Twisted Asphalt (Asphalt Outlaw Series Book 1) (5 page)

They didn’t talk on the way to the diner. Amy was too busy
enjoying herself. After her near wet dream about Mace, she saw him in a new
light. Maybe Maggie and Romeo were right. She needed to get laid. Too bad she
wasn’t that kind of girl. Her mother brought her up better than that.

Once they pulled in, Amy confirmed he rode just as good as
her family. Slipping off the back, she unhooked her chin strap as he shut the
bike off. Setting her helmet on the back portion of the seat, she waited for
him to put up his gear.

He rounded the bike while stripping off his gloves. Tucking
them in his back pocket, he placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her into
the diner. Amy knew it was a possessive move on his part, but it was also
protective. If anything happened to her in the presence of a prospect, he was a
dead man.

Sliding into a booth, she sat opposite him, noting how weary
he looked. He must have been worn out from shadowing her. That actually made
her feel bad.

The waitress came rather quick, Mace ordered coffee for them
both, then fixed her with a look. “Know what you want to eat?”

“Duh. Fries with gravy please.” Her weakness.

He chuckled and looked at the waitress, “The same.”

Brows shot up in surprise at his order. “Carbs? Are you
feeling all right?” She leaned over the table and laid her hand on the bandana
covering his forehead. “Are you running a fever?”

He laughed, playfully swatting her hand away. “Yeah, yeah. I
see you got jokes.”

She giggled and shook her head, leaning back in her seat
when the waitress brought their coffee. “Why are you in the club? Everyone has
day jobs, but I’ve never seen you do a thing. What’s up with that?”

Her question must have taken Mace off guard since he all but
choked on his coffee. Wiping his mouth, he gazed at her for a moment before he
answered. “I was in the Corps, second force recon. I specialized in weapons,
sharp shooting and hand to hand combat. It’s all I know besides ranching. The
club gives me a sense of family since mine are dead. I mean, Aunt Cindy is
great, so is Colin, when I get to see him, but nothing replaces your family.”
He reached for the sugar and scooted it toward her. “I think you’ll need some
of that. It’s so stout you’ll grow hair on your chest.”

“Anyway,” he shifted in his seat and took a careful sip of
the steaming black liquid. Making a face, he shivered and sighed in almost what
seemed to be delight. “I played the stock exchange and got lucky. Not only am I
a Younger, but I’m a legally rich Younger.”

She took his advice and sugared her coffee, added four
creamers to it. She knew the restaurant; they catered to bikers, truckers and
cops. Their coffee was mud. “Where did you grow up? You have a slow drawl, so I
know you must be from the South.”

He scratched his whiskers and chuckled. “You’re right. I
grew up in Harlingen, Texas on a ranch. Pretty good sized spread. I sold it a
couple of years back when I realized I was never going to make in the PBR. I
figure I’ll breed horses one day.”

“That’s what I want to do. I want a horse ranch of my own
and to breed Paints and Arabians.” Amy smiled; all the more intrigued by the
fact he was so much like her. She never thought he’d have a side she might be
attracted to.

“What about you? Why did you study massage therapy? You have
the store.”

Their food arrived, giving them a moment of silence when
they dug in. It also gave her a chance to think about why she really went off
to Arizona to study. “I fix people.” Amy pushed a fry around with her fork,
amazed she was even admitting this to anyone. “It’s a horrible habit of mine
that has got me into more trouble than it’s worth. If someone is hurt, I try
and make them better. I specialized in Reiki, which heals people mentally,
emotionally, and spiritually. I ran to get away from Romeo and my dad.”

“I can see why. They can be overbearing.”

“Oh, you have no idea.” She laughed while nodding. “They can
be so bad at times.”

Mace was about to say something when his phone rang. He
looked at the screen, then muttered, answering it. “Yo.” Paused. “Not right
now.” He listened. “Fine, whatever.” Then he hung up. “Sorry about that. So,
where were we?”

“I was about to tell you about the amazing party I’m
throwing for everyone in the club.”

CHAPTER 7

Showers were wonderful. They tended to wash not only the
days’ dirt and grime away, but all of the emotional baggage that came with it.
Today was no exception.

The stereo blared “3 Libras” by A Perfect Circle, through
the bathroom Amy loved. It was all hers. Several shades of purple decorated the
bathroom, along with seashells and other various ocean type items. Her shower
was epic, structured like an atrium, almost its own building. The white marble
walls surrounding the glass were veined with purple and silver, while the floor
and ceiling were tiled with ivy leaves. Draped along the all-glass front and
sides were ivy laced fuchsias.

Inside, a Jacuzzi tub sat against the wall. Toward the
middle of the stall was the actual shower, surrounded by exquisite floral
bushes with the shower head coming out of the ceiling. She had a difficult day
working the horses and wanted to wash every inch of it away, allowing her to
daydream about the man that was slowly capturing her heart.

After their meal, they went for a long ride on Highway 166
through New Cuyama and Nipomo back into Santa Maria, then to her store so she
could pick up the jeep. They laughed. They talked. They listened to the sound
of the Harley against the mountains. It was one of the best days she had
experienced in quite some time.

No one questioned her when she got home last night, which
she was thankful for, but this morning, while she worked the horses with Stone,
she thought he was battling with asking her where she had been. She wouldn’t
give anyone the satisfaction of knowing. It would be her little secret.

She turned the focus to the party, telling her father about
the supplies she would need and the ideas she had for it. Stone called Mace,
telling him to swing by and pick him up on the way to get all the things Amy
needed. Amy wasn’t going to complain. She liked her time alone. Well, scratch
that; moment of happiness. The moment Stone got off the phone with Mace, he
called one of the guys to come watch over her.

Damn.

She wasn’t waiting for one of the brothers to show up; Amy
would go about her normal routine. She had a roast in the oven; potatoes were
peeled and ready to go on the stove once she was done indulging in her little
guilty pleasure.

The music switched to a sultry Paula Cole and her sexy
rendition of “Feelin’ Love;” mixed with the heat of the water and her
daydreams, made Amy’s body throb with a dull ache. Her soap slick hands slid
along her ribs, breath catching when she imagined Mace finally kissing her.
Nails grazed her belly, muscles jumping at the unaccustomed touch.

Amy had to stop. She was going to drive herself crazy at
this rate, and be forced to take matters into her own hands. Turning off the
water, she wrung out her hair, stepped out of the shower and froze. Turning her
head slightly, she let out a cry of surprise.

Demon’s brows shot up, though he remained looking smug
leaning against the doorjamb. She distinctly remembered closing it. She should
have locked it. His arms were folded over his chest, curly black hair lay
around his face all cherub-like, coal black eyes stared harsh and cold.

“My, my. Little Amethyst James is all grown up.”

Amy wanted to puke at the lewd way his eyes dragged over
her, making her feel filthy and used, and need to shower again. “Wouldn’t you
like to know?” Marching over to the door, with her head held high, she gave him
a shove, then slammed and locked the door in his face.

His bark of laughter echoed through the thick oak door,
causing her to violently shiver. Her dad really needed to get a clue and not send
Demon to do shit jobs like babysitting her. It was sheer torture. She tugged on
her jean shorts, threw on a sport bra and one of Romeo’s old, oversized
t-shirts.

She made her way downstairs to the kitchen to finish dinner.
Getting the potatoes started, she pulled out the carrots, along with lettuce
and tomatoes to make a salad. She didn’t care if she was interrupting his
precious TV time by slamming things around. He invaded her home and her
privacy. He was going to pay for it.

“Need help?”

“No, I don’t. Leave me alone.”

Demon propped himself up on the counter by her. “Are you
sure? I can chop up a pretty nice carrot.”

Amy looked up at him, her glare plain as day. “Really? I
figured that was coke you enjoyed chopping up.”

Demon’s head jerked back, holding up his hands in defense.
“Wow. Why you being a bitch, Ames? I didn’t ask to be your babysitter. I got
told.”

“Maybe because you were spying on me in the bathroom? Have
you ever heard of the word privacy? Or is it even in your limited vocabulary?”

“I’m not going to apologize for admiring your body. Get over
it or don’t.”

“You are such a pig.” Amy hissed, going back to chopping the
carrots she imagined were his head.

“And?” Demon laughed as he reached for her hand to still it.
“You’re stacked. You’ve got it in all the right places. I get hard just
thinking about the things I could do to you.”

Amy jerked her hand back and slammed the knife to the
cutting board. She turned to face him, wanting to gouge his eyes out. “Hope you
enjoy fucking your hog’s tailpipe then because that is the closest you’ll ever
get to me.”

Demon burst out laughing, shaking his finger at her. He was
laughing so hard, he had tears sliding down his face. “That was a good one,
babe. Seriously. I haven’t heard that one before.”

He had to be high. That was the only explanation for the
outburst. It wasn’t that damn funny. Okay, maybe it was. Amy half laughed with
a shake of her head. “Do you want something to drink?”

She may as well be nice. He was there, and he wasn’t going
anywhere until someone came home or relieved him. Grabbing the bottle of beer
he politely asked for, she returned to her carrot chopping.

“So, what do you think about the new prospect?”

She paused, glancing at him. He seemed genuinely interested
in her opinion. Too bad he wasn’t going to get it. “Don’t bring me into club
business, Demon. You know better.”

Demon took a drink from the bottle, then set it aside,
crossing his arms over his chest once more with a slight shrug. “Can’t blame me
for asking, Ames. You two seem to be getting pretty chummy lately.”

And this was why she didn’t date club. This shit would
always happen. Drama. They weren’t in high school. “So, what’s going on with
you and Maggie? Why are you always such an asshole to her?” Tit for tat. She
wasn’t going to allow him into her personal life, not when it concerned someone
she was starting to care about.

“My property doesn’t need to be getting all close and shit
to a fucking prospect,” Demon all but spit out
prospect
as if it was the
most foul word he had ever used. “That’s bad for business.”

Something inside Amy snapped. She felt a levy give way and
emotion flooded her. She was a strong and independent woman. Her mother made
sure of that. One thing she could never put up with, was an abusive man. She
wasn’t afraid of confrontation or putting a man in his place.

She moved before she realized it, standing toe to toe with
Demon. She stared into the vicious gaze of the cold blooded guy before her. Her
hands were clenched into fists, her body shook with the bottled up anger she
had kept inside for years. When she was able to speak, her voice was low and
threatening. “I am no one’s property. I’ve never worn that tag, and it will be
a cold day in Hell when I wear it for you.”

“It’s looking like Hell is getting sub temps, babe.” He
pushed off of the counter and took ahold of Amy in a vice-like grip, causing
her to cry out.

Demon grabbed her hair, yanking it back, forcing her to
yelp. She felt his arousal against her hip, making bile rise in the back of her
throat. She could do nothing when his lips clamped over hers and suffocated
her.

He forced his tongue into her mouth when Amy tried to gasp
for air, causing her to gag. She fought like a hellcat, her fists beating
against his chest, but he spun her around and slammed her lower back into the
edge of the counter. Her nerve endings screamed as her knees nearly buckled at
the searing pain that jarred her. His bottle shattered to the floor as she
frantically grabbed for a foothold before she collapsed.

It was enough to get him to loosen his grasp on her, but he
still thrust his fat pink muscle between her lips, slobbering in and all over
her mouth. Garbled moans of protest were taken as a delightful sound .She hit
harder when his hand grabbed her breast and gave it a harsh squeeze.

“Let go of me!” Amy managed to half yell, half growl at him.
She smacked his chest, writhing against him, but it seemed to further enflame
his desire for her.

His mouth crushed hers again, trying to force his tongue
into her mouth once more. Fear gripped her very soul as all she could imagine
was him having his way with her. She couldn’t let that happen. She didn’t
belong to him, he was a snake; vile and cold. She could only think of one thing
to do.

She bit down on his tongue.

It earned her a backhand that snapped her head to the side.
With a sharp intake of breath, Amy wasn’t sure if she tasted her blood or his
from when she bit him. She reached up to gingerly touch her face, already
swollen and hot to the touch.

Amy lifted up defiantly, squaring her shoulders, looking
Demon dead in the eyes. “Is that all you got? You fucking kiss like a twelve
year old, you piece of shit.” Amy did the unthinkable and spit in his face.

Demon let out a roar and lunged for her.

Amy leapt out of the way, but didn’t make it far enough. He
got ahold of her t-shirt and yanked it. The sound of fabric ripping was like an
explosion in the kitchen, exposing her fully to him.

As Demon tossed the now ripped shirt aside, Amy grabbed for
the knife she had been using earlier on the carrots. Blindly swinging through
her tears, she prayed she sliced him wide open. The tip of the blade sliced
into his cheek, empowering her. Seeing his blood was the kick in the ass she
needed to wake her adrenaline up. Without so much as a thought, she brought her
leg up and made contact at the very juncture between his legs.

Demon went down on his knees, howling in pain, hands cupping
his precious jewels.

Amy ran like she had never run before.

* * * *

Mace finished running errands with Stone. He wasn’t
complaining about chauffeuring his president around, but he didn’t like the
idea of Demon being in the house alone with Amy.

Last night had proven to him that Amy was it. They got along
perfectly. He had never seen her laugh like she had when they rode for over
three hours. Her face glowed from being wind kissed, her hair mussed from the
helmet, but she was absolute beauty in his eyes, in that moment. He knew then,
he would die to protect her.

When he arrived, he walked in as usual, but the scream had
rooted him in place. Hearing sobbing and the slam of a door upstairs, Mace
charged into the kitchen. Demon struggled to get up from the floor.

“What the hell happened in here?” Mace demanded. His temper
flared when he saw blood on the floor, glass littering the countertop, and a
knife in the kitchen doorway. It looked like a UFC fight had happened in the
middle of the kitchen. “What the fuck did you do?”

Demon glared at Mace, his hand covering the slice on his
cheek with a towel. “None of your fucking business,
prospect
.”

She more than physically hurt him, she wounded his ego and
that was going to make Demon a very dangerous enemy in the future. All Mace
cared about was how bad Demon had hurt Amy. He would kill the son of a bitch if
he—no, he wasn’t even going to think about that right now.

Teeth grit as he advanced toward Demon with a deadly stride.
“Where. Is. She?” Each word was growled out between breaths, his fingers aching
from the clenched fists he held at his sides.

Demon snorted, pulling the towel away from his cheek,
glaring at the blood covering the fabric. Placing it back to his cheek, he
finally looked at Mace. “Figured you’d already know the answer to that, since
your nose is so far up her ass. Hell, you’d think the bitch was in heat the way
you’re always around.”

Mace closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He had to
collect himself before he killed Demon. Opening his eyes, he closed the space
between the two of them. Demon might have been bigger than him, but he didn’t
have the advantage Mace did. He was quicker and more agile and would put the
big dumbass on his back before Demon knew what hit him.

His words were cold and calculated. “I wonder what Stone
would think about you attacking his daughter? It doesn’t look too good from
here.” Mace paused to look around the kitchen, then back to the sergeant at
arms. “If you leave now, we’ll pretend this didn’t happen. I’ll make sure Amy
doesn’t say anything, and if you know what is best for you, you’ll take my
offer. You won’t like what’s behind the other door if you don’t.”

Mace could tell Demon was about to argue with him. Corner of
mouth lifted up, tsk’ing Demon with a tiny shake of his head. “Stone told me to
come relieve you. He wants you at the clubhouse to talk about something. I
suggest you listen to your president.”

It looked like Demon thought twice about arguing before
tossing the bloodied rag to the floor and storming off. Mace let out a quick
breath, relieved that he didn’t have to take down another member of the club.
That would have looked real bad. Rubbing a hand over his face, he looked around
the kitchen. It wouldn’t take much to clean up if he was quick about it.
Pulling off his cut, he laid it over a chair and dove in.

Sweeping up the glass, wiping down the counters and pulling
out the food and setting it aside, he was able to finish the rest of the
cleanup in twenty minutes or so. It looked like nothing had happened.