Faith’s Temptation (Dueling Dragons MC Book 1) (14 page)

My core turns to jelly. “Okay, we will see,” I say as I kiss him back.

We head down the stairs and I’m instantly confused. I don’t see his truck or Layla’s car. But I do see a motorcycle. “Don’t tell me we’re eating at my work.” I say, sounding a little whiney, but that’s because I feel like I live in that damn diner and just sleep in the apartment.

“I told you tonight you’re going to learn everything about me. One of my goals with you is about to be conquered. To have you on the back of my bike.” He strides up to a beautiful Harley, but I hesitate and hang back.

“Come on, babe, don’t be scared. I would never hurt you.”

I slowly walk over to the motorcycle and wonder how he became a trucker when he rides a bike as hot as himself. Interesting mix, but goddamn, it is so freaking sexy.

“So, you drive a truck and ride a Harley? What else is there to you, huh?” I lift my leg over the bike and sit on the little backseat.

He comes alongside me and places a helmet on my head, then puts his on. He straddles the bike and starts it up. The beast instantly comes to life and the vibration between my legs is like nothing I’ve ever felt.

Holy hell, I am so turned on.

“There is a lot you don’t know about me, babe. But soon, you’ll know everything,” he says over the roar of the engine. He pulls my arms around him and laces my fingers together in front of him. “Don’t ever let go. You hear me?”

I nod my head just once, which is enough to see the one-sided dimple.

***

Ryder

“Don’t ever let go. You hear me?” I call to her again over my shoulder. She gives a short nod and I shift the bike into gear and give it some gas. She tightens her arms around me as we roll from our spot.

“Relax, you’ll be okay!” I yell at her.

“Sorry!” She loosens her grip on me but not by much.

Stopping at the end of the parking lot, I check both ways and head out on the highway. As I shift into a higher gear and gain speed, the mufflers rumble as we roar down the highway.

This! This right here, man. This is all I need. Open road and my girl on the back of my bike.
Slow your roll. She’s not yours just yet!

Losing focus on the road and what’s on my mind, I get thoughts of how Faith is going to react when I tell her everything. Will she see me as a sap when we pull up to where I have our dinner planned? Will that help her accept me more? Fuck, I need to focus on one thing at a time. Shaking my head a little, I focus back on the road and give the bike more throttle.

***

Faith

Being on the back of a bike is the most exhilarating thing I’ve ever done. We pull up to a little lake out in the middle of nowhere. I see a blanket with candles and a picnic basket.

Ryder stops the bike about 15 feet away from the blanket and rests it on its kickstand. He takes his helmet off and hangs it on the handlebar.

“Here, let me help you off the bike.” He reaches over and grabs my helmet, placing it on the ground, then takes my hands and helps me dismount. I ruffle my hair into a shape I am comfortable with after helmet-hair.

I stroll over to the blanket and look down. I let out a little snicker when I feel his arms around my waist.

“What are you giggling about?” he murmurs against my neck.

“Nothing, just thinking how sweet this is. You really have so many different sides to you. You do realize that, don’t you?” I kick off my shoes and sit on the blanket. He sits down behind me and wraps his body around mine.

We sit there for a few minutes munching on the food he packed for us to eat. Then I ask, “Why were you gone for so long? You’re lucky that I’ve decided to go against my better judgment and give you another chance.” I smile over my shoulder at him.

He moves so that I’m still in between his legs but we can see each other. He grabs ahold of my hand and squeezes it.

“Faith…” He sighs. I can see it in his face that this is going to be hard for him to talk about. “I’ve never talked about my life with anyone but my sister. So bear with me while I try to explain it all, okay?”

“Okay, just take your time. I’m not going to judge you. It’s great you feel you can talk to me. Whatever you have to say won’t change anything between us—or how I feel about you. I promise,” I assure him while I gaze deeply into his eyes and notice they’re brimming with emotion and a slight reluctance.

***

Ryder

All right, here goes nothing....

I let out a sigh before I open myself up to this beautiful girl sitting in front of me. “Well, I’m the youngest in my family. I grew up with my mom and dad.” Suddenly feeling
un
comfortable I shift on the blanket, trying to get comfortable again.

“Growing up, my dad was always out with his motorcycle club or on a run. Only time he was ever really home was after days of drinking and drugging with the club. When I was 16, I finally got sick of him beating my mom and me every time he came home.” I look at her to gauge how far I can take this story.

“Well, one night everything was different. We got into a huge fight and he told me that, since I was manning up to him, that I could start working for him and his boys.” I reach for her hand and start drawing circles in her palm. Looking up at her face, I see a small smile.

I let out a little laugh. “Well, come to find out that dad did a damn good job at hiding a lot from us. See, he was the president for the Dueling Dragons Motorcycle Club.” I rub my hand over my brow. “I saw some crazy shit since then. I’ve done some stupid-ass shit also.” I ease out a slow breath and shake my head.

She speaks up before I can continue. “I don’t understand.” Shaking her head in short jerks. “What does your dad being a biker have to do with anything?”

A spike of anger rushes through me as she brings up the one thing that I am still pissed about after all these years, the one thing that makes me still hate my father to this day. “Well, you see, as Prez of the MC, my pops had full reign of everything in the club, and, well, he started losing his fucking mind. All of a sudden, he wanted to start moving drugs and guns for other people.

“He had a smart idea of forcing me into becoming a driver. I was looking at getting patched into the club, but he trumped it and told me that I wasn’t going to ride, but I was going to drive instead.” I push away from her body and turn her completely around in front of me.

“I tried to fight him on it, but he wouldn’t let me ride. I was and still am so pissed off at him about that. Don’t get me wrong, I love being considered an outlaw trucker, but there is nothing like riding down the middle of the road on two wheels.” I grin at her, hoping that what I am about to tell her next doesn’t scare her too much.

“I have killed for my club. I have sinned and I have robbed people and not given two shits or a fuck about what people think. And I’ve been to prison.” She gives me a look of complete shock. “For years, nothing has ever mattered more than my club and serving it.”

She gives me a blank stare. “Are you okay? Do I need to stop?”

She gets a questioning look on her face and her eyebrows arch together. “So, when Layla was telling me that the people you’re around are bad people, that is what she was talking about?”

I shrug and bobble my head back and forth a little. “Well, the thing is that....How do I say this? See, I was supposed to take my father’s place at the table when he passed away.” I run my fingers up her arm and she shivers.

Smiling, I start my story again. “But I had thought that since he was gone I could distance myself from the club and actually maybe have a life of my own. But come to find out my father owed some very bad people money, and the MC is holding me accountable for it since he was President and I am his son. I have to drive until the money is paid.” Sighing again in silent defeat, I realize that talking about this is bringing up all the old feelings I had when this all started.

“So what does this mean for you in the future?” She frowns and drops her eyes.

Well, now is as good a time as any to tell her my plans.

“We’re close to the end of our obligation. And the MC likes the way I stepped up. They even made me the next president. But I’m choosing you.” Putting my finger under her chin, I lift her eyes to mine. “You’re it for me, Faith. I don’t want to have to chase you anymore. I will do whatever I have to do to keep you next to me.

“But I have to make one last run.”

Looking from eye to eye, trying to gauge her response and coming up blank, I slump down slightly and catch her fallen gaze.

“Are you sure? That’s your life.” She starts to shake her head. “How am I ever going to be enough for you?”

Reaching up and taking her face in my hands, I pull her gaze up to mine. Rubbing my thumbs under her cheeks, we lock eyes again. “You’re not upset about what I’ve been doing for a living?” I look from eye to eye trying to see if her gaze changes at all.

“No, why would I be upset? It’s not like you could say no,” she says in a small voice.

Shaking my head lightly, I demand to know, “Faith, how the hell did I get so lucky to find you?”
This girl, this girl right here in front of me, is so fucking stunning.

“Ryder, if what you say is true, really, you had no choice in your life. Your father had your life all planned out for you. As far as the club is concerned, I really hope that they leave you alone after this last run, and maybe we can focus on ‘us.’” She reaches up and puts her small hands on my biceps.

Rubbing my thumbs over her cheeks, I pull her face to mine, run my lips over her beautiful, soft lips, and suck on her bottom lip. She lets out a small moan and opens her mouth, inviting me to invade it with my tongue. Gliding my tongue in and out of her mouth a few times, I slow down our kissing and give her a small peck before I finish what I came here to talk with her about.

Once her gaze focuses again, I drop my hands from her face to her lap. “The last run I went on was only supposed to be a short one-day trip. But I had to go to the clubhouse and get some shit straight for this next run. I won’t go into all that right now, but I’ll be leaving Flem here with you when I go. Ziggy will be riding with me. And before you ask, yes, the guys are part of the club. They are my best buds and won’t let anything happen to you.”

Her face instantly shows distress when I tell her I’m leaving Flem behind. “Why would you have to leave a guy here with me while you’re gone? Is something going to happen to me?”

Grabbing her hand, I bring it to my chest, “No, babe. Nothing is going to happen to you. But as my ol’ lady, you have to have protection.” I make sure that she doesn’t slap me for calling her my ol’ lady. Seeing the coast is clear, I continue. “Trust me, if I could take you with me, I would. But it’s not safe for you.”

Faith becomes very quiet.

***

After several minutes of not talking and just enjoying the sunset, Faith speaks up. “Ryder, I know you have a wicked past. A scary past to be exact.” She shivers. “But I’d like to be a part of your future.” She leans to the side and makes eye contact with me.

“You promise to come home? And you promise to be careful?” she asks.

Running my hand over her stomach, I say with a raspy tone, “Yeah, baby, I promise.” I flash her my best smile.

“Okay, then I am okay with everything you just told me.” She leans back against me and continues watching the sunset.

Are you kidding me? Is she really accepting what I do for a living?
I run my hand over my head. “All right then, baby. Hopefully everything goes smooth with this last run then.” I try my best to give her a reassuring smile after that last statement.

Yes. Let’s hope the Mexicans don’t pull something.

Faith

IT’S BEEN A WEEK
since Ryder opened his heart to me. I think about how open he’s been, and I feel it could really work with us. I’m not putting my whole heart out there. Just something I need to keep to myself, a little reservation.

He is still being patient with me when it comes to us being together. Let me tell you, if the way he goes down on me or the way he kisses is any prelude to how he is in bed, I am in for a treat!
Oh, calm yourself, girl! Ever since he said you’re ‘his one,’ you’ve been acting like a schoolgirl!

My brain is right. I slump my shoulders down and thrust out my bottom lip. I need to keep my eyes on the bigger picture.

“So, babe. I know I haven’t asked you about this lately, but how do you feel about going on that trip to see your pops?” Ryder asks as he shovels a few fries in his mouth.

Fear instantly tings inside me and I frown.

“Why you frowning?”

“Ryder, I don’t know. I’m not sure that we are ready for something like that. You’ll have to meet my daddy and my brothers,” I say as I walk toward the other side of the counter.
I was really hoping that he would forget about offering to take me back home.

“Come on, babe, could be fun.” He gives me his sickly sweet smile he gets when he wants something.

Ugh, dimples and all!
I let out a sigh and walk back over to where he’s sitting.

“If you promise to be on your best behavior, then I guess it’s fine with me.” I just hope my family can do the same and take to him as I have. We’ll have to wait and see.

***

My shift seems to fly by, and when I return from the kitchen after clocking out, he’s just paying his bill. “Hey, can I walk you home so we can talk and finish our plans for our trip?” he asks, walking toward me. He reaches out to take my hand.

“I guess.” I give my annoyed laugh. Reaching out, I grab and fold my hand in his. We walk across the lot toward the shop and my apartment.

He hasn’t gone very far since he has been back. His truck is parked next to my apartment, and he is either sleeping in his truck or on my couch. God, he is handsome, his blue eyes, long hair—and long beard to match! Muscles in all the right places but not overly built.
I bet he would feel amazing all sweaty lying on top of me.
God! These thoughts are nauseating!