Handsome Bikers and Secret Babies Romance

Chapter 2

“Yeah… well… day drinking is frowned upon, you know.” Offering a bland reply as Roy set the glass down and slid onto the stool beside me, I propped my chin in my palm to stare openly at him. “How was it? Informative, I hope?”

“Not really, but I didn’t expect anything. What about you, Cat? You looked pissed earlier.” Humming softly, I tapped my fingertips against my cheek as a frown dragged down the corners of my mouth. Irritation swirled in my chest, and my free hand clenched into a fist against the bar top. Watching me intently, Roy only took his eyes off me to signal the bartender. His interest seemed genuine, and a hot sigh escaped my lips before I worked up a response.

“Winona is my cousin. She only comes around to ask for money. I stopped giving it to her years ago, and her sob stories get more and more ridiculous.” Roy’s eyes glistened with curiosity, and more information than I’d intended came tumbling out of my mouth. “She’s got a job and kids and a husband, but she just never seems to have money. I think she’s gambling or something because it’s never a lot… just enough that I might say ‘yes’.”

“Sounds like some shit.” Only giving a scoff in reply, I shook my head to send my braid over my shoulder, but I flicked it back without thought. Two, new, glasses gave a dull thud on the bar, and he reached for his blindly before speaking up again. “My Da was stingy as f**k. I get calls from him sometimes for stupid s**t. Like- if he wants to meet up, I’m usually stuck with the bill.”

“Is that your attempt to be relatable?” My heart fluttered at Roy’s s**t-eating smirk, and I shook my head slightly to distract from the blood rushing to my cheeks. “It’s not working.”

“Yes, it is.” Flippantly dismissing my denial, Roy took a swig of his drink before the seriousness returned to his expression. c*****g my head, I took a deep breath to blow away the butterflies that invaded my belly. Confidence- real confidence- in a man was the most attractive thing I could think of, and he wasn’t short of any attraction. “Seriously, though- don’t take any s**t from anyone… especially family. It’s not necessarily a good thing that she doesn’t ask for much, you know. I’ve seen my fair share of druggies and drinkers, and some of them are the most normal people ever.”

“I know… I just hate it when she pulls the kid card. It sucks saying ‘no’ when she throws my nieces and nephew in my face.” The words just came out, and I stiffened as realization of what I’d said wrapped around my throat. “So, you go after addicts a lot?”

For a long moment, Roy only stared at me- like he knew I’d changed the subject because I said something I hadn’t meant to. Reaching for my glass, I sniffed a nostrilful of carbonation that jumped and bubbled, and appreciation wiggled through the discomfort in my chest.

“Yeah, I guess. That’s the most common type of criminal, after all. It’s not often a hate crime lands in my lap.” Disgust laced Roy’s tone, and he downed the rest of his glass to hiss a sign. “I once got this one woman because sold her kids for h****n. She tried to flee the state on the Angel network- the people that help battered women. I had a friend at their office that tipped me off. Her three kids weren’t with her, though, and they were never found. Last I heard, she got killed in prison by a bunch of other women. It’s f****d up that way- that you can hate on someone for doing what she did when you f****d up and abandoned your own children, but then you kill her for exactly that.”

“Are you trying to tell me that Winona could be worse, and I should be glad she’s not?” Roy only shrugged at my probe, neither confirming or denying, and I arched a brow as I leaned back on my stool. “So, what are you saying, exactly?”

“I’m saying…” Leaning in close against my ear, Roy took a deep, rather loud breath that sent cold shocks down the front of my shirt. Goosebumps washed my skin, and his voice dropped to a gravelly, deep whisper that stiffened the fine hairs on my face. “Don’t be a hypocrite. Tell her to f**k off, but don’t feel bad. She’s got a husband. If she’s not going to him, then he doesn’t know- which means that whatever she’s doing isn’t right.”

“I’m not a hypocrite for worrying about her kids…” Even to my own ears, my rasping mumble was weak, and I silently cursed the very noticeable string of desire that laced my tone. Roy’s warm breath swept down my neck and tickled my ear lobe, and my eyelids fluttered closed as I fought a shiver.

“Then why don’t you give her the money, Cat?” Purring my name, Roy leaned back to clear his throat softly, and my eyelids flew open just as his smirk spread wide. “I’m gunna head out, but I’m sure we’ll see each other again.”

“If you say so.” My response only earned me a playful glare, and Roy slid off his stool to brush my knees heavily with his hip. Clenching teeth hard, I sucked in a sharp breath even while he sauntered off towards the door. Watching his thick muscles play underneath his v-neck t-shirt, I nibbled my bottom lip furiously as a harsh throbbing rippled through my abdomen. Just the way he unhooked his jacket from the mount was sexy, and he lifted his arm in a wave on his way out the door.

“Hot bastard…” Grumbling under my breath, I took deep, steadying breaths in an attempt to cool down my blood, but it didn’t work. Roy was a badass, and every part of him attested to that fact.

Not to mention- just because he was a badass didn’t mean he was an asshole loser, and that was rare.

“Well- well- well… aren’t you just a wad of bunched up panties, Cat.” Whirling around at the feminine voice that sounded behind me, I let out a squeak of surprise. Erica grinned saucily at me, leaning in so close our noses touched, and she stared deep into my eyes. “I haven’t seen you act like that with a man in a long time. Please- tell me you’re going to hit that.”

“Maybe.” I could be nothing but truthful to my best friend; Erica would see through any lie I tried to weave anyway. Wincing as she leaned back with a giggle, I shook my head and brought my drink to my lips to gulp down the contents. “I doubt he’ll stay long, though. As soon as he gets the guy, he’ll take off. That’s just who he seems to be, I think.”

“Why do you have to say depressing stuff like that. You should go after him- he was clearly into you.” Shrugging absently, I didn’t really have an answer for Erica, and she groaned animatedly. “Cathlee-een…”

“You know, you’re a bad friend for encouraging me to be a slut.” Hiding my embarrassment behind my snide comment, I hopped off my stool only to frown. A thin piece of plastic hugged the side of my breast, and my n*****s tightened in surprise. “I’ve got to go get ready for work. Seeyah later.”

“But you weren’t scheduled today, Cat!” Ignoring Erica’s whiny declaration, I rushed for the stairs and up to my apartment on the third floor. The chatter from the bar disappeared under the furious beating of my heart, and I managed to get to the balcony floor landing before reaching a trembling hand down my shirt.

The smooth, plain card was average sized, but it was the logo on the front hanging above a number that widened my eyes and caused my core to clench.

The card was a motel room card.

Chapter Three: Roy

“I’m glad you came- I didn’t want to have to pay the deposit for the key.” Cat gave a delicate snort at my jibe, and she slapped the key card against my chest with a coy smirk. Everything about her, physically, screamed innocence, but her wicked mind was the reason she showed up on my temporary doorstep. Her leggings hugged her legs and ass like a second skin, and my fingers itched to squeeze the tight, perfectly round globes even as I pushed the door shut behind her.

“So, what’s the plan?” Despite how nonchalant she tried to appear, Cat’s nerves gave her voice a sultry quality, and I shrugged as she slipped out of her leather jacket. I couldn’t resist giving her a once over, and my eyes narrowed as her n*****s firmed against her loose, graphic tee. Her chest thrust out as she inhaled deeply, and my arm developed a mind of its own as it wrapped around her waist.

Smirking at Cat’s gasp, desire tightened my abdomen and tickled the base of my c**k, but I forced it back viciously. The night was only just beginning, so young that the sun hadn’t even fully sunk down below the horizon.

“I ordered pizza. Find something for us to watch. It’ll be here in, like, 10 minutes.” Surprise flittered across Cat’s birdlike features, and I swept her mass of hair away from her face with my free hand as my smirk dulled. “Unless you only came here to use me… I’m better than just a quick f**k, Cat.”

“Quick- uh-huh… right…” Disbelief dribbled from her lips lick honey, and her big, hazel eyes widened as surprise flashed through them. “No- I mean… you’re right. I-“

Halting her attempt to save herself with a thumb against her teeth, I forced her back against the room door while she flushed bright red. Trapping her between my arms, I had to bend to stare at her face to face, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the mortification glistening in her gaze. Her soft, shallow huffs surged up my arm, and the thick hairs there stood straight up as my hard on raged in earnest.

“Do I intimidate you, Cathleen?” Grabbing her face when she started to shake her head automatically, I ground my teeth to bite back the groan of her soft lips against my palm. “No- don’t do that. Answer me. Do- I- intimidate- you?”

Desperation coiled in my chest; I needed Cathleen to nod. I didn’t want to scare her, but I needed her to drop the act and give me the honest truth. My mind had dogged ragged circles all day about what she’d said about her cousin, and it led me to a realization.

Cat wasn’t a hard, beat-ass b***h even though everyone seemed to think she was.

“I-“ Focusing on the flawless face in front of me, my pupils narrowed into fine points as Cat mumbled around my palm. “I tell you things far too… easily. Only Jared knew about my problem with my cousin, and it took him years of grinding me down to get me to confess…”

“Maybe you knew he would back off once you told him- think it was a family problem, and that he could only support you. You’re not mean enough, though, Cat. Sassy- yes… Nasty- no.”

“You met me for 10 minutes…” Cat’s rebuttal sent my brows arching high, and I released her jaw to lean back on my bare heels. The small distance made her bolder, and she took a breath before continuing. “I didn’t come here to get evaluated. I get that enough at home- that’s why I-“

“So, you’re going to tell me to my face that you don’t feel like a complete f*****g outsider no matter who you’re with or where you are?” Anxiety burned through my muscles when Cat jerked her chin against her shoulder, tearing her gaze from mine and refusing to answer. “I know you. Ten minutes- ten hours- ten years- it’s all the same. I went through exactly the same thing.”