"What are you thinking?" Jessica asked as she lifted herself up off the mattress onto an elbow. Her red hair fell into her face, but she didn't bother to push it away. She liked the way it rested against the tattoos on Layne's chest.He cleared his throat and turned his head so that they faced one another. His eyes moved past her, taking in that daytime had changed to evening and onto night as the two of them had been in their own little world. Outside, he could see the world light up as a storm raged over Bowling Green, the lightening giving him enough time to see her face. He'd taken her three more times since they'd made their way into this hotel room, and he felt as if each time he re-gained a part of himself. "That I don't want to go back to the clubhouse tonight." He lifted his hand up to cup the back of her neck with his warm fingers."Mmm, I don't either." She let her head fall against his shoulder, snuggling up beside him."But I'm thinking we need to. I could feel some
As soon as Layne and Jessica made their way back to the clubhouse the next day, they were called in for a meeting with Liam and Tyler. "Why would they want to meet with me?" Jessica asked, her hand shaking as she held it out for Layne to take."I'm sure it's nothing bad. Let's just go see what they want. I won't let anyone hurt you or take you away from me. Do you believe that?" he asked, tilting her chin up so that he could place a kiss there."I do.""Then everything is going to be fine."Truthfully, he was also nervous. It wasn't unusual for the two of them to call a meeting with a particular member of the club, but it was unusual for them to ask to meet with someone who was an outsider. He knocked on the door to the meeting room and pushed the door open when he heard the answering call from Liam. "C'mon in you two, have a seat," Liam said as he got up to shut the door behind them."Did I do something wrong?" Layne asked, catching the glare of Tyler."My man, I'm j
Everything was quiet and Layne hated it. After speaking with Tyler and Liam the night before, they had all decided to call a meeting with not only Dino but with Thomas Stanton—together. "Think he's going to show?" Dino asked as he sat in the abandoned warehouse with the Heaven Hill boys and two members from his crew. Their uneasy truce was continuing, for how long he didn't know, but sometimes they all knew they had to work together."I dunno," Layne answered. "Jessica sent him a text message last night telling him that she was quitting the business. He won either way."Dino looked up at the other man. "What do you mean by that?""If he sells more of the pictures, he's won because they made a shit ton of money out of it. If they didn't sell it and she ended up having to buy herself out of the contract—which she's going to have to do now—he's won a personal battle. Either way he's living it up.""That shit pisses me off.""What do you know?" Liam asked the leader of the oth
"Are you sure Wanda said it would be okay for me to do this?" Jessica asked as she looked over at Bianca.She had waited a good thirty minutes since the club had closed down, waited for everyone but Jagger and Layne to leave."She did, she said just make sure you two lock up when you're done. Layne knows what to do.""And you'll make sure to take Jagger with you?"Bianca giggled. "I will, Layne is obediently sitting in the chair in front of the stage, waiting on you, since you texted him.""Okay," she breathed easier. "Thank you so much for all your help." "Don't even mention it." Bianca said as she started to walk out of the private room Wanda had allowed Jessica to use. "I'm looking forward to you sticking around here, Hollywood," she winked."Me too," Jessica agreed. It was true too; she really was looking forward to making this town her home, putting down roots and starting a life. Bianca left and Jessica waited a total of five minutes before hitting the remote on
"You okay?" Layne asked as he had a seat next to Jessica.She was sitting in the seat that Steele normally occupied, but he had given her free rein in his cave for the afternoon. He'd been leaving every afternoon for the last two weeks, and no one knew where he was going. It seemed to be important to him, so no one questioned it. Next to the laptop sat precise instructions on what she needed to do to upload her book to the various online vendors that sold self-published ebooks."Yeah," she breathed heavily. "Just nervous. I mean, one day people are going to know that Felicity Heart is Jessica Shea, and that's fine, but it still makes me nervous."Layne leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. "Felicity Heart is one smokin' hot erotic author. I'd like to try out some new scenes for her tonight if that's at all possible."She giggled and pushed him away. "Stop, you're distracting me. I have to make sure this actually works. Ya know, I'm not a Hollywood starlet anymore, I need
VOLUME FIVE: DIRTY LITTLE SECRET"Where the hell does he keep going?"Jessica looked up from her laptop, her eyebrows drawn together in question as she looked at her two friends, Bianca and Meredith. "Who?""Travis," Meredith answered, turning around from the window. She leaned against the counter and folded her arms over her chest. "Every couple of days he leaves here like his motorcycle boots are on fire. He can't get down that drive fast enough, and then he doesn't come back for hours.""Maybe he's got a woman." Jessica shrugged, turning back to the screen of her laptop.Bianca snorted. "Leave it to the romance author." That had become the running joke on everything related to love, sex, and secrets. It was all Jessica's fault.They shared a laugh as Tyler made his way into the kitchen. "What are you ladies cackling at?""Jessica seems to think that Travis's got a woman," Meredith grinned up at her husband."Oh really?" He grabbed Meredith around the waist and pulled
Christine wrapped her arms tightly around Travis' waist as they traveled back down Highway 526. It was getting easier for her to be near him, for her to trust him, the more often he came around. He was her savior. It was as pure and simple as that. During those dark days when they had first met, she wasn't sure they would ever be at this place in their relationship, but they were. Hell, she hadn't been sure there would even be a place for him in her life, but he had gently never taken no for an answer."You've got to let me help you," he begged. "I can't stand the thought of you taking your clothes off for these men every night. Your brother is one of my best friends; I can't let you keep doing this."She wanted to believe that there were good people in the world, that not everyone wanted something from her that she couldn't give, but unfortunately that had never been the case in her life. Trusting someone was the hardest thing for her to do, and four weeks into a friendship felt l
It was dark when Travis made his way back to the clubhouse, and he wasn't in the best of moods. Being dishonest to the people that cared about him and always had his back was tiring, and it fucking sucked. Thinking he'd gotten somewhere with Christine only to get the feeling he was never going to get anywhere also fucking sucked."Liam's lookin' for you." He stopped short, not having seen Tyler on the front steps smoking a cigarette.Travis cleared his throat and did his best to wipe the scared look off his face. "Is he inside, or do I need to go see him at home?"Tyler kicked his long leg out in front of him, his voice deep in the dark of the night. If Travis didn't know better, it would sound threatening. "He waited on you a long time."The Native American was a man of few words, and he always made them count. Travis had purposely ignored two calls from his pres. "I was out of range, and I only saw his calls when I hit Porter Pike. By that time, I figured I'd be here in a few
The temperature in the cab of the truck was downright frigid as Remy drove to Tyler's house to drop off Addie first. Tatum refused to meet his gaze and that flat out pissed him off. If she was going to give herself to another man and then have the balls to sit in front of him like this, she should at least have the decency to meet his eyes when he looked at her."Am I going to have to explain to Tyler why I'm dropping you off at one in the fucking morning?" Remy glanced in the review mirror of the truck, looking back to where Addie sat in the extended cab."No," she shook her head, looking about as tired and unhappy as he felt. "He's at the clubhouse. He and Mom had planned to stay and they took Caelin with them."Well, thank God for small favors, because the one person besides Liam he didn't want to face off with tonight, was Tyler."You're lucky I don't call him and tell him where the hell you've been. How could you let her go up there with him?" he questioned her, the irrita
Tatum's heart beat through her chest as she followed Gavin upstairs to a much quieter part of the house. Her mouth was dry – the result of her nerves, or the alcohol she'd consumed – she wasn't sure which. Her hand gripped Gavin's tightly, but she knew it wasn't because she was excited, it was because she wanted to yank on it, and stop him from leading her into the empty bedroom. Part of her wanted to put a stop to it, the other part wanted to go through with this so she could throw it in Remy's face. Those stubborn traits she'd inherited from her dad were alive and well tonight.She glanced over her shoulder, spotting Addie pulling out her phone and making a call. The worried look on her friend's face told her all she needed to know. Addie was probably calling in reinforcements and her time had suddenly become very limited."You feelin' good?" his deep voice questioned in her ear, causing her hair to stand up and goosebumps to appear on her arms. This time it was different than wh
Remy was in a piss-poor mood, had been since the night of the Christmas party and everything that had gone down with Tatum. He bit off the head of anyone foolish enough to ask if he was okay. He'd been eating lunch by himself, and overall had been a miserable fucking loner. Even right now, while everyone else was partying their asses off, his big date was being in the gym and beating the ever-loving shit out of a heavy bag. It was the only thing that seemed to calm him the last few days.Hearing his fists connect with the bag felt good, even if it was muted by the gloves he wore. His arms burned, his shoulders and back ached, his chest heaved, and sweat poured down his forehead and into his eyes; making them sting. The sting felt good though, because it distracted him from the guilt he felt for the way he'd treated Tatum. And that guilt was pressing down on him like he was trapped under a thousand-pound boulder.He'd felt every emotion on the spectrum since she'd walked out on him
Tatum's blue eyes took in the party-goers around her. In different parts of the room, she could see members of her graduating class, some kids that were now seniors, and a few college kids. God, this had never been her thing, she'd never found high school or college parties worth anything to her. She could see everything that went on at them and more, at the club parties. Plus, this was a mob mentality – everyone here went along with everyone else, and it was so boring. Nobody had any individuality. Normally, she'd have tossed the invitation in the trash can and not even thought twice about it. She would have spent the night at the club's New Year's party and have an actual good time with her friends and family.Tonight though, she was on a mission."Do you see anybody?" Addie asked as they surveyed the room.Tatum took a drink from the bottle of Strawberry Boone's Farm she carried in her hand. It was the bottom shelf stuff, guaranteed to get you loaded in the least amount of tim
Tatum had never felt anything like the all-consuming lust that blasted through her as soon as Remy grabbed her hip and pulled her deep into his body. She'd thought she had but damn, she was wrong. Her fingers grasped at his shirt, trying to ground herself in the feelings, when she felt his bare palms slip up under the hem of her dress. The sharp intake of breath, and the way he nipped at her lip indicated he'd discovered she'd worn a thong."Fuck, Tate," he moaned as he pulled his lips from hers.She almost cried as he abandoned her lips and smeared his mouth down her neck. She felt the sharp nip of his teeth down to the core of her body. It caused her nipples to tighten further against the lace of strapless bra, and before she knew what she was doing, she was rubbing up against him."Please, Rem," she gasped out when she felt one of his hands on her ass venture back over her hip, and closer to the wetness and heat she felt between her thighs."Has anybody touched you?" he grow
He knew the second she walked in, just like he'd known when she'd entered the bakery. Even seven shots of Pappy in, he could feel her, he knew she was there by the way the hair on the back of his neck stood up, the goosebumps he got on his arms and the way his dick stirred to attention. He wasn't sure what kind of hold Tatum Walker held over him, but it was strong, maybe dangerously so, like some sort of Jedi Mind Trick he'd never be able to resist. And dammit if his hand didn't shake as he took his next shot."Too much for you?" Drew asked as he noticed the slight tremble of the other man's hand.How did he tell the man sitting beside him, he was hard up for his little sister? Easy. He didn't."Nah, I'm good, but I gotta hit the head. Be back."Plan number two when plan number one didn't work? Run and hope she wouldn't follow. As much alcohol as he had consumed, he wasn't sure he could push her away this time. After all, he was only a man and he wasn't immune to the way she lo
He should have brought a date. Those were the first words Remy thought when he walked through the door of the clubhouse. It hit him like a ton of bricks, and all he wanted to do was turn around and head back to Cash and Harper's. Normally, he lived at the clubhouse, but he'd had dinner at their place tonight. He could relieve the babysitter watching Maddy, and he wouldn't have to worry about keeping his guard up.Couples were paired off, which meant anyone without a plus one would be inevitably thrown together. Looking up, he saw mistletoe was hung randomly around the room. Shit. Since he was the youngest, he seemed to be one of the few without a woman on his arm. Sure as the world turned, he'd find himself thrown toward someone tonight.Gazing around the room, he didn't see Tatum and for that he was extremely thankful. He'd been able to avoid her since the day at Harper's bakery, but it'd hadn't been easy. Not that she'd gone out of her way to be around him but they were in the sa
Remy told himself to slow down as he grasped her neck, hauling Tatum closer to him. He cautioned his lust-drunk body not to make a fool of itself. He warned his libido not to let this go too far. They were in the middle of the bakery, in the middle of downtown. Anyone could walk through that door from some dumbass off the street, to her brother, to her dad. But he couldn't stop, couldn't force his hand not to trail down her body and grasp her tight ass in his fingers. He wanted desperately to pull her lower half into his, wanted to shove his thigh between her legs and feel the heat he knew would be there. His tongue was forceful as it made its way into her mouth, testing how far she'd let him go.Turned out she'd let him go as far as he wanted to.His brain tried to warn him that this was progressing too quickly. It was getting too out of control, too fast. If he didn't watch it, he'd be picking her up and putting her ass first against the nearest wall. He was losing his mind, losi
Son of a bitch. Something in the way Tatum's gaze met his made him think he'd said those words loud enough she could hear them. But fuck, she looked amazing. Even more than she usually did. Tatum had been gorgeous for a long time, but with her hair in this new cut, she looked sexy, and almost… sophisticated. But this was Tatum. She'd never fully be a lady, not really. She didn't do dresses unless she had to, she didn't do caked on makeup, and she could hang with the guys – no matter how raunchy it got."Do you like it?" She asked again, this time looking much more unsure than when she'd started out. Very slowly, she ran her fingers through her hair, giving it a tousle.Remy cleared his throat, not sure how honest he wanted to be, but at the same time knowing he couldn't help but be honest. If he lied to her, she would know, and it would do nothing to help the situation they seemed to always find themselves in. The two of them always seemed to be either pushing or pulling at each ot