Silver and Chrome: A Bad Boy MC Romance (6 page)

But
that’s all he knows. And keeping it that way just got that much harder.

Fuck!

CHAPTER
SIX

EVELYN

If it had been up to me,
I would have made this interview first thing in the morning rather than wait
until eleven. Better to get it over with; it’s not like I was going to sleep
in, anyway. I’ve been getting up early for work for years, my body is accustomed
to the hours. Instead I’m lying in bed with over two hours to kill before I
even have to start getting ready.

Two
hours to continue to worry and stress about the first interview I’ve been able
to land since leaving Edward.

At
least now I know that he’s the reason for the lack of interest my résumés have
been generating. Even without his confirmation on Saturday, I suspected he
might have something to do with it. He’s a vindictive asshole. So now I’m left
with him spreading lies or threats about hiring me all over town, and there’s
not a damn thing I can do about it. Trying to figure out what the hell I’m
going to do is what kept me up all night.

Well,
that and thinking about
him
. Bash.

Loud-mouthed,
arrogant, son of a bitch.

Tattooed
motorcycle thug.

Smoking-hot
alpha male with the cock that could be used as a mold for beautiful, over-sized
dildos.

Bash.

Bringer
of orgasms.

Haunter
of dreams.

The
truth was, what little sleep I did get last night was interrupted by the image
of either his grinning, stubbly face, or his monstrously beautiful, dribbling
cock. In either case, when the images chased me, my dream body always found a
reason to let herself be caught.

I
try again to push the thoughts of Bash and his dick from my mind. I don’t need
that distraction today. I have to get my head in the game. This might be my
only interview, and God knows why I was even lucky enough to get this one.
Maybe they’re the one company in town that don’t have some sort of tie to VI or
Edward.

Whatever
the case, I can’t afford to screw it up by letting my thoughts wander back to a
one night flight with a leather-clad buffoon that I’d be happy to never see
again. Even if the sex was pretty incredible. No one has ever gotten me that
hot before they even touched me, and I don’t remember ever having come from
just sex before.

Of
course, a guy like Bash has probably been with hundreds of girls. Probably in
that very back office. Even still, when he asked me if I wanted to stay for
another round, I was tempted to say yes. When would I ever have sex like that
again? With someone like that again? The Evelyn that took over my body that
night wasn’t me, but now that I’ve had time to reflect, I don’t regret it. In a
lot of ways, that Evelyn was a version of me that I really wish existed. A more
laid back Evelyn, more willing to take risks and go with the flow.

And
getting fucked by the most dangerous man I’d ever been close enough to touch
sure was a risk.

A
risk I haven’t been able to get out of my head all day yesterday, or last
night.

I
need to get it out. I need to forget about that one-time, throwaway encounter
and move on. I’ve been out of work for a couple of weeks now, and if I don’t
land a job soon, money is going to start to get tight. Edward paid me well, but
he also convinced me to move into this apartment, which was only affordable on
the salary he was paying me. When I moved in with him, I kept it around. Partly
because we were so busy I hadn’t had time to move all my stuff over to his
place, but I think partly because I wanted to make sure things worked out. Me
trying to minimize my risks again.

I
bet Bash has never passed up an opportunity to minimize risks. He probably does
things just because they’re risky. He’s an outlaw, living like he does because
he’s an adrenaline junkie. He lives hard and fucks harder. Oh God, does he fuck
hard.

It’s
no use. I have an abundance of time and stress that I need to reduce, and
thoughts of Bash that I need to banish. I need to tell someone my secrets. And
who better than Jackie?

She’s
my best friend. That’s what she’s here for. Right?

I
get out of bed, grab my cordless landline, and plug in her number. Usually, I’d
text her at this hour. Jackie works as a waitress and she’s almost never up
before the afternoon when she has to go in, and texting saves me getting chewed
out for waking her up.

But
to my surprise, she picks up on the second ring. “Good morning, sunshine,” she
chirps.

“Good
morning to you, too,” I reply, a bemused smile tickling my lips. “What’s got
you up already?”

“Coffee,
mostly,” she laughs. “And I had to walk that bartender from Axle’s to the door.
Seems he’s an early riser, and in more ways than one.”

I
roll my eyes. I was hoping to get my mind out of the gutter, and yet here I am,
listening to my best friend’s sexcapades and feeling jealous. I could have done
with a morning lay, myself. There’s no better way to relieve this kind of
tension, other than forgetting about it completely. I’m hoping spilling the
beans will help.

“I
was in a similar situation Saturday night,” I confess, padding out to my living
room. “With Bash. You remember—the guy who chased off Edward.”

“Oh,
my God,” she whispers. “I wondered where you disappeared to, but when you came
back out you didn’t say anything! You
skank!
”

I
laugh. “You were rather preoccupied with Andy that night.  If I recall, you
sent me home on my own so you could wait around for him to get off work, remember? 
And Bash wore me out enough I just wanted to go home to bed instead of waiting
around.”

“You’re
right. Damn.” I can almost hear her shaking her head at me. “So, how was it? Do
those muscles hold up when it counts?”

“Definitely,”
I say, starting up my own Keurig coffee pod. “Kinda wish he’d kept his mouth
shut, though. Guys like that are meant to be seen and not heard, I think. It’s
better that way.”

Jackie
cackles. “Listen to you, Evelyn! I think I’m rubbing off on you, finally. Did
it help? You know, your mood.”

“Mostly.”
I drum my fingers on the counter, waiting for my coffee to percolate. “But now…
I can’t stop thinking about it. I know, it’s silly. It was just a one-night
stand. And I don’t
really
want a guy like that…”

“Damn
right, you don’t,” Jackie says, cutting me off. “Not for a relationship,
anyway. But a little casual sex won’t kill you. But you’re right, you just got
out of a relationship. You don’t need to be jumping into another one just yet,
especially
not with a guy named
Bash.
When the time comes, you want someone stable.
Someone who can take care of you, when the chips are down. Someone who doesn’t
make a living breaking pool cues over people’s heads, you know? Besides, that’s
more
my
type…”

I
sigh. She’s right. And this is exactly what I need to hear, what I need to get
Bash out of my head. He’s no good for me long-term, and the kind of girl I am
at heart, I couldn’t make it a casual thing without wanting to get more deeply
involved. I’d basically be trading one awful relationship for another. Edward
was a controlling bastard, sure, but his weakness was a wall of muscle like
Bash. If Bash turned out to be a problem, who could stand up against him? What
was his weakness?

No.
He’s dangerous. Jackie’s right. Even if that’s the very thing that turns me on
about him…

“That
helps,” I say. “Keep it coming.”

“You
don’t need a man muddling things up right now for more reasons than that,” she
continues. “Sure, I worry about your heart, but I also worry about your career.
And I know you do, too. That’s what you ought to be focused on right now,
Evelyn—getting a new job, getting your foot in the door, climbing that
corporate ladder. You’re so much better than what they give you credit for,
hun. You weren’t meant to be an executive assistant forever.”

I’ve
talked with Jackie about this very thing plenty of times. She knows my
aspirations. She knows what I went through with VI, and how
underappreciated—and overutilized—I was there. Sometimes, it didn’t pay to show
aptitude at projects outside your job description. Too many people were willing
to take advantage of that, especially billionaire CEOs always looking to cut
costs somewhere.

At
my next job, I’m going to have to show them that I’m capable, but aware of my
value. I won’t let myself be bullied into performing multiple jobs while only
being paid for one. Not ever again. I deserve the pay
and
the credit.
And like Jackie said, having a man around would just be distracting. I owe it
to myself to stay focused on my future.

I
straighten a little, my resolve reignited. “You’re a real friend, Jackie. Thank
you for reminding me that I have a right to a life that’s all about me. At
least, for now.”

“Anytime,
Evelyn.” I can hear the grin in her tone. “Now, how about I tell you how my
night was?”

“Later,”
I promise her. “You just got my mind off sex, and I’m afraid if we start
talking about it again, I’ll find myself in the same state I was before I
called you. I’ll call you after my interview today, and you can tell me all
about it then—all the dirty details.”

“It’s
a date, love you,” Jackie says before hanging up.

I
set the phone down on my kitchen counter, thinking over how far I’d come. I’m
not a vulnerable teenage girl anymore. I’m not an outcast, not the sweet baby
bird I used to be. I’m a grown woman now, in charge of her own destiny. It’s a
powerful realization, and one that takes the weight of the world off my
shoulders… for now, anyway.

Confidence.
Confidence is the key to success. After getting fucked by a veritable sex god
last night, listening to a pep talk from my best friend this morning, and
basking in the results of my own introspection, I feel like I can do anything
now.

Except
get Bash out of my mind. No matter how hard I try to forget him, or tell myself
otherwise, he’s there in the back of my head, the memory of his arrogant smirk
making my body betray my brain.

Don’t
be so hard on yourself,
I think as I sip my coffee and stare
out the window at the waking city,
even Hercules had a weakness.

But
did mine have to be a criminal I’d probably never see again?

Even after my quick dildo
date and nap, I’m still a few minutes early for my interview. I’m nervous, but
I’ve done all I can do at this point. I spent extra time fixing my hair into a
half up-do that frames my face, and I’m wearing a black jacket, striking red
blouse, and long pencil skirt that ends conservatively around my knees. I even
spent more time on my makeup than usual. If I don’t look the part of an
executive assistant now, then I don’t know my job as well as I think.

I’ve
also researched the hell out of this company. Piston, Inc.

After
not hearing back from my first round of résumés, I got a little less discerning
last week and began sending them out to a wider range of companies. I’d never
heard of Piston before seeing them advertise on the job site, but a quick
Google search told me all I needed to know for this interview.