ROMANCE: SHAPESHIFTER ROMANCE: Dragon Baller's Bride (Dragon Shifter Alpha Male Romance) (Paranormal Romantic Suspense) (10 page)

“Didn’t go well, huh?” Quinn asked her.

“No, not at all. Do you know any towing services, rental car agencies, or hotels around here?” She asked hopefully.

“I’m afraid I don’t, not local to here anyway and nobody comes out to these parts at night, usually. For some reason we’re very hard to locate and taxi services and tow trucks just end up going in circles. It’s not so bad in the daylight but at night we just seem to disappear out here.” Quinn informed her as he wiped down the counter.

“Right. I guess it is back to the car for me after I finish this burger then. This is great by the way; I love whatever this sauce is on it.” Trudi replied after she swallowed.

“That’s a smoked bacon and cheddar gravy, actually. It’s a favorite with the regulars. Um, I think Travis and I can help you out if you’re up for it?” Quinn said tentatively.

Perking at the term “up for it”, and unsure of what that meant, something in Quinn’s tone put her on edge; Trudi raised her left eyebrow as if to question him.

“Go on.” She finally said as he looked at her with an unsure smile.

“Well, we have kind of an apartment upstairs; we sometimes use it when one of us is too tired to go home after a shift. It has three bedrooms and is set up as a regular apartment, with locks on all of the bedroom doors. You’d be perfectly safe and Travis or I could drive down and pull your car down this far, if you wanted?” Quinn offered.

Trudi had to think about it for all of two seconds before accepting his offer. She’d been watching Travis while she ate and though the man was an incredible flirt he was harmless. Stunningly sexy and charming when he wanted to be but harmless. Ordering one more drink before Quinn got back with her car Trudi turned on her barstool and looked around.

Where she’d seen brutally scary looking people before with grimly unamused faces she now saw laughter, camaraderie, and even love amongst the crowd gathered in the bar. People milled around talking, telling stories and jokes, and having a good time. The women looked to be just as relaxed as the men did and there had been no fighting, although she did see the table dancer in a corner that wasn’t dark enough to conceal exactly where her hands were or to hide that she was passionately kissing a woman whose knees had gone weak. Quickly looking away she caught sight of Travis watching her, a look of deep interest on his face. Looking into his eyes she saw a challenge there but she wasn’t sure what the challenge was.

Later that night Trudi was finally tucked up in a bed, her car in the parking area outside, her door safely locked, and in her nightclothes. She was thinking over her day as she fell asleep. She’d seen things tonight she thought she’d never see, been brave enough to walk into a biker bar, and though she hadn’t actually left the place yet she was unscathed. Just before she fell asleep she wondered once more about all of the bear paraphernalia she’d seen in the bar. Some people even had bear tattoos. Maybe it was just part of the motorcycle club logo she’d seen on the black leather vests every single patron in the bar seemed to own tonight? Maybe.

T
he next morning
Trudi woke to the smell of bacon and coffee, pancakes, and the sound of loud talking and laughter. Not wanting to miss the coffee Trudi hurried through her morning routine and walked down the stairs. Hoping to not stand out as much, she’d put on a pair of black jeans, black leather boots with a two inch heel, and a slouchy shirt with the landscape of Paris on it, they were the most casual clothes she had.

Stepping down into the bar area she found the same group from last night but now they were seated at tables eating a breakfast that the men had apparently cooked for the women. As she watched from the bar she saw men bring in plates of eggs, bacon, and pancakes, as well as cartons of juice and pots of coffee. The women were sitting with their children and friends, heckling the men about how slow they were.

Trudi didn’t know much about the biker lifestyle but the little she had learned over the years was that sweet little girls like her would get chewed up and spit out in this environment. Women like her were either doormats or used and abused. She’d heard about biker gangs trafficking in women and kids, how women were treated as property, and had few rights within these gangs. The men usually acted like owners rather than partners and it was a life she had little interest in. She wanted a clean, shiny white lifestyle with gleaming surfaces and stainless steel. If she had to be a man’s puppet to achieve that she could live with it, but being a man’s slave in a dirty sweaty environment simply did not appeal at all to Trudi.

The scene presented before her was not one she’d expected to see. The women mouthed off at the men and instead of getting a smack across the mouth as Trudi expected, her man either gave her a pinch on the bottom or kissed the lips that had spoken with such venom. These men weren’t the toys of the women, though, they gave as well as they got. This was true partnership, something Trudi had never actually seen before. She walked as quietly as she could over to an empty table and sat down, fascinated with the interactions going on around her.

Trudi’s study of the group was interrupted by Travis sitting down across from her, two filled plates in his hand while Quinn came from the side with a tray with three glasses of juice on it and his own plate as well as a variety of syrups and jams. Both men smiled as Trudi looked up at them and smiled back.

“Did you rest well?” Quinn asked.

“Rather good actually. I thought I’d be tossing and turning all night worrying about how to get to Atlanta by the end of the day but I fell asleep quickly and slept well.” She replied.

“Ah, it’s that Georgia air. Makes for a much better sleep. I hope you’re enjoying your stay with us because we have some rather upsetting news. Well, it may be upsetting for you but we’re not unhappy about it. We know a guy that can fix your car, your water pump is dead by the way, we checked it this morning, but the part won’t be in until tomorrow morning. You won’t have any better luck if you have it towed. We’d be glad to have you stay another night, if you’d like, and keep you to ourselves for a little while longer.” Travis, always the bold one, seemed to be begging Trudi to stay.

Trudi looked at him in the morning light and saw a very handsome man with eyes that could not lie. He really did want her to stay another night. Looking over at Quinn she saw him shake his head in agreement as his mouth was full, and finally agreed with the plan.

“I can’t turn down those puppy dog eyes Travis is giving me. I don’t have to be in Atlanta for another two days, one more day won’t hurt I suppose. Can I have the blueberry syrup please, Travis?”

“Oh, I’ll give you the blueberry syrup and anything else you might want from me, Trudi. In fact, I have a few ideas about where I could…ow, what did you do that for?” Travis jumped and looked over at Quinn with an accusing glare as he rubbed at his leg.

“Down boy! Let her have her breakfast before you start on her at least.” Quinn laughed as he put another bite of pancake between his full lips. Oh, those were some rather handsome lips. Quinn hadn’t shaved everything off of his face this morning, leaving a dark shadow that would become a full beard very quickly, it looked like. She thought the look enhanced just how sensual Quinn’s lips were. He was the kinder, more sensitive of the pair and she was having a hard time deciding which of the two males was more handsome.

Trudi knew, on a higher level that Travis was harmless, that this was his way of saying he liked her and she knew that she should probably be offended but she couldn’t help but smile at his eagerness. The little-boy charm was working on her and she thought that, perhaps, she’d let herself go today. One last chance before she went out after the life she really wanted to lead. After all, sometimes you have fantasies that you’d never act on in real life, she thought, perhaps this was one she could act on and then live with the memory happily in her stash of secrets as she settled down to a much different life. Looking over at Quinn another thought occurred to Trudi, what if she took it one step further and had both men in bed with her? She was certain her cheeks were burning bright red as pictures started to flick around in her mind but she pushed it all down so that she could form thoughts and words to finally reply to Quinn.

“He’s fine Quinn. What else is planned for today? Can I help you clean up or anything?” She asked as she finished the last bite of her pancakes. They’d been delicious and closing her eyes she licked her fork clean with a low murmur of delight. The move had been performed without thought but she heard two strangled noises coming from the men, and Trudi opened her eyes to see both Travis and Quinn watching her with hungry looks.

“Oops! Sorry fellas, I lost myself for a moment. Now, can I help you?” She asked sweetly, innocently, but the smile she gave them wasn’t as innocent as the words she’d spoken.

Trudi wasn’t exactly sure what game she was playing yet, she wasn’t sure how far she wanted to take it but she knew she wanted to push her limits as far as possible before she left this bar. One of them, or perhaps both of them she thought wickedly, was going to help her do just that. Opening her eyes wide she dared the men to question the innocence of her words.

Clearing his throat Travis looked at Trudi’s lips and said “yeah, I have a few things you can help me with.”

“Later T, we have to finish up here first. Come on, let’s clear these plates then we’ll find out what other pursuits interest Ms. Trudi here.” Quinn said a promise in his eyes as he left Trudi at the table.

Trudi spent the rest of the day getting to know the other ladies, learning about Travis and Quinn, and about the motorcycle club they were all a part of, Ursa’s Majors. If she remembered the tale of the Ursa Major constellation correctly it had something to do with a mother that was turned into a bear by an angry goddess. The goddess, not satisfied with the punishment she’d handed down to the vestal virgin who dared to break her vow of chastity, sent the poor woman up into the sky to look down on Earth from the heavens as a constellation in the sky. An interesting choice for a motorcycle club, Trudi thought, a feminine leader or mascot not jiving with her notion of misogynistic males and their usual affinity with skulls and demons. There was definitely more to these people than she’d originally thought.

Trudi was also surprised to learn that Travis and Quinn owned the bar together with Quinn’s sister, Sabina. She’d thought they were only the barmen, maybe trusted managers or something but she hadn’t realized the previous night that they owned the place. She saw the men who had been dressed in leather and denim the same as the other men in the bar in a new light now. As she spent the day playing with children and talking with both the men and the women of the group Trudi told herself she was only doing what any senator’s wife would do, getting to know the constituents of a district. She wasn’t forming relationships unlike any she’d ever had and she wasn’t building a place to stay, she was simply playing a role until she could be on her way. Getting Travis or Quinn, or both even as she’d started to hope for, into bed was just a perk of the day. Totally out of character, and certainly an odd idea but one she couldn’t get out of her head now that she’d thought of it.

B
y the time
the sun went down and the children were sent home the group was ready to party again, only tonight there was a sexual tension there and Trudi wasn’t sure if it was her own tension or if the entire group really did seem to be in heat. Her question was answered when Quinn turned the music on and a slow grinding beat filled the air with a pulsing rhythm that seemed to be echoed deep within her abdomen. She could actually feel her blood pulsing within her body right now.

Of course that could be the six shots she’d downed in the last hour, she thought as she gazed around the table, filled with beautiful girls her own age. Sabina had loaned her a leather bustier earlier with fringe that ran down to her knees all along the bottom. It barely fit up top but then again that sort of top was meant to press your breasts up to your chin, weren’t they? The look in Sabina’s eyes when she saw Trudi in it was all the convincing she’d needed. She fit in with the group she was with now, at least in the appearance department. She certainly wasn’t able to keep up with their drinking abilities; she still had five shots to drink before she caught up with these girls.

“You dancing tonight, Sabina?” A girl named Lacy with a very smoky voice asked Trudi’s new friend with a grin. Her words were starting to slur but that was the only hint that she’d been drinking.

“Maybe. If I can convince Trudi here to get up there with me.” Sabina replied, her own voice like velvet.

Trudi really enjoyed listening to Sabina, she thought, as her sluggish brain caught up with what Sabina had said. “
What
?”

“I’m not dancing tonight unless you get up there with me and all of these people love to watch me so you’d best get your ass in gear. Drink up then we’re going up on this table. Quinn’s got the music lined up already.” Sabina said with an infectious laugh. She stripped off her top to reveal a bra with straps wrapping around her torso down to the short skirt that was removed to reveal a black leather thong. Paired with the thigh high patent leather boots, Sabina’s incredible blue eyes, and the black lipstick Sabina wore the woman was mouth-wateringly hot.

Looking over at Quinn and Travis, standing together as the current song started to end, looking back at Trudi with their devilish grins; Trudi knew she had to accept this dare. It was a test and if she failed it that would be the end of the night and her fun here. Was she up for a challenge, did she know how to let go, was she brave enough? All were the questions she was about to answer. Standing up with a grin Trudi sucked down one of the remaining shots of tequila in front of her, sucked on a lime, then let herself absolutely go with a yell as she slammed the glass back down on the table.

Taking Sabina’s hand she joined the other woman on the sturdy table as a new, faster paced song started. Swinging her hips she moved with Sabina, a moan escaping her lips as the woman’s hands roamed over her body, over her breasts, and down her back. Sabina pulled her close and the sensation of their hips meeting, Trudi’s ass pushing into Sabina’s stomach made Trudi’s stomach clench.

As Trudi thrust her ass back at Sabina the woman pushed on her neck, bending Trudi over before pulling her back up with the collar the bustier formed around her neck. When Trudi stood back up, still moving her hips against Sabina she saw Travis and Quinn standing at the bar in awe, as was everyone else in the bar. Grinning in triumph she turned around, thrusting a leg between Sabina’s, the shorter woman taking the open invitation to ride her legs.

With her own joyful scream Sabina ground down against Trudi’s thigh and Trudi held her, letting one hand roam over the woman’s beautiful chest, her tantalizing face, and then she grew really bold and slid a finger between Sabina’s lips. Sabina’s eyes popped open and she moaned loudly as she started to suck on Trudi’s fingers. After that Trudi could only watch as the other woman began to quake in her arms, her legs wrapping around Trudi, pushing her against the wall, as her back arched and her body rocked against Trudi in an obvious imitation of sex.

“Whoa!” Trudi gasped as she watched Sabina come apart in her arms. She’d barely even touched the woman, what would happen if she actually attempted to take it further? Hitching the other woman up higher she went straight for Sabina’s throat, licking up to the woman’s jaw. If she’d taken a moment to think about her actions Trudi might have run away from the group in horror. She thought she’d outgrown the desire for this kind of behavior, to be free sexually, but here it was and this time she was taking it further than she ever had before.

“You sure you really want to go this far?” Sabina asked.

“I’m here now; I may not get to do this again. Ever. Yeah, I’m sure?” Trudi replied as she placed her lips over Sabina’s. Before the kiss could go too far Quinn came up pulling Trudi away.

“Not tonight, Sabina, she’s ours tonight.” Quinn growled. “Maybe another time.”

“Quinn!” Sabina protested, her crystal blue eyes shooting fire at her brother.

Trudi could only stare, dazed by her actions, by lust. The alcohol had freed her inhibitions, of that there was no doubt but it was starting to wear off, her system processing it quickly, and her thoughts were clearing. Oh yes, she wanted Sabina, but Quinn was right, tonight she wanted Quinn and Travis more. She needed male hands, male bodies pressed into hers. Sabina’s soft curves and lusciously seductive mouth were certainly a new and intriguing possibility but now she needed the two powerful, alpha males more than she needed a new experience with a woman. Falling into Quinn’s arms she wrapped her legs around him as he stepped down off of the table.

The gathered crowd cheered as he carried her up the stairs, Travis following behind with a huge grin on his face.