FLASH (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 15) Read online

  He winked.

  Kady grinned and took another swig of her drink.

  “Well, it’s good to see you,” he said suddenly.

  Now the ice was broken, it was almost as if they could dive right in and talk about something more intimate. Kady flicked her hair over her shoulder so she could see him properly and she took in every inch of his handsome and chiseled face. He really was incredibly good looking. It was almost as if she had forgotten how much so. Whenever she had laid awake at night and thought about him, or tried not to think about him, his features had all blurred together and become one. The intricate details, such as the way his eyebrows were thick and almost constantly furrowed, the crinkle around his eyes from spending too long in the sun, and the way his teeth were perfectly straight. It had all been lost in her memory bank. But now that it was right there in front of her, she was dazzled by it all over again.

  “It’s good to see you too,” she smiled.

  The silence hung between them and she wanted to say something else but she didn’t know what. They had always had such a natural rapport, but with the issue of the last time they had seen each other properly still hanging over their heads, it was making it all a bit awkward.

  “I didn’t want to just disappear and not call you,” he said finally as he played with the label on his bottle of beer. “In fact, I was going to come back to see you the same night but I wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to do.”

  For someone who she had only ever seen being the ultimate alpha male, he suddenly seemed unsure of himself.

  “I wish you had,” she confessed. “My memories are all a bit hazy from that night, but I know I had a good time.”

  Flash locked his eyes on hers and gave her a cheeky grin that made her knees go weak.

  “We had a very good time,” he confirmed.

  “You looked out for me,” she smiled. “I remember falling from the bar and you caught me, you made sure I was safe.”

  “You’ve always been a good friend, Kady,” he said genuinely. “I didn’t realize you wanted more…” He was searching her face for answers.

  “I… I…” she stuttered and felt herself going red. “I was very forward. I’m not usually…”

  “I’ve never seen you with a man, ever,” he smiled as he reached out and touched her hand gently. “And I have to admit that makes me like you even more.”

  Kady’s heart started to flip in her chest.

  “I’m really glad I asked you out tonight,” he smiled as he leaned back and took a swig of his drink. “I’ve been thinking about it a lot since back then. And to be honest, I thought I may have blown it.”

  “Well, you haven’t hit a home run just yet,” she teased. “But keep going with the compliments, they won’t do you any harm.”

  Flash through his head back and laughed.

  “Good to know,” he winked.

  A group of rowdy drunks burst through the door and unturned a table as they jeered at each other and Flash growled as he got to his feet and turned to face them. Kady sat back in her seat and watched how he seemed to rise out of nowhere, his shoulders wide and powerful, and his stance full of strength.

  “Come on,” he said as he took a step forward. “You’re not going to come in here and throw yourself around like that, guys.”

  He crossed his arms over his chest and it was so sexy to see him standing up for Faith and his property that it made Kady’s heart race and her pussy twinge.

  He really didn’t have any fear.

  He was strong, he was alpha, and he was hot, hot, hot…

  “What the fuck are you saying to me, bro?” One of the drunks turned around, red faced and with drool hanging from his lip. His eyes were all over as if he clearly couldn’t even see straight and Kady had to lower her head a little to try not to laugh.

  Flash cracked his knuckles and took another step forward, and in that moment, it really hit home to her what she was getting involved with. The Forsaken Riders were gentlemen to their women, but when it came to trouble and business, they were a whole ton of bad. Flash looked as if he was about to crush the entire group of drunks, and when he stood in front of them, he towered above them all, his arms wider than each of their heads.

  “I said no trouble in here,” Flash snarled through gritted teeth. “Now pick up all of this shit and get the fuck out of here.”

  Kady’s heart pounded again and she felt herself becoming hot and bothered. It was such a turn on to see him so confident and strong. She bit her lip and fanned her face with her hand.

  The group of men all stumbled forward together and kicked at the smashed glasses and the broken table they had just knocked over. Flash didn’t even blink, he stayed standing tall and proud with his fists clenched beside him and his gaze fixed firmly on them.

  The leader of the group, the man with the mouth and the shitty attitude, went to square up to him, but the moment he approached, it was as if he noticed something and then he took a step back.

  He looked around and faltered, before he looked back up at Flash and held his hands up in mercy.

  “Sorry, man,” he said. “I didn’t realize.”

  He suddenly seemed to be sobering up and he stepped backward again and tried to disappear amongst the gang he had arrived with.

  “If I ever see any of you in here again,” Flash began. “I’ll make sure it’s the last time.”

  The men all nodded their heads and turned and ran toward the door. Kady couldn’t believe what she had just seen. He had literally owned them in front of the entire bar. There had been five of them and only one of him, and they had run away.

  Faith wandered around the side of the bar and tapped Flash lightly on the arm.

  “Thanks, Flash,” she said sincerely as she bent down and began to sweep up the smashed bits of glass and reset the table. The leg was damaged and bent, but she still managed to get it standing.

  “Fucking drunks,” Flash said as he reached into his pocket for his smokes and clamped one between his teeth.

  He turned on his heel and looked down at Kady. She was trying not to look so impressed, but her heart was racing and she knew her skin was flushing all up her chest. To see him act like that, so dominate and certain, was more than a turn on. It was changing the way she felt about everything.

  They may have been criminals. But they held a lot of power. And Flash had no fear.

  “You okay?” he asked as he sat down.

  Kady nodded and smiled and breathed out deeply.

  “That was pretty impressive,” she grinned like the Cheshire Cat. “Do you always get groups of troublemakers running from you like that?”

  Flash laughed and shrugged.

  “Depends how ferocious I’m feeling, I guess.”

  “I like the ferociousness,” she admitted. “It was fun to watch.”

  Flash smiled and downed the rest of his drink before he motioned to ask if she wanted another.

  “No, thank you,” she smiled. “I’ve got work tomorrow.”

  “Ahh, of course, I should have realized that a school night would mean an early finish,” he said. “And I don’t want to lead you astray again.”

  He winked and it made her heart flutter even more. She knew he was being kind. It had been her that had led him astray the time before, she knew that much. But at least he didn’t seem to mind.

  “I can stay out longer,” she smiled. “But I just won’t be drinking anymore.”

  “That’s cool,” he said as he sat back and took her all in.

  He couldn’t stop smiling at her, it was as if he couldn’t even believe his luck that he was sitting there with her either. And it was both endearing but unnerving. He was such a powerful presence, and to have all of his attention was making her heart race. It was almost as if she didn’t truly believe she deserved it.

  Don’t lose your cool, Kady, she told herself. He asked you out, remember?

  “Well, I’ll tell you what then,” he said as he got to his feet. “Let�
�s get out of here.”

  He nodded toward the door and got to his feet.

  “There’s no point in us sitting in this dingy place, with our conversation being overrun by music and drunks. Why don’t we take a walk?”

  Kady couldn’t think of anything better.

  She jumped out of her seat and nodded enthusiastically.

  “Yes,” she grinned. “I think that’s a great idea.”

  He held out his arm like a gentleman and she linked it while trying not to laugh. She could feel Faith’s eyes on them as they wandered toward the main door, and she could only wonder what she was thinking.

  Faith had always been good to Kady, but she was sure she could sense a slight pang of jealousy. But maybe Kady was just being overly sensitive to the situation. After all, Faith had never particularly shown much interest in any of the bikers before. Even if she did work alongside them.

  When they got out onto the street, Flash moved his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder. When he touched her, it made her whole body tense, but she quickly relaxed and went with the flow. It was such a strange sensation to be close to someone. She had spent so much of her life running away from intimacy that it was hard to let it in. But, at least, with Flash, it seemed to come naturally. None of the moments they spent together seemed forced, even if there was the occasional embarrassing glance or awkward silence. They still recovered from them seamlessly and within a few seconds, everything was right in the world.

  He walked with her across the street and headed toward Middle Park. It had been a while since Kady had set foot in there, but she was glad to be out in the fresh air and wandering the streets of her town, rather than underneath Faith’s magnifying glass back at the bar.

  Flash pushed open the park gate and they went inside. The grass was lush and green, and the sprinklers were already on, spitting their way around and soaking the pathways and flowerbeds.

  “Do you remember when this place was just empty?” he asked as he looked down at her from his towering height.

  “Kind of,” she smiled. “It seems so long ago, all of my memories of back then are pretty hazy.”

  Her stomach dipped a bit when she remembered why. The time before Middle Park was there, Kady was still a child. It was back when she still had her mother, but her mother had been very sick. Very, very sick. And times had been hard.

  “I can,” he said as they continued walking. “And I always used to say to my folks, why don’t they do something with that empty patch of land in the middle of Main Street. They could make a community park or some shit.”

  “And they listened to you?” Kady looked up at him with a wide smile.

  “I don’t know if it was my influence, exactly,” Flash laughed. “But someone clearly had the same idea. It wasn’t even six months later, I don’t think, when work began. I saw them digging up all the old wasteland and laying the soil down. Dragging up the ground and laying the turf. They made a good job, considering,” he said with a hint of nostalgia.

  “I had no idea you would be so passionate about a community park,” Kady teased.

  “Well, I can guarantee there is a hell of a lot you don’t know about me just yet,” he jibed. “We’re all mysteries in our own way.”

  She nodded and smiled.

  “I couldn’t agree more,” she said.

  She slipped her arm through his and they walked on, it had been a lovely evening and she wanted nothing more than to stay out and talk with him all night long, but she knew she had an early start the following day. And she didn’t want to give him all of her time right away. He was going to have to earn that right.

  “It’s been lovely,” she smiled as she stopped and he turned to look down at her. “Thank you so much for tonight.”

  “Thank you,” he said sincerely.

  They looked into each other’s eyes for a moment and all she wanted to do was jump, wrap her legs around his waist, and kiss the hell out of him. But she had to resist. She had to keep her urges under wraps, however hard it may be.

  Flash reached up and brushed a strand of hair over her shoulder and held her chin in his thumb and forefinger. Her heart was racing and she could sense that he was going to kiss her. But when he leaned in and gave her a solitary but strong kiss on the lips, it was so simple but intense that it took her breath away.

  Her lips were hungry and searched for more, but he pulled away slowly and gently, and looked at her in the eyes with his gorgeous smile.

  “I’ll take you home,” he said. “And then I have to get over to the clubhouse.”

  Kady nodded. She felt lost without his hands on her and after being teased with such an amazing kiss, she wanted to do it again and again.

  She reached up and touched her lips. They felt tingly and on fire. He had woken up her desire all over again and now she was hooked.

  6.

  He’d rode away from her as she waited and watched from her front door. She’d hugged her arms around herself and replayed, over and over, how it had felt to be with a man like him. Getting to know him on a deeper level was so incredible it was making her head spin.

  She closed the door behind her and turned the key in the lock. It really had been a wonderful night, even if it hadn’t been anywhere near as wild as the time she had last spent with him. She sat down on her couch and thought about it all. It seemed so strange that she had formed this bond with Flash. Out of nowhere, almost. She had always thought he was handsome as hell, but she had been determined never to succumb to it. She had always pushed it to the back of her mind and continued her life of celibacy as if she had never known any different.

  When she had gotten drunk in The Bleeding Bullet and he had stepped in to save her from making a huge fool of herself, her desire had burst free and she had told him how she felt.

  Now he was reciprocating, and it felt so good, but also unbelievable. As if how could she have lucked out like this and so easily? It almost made her want to kick herself for not pursuing him sooner.

  She got to her feet and traipsed into the kitchen for a glass of water and to turn off all the lamps. She was exhausted after her night of excitement, and she was sure she could still feel the wind whipping around her as it had done while she had been on the back of his bike.

  She stomped slowly up the stairs and went into her room. She could smell his cologne on her, and it brought back memories of the night he had stayed there, right next to her, in her bed. She bit her lip and shook her head.

  She was going to have to snap herself out of this. Or he really would be the unravelling of her. Kady had always been so cool, calm and collected whenever it came to men. She didn’t want to ruin it by going overboard.

  She pulled on her PJs and climbed underneath the covers. Her curtains were still open and when she turned out the light she could see the stars perfectly twinkling in the night’s sky. She watched them for a moment and imagined what it must be like to be out in the depths of the desert with no light around. With only the stars for company. And then it led her to think about adding Flash into that mix.

  Kady… Flash… A wide open desert, the night’s sky and the heaven’s shining above them… A kiss or two… A rush of desire.

  She lay back and gasped as she closed her eyes and slipped her fingers into her underwear. She really did want him so badly, but she had to stop being so bad.

  Suddenly, her cell phone trilled and she jumped and sat up straight. It flashed on the nightstand and she felt herself flush with embarrassment as she reached down and picked it up to see his name lighting up the screen. It was a text and she bit her lip and grinned.

  F: I had a great time with you tonight. I’m just sorry it took so long… F x

  Her smile was so wide she was surprised it didn’t hurt. She started to reply…

  K: Thank you for taking me out, I had a great time too… x

  F: I hope you’re in bed? You have an early start in the morning!

  K: Of course I am 

  F: Good. I didn’
t cut our night short for nothing… x

  K: I cut our night short ;)

  F: Touché…

  K: Seriously though, thank you, it was fun xx

  F: Let’s do it again. Friday? X

  K: I’d like that… x

  F: So would I. I’ll pick you up at eight. Good night, Kady x

  K: Good night, Flash x

  She lay back down with a huge grin on her face and her heart aflutter. He really did know how to be caring and cheeky at the same time, and she loved the fact that he had tried to secure a next date with her before they had even really finished their first one.

  She rolled onto her side and sighed.

  She had no idea how much her life would change when she had started the week. But now, things were moving quickly and in a positive direction. It was as if the stars had finally aligned for her and were showing her the way.

  “All of the lonely nights have been worth it,” she whispered to herself as she looked out at the stars.

  She had always believed she had kept herself on her own for a reason. And maybe it was because she was waiting for the right person to come along. It felt bizarre to be admitting it so soon, but she knew something about her and Flash was different. She could already imagine them going the distance. And although it was a wonderful feeling, it was also very scary.

  “You’re going to have to pace yourself and keep your head screwed on,” she whispered to herself as she closed her eyes and tried to relax and wind down into sleep. “Because you don’t have a whole lot of dating experience and what if he’s like this with all the girls…?”

  Even as she said the words she knew she didn’t believe them, but at least she could try and err on the side of caution.

  She smiled again and hugged her arms around herself as she yawned and slowly but surely drifted off to sleep.

  The morning came around much faster than she ever would have liked, and when she leaned up on her elbows and yawned, she suddenly remembered how she had spent her previous evening.

  A date with Flash…

  Wow.