Sawyer (Great Wolves Motorcycle Club, #5) (21 page)

“I do just fine.”

“I bet. And you look just fine. See you later, Cassidy. Oh, and thanks for watching me work out. I like it. You looking at me turns me on.” Craddock winked, then turned and headed to the mat where they were working on what was the word? Oh yeah, grappling. She inferred that meant wrestling. He really did love himself. But unfortunately, he was right. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

She spent the morning getting the computer set up. By mid-day, she had it up and running.  She took a phone call with the California manager of GWG, Sawyer, on what they wanted regarding membership and other forms online. She even started entering membership information on each fighter who worked out there. Once they were all in, all they’d need is a new magnetic card to swipe.

Whitey came over at one point to check on her.

“You came in on the right day. I was getting heat to get this stuff done and now you’re almost finished!”

“We can start issuing the cards tomorrow and by the end of the week everyone will just swipe and we’ll be able to keep track without all the files cabinets.”

“Good work. You’re a smart little cookie. Pretty as a picture too. Anyone too fresh?”

“No, sir. I’m fine.” She decided not to let him know that Craddock kept catching her eye and looked like he would eat her alive. Along with that, she’d had winks from quite a few of the other guys, the terms sweetheart, hottie, and darling were flung at her from all directions. She decided it was part of the job and harmless. She’d told them her name was Cassidy, not sweet cheeks, and that usually took care of it. Except in Craddock’s case.

At around 1 p.m. she realized she hadn’t eaten and laid her little lunch out on the desk as she continued to enter the gym members into the new database she’d set up with the GWG guidelines. There were about 100 members, mostly men, but a few badass women. She may need to watch them a little closer too, badassery could come in handy in this place, she thought.

Cassidy jumped in her chair a little when Zeke Powell pounced over and sat on the side of her desk. He had his own lunch in hand and a mouth full of food. Powell’s light hair and skin were the perfect counterpoint to Craddock’s dark hair and deeper skin tone. They were opposite and the same in a lot of ways. While Craddock had tats on his back, Zeke Powell had just one, a cross, on his shoulder. He was the cleanest cut of the bunch, she’d decided.

“I thought we’d have a lunch date together,” Zeke said between bites.

“Oh really?” Somehow his hitting on her was less laden with sex. It was a relief to some degree. Zeke, while just as muscle-bound as Craddock, didn’t act like he was picturing her naked.

“Not exactly doing a good job of a balanced lunch there, Cassidy.” Zeke smiled at her and she couldn’t help but smile back. She liked him.

“I suppose not. What’s your lunch today?”

“Two turkey sandwiches on rye, two apples, a bag of chips, don’t tell Whitey, and a cookie. Also, half a gallon of Gatorade. My momma knows what I like.”

“Well, you’re lucky, then. What does momma or daddy do?”

“He’s a pastor and she’s the pastor’s wife. Sort of a full-time job, too.”

“I see, and you beat people up for a living? Not too Christian of you.” Cassidy took a sip of her water bottle.

“Well it’s my talent, fighting, and Jesus doesn’t want us to hide our talents, so actually, not fighting is the sin.”

“Interesting. Never thought of it that way.” Cassidy was done with her meager lunch and carefully dumped the crumbs from her napkin into the nearby garbage can. She folded the brown bag so she could use it tomorrow. It was still good.

“What do you do? Any hobbies besides dealing with us here at GWG?”

“I’m a fourth-degree black belt in jui-jitsu so there’s that.” She gave him a wink like he’d done to her earlier.

“That actually would help around here. We’re an overwhelming bunch and aren’t used to having someone who smells so fresh in our midst.”

“Well thank you, soap and shampoo, quite the beauty secret.”

“Craddock Flynn seems to like it just fine. You’re a really nice girl, can I offer a friendly warning?” Zeke had gotten serious all of a sudden.

“We’re friends?”

“I hope so. We’re practically BFFs now that we eat lunch together. It’s our thing.” Zeke Powell was funny, she had to give him that.

“Okay, what’s the friendly warning?”

“Be really careful with Craddock. He comes on strong and he’s dangerous. He’s got a not-so-friendly side. Let me know if he gets fresh.”

“Fresh? Is this 1956? Thank you, but I’m good. Besides, fourth-degree black belt, remember?”

“Oh yes, very scary!” They laughed. It felt good to laugh with Zeke.

“You know, you’re welcome to come to visit the chu-”

“Is he bothering you? Why don’t you get your fat ass off her desk and show some respect?”

“You’re being an asshole, as usual, the lady and I are on a lunch date.” Cassidy watched as Zeke Powell seemed to enjoy instigating anger in Craddock. It did not seem like a what-would-Jesus-do characteristic. But Craddock was no saint, either. Zeke stood up and the two men were chest to chest. All of a sudden her cup-a-soup “date” with Zeke was turning into World War Three. If these two got her fired...

“Lunch date? Don’t flatter yourself.” Craddock said. It didn’t look like either man was planning on backing down. Cassidy saw a flurry of movement out of the corner of her eye. Maybe Whitey had noticed the ruckus. Shit.

Zeke broke off the stare down with Craddock, releasing the tension between the two men to some degree. “Back off Craddock. We don’t want to get her in trouble. And Cassidy, thanks for lunch.” The two men eyed each other. Would they have fought right there if she hadn’t asked Zeke to think of her job?

Clearly the two fighters hated each other and it wasn’t just about who had lunch with her. She wondered what it was about. Zeke eased away from her work area.

Craddock looked at her now that Zeke was clearly stepping back.

“He’s the snake in the garden. Trust me on that.”

Zeke rolled his eyes at the warning. “Whatever Flynn. You’re over reacting as usual.”

“Fuck off.”

Zeke sauntered over to the free-weight area of the gym. Cassidy felt grateful that Zeke understood her distress. Craddock on the other hand...

“We were just eating our lunches.” Why she felt like she needed to explain this to Craddock Flynn, she had no idea.

“You’re not dating anyone in here, but me.” Craddock crouched down to her level and then grabbed the arms of her rolling office chair and jerked it toward him. Shocked, she inhaled sharply as she swerved forward.

“I’m not dating anyone in here, period.” It was a whisper and sounded more seductive than she’d planned.

“We’ll see.” He ran a finger along her jawline, down her chin, to the hollow spot at the base of her neck. A part of her wanted to reach out with her mouth and draw it in. What what she thinking?? She was at work, not out to find a boyfriend.

“As soft as I thought it would feel.”

She swallowed hard and pushed her chair back away, leaving Craddock slightly out of reach. He fixed an almost mean gaze on her, and she felt goose bumps rise up on her arms. She hoped he didn’t notice that.

Craddock got up and strutted back to his training station. Cassidy struggled to remember what day it was after that little exchange. No one she’d ever encountered affected her the way he did. She was determined not to get sucked in, though. She didn’t know how she would accomplish that, but in the deepest part of her, the part where logic or survival or life plans didn’t reign supreme, she felt something unfamiliar stirring. Something she’d never let see the light of day before. A strange warm feeling in her core, her chest, her mind.

She wanted Craddock. She wanted his finger to continue its trail on her skin, to the top of her blouse, and beyond. The image of him doing just that blossomed in her mind and she could still feel the hot trail of his touch on her skin. This was bad, so very, very bad.

The phone rang. Good. Work. Distraction. Life.

“Great Wolf Gym,” she answered with a confidence she didn’t feel, but she pulled it together to finish her first day on the job.

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Sawyer’s Friend Raleigh has a steamy story all her own....

G
o on a romantic adventure with MMA Fighter Mace Alois...

“Thank you, Mace,” She said it softly and then she did something she had not done since college. She channeled the bold girl she used to be and she made the first move. He had helped her and she decided a thank you kiss was in order.

Raleigh leaned up and placed her lips on Mace’s cheek. It tasted of blood, stubble, and salt. If she intended anything, she intended for this to be a quick peck, a throwback to the flirty college girl she used to be, who did not have to log every moment of the day.

She did not bargain on how powerfully her body would respond to his. Mace’s hand on her arm the other day set her body thrumming and that was nothing to the way her insides heated at the touch of her lips on his skin just now. He made her hungry. She could not find a better word. Hungry.

Instead of pulling away, she lingered. Their faces touched. She wanted more than the sweet little thank you kiss she blithely doled out. Then Mace turned his head just enough, slowly, toward her, and their lips met.

The sweet kiss was so much more, so quickly Raleigh did not think; her tongue darted out to taste his lip.

She worried for a second that she had been too forward, hitting on a guy who was just trying to be polite to the epileptic girl? Then it happened.

Mace’s tongue met hers and it was a catalyst to something she had never felt before. Mace took two powerful steps forward and she backward. The pressure of his lips and his body propelled her up against the brick wall of the alley. Mace’s hands were all over her. They were instantly wild together. Unbidden her leg twisted around his.

This had so quickly turned into the most intense encounter of her life.

Her skin reacted to his touch like a million fizzy Champagne bubbles. She found herself wrapping her hands around his neck, rubbing her body up against his.

It was as if the touch of his tongue on hers turned the spark of attraction into an inferno. She felt his hands on the sides of her hips up and up to the side of her breasts and down again. It was crazy, out of control, and she wanted more. She would have let him take her there. She wanted him to. More than anything else, she could think of.

But as quickly as it started Mace pulled back, an inch, two inches. He flattened his hands on the wall on either side of her head.

Their kiss stopped and the only sound in the alley was the sound of both of their breaths, heavy and fast. It was jarring, she felt like separating from him was more unsettling than coming together the way they just had.

“What?” She did not want this to stop.

“Je Suis désolé.”

“What? I..”

“I am sorry. I should not have done that.” Raleigh was feeling increasingly mortified as she realized her dress was hiked up and she was clearly being rejected. She had thrown herself at someone who responded and now thought better of it.

“I started it. Don’t sweat it, Jean Claude.” It was more biting than she meant to be. She wanted to ask what was wrong but decided the answer could make this moment even worse.

“I got carried away. Please let me escort you back to your friends.” Her rough and tough French neighbor had turned into an extremely proper total stranger.

“Forget it. I’m fine. That’s for your help getting me out here.” Raleigh could not find the door back to the bar fast enough.

She did not look back and left Mace standing in the alley. She did not want him to see the hurt or embarrassment on her face. She just wanted out of the situation. Fast. She could not remember a time when a man rejected her, especially in a moment like that. It was humiliating. She knew humiliation these days.

Raleigh’s friends were not ready to go home; both were still having a ton of fun. She all of a sudden was not. She did not have the heart to ask them to leave with her. She had done that too many times in the last year. Her problems should not hold them back she thought.

She texted Alysha and Courtney and then waved when they looked at her with concern. She told them a headache was coming on but nothing more serious.

She grabbed a cab and got out of there.

She thought the biggest risk of embarrassment tonight would have been having a seizure at a cool club with her girlfriends. She could almost see herself drooling on the dance floor or something. It was what kept her home on countless other Fridays.

Instead, she was embarrassed and surprised at her current predicament. Her face felt hot when she thought about the fact that her full on assault of Mace Alois was soundly rejected.

Mace

Merde! That was the hottest fucking kiss Mace had ever had. It was the hardest thing he had had to do in a long time stopping it in its tracks.

Raleigh’s lips, her legs, her body, everything about her had him in knots and wanting more. But he could not have more.

He watched her leave, to his dismay, without her friends, that was not safe he feared. He had hung back but kept her in his sights. She made her way to a cab and he felt better and worse at the same time.

When you starve yourself and then have a taste of something succulent, only a taste, it makes the hunger that much more. He had almost forgotten to want. But Raleigh changed that in an instant. He was hungry for her.

He knew she was coming in for a kiss. He had sensed it and he led her on. His stillness in the alley dared her to act. He had goaded her into it in his way and she took him up on it. It was selfish of him. He just lost his mind for a moment. But that moment was enough to cause the want. Wanting was the worst feeling in the world, next to losing.