Bad Boys of Romance - a Biker Anthology (54 page)

“Yeah, you’ll see me.”

As Cole stepped into the elevator, he situated his hard-on so it was more comfortable and less noticeable. He dialed Brant’s number, hoping Jaime would be with him. It rang four times before he finally heard Brant’s deep voice.

“’Lo”

“Where are you?”

“With Jamie, headed to the hotel.
Did you get a hotel room? Can we have it?”

He heard giggling in the background and figured Brant must have gotten her drunk. “I haven’t
, but I can get us both one.”

“Why
? You won’t be staying with Rylan?”

“Not tonight.”

“Burn, she turned you down.” Brant busted up laughing, leaving him gasping for breath.

“Shut up, you idiot. She didn’t fucking turn me down. I didn’t go there. Ugh. I’ll get two rooms I’ll meet you in the lobby. I need to talk to Jamie.”

“Here, I’ll put her on the phone.”

“Nah, man.
I’ll speak to her when you get here. Do me a favor and don’t let her answer a call from Ry until I talk to her.” He couldn’t hear Brant anymore; it was complete silence. When he pulled the phone away from his ear, the call was dropped. “Fuck! Stupid elevators.” He was almost to the lobby. He just hoped he got to Jamie before Rylan did.

He approached the desk and asked for the two rooms he had last night. They were both available. Brant and Jamie walked in as the hotel clerk handed him the key cards. Cole looked over at Jamie and saw she was on the phone.
Fuck, that better not be Ry.
He grabbed his receipt and quickly made his way to the couple. “Brant, that better not be Rylan on that phone.”

“Chill, she hasn’t said anything about you
,” Brant countered with an irritated growl.

“Are you sure? Because it’s not like you are listening to her side.” Cole threw his hands out to the side.

“I would have picked up on it if Jamie was talking about you.” Brant looked over at Jamie with a lopsided smirk on his face.

There was no use arguing. Besides
, she was already on the phone and more than likely getting an earful about what an ass he was, walking in there and stealing her kisses without admitting he knew her. Even though she didn’t fucking admit it either! Letting out a deep breath, he decided it was time for a subject change. “What’s up with you two?”

“She’s cool, but
she’s probably just a one night fuck. Ya know?”

“Why? Dude, you can’t do that
—not to Rylan’s best friend.”

“Who are you? Besides
, it’s what she wants.”

He raised a questioning eyebrow in Brant’s direction. “Huh?”

“She said she isn’t looking for anything but a quick fuck. She grabbed my package and said, I quote, ‘You’ll do.’ Seriously, that’s what she did.”

Cole shook his head in disbelief. “Sometimes you are the luckiest bastard I know.”

“I know. Remember Tina?” Brant waggled his eyebrows with a shit eating grin on his face.

“Was that the girl in the elevator? The one that got on after us asking if you were Brant
Murray?”

“Yeah the one that dropped on her knees and sucked me off as soon as the door shut and had me coming before we reached the next floor.” Brant closed his eyes and chewed on his lower lip, lost in memory. “That chick could suck a mean dick.”

“Yeah, unfortunately I had to hear all about how awesome she was during, after, and for like a month after we left that city.”

Brant lifted his eyelids and a wicked grin spread across his face. “Wonder if she’ll be around this year? Do you think Jamie would…
” His eyes flicked over to Jamie.

Jamie was stuffing her phone in her back pocket as she made her way back to Brant and Cole. “We need to talk, Cole. And no
, Brant, I have no desire to go down on you in an elevator and try and beat Tina’s speedy blow job.”

Brant choked, coughing and laughing at the same time. “Good to know
,” he spit out between coughs.

Cole shook with laughter until he saw the glare Jamie was sending his way. He quickly looked
up, pretending to find the numbers that indicated the floor the elevator was on interesting.

“Oh no you don’t
. Look at me, Cole.” Jamie stood with her hands on her hips again, but this time she added in a foot tap.

Letting out a long sigh, Cole dropped his gaze to the tiny spitfire. “What’d I do?”

“Oh you know exactly what you didn’t do. We will discuss this, just not here.” She observed the room around them and pointedly stared in the direction of a few gawkers in the lounge.

Once they arrived
on the twenty-second floor, Cole opened his room, and he made a gesture with his arm for the others to enter. “Okay, we’re all up here with no onlookers now, so spill. What has you so pissed?”

“I can’t believe you’re going to pretend that you have no clue why I am the tiniest bit irritated.” She stared at him
, waiting for him to say something, and when he didn’t move other then crossing his arms over his chest, she sighed. “Fine, I was under the impression that you took my key to go tell her who you are. Not to go over there, kiss the shit out of her, and leave her crying. Who the hell does that? I thought you loved her?” Jamie slapped at his arm, clearly pissed for what he had done to Rylan. What he didn’t understand is why Rylan was crying. Before he could ask, Jamie kept going, “You’re the one that went into hiding. You’re the one that approached her first and put the charade of not knowing her into motion. You need to be the one to bring the wall down and end the charade. Step up and confess that you know who the fuck she is!”

“Oh…”

“Exactly! Oh! Here’s a lesson in Dumbass 101… you started this. Fix it. Don’t wait for her to feel like she can come clean with you. I know Rylan, and as long as you pretend you don’t know her, she’s going to go along with it.” Jamie took a deep breath, ready to whip him with her words a little more.

Brant took that opportunity to chime in from his perch on the couch, beer in hand. “He obviously needs a kick in the ass. Wow, dude
, you are a dumb fuck.”

“Why didn’t I say anything?” Cole slumped into the chair, his head in his hands. “Why?”

Jamie stormed up to him, gripped his chin, and lifted his head. Her other hand shoved a finger in to his chest with each point she made. “You were the one to leave. You were the one to change your identity. You need to be the one to come out of hiding for her. Capiche?”

Brant coughed again to cover up his muttered, “Dumb
fuck.”

Cole clutched the little pillow on the couch next to him and threw it at Brant’s head, hitting his mark. “I get it. I fucked up. How do I tell her?” He looked from Brant to Jamie, his brows pulled down in concern and his bottom lip pushed out in a slight pout with his hands clasped together in prayer style.

“First, knock that shit off. It won’t work with me or with her. You had her. She told me you had her. I don’t understand how you couldn’t see that she knew. She knows you! I’m not sure what to do from here. She’s hurt, and I need to get over there.” Jamie shook her head as she headed for the door.

Cole stood and lunged for the door, slamming his hand against it preventing Jamie from leaving. “Oh, no you don’t. You could’ve fucking told me earlier that I needed to be the one to come clean. I need shit like this spelled out for me. This is your fault just as much as it is hers and mine.” He lifted his hand off the door, but kept his foot
pushed against it as he leaned over and grabbed his ball cap off the desk next to the door. Shoving his hat on his head, Cole looked over at Brant. “Keep her fucking here.”

“Will do.
Go get her, bud.” Brant walked up behind Jamie and locked his arms around her waist, interlocking his fingers together laying them on top of the button on her jeans.

“I don’t think it’s going to be that easy.”

Chapter Three

Cole didn’t hesitate to slip the key card in the door. No way was he going to alert her to his arrival by pounding on the door. The red light on the card reader turned green and he pushed the door open. He could see everywhere in the room except the bathroom. She was not in the main area of the room.

He moved toward the bathroom and listened
. When he couldn’t hear anything, he knocked, calling out, “Ry, I think we need to talk.” There was no response. He turned the knob and opened the door. The bathroom light was on, which is why he thought she was in there, but it was also empty. “Shit.”

Searching the hotel room, he found her purse and phone on the table over by the mini fridge. He opened the balcony door
, hoping she would be out there getting fresh air. He poked his head out, but it was empty as well.

“She couldn’t have gone far
,” Cole said to himself. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and sat down at the table, waiting for her return.

Three beers and thirty minutes later, he heard a noise and saw the handle twist as if someone, hopefully Rylan, was opening it.
She had better be alone!
His mind had gone on a million different paths as he sat waiting for her return. He even called Brant to see if Jamie knew where she was. No such luck, and without her phone no one could call her. So he waited, and now she was here and he felt sick thinking she may have brought someone back with her.

“Jamie? Are you here? Sorry, I went for a walk to get some fresh air
,” Rylan called out before entering the room.

“Jamie’s not here.”

Rylan jumped back, screeching as she careened into the shutting door. “Shit!”

“Ry, it’s just me. I’m sorry. I wasn’t meaning to scare you.” He popped out of the chair to catch her. “I got you.”

Twisting out of his arms, Rylan faced him, slapping his face. Cole jerked back. “What the fuck was that for?”

She took a step away from him, bending over at the waist to catch her breath. She held her hand up as if to say, “Hang on.” When she finally stopped struggling to catch her breath and he noticed the color returning to her cheeks, she stood up. Cole didn’t realize he had scared her that bad. Now that her color was coming back, he could see how pale she was. She glared at him before telling him exactly why she slapped him.

“One, you scared the ever living shit out of me. My reaction was to slap or punch you. Two you were here, you kissed me, and you didn’t tell me who you were.” She shoved her hands on her hips, taking in a deep breath and walking towards the bed.

  “I already apologized for scaring you. Two,
you
kissed
me,
and you knew who I was and didn’t say anything, either. Why the fuck didn’t you speak up? I’ve been running through every scenario I could think of as to why you wouldn’t mention that you knew who Cole West was. Obviously, I knew who you were; you’re the beautiful girl from my past whose heart I broke when I broke my own by choosing racing. As soon as I saw your name, I knew. I fucking knew it was you! I went looking for you to tell you.

“That first encounter you were such a bitch I convinced myself that you had no clue
who I was. That you only knew the person I wanted the world to know, racing’s bad boy Cole West. The second time you apologized, I thought that you might figure it out if I let you see me. That’s what tonight was, me letting you see me.”

Rylan’s posture softened. There was still fire in her eyes
, but she was listening. She walked over and grabbed two beers out of the fridge, handing one over to Cole. She pulled the chair opposite from where he sat and slouched down in it, crossing her ankles, and resting the beer on her lap between her hands. “I saw you. I felt you. You taste the same. My Lord, Cole you kiss exactly the same; you consumed me earlier just as you did five years ago.”

He approached her, setting his beer on the table and cupping her face in his hands as he kneeled down in front of her. “So do you Ry, so do you.” He picked up a chunk of her hair, sliding the strands through his fingers. “Even though physically you’re different, it’s still you. I like the black and green by the way
; it suits you, the new tattooed, pierced, bad ass race chick in you.” He didn’t wait for permission, once again, her jaw was lined in his hands, stroking her cheeks with his thumbs as he tipped her head and placed light, sweet, tender kisses across her lips. His cock flexed, causing his jeans to tighten when she moaned against his lips. Her hands gripped his biceps before trailing up to his shoulders and around his neck. As she trailed her finger nails up and down the back of his neck, Cole shivered before pressing his tongue against her sealed lips, gaining entrance to her mouth. He could hear the pick up in her breathing and feel her pulse racing under his fingers tucked under her jaw. The sound of her breathing and the feeling of her pulse caused his erection to harden further and him to deepen the kiss, consuming her.

Rylan pulled back, her eyes sad and full of moisture. “Hold on, please. We really need to talk first.”

Dropping his hands to his thighs and his ass to his heels, Cole sat back. “Okay.” He wasn’t sure that he was going to like talking. The tears in her eyes had him concerned.

“Grab a chair. It’s been five years. There’s so much I don’t understand
, and there’s so much you need to know.” She used the back of her hand to swipe a wayward tear.

“Yeah, babe, you’re right. Where do you want me to start?” He sat in the chair and brought the beer to his lips. Relishing the cool liquid, he finished half the can before she started talking.

“Well, I know why you left, and I understand. I don’t blame you one bit. If I had parents that gave me an ultimatum, I would have chosen racing too.” She motioned for him to wait as she took a drink. Setting her beer back down, she leaned her forearms on the table and took a deep breath before continuing. “Your mom answered the door when I came by that day. She said you were gone and then whispered for me to meet her later the next morning at the coffee shop. She explained where you went and why you had to leave.

“She held me while I cried. She apologized over and over again. I kept in touch with her to find out how you were doing.” Tears flowed down her face and Cole wanted nothing more than to get up, hold her, and wipe the tears away. He stayed in his
chair, flexing his fingers out and clenching them back in. Rylan pulled her dark locks together behind her head, twisting them up into a messy bunch on top of her head before letting them flow back down, brushing her shoulders. Her hands gripped her knees while she closed her eyes and sighed.

“About six months after you left
, I called her one morning, and she told me she hadn’t heard from you in a few months and couldn’t find you. She explained she made several calls and talked to people you use to run with, but no one had seen you or heard from you. You vanished. We even got together again and went through all the races you had been attending and couldn’t find anything with your name on it. She was devastated and so very angry with your dad. He wasn’t doing anything to help her find you.”

He stopped her there, cutting off her next sentence. “That’s about the time I changed my name legally and Brant and I left for the east coast. Every time I asked mom how you were, she’d change the subject after giving me a lame ‘she’s good,
she’s moving on’ answer. I never wanted to leave you. She called me less with each month I was gone. The last time I called her was to let her know I would be heading east, and dad answered the phone. He told me she didn’t need to know where I was. That I made my choice and their financial help would only last for six more months. I hung up, furious with them for not being there. That day I went and changed my name, moved all my money to a new account and closed the one they had set up. From that day forward, Christopher Leadman was no longer. I was Cole, and I embraced the role. Their abandonment hardened me; the only one I was close to, that I let in, was Brant.” He reached across the table and took her hand, gesturing for her to continue. He’d said what he needed to.

Rylan swallowed
, and he watched the muscles in her neck work. She was beautiful. She lifted her head and locked eyes with him. Giving him a soft smile, she continued, “I received a packet from your mom on my eighteenth birthday. I poured the contents of the manila envelope onto my bed. A bank card, a set of keys, cell phone and a note tumbled out. The bank card had my name on it. I could tell the keys were for a car of some sort, but they weren’t marked with any special key ring other than the ‘I love racing’ keychain you used to have on your mom’s keychain. When I opened the note, tears poured down my face.” She swiped the trace of wetness that collected on her cheeks and jaw. Taking a moment to gather herself, she flashed him a weary smile before digging into her purse and pulling out her wallet. Inside the wallet was a yellowed paper that looked to be unfolded and folded a million times. She handed Cole the note, and he opened it up pressing it flat to the table.

Rylan-

      I want you to be able to race. The bank account is set up in your name; there is enough money in there for you to purchase a bike and hire a crew to help you. Consider me your team owner and sponsor. Use the money to enter the races and to live, for groceries, clothes, and whatever else you may need. There will be a monthly deposit made automatically. Do not worry about over spending. I want you to succeed.

The cell phone is programmed with my number and the last number I had for Chris. It’s still registered to him and rings
, but he never answers. You may have better luck. Call me as often as you like; I am here for you.

The keys are to an RV that I got permission to park behind the coffee shop in the empty lot until you can retrieve it. Use it to get you to races and to find your true love. My deepest apologizes for removing him from your life. When you find my son, tell him I love him and to call me. I miss him dearly and want, no need
, to apologize to him.

Best of luck to you.
With all my love,

McKenna J.
Leadman

Cole brushed the tear that escaped his right eye. “MJL racing is my mom.” He removed the cap from his head, tossing it on the bed and shoved his fingers through his hair. “You knew who I was and are just now telling me this!” He growled as he stood up, pushing the chair over behind him. “How long did you fucking know who I was? What fucking game are you playing at?”

Rylan stood, shaking and sobbing. She reached for him. “Cole, you have to understand.”

He brushed her hand away, storming toward the door. “I don’t have to understand shit. This is bullshit.” He yanked the door open and rushed out of the room, letting the door slam behind him.