Riding with the Bad Boy (A Dark Motorcycle Club Romance) (7 page)

E
mma Russell is
an emerging author of romance.
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D
escription
:

T
he economy is tough
, but Ava is tougher.

S
traight out of
college and searching desperately for employment, when the job of the lifetime comes along, Ava grabs it up. It wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but it had its perks.

W
hen a tall stranger
, Dean, saves her on the way to her interview, she never thought she would see him again. She had no idea that he was her boss. Her billionaire boss.

S
ecrets he has
to keep from almost everyone. Dean was a loner. Until her.

D
ean wanted
Ava from the moment he first read her resume. Smart, talented, and a real asset to the company. The dashing billionaire is looking for more than just an employee. He is looking for a lover.

E
mma Russell writes BBW romance
, drawing from her personal fantasies. She loves a good story, especially if it has some steam.

©
E
mma Russell
2014

A
mazon
Edition

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F
or my man
, my love.

D
ean

“
I
understand
, Mr. Akiedo.” I hung up the phone and looked up to see a beautiful woman hobble into my building with blood on her hands, her leg dragging.

D
amn
.

I
’m not
the kind of man who just sits back and lets disaster fall. No matter how much I want to, even if I hate the person. Some people say it’s a complex, but really, I just think it is part of chivalry.

A
word
that has long since lost its meaning.

It didn’t matter how quickly the world turned, it was something I clung to, even in all my escapades.

S
o when I
saw a woman bleeding on the sidewalk as she made her way into my building, I couldn’t help but rush towards her. It wasn’t like I was trying to let her know who I was.

Q
uite the contrary
.

I
didn’t know
her until she looked up at me; the pain that went deeper than her cuts written all over her face. I knew in that moment that this women, that she was like me. Alone in the world; even if she was surrounded by friends. I could see that in her eyes, and it completely captured me.

A
nd she had no idea
.

A
va

Crack.
I fell forward pitched down onto my knees, my hands reaching out to catch me. Before I ended up face first. I could feel the skin tearing across the palms of my hands.

I
can’t catch
a goddamn break.

I
stood and looked around
, trying to see if anyone I knew caught the display. They didn’t. Small favors. Hobbling, I tried my best to make my way into the building on a broken heel. If I could just get to the bathroom, I could get myself cleaned up.

I
t was only
the biggest day of my post college career. The one interview that could set me up for life.

A
n opportunity to
work with the biggest technology contractor this side of the country.

Madison said they were just granting me an interview because my gender. Sure, she said it nicer than that, but was what she meant.

She even mentioned affirmative action and all that. I guess she was just trying to prepare me for disappointment, and I knew in her mind she was doing the right thing, but it didn’t matter. All it did was make me nervous.

I
t got
my foot in the door, and that was all I needed. I knew I could win them over with my resume and my intellect. Hell, I’d gotten this far.

B
esides
, it wasn’t like I was trying to land a job as a specialist, I just wanted to be a lowly cultural analyst, helping guide specialists around the deep cultural and historical divides of foreign countries. You’d think that’d be easy.

B
ut it wasn’t
.

“
H
ey
, are you okay?” A deep voice pulled me up out of my misery, focusing me on a body coming my way, rather than my own scrapes and bruises. “Are you hurt?”

“
W
hat
?” I asked a little stunned.

“
M
iss
, are you all right?” He swept in like a fury, tall and stunningly handsome, and… blond. His arm was around me in moments, leading me to a small chair in the entrance of the building of Gilmore and Klaus, a subsidiary of SVRT, a place that was usually full, including the small cafe for employees.

I
remembered
it from my interning days. In fact it was where a lot of interns normally hung out, but was oddly empty for this time of day. They must have cleared it for the interviews, I couldn’t think of any other reason.

“
Y
eah
, I’m fine.” I tried not to look as startled as I was, to see him there, standing over me while I bled onto his expensive oxford shoes.

“
Y
ou don’t look fine
.” He smirked at me and then stuck his hands in his pockets. His well-tailored, crisp suit pants pockets.

I
took
a slow assessment of him, from the ground up, looking him over as I thought of a retort. He was desperately handsome, with his eyebrows furrowed as he looked me over.

Y
ou know the type
.

T
he kind
of man who is well aware they are handsome, and they feed on it. I couldn’t help but appreciate his well-muscled body in the tailored suit, his creamy skin, deep green eyes, and just enough stubble to make it look like he didn’t care. But I knew men like that, I interacted with them my entire college career. Deep down they were just as much of a mess as I was.

O
r worse
.

O
h
, he cared all right. I could tell just by looking at him.

“
O
h
, I had a little accident, a heel and a faulty sidewalk.” I answered finally, when I had my fill.

“
L
et
me get some water and at least clean you up.” Those gorgeous eyes dared me to say no, but I was transfixed, unable to do anything but nod.

H
e was gone in a flash
, rushing off while I was left to inspect my wounds. My hands were covered in stick red blood; I really must have hit the ground hard. Embarrassment flooded me as I realized exactly what happened. I stumbled into the building looking like a mugging victim, or worse.

U
gh
.

H
ow was
I ever going to pass this interview? Maybe Madison was right, maybe I was just an affirmative action applicant. Something that they could mark off on their little sheets. Check, a woman interviewed.

I
gritted
my teeth and tried not to let all the self-doubt and fear take me over. I was more than just a few checkboxes on an applicant, and I knew it. I had this. I was smart, I did well in all my classes, and I had a friendly personality. At least that was what career services said.

B
efore I had
the chance to unravel at the seams, he was back, wet paper towels in hand.

“
H
ere
, let me clean that.” Tall and sexy hiked up his designer trousers and got on his hands and knees, taking my left hand and wiping it down. He was gentle with his touch, and his hands were smooth like he had never done a hard days work in his entire life.

B
y the looks
of him he probably hadn’t.

I
t didn’t matter
, he was rescuing me right there, and that was what counted.

“
I
t looks
like you really took a tumble, what happened?” I looked up into concerned eyes.

“
M
y heel broke
.”

“
D
amn
. You going to be okay, do you need me to get someone to help you home?” he asked, his concern evident. This guy cared, he actually cared, and it came through in the way he talked.

“
W
hat
? No, I have an interview, I can’t miss it. It means everything.” I was at a loss for words. Go in looking like this, or don’t go at all. Those were my only options, and there was no way I was going to let this moment escape. I needed this job, hell, I was determined to get it.

“
I
see
. Well, better go barefooted.” He said, scooping up the shoes from me. He took them.

“
W
hat
?”

“
Y
ou can’t walk
in those, you will hurt yourself.” His deep voice issued a command, not a request, and it took me aback. Just for a moment. Who was he?

“
I
, I can’t go in there without any shoes on, they won’t even consider me.”

“
Y
es
, yes they will. You go in there in spite of all this happening, and I am pretty sure they will more than consider you.” He didn’t even hesitate, like he was so sure of it.

“
I
never got your name
,” I said, my suspicion getting the better of me. I couldn’t help it, he was so damn hot, confident, and he acted like he owned the place.

“
D
ean
.” He grabbed my other hand and started cleaning. I couldn’t place the name, maybe he worked there, maybe he worked for, maybe for someone else, but I could tell by looking at him that he mattered. That he was important.

S
hit
, it stung. Water poured into my little open scrapes making my eyes water.

“
A
va
.” I answered, giving him my name. “Just Ava.”

“
N
o last name
?” He asked, giving her a wink.

“
W
hat
, oh, yeah, Jacobs. Ava Jacobs.”

“
N
ice to meet you
, Ava Jacobs,” the lip quirked up, just a little, “well, you should be all cleaned up and ready to go. You said you are interviewing today?” There it was again, that sweet, sexy, but commanding tone.

“
Y
eah
.”

“
G
& K Technology is a big company. I hope you do well.” He gave me a soft smile and then padded away. I watched him as he walked away, taking in the muscular form until I realized he still had my shoes.

H
ow the hell
was I going to get home? Fuck.

I
looked
down at my watch, shit it was 9:55. I had five minutes to get upstairs to the interview room and not blow it. I scrambled to get my paperwork in order, checking and rechecking my resume as I climbed those stairs, completely barefoot.

M
aybe the interviewer
wouldn’t notice. Maybe they wouldn’t care. All I could do was hope.

“
A
h
, Ms. Jacobs. We’ve been expecting you. Glad to see you made it.” A woman smiled as soon as she saw me coming down the hall, opening the door for me, “We are very excited for the opportunity to interview you, your resume was excellent, and your references spoke exceptionally high of you.”

T
he women stopped
before turning and smiling, “Are you okay? I heard you took a little tumble outside, one of our associates let us know when you came in. I hope you are alright.”

A
h
, so he
did
work for the company, at least it was good to know that they were aware and not upset. This could still swing my way. I bit my lip and walked into the room to find a small panel of people, sitting there on the other side of the table, staring at me.

S
uddenly I wasn’t so
sure I could do what they wanted. I was just a kid, barely out of college, working with my alma mater to find a job. I didn’t deserve this break, and the way they were all looking at me, it was overwhelming.