Ride of Desire - Book cover

Ride of Desire

Sarah A. McCombs

Rough Roads Ahead

Mercy wrapped up her first day at the old bar, which was mostly a quick tour and a rundown of the drinks they served.

She spent the rest of the evening shadowing Jackson, the bar owner’s son.

He was a few years younger but built like his dad, with a voice to match. His maturity was evident, something not common in guys his age.

She’d already been flirted with by a couple of older drunks while serving their beers, but she managed to brush it off and keep things friendly.

Overall, they seemed like a laid-back bunch, and she left with a pocketful of tips, so she had no complaints.

With a smile, she took off the borrowed slippers she’d been wearing and handed them back to Mack at the end of the night.

“Thanks for being so welcoming and patient with me.”

He gave her a big grin, shaking his head as he replied in a teasing tone.

“Darlin’, all I did was lend you some old slippers and hand you off to Jackson for training.”

She shrugged as he took the small slippers into his large hands. She remembered him mentioning that the slippers used to belong to his wife.

Throughout the night, he’d mentioned his wife here and there, always in the past tense.

Mercy found herself wondering about the woman, how she’d fit into this life. Maybe she was born into it. A biker’s wife, tough and fiercely protective.

“Maybe, but I’m still grateful for you and this opportunity.”

He nodded. There was something innocent about this woman that stirred his protective instincts.

His wife had always wanted a daughter, a little girl she could raise to be a kind and caring woman.

He found himself wondering, as he looked at his new employee, if his wife would’ve seen in her what he saw now. The child they’d always wanted but never had.

“Your shift starts at seven each night and ends at three when we close. I’ll make sure you get a break in the middle to rest a bit, and you won’t have to stay after because I like to clean up myself.”

She nodded, smiling up at his twinkling dark green eyes. He was a good man, that was clear.

But she knew she had to stay alert. From her past experiences, she knew bikers were anything but simple guys.

As she stepped out the front door, she slipped on her black ballet flats, promising herself to get a pair of boots soon. She’d forgotten how muddy her hometown could be.

No matter how dry the season, the ground was always a mess of wet earth, both a blessing and a curse.

She carefully navigated around the treacherous puddle that had almost swallowed her earlier in the night. The only sounds were the crickets serenading the night.

Her mind was elsewhere as she walked to the back of the small parking lot, which had been full when she arrived but was now deserted.

As she reached for her old pickup’s keys to open the driver’s side door, she froze at the sound of footsteps behind her.

Memories washed over her in a suffocating wave as a hand gripped her hip with a vice-like hold. Was this it?

Her heart pounded in her chest, thoughts racing about how she could escape this time. The scream that had been building in her throat died as a low voice echoed in her ears.

Safe. She was safe.

“We need to talk. Now.”

She let out the breath she’d been holding, her trembling body turning to face a dangerously attractive man.

It wasn’t him. She was safe.

“Tommy.”

His name rolled off her tongue easily.

Anger flashed in his dark eyes as he closed the distance between them, pressing them both hard against the pickup she’d forgotten her keys in.

A large hand moved to her throat as if repeating his earlier actions, his rough fingers wrapping around her neck as he leaned in closer.

“Don’t fucking say my name.”

She raised an eyebrow, too tired and unimpressed by his actions to be scared. She had plenty to fear, but he would never be one of them.

What was his game anyway? Why was he so angry with her?

Sure, they had a past, but that was ten years ago. He was acting like it was yesterday.

She understood they had chemistry, that they’d loved each other deeply once.

But why was he so wound up? It’s not like he knew what she’d done.

That was something he could be angry about.

“What should I call you then, huh?”

Her pupils dilated as he growled, as if reading her thoughts, his lips parting once more. God, how he wanted to claim those lips with his own.

“Come on, lover ~boy~, I don’t have all night.”

That was the last straw.

In the next moment, she was lifted up by two large hands on her hips, her thighs wrapping around his waist as he pressed her back against the truck again.

His mouth claimed hers in a kiss so deep it resonated in their souls. One hand moved to support her rear while the other found the base of her skull and slid into her silky curls.

When their mouths finally parted, she was panting, her heart racing as she looked up into his darkening gaze.

She recognized that look, emotions blooming deep within her as she tried to control her body’s response.

She wanted him, like an addiction; he was hard to quit. Even after ten years, her body responded to his touch like a parched land begging for rain.

“I can’t...not now.”

He remained as still as a statue, but he didn’t miss how shaky she was.

The emotions in his eyes made her chest feel heavy as she thought back to their teenage years.

They’d been the hottest—and wildest—couple in town. They were trouble with a capital T, but it had been a wild ride while it lasted.

Another shiver ran up her spine. Shaking her head, she bit her bottom lip to hold back the tears welling up in her eyes.

She’d messed up, and if he knew the truth, it would only cause more pain.

“Tommy...you don’t understand.”

His fingers in her hair tightened into a fist, pulling her head back.

His mouth moved to her exposed neck, her eyes closing as he gently kissed a lustful promise into her skin.

“Please…”

Her voice was barely a whisper, rough with emotion.

Her hands clung to his shoulders, her nails digging into the light fabric of his shirt as his tongue left a burning trail of desire on her skin. Damn, this man was a threat to her sanity.

She forced her hands down, pushing against his shoulders with flat palms.

He eased back, giving her room to lift her gaze to his.

His eyes were dark with desire, and she was wet with want. He was a master of seduction, and she was ready to break a few rules.

“Why now?”

She frowned. What?

His voice was low, heavy with raw emotion. His eyes might seem vacant, but she knew better.

He was an open book to her, a haze clouding her vision as she bit her lip again.

She couldn’t go through with this.

She wanted to spill her secrets, but what good would it do? Wouldn’t it just complicate things?

The last thing she needed was another man to break her heart.

Besides, she had something to protect, and if he knew the truth, it might do more harm than good.

“Please, don’t do this. It’s been ten years, Tommy. Can’t you just...let it go?”

His eyebrows knitted together.

“It? You mean forget us.”

Her lips parted, but no words came out. She nodded. She didn’t want to hurt him, but if she didn’t act now, they might both pay the price later.

If she was being honest, it was a selfish act. She couldn’t bear the thought of him hating her. Loathing her.

“There can’t be an us. I didn’t come back here for you.”

Pain flashed in his eyes, quickly replaced by confusion and anger. She could handle anger. It was a feeling she was all too familiar with.

“Why DID you come back?”

She let go of his waist, sliding down his body until her feet hit the ground. His hands stayed on her, gripping her hips.

“Father died and left me the house.”

He frowned, lifting a hand to cradle her face.

“I’m so sorry.”

She shook her head quickly. The thought of him being tender with her made her stomach turn. She couldn’t let him back into her heart.

“You and I both know he was no father to me.”

He nodded.

“True, but he was the only family you had left.”

She looked away, pulling his hand from her face as she took a deep breath.

The only family...she was in for a surprise. Her karma was ready to hit her hard.

“I have to go.”

His hands flattened against the truck on either side of her, refusing to let her go until he got some real answers.

“So he’s gone. Why come back for the house? You’re right, I remember all the shit he put you through. I also remember you wanting nothing more than to escape. Why not just sell the house and never come back?”

She hugged herself. She couldn’t discuss this with him, not now. What would he think of her if she told him the truth?

“This isn’t your concern. Now move. I need to get home.”

He was frustrated beyond belief, but he stepped aside without another word.

She looked like a cornered animal, ready to attack at any moment.

He would get his answers, whether they came from her or not was up to her.

He watched her leave, already forming a plan as her small black truck pulled out of the parking lot and onto the long dirt road.

He knew she felt the same intense need he did, like a fire growing hotter by the second.

It would either bring them together or destroy them, but he’d be damned if he lost her again. Through hell and back, that was their vow.

Their promise.

***

In the shadows by the bar’s entrance, a burly man stood guard, his heavy boots sinking into the mud.

He knew who the woman was when he hired her, because he knew everyone’s story in town. He might be starting a fire he couldn’t control, but he had no other option.

Maybe he owed her for all the years he knew about her suffering but did nothing.

Back then, he was dealing with his own problems. He wouldn’t have been much help to her.

Maybe this was his way of making amends, or maybe he hoped something good could come from the pain of the past.

He knew one of Mercy’s secrets, but he would let her decide when to reveal it. For now, he would do his best to earn her trust and show her what a real family could be like.

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