Jupiter's MC Ghost

GHOST

Blinding light burns my eyes as I stare up into the blank blue canvas that is the sky, yet the warmth of the body beside me makes the blinding light bearable.

Dark silken hair brushes against my arm as I run my fingers through the wind-blown locks. Aqua-blue eyes as clear and bright as the sun shining across the ocean stare into mine.

The sound of the wind rustling the leaves of the trees and grass that surrounds us adds a calming and sensual feel. Carefree laughter and warm smiles fill the already perfect moment.

As I lean in for a kiss, the landscape around us ripples like a pool of water disturbed by a single drop. The sweet laughter and warm smile that surrounded me are replaced by the blaring of my early morning alarm, interrupting yet another dream that I wished were reality.

I come crashing back down to Earth and fling my arm to the side to shut off the alarm. With a few curses, I heave myself off my mattress and drag myself into my bathroom to get ready for the day.

Teeth brushed and wearing my usual workout gear of joggers and a tank top, I stride down the stairs to the training room to suffer through yet another training session that will leave me exhausted and sore by the end. However, I have to do it because if I shirk my responsibilities for a few more hours of sleep, I would be setting a poor example for the rest of the club.

As the Vice President of Jupiter’s MC, I hold a lot of responsibility, not to mention the high expectations I place on myself. I inherited the role from my father, who was considered to be one of the best VPs of the club. I have big shoes to fill.

After training, I make my way to the kitchen for some coffee and food. Without thinking, I step through the large doors to the kitchen and almost slam into a dark-haired, petite figure that barely comes up to my chest.

She stumbles backward, and I barely manage to catch her in time before she hits her head on the corner of the bench.

Clear, aqua-blue eyes stare back at me in shock, and I detect a small amount of fear in those eyes. Whether that fear is aimed at me or at the fact that she almost fell face-first into the corner of a marble benchtop, I do not know.

But I do know that I don’t have the strength, or the desire, to look away from the pair of eyes that have been haunting my dreams for the past five years.

They’re the same eyes I want to drown in. The same eyes I long to look into when we’re sitting on opposite sides of the bar. The same eyes that cause an unnatural pit of jealousy to form in my gut every time they’re focused on another brother.

I know I shouldn’t think these things. I promised myself I wouldn’t. But with her so close, I can’t help but wonder what if. What if we could be together? What if I wasn’t the VP of a motorcycle club and she wasn’t the sister of my club brother? What if we met when we were a little older, a little more sure of ourselves?

The clearing of a throat breaks the spell between us, causing me to help her get her balance and step back from her. I turn my gaze to the intruder and meet the amused face of my mother.

I turn my attention back to the woman beside me. There’s a slight pink tint showing through the light makeup on her cheeks. I don’t know whether to be amused or amazed at the fact that my arms around her made her blush.

“Good morning, Jackson. How was your morning training session?” my mother asks.

Shifting my gaze back to my mother, the only person in the world allowed to call me by my given name, I answer, “Good morning, Mother. It went well, as always. How was your morning?”

My mother just stands there with the same amused expression on her face, her eyes shifting between me and the figure beside me who is still standing there as still as a statue.

“I had a lovely morning. Clarissa helped me cook breakfast as she was banned from training this week since it involves too much ‘violence’ for her and she may get injured. What have you got to say about that?”

My mother raises her eyebrow and purses her lips. I know she’s annoyed, but the decision is out of my control.

With a sigh, I walk over to the full coffee pot. If I am to be subjected to this kind of conversation, I will need caffeine. “As you know, I am not in charge of that. It was her brother who made that decision as he is responsible for her. And Prez agrees as he sees Clarissa as his sister, as do many of the other brothers.”

My mother’s gaze narrows at me.

Oh god, I am in trouble now.

“Jackson Jeffries, how can you stand there and allow a young girl to be excluded because she is a woman? That is unacceptable. This is not how I taught you to act!”

Shit. What does she want from me? It’s not like I talk to Clarissa if I can help it, and now she wants me to force the brothers, one of which is her actual brother, that she should be able to fight with us?

“Mother, I—”

“It’s okay, Holly, really. I don’t mind. I’d rather spend the morning here with you, cooking. Don’t bother Ghost about it. Truly, I’m fine.”

That voice… It always makes me feel as though the goddess Juno has just graced us with her presence. Her delicate voice wraps everyone around her little finger.

I experienced it the first time she spoke to me. She was fifteen and had just arrived at the club with her brother. I was only eighteen, and knew in that moment that I would do anything for her.

And then she disappeared to boarding school, and I did my best to forget about her. I did not need to harbor feelings for my club brother’s sister.

But three years later, she came home from boarding school after her senior year. She walked through the door, and it seemed to me that the whole room went silent.

Her eyes met mine across the room, and the look in them will forever be ingrained in my mind.

It’s the same look I see in my dreams. The look I can’t get out of my mind.

The reason I can’t get close to her.

It was a look of want. Of desire. And I know it matched the look in my eyes.

My mother clicks her tongue and gives Clarissa a sad smile before going back to what she had been doing before I entered the room.

Without looking in Clarissa’s direction, I grab my breakfast and head to the dining hall, escaping the potential conversation between Clarissa and me, which is a big no-no in my rule book.

I won’t allow myself to be sucked any further into her orbit. At least, that is what I tell myself.