“Hungry, sweetheart? And you needed a beer an hour ago, remember?” Kyson smiled and held his arm out.
I promptly dashed over to him and he put his arm around my shoulders. Jasper took his time as was his way. The moment he got close to Lincoln the man instantly grabbed my best friend’s hand.
I grinned at the possessive move, and Jasper’s face showed a hint of disbelief before he shook it off and interlaced their fingers.
Aw, my bestie and his hot, grumpy guy.
I looked up at Kyson to find he was watching me watch them. “Thank you for the ride. It was awesome.”
“Happy to give that to you, Isa.” His voice was a sexy rumble that flowed through my body in a pleasurable wave, straight down to my toes.
I beamed up at him and he gave me a quick peck on the lips, then led me to the door, which he held open for me and our duo behind us.
The place was filled wall-to-wall with leather-clad bikers. Beers were flowing. The pizza smelled out of this world and looked it from what I could see at a couple tables nearest to the door. The last thing I noticed was that all eyes were on us.
Kyson lifted his chin to the bartender. “Round of beers for me and my girl and my brother and his date,” Kyson announced as if it was all the same to him. He clearly was a regular here because the bartender nodded, and one of the waitresses waved him over to a table she was clearing.
I watched as the eyes of many rather rough-looking dudes noted our approach. I turned around and found that Lincoln had let go of Jasper’s hand so he could wrap a large arm around my best friend’s shoulders.
This ownership move was not lost on my best friend. And in turn, I was happy to see that Jasper wrapped his arm around Lincoln’s waist.
Kyson held out my chair and I was just about to sit when a massive, bearded biker came up behind him, wrapped his arms around his chest and tugged him off his feet in a death-defying arch of his masterful frame.
At first, I thought Kyson might lose his mind, turn around and punch the guy but instead, he laughed hard and spun around the second his feet touched back down.
“Pops!” Kyson went into the bearded man’s arms and clapped him on the back several times.
“Ky, what are you doing here? Thought you were taking out the pretty redhead you told me and your mom about. That’s why your ma’s back at home and not sitting on my lap shooting the shit with the fellas.”
“Wanted to take my girl for a ride on the bike and treat her to the best pizza in town. No better place than here.”
“Damn. Ain’t that the truth.” The older man laughed as I took in his appearance. He wore a white-and-black bandanna around his head, and long, dark hair shot through with gray came out of the back and fell down his chest. And when I say long, I mean it went past his shoulders. His long beard came to a furry point somewhere near his sternum. It wasn’t full ZZ Top-style, but definitely close. He had on a black T-shirt with the image of a skull on fire on the front. Over his shirt he wore a black leather vest that had a patch on it noting him as the “Vice President.”
From top to toe the man was biker cool with a hint of danger. He made the guys on Sons of Anarchy look chill in comparison.
“Pops, meet my girl, Isabeau Collins.” He let his father go and gestured to me.
I smiled wide and waved from across the table, feeling a little shy meeting his father for the first time in a pair of jeans and a tank I’d worn all day while running around and working in the dust at the bakery.
The man took me in from top to bottom. “Wow.” He grinned. “Boy, you are in trouble.”
Kyson chuckled. “Don’t I know it. Had me twisted up the second I laid eyes on her.”
“That I can believe. Straight from heaven. Hope she sins like the devil.” He winked at me and patted his son’s back then gripped his neck as though he was proud of him.
Strangely sweet.
“Dad.” Lincoln stepped up and opened his arms.
“Jesus Christ, I got two out of three of my boys in one place on the same night and I didn’t have to wrangle your ma into cooking for that miracle to happen.” He hugged Lincoln and clapped him on the back.
“Got someone I want you to meet, Pops,” Lincoln grumbled—pretty much the only way that man always spoke it seemed. He gestured to Jasper, tugging his hand and pulling him close.
Jasper looked nervous from his frosted, spiky blond hair down to his combat-booted feet. Today’s outfit spoke for itself. His pants were a neon yellow swishy material that made noise when he walked. Drove me crazy until I got used to it. He paired that with a tight-fitting white T-shirt that had a Canadian flag on it. Jasper was obsessed with all things Canada. His mothers loved taking quick flights from Chicago up to Toronto for family trips and he’d been in love with it ever since. His shoes of course were red combat boots with black laces. Nothing matched in the conventional sense, but on him, it somehow looked incredibly fashion-forward.
“Hi, Mr. Turner. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Jasper Prince.” Jas held out his hand for the man to shake.
“Prince?” His father grinned and took in my best friend. “Sounds about right.”
I held my breath because we were in a biker bar filled with rough guys who looked like they could cave your skull in with one punch, but also because my bestie was a little overly fabulous, which could rub scary biker dudes the wrong way.
“Razor.” The man took Jasper’s hand and shook it.
“Um, razor?” Jasper queried.
“My name, son. Razor,” he repeated.
“It’s my father’s road name. All club members have a road name,” Lincoln said. “He’s sworn us to secrecy on his real name.” He smiled.
Lincoln actually smiled and it was beautiful. Made him five times more handsome. Still, my guy was way hotter.
Jasper looped his arm around Lincoln’s waist and looked into his face. “Will you tell me what it is?” Jasper batted his long eyelashes. The little flirt.
And right in front of everyone, including his dad, Lincoln swooped in and kissed my best friend in a barely decent but brief kiss that had some definite tongue action.
My gaze jetted to Razor’s only to find him grinning like a loon. Kyson came over to my side and snagged my hip, maneuvering me closer.
“Your dad is cool about uh, all of this?” I nodded to Jasper, who was now looking at Lincoln as though he’d hung the moon just for him. My best friend may have been playing hard to get for all of three days but if the look on his face was any indication, he was now besotted with the grumpy Turner brother.
“Linc’s been out for a long time, babe. And my father would never put up with anyone treating him poorly for his preferences. That includes the club. If they have issues with people loving who they love, they show those men the door. Being a biker is all about being loved by your brothers, living wild and free. You can’t put limitations on that kind of thing. Doesn’t fit what they’re about. In the club you’d live, bleed and die for a patched brother. Doesn’t matter who they take to their bed or who they have on the back of their bike.”