Tease: A Kings of Korruption MC Novel (12 page)

I need to apologize.
 
To let him know that I didn’t mean to gasp.
 
I’d gasped because from that single touch of his face, I knew he’d lived a hard life – that he’d been through something tragic.
 
Something that changed his life forever.
 
Just like me.

Picking up my phone, I direct it to call Travis.
 
It rings seven times before I remember he’s driving.
 
Pacing back and forth, I ignore the burn in my foot from where I’d stepped on the glass.
 
My anxiety takes over, numbing any pain.
 
I will never forgive myself if I can’t apologize to him.

Unable to take it anymore, I try his number again.
 
I wait ten full rings before I hang up.
 
When he checks his phone next, he’s going to think I’m a stalker.
 
I send him a text.

Laynie:
 
Travis, I need to talk to you.
 
Please answer your phone.

Thinking back to just a little while ago, I remember the feeling of Travis beneath me.
 
Of his hard body firm under mine.
 
Of his soft lips moving in rhythm with my own.
 
Nobody had ever kissed me that way.
 
Nobody had ever set me on fire like that.
 
Nobody had ever even tried.

Three more times I try Travis’s number, each time letting it ring a little longer and a little longer still, but he never answers.
 
My head aches right along with my heart, and I decide it’s time for me to go to bed.
 
I will get ahold of Travis first thing in the morning and apologize, making this all better.
 
He’ll come back.
 
He
has
to.

I take Dex out for his nightly pee and ready myself for bed, trying Travis just one last time.
 
Still no answer.
 
Settling under the blankets, my heart sings when my phone rings, breaking the gloomy silence in the room.
 
I scramble for the phone, pushing the button for the verbal caller ID.
 
It’s my mother.
 
Groaning, I bury my face in the pillow and try to get some sleep.

NO MATTER HOW FAST or how far I rode last night, I couldn’t get the memory of her fucking gasp from my head.
 
I can’t stop thinking about that kiss, still feeling the ghost of her lips on mine.
 
I’ve reasoned with myself all day that it meant nothing — that she meant nothing — but I know I’m fucking lying.

Sitting in the back corner of the clubhouse, I drain my fourth beer of the night.
 
I’m determined to drink until the memory fades, giving my aching heart a fucking rest.
 
The place is packed.
 
Whores dance around the room, tits hanging out of their shirts.
 
Old ladies sit together in the corner, drinking and laughing.
 
The rest of the Kings are scattered throughout the crowd, partying it up and having a great time.
 
I wish I knew what it was like to be like them.
 
To let loose – have fun.

A commotion by the front door drowns out the laughter around me.
 
“Well hell-o, Barbie!”
 
Fucking Jase.
 
The guy is always the life of the party – never fucking serious, and tonight, I just don’t want to listen to it.
 
“Come on in, sweetheart!
 
We don’t bite!”

“Speak for yourself,” someone calls out.

“Well damn.
 
I must be at the wrong party then because I was promised there’d be biting.”
 
My whole body freezes.
 
That voice
.
 
I’m out of my seat and at the front door before Jase even gets a chance to respond.
 
He has that flirty grin of his on his face and is reaching for her hand when I push myself between them.

Grabbing her arm, I pull her and her dog away from him and speak harshly into her ear.
 
“How the hell did you get in here?”

She flinches, a wounded look flashing on her face before she wipes it clear of emotion.
 
“The guy outside let me in.
 
I told him I was with you.”

Fucking Mouse.
 
“I’ll talk to him later.
 
You need to fuckin’ leave.”

Another flinch.
 
“OK.
 
I’ll leave.
 
But first, I wanted to apologize.
 
That kiss …”
 
She smiles softly, and at the mention of our kiss, my heart beats a little faster.
 
“Travis, that kiss was beautiful.
 
I didn’t – “

“Hi!”
 
Fuck me.
 
Both of our heads whip in the direction of the high-pitched squeal.
 
Charlotte stands beside us, grinning from ear to ear, her cheeks rosy and flushed.
 
She’s fucking wasted.
 
“I’m Charlotte!
 
And you are?”

“Laynie.”
 
Laynie smiles, holding out her hand, which Charlotte captures in her own, pumping it up and down like she’s trying to get fucking water out of her, a big goofy grin on her face.
 

“She was just leavin’.”
 
I growl out the words causing both women to look toward me and frown.
 

Laynie cocks a thumb in my direction.
 
“He’s mad at me.”

Charlotte smirks.
 
“He’s mad at everyone.”

“Yeah.
 
Well, he’s really mad at me.”

Charlotte frowns.
 
“What did you do?”

What the fuck?
 
The two of them are standing there talking like they’re at a goddamned tea social, pretending I’m not even there.
 
I lean forward, grabbing Laynie once again.
 
“I said she was just fuckin’ leavin’.”

Surprise registers on Charlotte’s face just as Ryker steps up to her.
 
“Baby girl, it looks like these two were having a conversation.
 
Come on.”
 
Thank fuck for Ryker.

Charlotte pouts and turns back to Laynie.
 
“It was nice to meet you, Laynie.”

She smiles back.
 
“You too, Charlotte.”

Ryker wraps his arm around his woman and practically drags her back to the far side of the room.
 
She keeps turning and waving at Laynie, a huge smile on her face, not realizing she can’t see her.
 
Looking away from her, I see almost everybody in the room is fucking watching us.
 
My skin crawls and my gut churns when I realize that we’re the center of attention at this moment.
 
I need to get her the fuck out of here.
 
Now
.

Turning back to Laynie, I take one last look at the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen right before I tell her to get the fuck out.
 
It’s all just too much damned drama, and I just want it to be over.
 
“You’ve gotta go.”

She sputters and protests as I pull her back over to the door.
 
Jase sees us leaving and calls out to her.
 
“Leavin’ so soon, sweetheart?”

Her cheeks flame, but if her eyes could shoot sparks, they would.
 
She’s pissed.
 
“Apparently.
 
Travis tells me I have to leave.”

Jase laughs a deep belly laugh.
 
“
Travis
does, does he?
 
Well, you tell Travis you want to hang out with me, and he can’t make you leave.”
 
He winks at her, another person oblivious to her blindness.
 
Anger coils in my belly at his blatant flirting.
 

I look at him and snarl, “Enough.
 
Now
move
.
 
She’s leaving.”

Laynie growls in anger and spins around beside me.
 
“You know what, Travis?
 
You seem to be the only person that has a problem with me being here.
 
I came here to fucking apologize, and you won’t even listen!
 
I gasped, Travis.
 
Big fucking deal.
 
I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings, but suddenly, I don’t even care if you forgive me.
 
You really
are
a dick.”

Spinning on her heel, she turns and storms out of the building, hot on Dex’s tail.
 
Jase raises his eyebrows and lets out a low whistle.
 
“Jesus Christ, Tease.
 
That bitch was hot!
 
How come everyone else around here is finding hot pussy?
 
Not cool, brother.
 
Not cool at all.”
 
He walks away, shaking his head as if disappointed.
 
Ass.

My eyes drift back to the door Laynie just walked out of, doubt starting to flood my mind.
 
She was right.
 
She fucking came down here, late at night, with only her dog to guide her and walked into a den of fucking bikers to apologize to me – and I may as well of spit in her face.
 
She obviously felt bad.
 
The least I could have done was given her a chance to clear her conscience.
 
Fuck
.
 
I
am
a dick.