapping his strong arm around my shoulders and moving me quickly outside.

"What the hell was that? I should’ve given her a piece of my mind. I'm not some two-bit whore that anyone can just sling shit at."

"I know that, baby. Don't let her ruin our day." He tugged me closer and wrapped his free arm around me. "Where do you want to go? Do you need to get home or you wanna go get lost in the woods together?"

I thought for a minute, my temper calming quickly thanks to Lucky's soft timbre and sweet words. "I want to get lost together, but just for a talk. No pulling out your condoms on me."

"I don't have them today. I wasn't expecting to run into the most beautiful girl in the state." He leaned in and nipped at my lips.

"Flattery will get you nowhere. But keep at it. I like the attention." I moved back and took the bags from him. "Go slow. I'm not used to so much power between my thighs."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Oh the things you make me wanna do to you, Lena."

"Please?" I took the helmet and got on behind him, snuggling to the back of him and wishing like hell something could become of us. It wouldn't, but what I wouldn't give to just pretend for one afternoon that my life was my own.

I could fall in love with him so easily. Maybe I already had.

Lucky

––––––––

B
y the time we reached the lake, my heart was beating so hard it hurt. Lena's fingers brushed by my cock and over my thighs, under my t-shirt and through the dark hair that led into my pants. My body screamed for attention, but nothing would come of it. I needed to know her better, wanted to find out if she was authentic or completely fake like most of the other women that had come in and out of my life. Not that it mattered, but I didn't mind pretending like it might. 

I parked the bike and got off before helping her. Taking the bags, I walked to a large picnic bench and sat everything down.

I turned and removed my helmet as she did the same. Her dark wavy hair cascaded out of it and I had to turn back to the table before my fucking heart exploded in my chest. The girl was every fantasy I, or any poor schmuck at Pleasant Valley, had dreamed of.

Why me? She's dicking with me. There is no way this fine-ass girl is out here with me. I'm nothing. A piece of shit.

"It's beautiful out here. I love how peaceful it is." She moved up beside me and tugged the bags from in front of me before setting it all out on the table. She glanced over as I watched her closely. "Hey. You alright?"

"Yeah. Just trying to figure all this shit out. Ignore me." I shrugged and walked around the table, picking up my sandwich and sitting on the top of the table with my shit-kickers rested on the bench below. I took a big bite of my sandwich and wished that I would have ordered ten of the damn things just for me. My stomach made a nasty sound, as if agreeing completely.

"Figuring what out, exactly?" She moved around the table and sat down beside me, tearing her sandwich in half and extending part of it to me as she took a bite of her half.

I didn't offer false humility. It just wasn't my style. Reaching over, I took it from her and folded it up, eating the damn thing in one bite. I finished chewing and grabbed one of the cokes, popping the top and extending it to her.

"Naw. You take that one. I'm good right now. Besides, I'm still waiting on a response from you." She smiled and took another bite of her sandwich. Her dark green eyes were beautiful, filled with life and yet sadness lingered around the edge of her gaze.

I finished and took a drink of the coke before letting out a long sigh. "I'm trying to figure us out. I spend four years watching you from afar and finally last night we get together. Only to have you leave me stranded and harder than I've ever been in my life. Not a nice thing to do to a guy."

“Maybe I thought it’d push you away. Because being with me...putting up with my dad’s wrath. It definitely won’t end well for you. I was hoping you’d run a million miles in the other direction.”

“I can’t.”

“You should!”

“The heart wants what the heart wants.”

“If anything happens to you because of me... I couldn’t live with that on my conscience. I care about you too damn much.”

He gazed into my eyes. “What did you just say?”

“Nothing.” She reached over and ran her hand over my knee and halfway up my thigh. "I couldn't help but drive you away.”

“You’ll never drive me away.”

“Yeah, because it’s easy right now. Shit hasn’t hit the fan. Once it does, you’ll run far and fast. It’s only a matter of time. But let’s quit getting so deep. I’m sorry I was so mean. But it's going to give you a great story to tell in the future though, right?"

I chuckled and picked up a bag of chips. "That it is. To my girlfriend, Lizzy. She loves watching me get myself into shitty situations. I shouldn't have broken up with her, but we're getting together tonight. Should be fun."

Lena turned and let out a squeal before moving like she was going to jolt from the bench. I caught her and spun her quickly before laying her down and pressing her back to the picnic table. I pressed against her and caught her hands, pinning them above her head.

"What's the matter, baby? Don't like being left to feel like you don't matter? Not fun is it?" I released her hands and she slapped me.

I leaned in and kissed her, needing the taste of her on my tongue in case she ran from me like I needed her to do.

Much to my surprise, she wrapped her arms around my neck and licked at my mouth before sliding her sweet tongue deep inside of me. I sucked on it and took my time, letting her explore me as my willingness to push her away all but vanished.

"There's no Lizzy, right? I would hate to kill a bitch." She slid her hand through my hair. I let out a yelp before sitting up and pulling her with me.

I reached back to check my head and was grateful the sexy girl hadn't pulled my cut back open. Not having wanted to go to the hospital the night before, the guys just fixed me up with some type of glue that acted like a super-duty band-aide.

"What happened to your head, Lucky? Tell me." She turned and ran her hand up and down my back more slowly, her hand curved and fingernails feeling so damn good.

"My father happened to my head." I glanced over at her. "My mother died in childbirth with me. He's never forgiven me for taking her from him. He's been physically abusive for as long as I can remember.” I ran a hand through my hair as my emotions consumed me. “I have this pain that just won’t go away. I’m broken, Lena.”

“No, you’re not.”

“Last night, I fought back because I was out of sorts."

I pulled from her and reached behind us, grabbing the cookies and offering her one as her eyes filled with tears.

"You were out of sorts because of the shit I pulled?" A tear dripped down her perfect cheek and I reached over and wiped it away.

"It doesn't matter. I shouldn't have hit the old man. He was drunk. But he makes me feel ugly, flawed, and imperfect."

"He
hit
you. Why do you live there?" She moved closer, the soft press of her breast against my arm almost undoing me.

"I have no other family, Lena." I let out a long sigh and glanced over at her as I shoved a handful of chips into my mouth and then tried to speak around them. "I don't want to talk about this."

"Okay. We don't have to then. Just know; my life is just as fucked up. I come from a dysfunctional family. I have this sensation of losing control. I disconnect from feelings in order to survive. It’s hard to trust people I don’t know. I wake up from recurring nightmares. But that’s all a story for another time." She blew out a long breath. “In all this craziness and chaos, I am just looking for somebody to love me and accept me for who I am.”

I cupped her face. “I accept you just as you are. I’ll make you forget all the pain of your past, if you’ll do the same for me.”

Tears welled up in her eyes. “We’re two lost souls, broken and beaten, trying to escape from the pain and hurt. Isn’t it ironic? It’s like I was meant to meet you.”

My heart soared when those words left his lips, because I’d been feeling the exact same way. It was like we’d made this amazing connection. “I always felt like if I could ever be with you, it’d be like conquering the universe. It’s all I ever wanted.”

“Do you believe in fate?” I asked.

“I’m not sure, but I don’t believe in coincidence.”

“Me, too.”

“Hey,” he whispered.

“Yeah?”

“When you’re ready to talk, I’ll be here for you,” he said in the most sincere voice. “Just remember, you can tell me anything, and I’ll make a promise to you right here, right now. I won’t hold anything against you, no matter how bad you think it is.”

I smiled. “Good, and when you feel you’re ready, I’ll be here for you.” She brushed her fingers past her pretty pink lips and turned her attention toward the lake, but slipped her arm into mine and snuggled up close. "You've liked me for the last four years?"

"Who said anything about liking you? I've wanted in your panties and I got in them last night. You missed out. I'm quite sure I looked hot." I lifted my eyebrow as she laughed, causing a few more tears to fall.

"I'm sorry." She pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

"Don't be. I was more entertained by your ballsiness than anything else." I turned toward her and kissed her hand as it rested on my upper arm. "I am going to get you back, though."

"Oh yeah?" She turned her attention back toward me.

"Yep. You'll never know when, either. Stealth attack." I licked my lips and offered her the chips again.

"No thanks." She let out a short sigh and turned back to the lake. "I've wanted to ask you out for the last four years too, but I knew you were headed for the Stone Wolves. They’re practically like family to you. I'm a Black Heart by blood, like the black heart. My father only has me. My mother has passed. He can turn the club over to one of my crazy ass cousins, but I know he doesn't want to. He wants the bloodline to remain pure and I get it."

"So that means you become the Prez?"

"Yeah. Eventually. Hell I have to first be invited in and offered the chance to gain my patch." She shrugged and released me before picking up her coke and slipping off the bench. She began to pace in front of me, giving me a perfect view of her gorgeous figure. Everything about her was two steps beyond what I ever expected to even encounter in such a welcoming environment.

"Will they patch a girl?" I lifted my hands as she whirled around and pinned me with a stare. "Just asking. We won't. Women are treasured and well taken care of, but not allowed to join us in the fights and the meetings. Old school I guess, but I kinda like the idea of my wife being a treasure to me, ya know?"

Her face softened a little just before sadness swept across her features.

"Yeah, my mother and grandmother are like that. Or momma was, anyway." She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "I just don't feel like I have a choice. If I want my father to accept me, then I need to make sure I'm the last man standing. You know?"

"My dad hates my guts, so no, I don't know." I finished the chips and moved off the table to stand in front of her. "You know this, so I'm not saying anything to hurt you, but I have to say it, Lena."

"What?" Her voice darkened a little.

"Your dad is a total bastard. Like the darkest motherfucker any of us has met before. He kills and steals, offers death and retribution." I hated myself for saying it, but it was all true. She had to know it was. I had come to care too much about her to allow her to believe her father was someone worthy of gaining her affection or earning accolades.

"You don't know him, Luck."

"I know I don't know him intimately, but I wouldn't want to. The horror stories in this town don't have the boogieman as the villain, Lena. They have your dad." I reached for her again, pulling her into a big bear hug and holding on tightly.

“Then why are you still here talking to me?” she asked.

“Because I’m not scared of the dark or what’s under my bed.”

“Not scared of the boogieman?”

“Nope.”

“Well, you should be. And fucking his daughter will get you a death sentence. It’s why I keep pushing you away. I know the consequences.”

“Then we don’t get caught. Simple as that.”

"There’s nothing simple about that. I don't want to talk about this. It's just going to end with me walking home and wishing I was still with you. Don't, okay?" She glanced up as her hands slid around my waist.