Smoke (Archer's Creek Book 5) Read online

  His smile fades and is replaced with a small scowl. “A quick dinner then. I can have my driver bring you back to the office afterwards if you’d like?”

  Using my pen, I point to my laptop screen. “I’m sorry, but I’m in the zone and I don’t want to ruin my momentum by stopping.”

  “You have to eat,” Dan says a little more forcefully.

  “I’ll grab room service later, or I can order in if I get hungry before I’m done,” I assure him, twisting my body back toward my laptop, so only my face is turned in his direction.

  “Okay. Well, I suppose I’ll see you in the morning,” he says, and I can see his reluctance to leave on his face.

  “Bye,” I say, turning fully away from him and feeling awful. It’s not his fault I can’t feel any chemistry between us. I shouldn’t have been kissing him for the last week, but in my defense, I wanted to feel something. I was hoping that I would.

  Avoiding him now is impossible. I’m stuck here for the next six weeks unless I use my get out of jail free clause. But leaving Houston would mean leaving Rosie and all of the guys and girls at the club. I’m enjoying their company. I’m enjoying having friends to hang out with, to be silly and get drunk with, and I’m not ready to leave yet.

  I hadn’t realized how isolated I’d allowed myself to become in New York. For the last year-and-a-half, my social life had revolved around Greg and what he wanted to do. I hadn’t really made the effort to find any friends in the city. I hadn’t noticed that working from home, sometimes twelve- or fourteen-hour days had made me more antisocial than I was in college and the last couple of weekends have been a much-needed change of pace.

  No, I’m not ready to leave yet. I want to see this contract out, and also enjoy the ridiculous amount of money I’ll have earned by being here.

  I need to stop going out with Dan, keep our relationship one hundred percent professional from now on; no more blurred lines for either of us. Deliberately keeping my eyes on the screen of my laptop, I listen to him walk away without even glancing in his direction. When I hear the ding of the elevator and the sliding of the doors, I exhale a relieved breath and finally get back to work.

  The next day, I don’t have to invent an excuse not to have dinner with him when my head starts to pound. I end up leaving work early and sleeping off the headache before Dan can even suggest dinner.

  Wednesday is my lunch date with Nikki and as twelve thirty rolls around, I find myself really excited to meet with her. She offered to come pick me up from my building, so when I leave the office and make my way outside, I find her sat at the curb in a seriously beautiful old car.

  “Hey,” I call as I walk over to her.

  “Hey, jump in. That security guy has already tried to get me to move twice,” she says in an amused voice.

  Opening the door, I slide in, settling on the warm, soft leather seat. “This car is gorgeous,” I tell her, running my hand along the dash.

  “I know,” she says with a wink and pulls into traffic.

  With the roof down, we get a lot of appreciative looks as we drive through the busy streets. I’m not sure if they are for the car, or me and Nikki, but either way I thoroughly enjoy the ride. Nikki slows to a stop outside a sleek looking restaurant and climbs out, handing her keys to the waiting valet.

  I follow as she leads the way into the building and up to the hostess. “Hi, Nikki, inside or outside?” she asks

  Nikki turns to look at me, her eyebrow raised in question.

  “Err, outside?” I say.

  The hostess smiles and we follow her through the restaurant and into a hidden courtyard that’s not visible from outside.

  “Is this okay?” the hostess asks, pausing behind a table.

  Nikki nods and smiles. “Thanks, Michelle, this is great.”

  We slide into our seats and Michelle hands us menus. “Can I get you some drinks?” She asks.

  “Ice-tea please,” I say.

  “Oh, do you have any of that fancy ice-tea I had last time I was here?” Nikki asks, her eyes lighting up.

  “If we haven’t, I’m sure Drew will make some for you,” Michelle says with a grin as she turns and leaves to get our drinks.

  “I take it you’re a regular here?” I ask with a smirk.

  “Drew who owns the place and is the head chef, is one of my clients.”

  “Clients?” I ask. “What exactly do you do?”

  “I’m in wealth management; an investment banker for all intents and purposes.”

  I stare at her for a minute, taking in her flawless makeup, vintage-style hair, clothes, and two full sleeves of tattoos and my mouth falls open a little.

  Her laugh is loud and gregarious. “I know, not what you’d expect, right?”

  “Not at all,” I admit ruefully.

  With the flick of her wrist she waves me off. “I’m good with numbers. I can still look awesome while I do it.”

  Grinning, I nod. We chat back and forth until a waitress arrives with two glass jugs and two glasses.

  “Drew said that this is a different recipe he’s trying out and to see if you like it,” the waitress says.

  We order our food and Nikki hums excitably about how amazing the mac and cheese is here and how the baby has been craving it for days. When our food arrives, I dig into my Thai prawn noodles while Nikki moans at how good her mac is.

  “So, what’s going on with you and Smoke?” She asks, surprising me.

  My fork almost falls from my hand. “What?” I squeak.

  She pauses, her fork halfway to her mouth and smiles at me, her eyes full of mischief and knowing. “I see the way you pair look at each other. I can’t decide if you’ve fucked already or if you’re just teasing the hell out of each other until you do.”

  “No,” I say shaking my head. “No, absolutely not, neither of those things.”

  She scoffs, eating the forkful of pasta and groaning appreciatively, before she looks back up to me. “He’s a good guy.”

  Rolling my eyes, I purse my lips and furrow my brow. “He’s an arrogant manwhore. On the two occasions I’ve met him, he’s left with two different women and had another crawling all over him. I know what guys like him are like, my ex was exactly the same. I’ve learned my lesson and I have absolutely zero interest in a guy like that.”

  “He’s single,” she says with a nonchalant shrug. “But you should know that he watches you as much as you watch him. He couldn’t take his eyes off you at the BBQ. I don’t know how things were at the party the other week because I wasn’t there, but I saw the fire between you. It’s only a matter of time.”

  “Until what?”

  “Until the chemistry between you combusts,” she says easily, stabbing some more of her food and lifting it to her mouth.

  After she drops me back off at the office, her words play repeatedly in my head. He was watching me, she thinks we have chemistry, he’s a good guy. I don’t want to think about any of this. I wish he wasn’t so good-looking, so tempting, because I need to stay away from him and I’m not sure that I can.

  For the first time in forever, the lines of code on my screen hold absolutely no appeal and I find myself wandering over to the projector screen and seats where the guys are beta running sections of the game. Sliding into a spare seat, I sit and play, letting the rest of the world slide away.

  After I turn down Dan’s invitations for dinner every night this week, on Thursday he doesn’t ask me to join him and just leaves the office without a backward glance. I feel a little guilty, but not enough to continue leading him on each night by letting him kiss me and pretending that I’m interested.

  Tonight, is my girls night out and I’m so excited that I find myself watching the clock as I count down for my workday to finish. Al is waiting at the curb the moment I push through the building doors and I eagerly climb into the front seat, bubbling with excitement.

  “Do you need me to pick up you and your girlfriends later?” he asks.

  “No thanks,
we’re meeting in a bar just a couple of blocks from here and then we can always just grab a cab if we decide to move on to a club later. I’m so excited to have a real girls night out. I actually can’t even remember the last time I did.”

  Al flashes me an indulgent, fatherly smile. “You make sure you take care, make good choices and stay safe. The city is a dangerous place at night.”

  “I’ll be careful,” I assure him, reaching over to squeeze his arm.

  When he pulls up outside my hotel, I climb out and wave goodbye before I head inside and up to my room. Running a bath, I soak in the hot water, exfoliating my skin, and generally taking the time to pamper myself. When I lift myself from the hot water, I dry off, then coat my skin in yummy mango scented moisturizer and set about doing my hair.

  I style it into a messy updo with plaits and twists making it look a little more edgy. Pulling open the closet door, I scan my clothes. I didn’t bring a lot of dressy clothes with me, assuming I wouldn’t have much opportunity to go out, but I did pack my trusty black dress.

  Pulling the dress on, I smooth the black silky fabric down my body and look in the mirror, deciding how to style it. The dress itself is actually quite simple, but it lends itself easily to being dressed up or down depending on the occasion. Tonight, I feel like I need to look sexy with an edge; I am hanging out with bikers now after all.

  Sliding my feet into my kick-ass, black leather ankle boots, I add a handful of chunky bangles to my wrist then slide on my leather biker jacket, ironic right? I finish my look with dark—heavy on the eyeliner—eyes, and a nude lip.

  When I step back and look at myself in the mirror, I can’t help but smile. I look hot, and I take out my cell and quickly snap a picture of myself. I’m not the type of person who takes a picture of every single outfit and posts it on social media, but today I am and I hashtag the crap out of it too. #bikerchic.

  Spurred on by my confidence, I rush from my room and out of the hotel, internally cheering myself for the fact that it’s been days since I slipped or fell. Maybe I’m not as clumsy in Texas as I am in other states?

  Hailing a cab, I hop in and practically hum with excitement until we pull up outside a bar called Night. Handing the driver the fare, I climb out, smooth my dress down, and walk past the doormen into the dimly lit bar.

  I spot the girls immediately and make my way toward the booth they are crowded around.

  “Hi,” I say, scanning the faces and recognizing all but two of them. Rosie jumps up and pulls me in for a hug, followed by Nikki, and then Dove. I look to the other two women and wave. “Hi, I’m Riley.”

  “I’m Brandi, Sleaze’s old lady,” the first woman offers, her blonde hair curly, and loose around her shoulders.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Grits,” the second woman says. She’s older, I’m not entirely sure how old, perhaps in her forties, but still stunning and for some reason incredibly intimidating.

  “Nice to meet you too,” I say. “I’m gonna get a drink from the bar. Does anyone want anything?”

  Everyone shakes their heads and I head to the bar and order a Martini and a round of shots for the table. The bartender places the shot glasses on a tray and I easily carry them back to the booth. “Shots,” I call when I reach the girls and everyone cheers except for Nikki.

  “Please know that I hate you all right now,” Nikki says with an exaggerated pout. She’s absolutely glowing in a tight red dress that looks amazing, proudly displaying her pregnant stomach.

  “My grandbaby will be here before you know it; don’t wish your pregnancy away,” Grits says, her intimidating aura softening slightly as she talks about Nikki’s baby.

  “Could be worse,” Brandi calls out, taking a shot from the tray and holding it in the air. “Liv is ready to drop any day. Echo’s driving her crazy fussing over her. She wanted to come out tonight, but that man of hers almost lost his mind when she suggested it.”

  “Daisy was so cute when we left. He was totally freaking out about me coming out tonight. If I didn’t love him so much, he’d drive me crazy.” Dove says, her flawless face so angelic and innocent I almost understand why her boyfriend would be terrified of sending her out to a club without him.

  “To men who drive us crazy, but who we wouldn’t be without,” Grits says, lifting her shot glass into the air for a toast.

  We all clink glasses and then throw our shots back. The sweet lemony flavor hits my tongue and I smile, licking my lips to catch all of the flavor. “Yum, I think I might need another one of those,” I say, staring at my empty glass.

  “I’ll go grab another round,” Rosie says with a giggle as she slides from the booth. Her red hair is loose and hanging down her back. She’s wearing skyscraper black pumps; fitted, tiny black shorts; and a white cami that manages to make her look both tiny and super curvy all at the same time.

  We decide to order appetizers to nibble on while we drink and I’m glad because I haven’t eaten anything since my pastry on the way to the office this morning, and the alcohol is starting to hit me. When the waitress drops off several plates of nibbles, we all dig in, munching on the fries in truffle oil, the rich prawns, spicy peppers, and amazing mini sliders.

  “Let’s go somewhere and dance,” Brandi says, wiggling in her seat to the beat of the music.

  “Yes,” I cry. “Is there a club nearby?”

  “I know a place,” Nikki says with a grin, then she slides out of the booth and we all follow her out of the bar.

  “How far is it?” I ask.

  “Just a couple of blocks from here, we can walk,” she says with a smile and I glance down at her sexy peep-toe pumps and the outrageous heel.

  “Are you going to be okay to walk in those?” I ask, pointing down at her shoes.

  “I’ll be fine. These may look like they should hurt, but they’re actually surprisingly comfortable.” She assures me, hooking her arm with mine as we walk down the sidewalk.

  When we reach a club called Red’s, there’s a long queue, but Nikki walks us straight past it and up to the doorman, whose face lights up when he sees her.

  “Nikki, it’s been a long time.” The guy says, his eyes running over her face and then down her body pausing at her belly. “Jesus Christ, Nik, what the hell? You’re pregnant,” he says, his eyes going wide.

  My new friend giggles. “No shit, is that what this is?” she says sarcastically, placing her hand on her stomach.

  “Sorry, it’s just a bit of a shock. Err, congratulations,” he says.

  “Thank you,” Nikki says smoothly and then lifts her chin and nods toward the club.

  “Oh shit, yeah, sorry. In you go, have a good night.” The doorman says.

  He lifts the rope barring the entrance and we all walk past him and into the club. The beat of the music pulses through the floor the moment we pass through the doors and excitement starts to well up inside of me.

  The dance floor is packed but we still crowd onto it, our hands thrown up as we move to the music. I lift my arms into the air and lose myself to the rhythm until my skin is clammy and my throat dry. As a group we all head to the bar and order drinks and another round of shots, then we head back to the dance floor.

  After an hour of nonstop dancing, I notice that none of us have been approached by any men the entire time we’ve been here. I’m not really looking to hook up with anyone, but with a group of women this stunning in a busy club, it’s strange that not one guy has tried his luck.

  My arms are still moving in the air above me, but I slowly scan the club and that’s when I spot them. In a booth almost directly in front of us, but hidden in shadows sit Blade, Park, Daisy, and two other guys that I’m guessing are probably Anders and Sleaze. I smile and bite my lip at how ridiculously cute these overprotective men are. Then I see him. Hidden at the very back of the booth is Justin and his eyes are laser-focused on me.

  Nudging Nikki, I tip my head in the direction of the table full of bikers and she laughs. “I know, they got here not long after
us,” she shouts over the music.

  “Did you know they were coming?” I ask.

  She shrugs. “Guessed they would when we refused to wear those fucking property cuts they have with their names on the front.”

  One by one the other girls all notice where Nikki and I are staring and none of them seem particularly surprised their partners would invade our girls night out. When the guys realize that they’ve been spotted, they make their way toward us as a group.

  The sight is both the scariest and hottest thing I’ve ever seen. Seven huge, intimidating bikers, all sporting their get-the-fuck-away-from-me faces and heading straight for us. My breath stutters in my chest as one by one the men all claim their women, pulling them close or kissing them. Then there’s only me and Justin, his huge imposing form stood silently in front of me.

  I try to turn away, but he reaches out and wraps his huge paw-like hand around my hip stopping me. The loud music suddenly fades away, the people all around us no longer seem so close, and all I can see is this man, and all I can feel is the heat from where he’s touching me.

  His eyes widen slightly, and I wonder if it’s just me, or if he’s feeling this too. His other hand lifts up, brushing a loose strand of hair off my face and pushing it behind my ear. Then his finger runs along my jaw until he reaches my chin and he lifts it, lowers his mouth to mine and kisses me.

  I have no idea what I’m doing here. I know why the others are here. The moment their women decided to go out in the city, they always planned to come and keep an eye on them. It’s not that the girls aren’t capable of looking after themselves, more that all of my brothers are protective cavemen and they just couldn’t stop themselves from wanting to make sure no one got close to what’s theirs.

  That doesn’t explain why I’m here though. None of these women are mine and yet knowing she was here I just couldn’t stop myself. The moment we walked through the doors, my eyes sought her out and I haven’t been able to look away.