Chapter 5

Vapor

Gazing down into her eyes, I'll say anything, or do anything to spend a few minutes with her. She's been on my mind since the rave, though after she shoved me out her window before the Hounds got to me, I thought I'd never see her again. I'm not about to mess around with another man's woman, but she says she ain't Tracker's. "It ain't bragging if it's true. It's just a simple statement of fact."

We're just joking around, and I think things are light, but she hits me with something deep. "You're attractive, smart, and have a wonderful sense of humor. It doesn't matter whether you own your own tattoo shop or if you work at a bar. You're a seriously good catch."

I press my lips together trying to figure out where she's going with this. Is this her wanting a ride on the back of my bike? I'd fucking love that, but something tells me that once she figures out I'm a member of the Savage Legion MC, she's not gonna want anything to do with me ever again. I heard her talking about how our club is slaving out her friend that she claims she's not dating. She clearly isn't aware that they damaged our bar and broke our bartender's arm. Maybe she'd feel differently if she knew. Or maybe she'd just go right on hating me anyway. If she really is single, I want a shot at a real relationship with her, there's something about this woman that sets all my cylinders firing.

I guess I go too long without responding because her voice turns firm. "You don't have to talk yourself up to women. We've all got eyes and can judge for ourselves what kind of man you are."

I can't keep the smile off my face for anything. I remember the awkward conversation we had naked in her bed, when I told her how perfect she was, and she didn't seem to believe in perfection. Now, this beautiful woman is returning the favor by being worried about my self-esteem or some such shit. No one in my life has ever been concerned about that, much less a woman. They're all trying too hard to get into my bed. But this pretty lady cares about my vulnerabilities.

"It's sweet that you care about me that way. I grew up with a twin brother and we were extremely competitive at one time. Although we eventually grew out of that, one of the lessons I learned was that talking about what I saw as my strengths in a humorous way made people see me in a more positive light. I guess old habits are hard to break."

The pleased smile she gives me warms my heart. "That kind of honesty deserves a kiss."

Fucking hell, this woman is making me want to be vulnerable with her more often in the worst way. "I'm liking this reward system you're setting up. Does it come with frequent flyer miles?"

I cup her face in my hands and ghost my lips over hers. Although I take my time, things get heated fast. Soon our bodies are pressed together as we tangle tongues going from zero to a hundred in five seconds flat. This woman makes me feel wanted for me, not my status as a brother or my cock. Maybe, that's why I can't get enough of her.

When we break apart, I can see how much she wants me because her eyes are dreamy and unfocused, she's breathless and clinging to me. "Want to stay for a little while? I have a private place we can go."

She smothers back a smile, "I'll just bet you do."

I'm quick to correct her. "It's not inside. I have a special place I go when I want to have some peace and quiet and look at the stars."

Her eyes light up, but she hesitates. "I'd love to go to your special place, Vapor. But I promised Tracker I would go straight home. He doesn't think it's safe for me to be out tonight."

I can't help but wonder how an asshat like Tracker could have so much control over a smart savvy woman like Trix. I heard him call her that, at least it solves the uncomfortable mystery of not knowing her name and being too embarrassed to ask after we had sex. I might be an overly eager fool when it comes to women, but I'm not so clueless that I don't how inappropriate it was not to ask her name.

I reach out, take her hands in mine, and give them a reassuring squeeze. "As long as you're with me, you're safe," I assure her with bold confidence.

I can see the moment when she caves into her desire to spend time with me. "Alright. I hope it's not far."

Her agreement feels like winning the lottery. "It's not, I promise. Do you want to ride on my motorcycle?"

Her voice turns panicked. "No. If I leave my car, Tracker will know I left with someone."

"Look, I don't know what's going on between the two of you or what he's doing to provoke such anxiety in you, but if you need me to deal with him I can."

She looks alarmed. "What? No, of course I don't want you to do anything to him."

"Alright. Just let me know if things get out of hand. I'm going to run inside and ditch the parka. I'll meet you out front."

Still looking a bit unsure, she nods. "See you in a bit," she says before briskly walking off up the sidewalk toward the parking lot."

I know she said that she'd meet me in the parking lot, but some small part of me thinks I should hurry in case she changes her mind. So, that's exactly what I do. I rush back into the bar and since I don't want to prejudice her view of me before she even gets to know me, I do the unthinkable, by pulling off my cut along with the coat and leaving it hanging on the coat rack near the back door.

We occasionally have to leave our cuts behind when we're on assignment, so I know no one will mess with it. Still, deep down inside I feel like I'm casting my club aside in favor of chasing a beautiful woman, if only for the evening. I'm so torn by this decision that in the end I just can't leave my cut behind. Instead, I fold it neatly and tuck it under my arm before leaving the bar.

I see that Trix is in fact waiting for me. She's anxiously standing beside what I assume is her vehicle. I flash her a friendly smile to ease her anxiety and point toward my motorcycle. "Mine is the black Harley with all the chrome. The spot I was telling you about is less than a mile from here, near the welcome sign for Las Salinas."

Her shoulders relax as she gazes up at me. "I'll be right behind you," she replies, sounding more confident.

I head over to my motorcycle and stuff my cut into the storage compartment on the back of my bike. I don't know why I'm angsting so much about this. It's not like I wear it a hundred percent of the time anyway, but not being in my club vest feels like denying part of who I am. Within moments I'm on the main drag with Trix following close behind me.

I pull in beside the old water tower and park my bike. Trix pulls in right behind me and jumps out of her car, staring up at the tower. "Don't tell me we're climbing all the way to the top."

"No not the top." Grabbing her hand, I say, "Come let me show you."

She lets me lead her, this water tower is unique in that it has a spiral staircase leading up to an observation deck that juts out from the front side. When we step out onto the large eight by fourteen deck, Trix gasps.

"I never knew this was here. Why can't we see the platform from the ground?"

"It's something to do with how far away the street is and the angle of the road."

We both stand near the edge and gaze at the city below. Everything is black with a myriad of sparkling lights spreading from one side of Las Salinas to the other. The wind is blowing, causing the branches of nearby trees to sway.

"The view is absolutely breathtaking," Trix gushes. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Yeah, that's one of the reasons why I love to come up here, especially at night. It's the best vantage point to see everything all at once."

"It seems peaceful and serene here," she says with a sigh.

"It's quiet because of the altitude. No matter what time of day or night I come It's relaxing. I've never come up here and not been able to clear my head."

She turns to me, looking a little awestruck. "How did you find this place."

"My brother and I found it together. When we were in high school, we fancied ourselves as trendy urban explorers. We found every interesting, abandoned structure in the whole city during our exploits."

"That sounds fascinating. I've always wanted to try urban exploration."

I gesture for her to sit beside me, and we continue talking as we gaze down onto the cityscape below.

"If you're really interested in exploring, I'd be happy to take you out one day. There's a salt mine not too far from here that has fifteen levels carved out underground with an abandoned salt cave."

"Sounds amazing. I've always wanted to try a salt cave because it's also supposed to be relaxing, kind of like aromatherapy only with other benefits."

"Are you into healthy lifestyle stuff?" I ask, curious to know everything there is to know about this woman.

She nods. "Absolutely. I just turned twenty-two, three months ago. I'm gonna have this body for a very long time so I might as well take care of it."

I slapped my bicep with one hand. "I feel the same way about trying to stay healthy. Only I never gave growing old and a healthy body any real thought. For me, it's about wanting my body to be strong and healthy enough to engage in all the activities that I enjoy most."

"You should try chia seeds. Aztec warriors used them as an energy booster when running long distances."

"Noted." She's close to my age, so I ask, What high school did you go to? I don't remember seeing you around."

She freezes for just a second and then her arms come up to wrap around her stomach in what I always thought of as a defensive pose. "My parents died when I was young, then I got bounced around a lot. It resulted in me moving schools and doing online learning."

"That must have been a lonely experience," I say sympathetically. That probably means she didn't get to go to prom or do all the other high school stuff. Something about that makes me sad for her.

Trix just shrugs her shoulders carelessly. "Yeah, missing out on friendships and all the traditional milestones that happen during high school was difficult. But not as difficult as losing my parents."

"We don't have to talk about that if you don't want to."

She glances away, toward the city lights. "Thank you. Talking about it brings up a lot of bad memories for me. I'm still not over a lot of what happened in my childhood."

Trying to think of something that might make her feel better, I pull out my iPod. "You wanna listen to some music?"

"Sure," she says, sounding a little happier.

I smile at the thought of sharing the music we love. This was the very first thing that bound us together. I hand her one of my air pods and pop the other in my ear. We lie back and stare up at the stars as we listen to some new releases I downloaded.

Suddenly a shooting star cuts across the sky.

"Did you see that?" she asks excitedly.

"Yes, of course I did. I think we're supposed to make a wish now, and you can't tell anyone until it comes true."

Trix glances over at me, and we look into each other's eyes. I feel a connection with this woman, something deep and meaningful. A slow, warm smile spreads over her face and she laces her fingers through mine. I know what my secret wish is, and I would give anything to know hers.

I reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. Desperate to keep the conversation rolling, I bring up the issue of her name. "So, your name is Trix? Is that right?"

She smiles at me making my heart leap inside my chest. "I don't remember telling you my name."

"You didn't, I heard Tracker call you Trix."

"It's short for Beatrix. I was named after my great grandmother on my mom's side."

Both of my eyebrows shoot up at the same time, because that was one hell of an old-fashioned name. I was surprised to see a Beatrix under eighty years old.

She reaches out and playfully swats me on the arm. "Don't give me that look. It's meaning is a mix of blessed and voyager. The first part doesn't apply to me, but I feel like the last part might."

"I agree. Like me, you have an adventurous spirit."

"I like to think so. I'm here with a guy I barely know and I'm glad I took a chance on coming with you, because I'm having a really nice evening."

"Me too," I say.

"So, what's your name? It can't really be Vapor," she fixes me with those big, brown eyes.

"Benjamin—Benji," I say, telling her my given name. "But no one calls me that, only Vapor."

"See, that's another good old-fashioned name, it suits you. Though you look more like a Vapor, it gives you an air of mystery."

I don't know why, but when she says nice things to me, I feel it so much more profoundly than I have with other women. "Thank you. I'm glad you took a chance on me, both tonight and when we first met. I enjoy spending time with you much more than you probably realize."

"Do you think we could just cuddle up here and watch the stars for a while."

"Sure. I'll be right back." Rolling to my feet, I walk over to a fifty-gallon metal trash can sitting against the stairwell. When I pull the lid off, I hear Trix call out to me, "What are you, a trash panda? Cut it out. Digging through the trash is not cool."

Smiling, I drag the can over so she can see what's inside. "It's my stash, not a real trash can."

I began pawing through the contents. "I used to use this place as my own personal treehouse. A couple of months back I bought myself a sleeping bag, so I can spend the night in comfort."

"Doesn't anyone ever mess with your stuff? Other urban explorers, or the people who service the water tower?"

I walk back over to the center stairwell and climb up a side ladder just enough to rap my knuckles on the cistern. A hollow sound resonates back.

"Oh, it's empty."

"Yeah," I reply, walking back over I pull out my hammock and hang it on the two sturdy, ten inch hooks I installed for that purpose. "I went up and looked into the top. It's all rusted out and totally not usable. As far as I can tell, I'm the only person still coming up here. The only exception was a couple of years ago when a team came to paint it. I guess they want it to look good from the street as it's a town landmark."

Trix scoots closer to me. "It's nice they kept it once it was no longer in use."

I hold out my hand and pull her up to a standing position. She comes easily into my arms and meets me halfway for a kiss. We can't seem to keep our hands off each other as our tongues tangle. One of her hands slide down to cup the bulge in my pants, letting me know what she wants from me.

"Let me undress you, I whisper. When she nods, I start with her jacket. Her body trembles when I touch her. Whether it is with need or the cool evening air, I'm not sure. All I know is that touching her soft skin stokes my desire in the worst way.

I'm hard at work on the on the zipper on her light wind breaker when she whispers, "You have a nice touch."

"Your soft curves are irresistible enough to make me worry that I'll be greedy and want to touch you too much."

"You're always so considerate, proving that big brawny guys can be gentle." She gives me a rueful grin, and for a second, I wonder if other men have been less than gentle with her.

I don't know what to say to that, so I slip the jacket off her shoulders. She arches her back and pulls her arms out of the sleeves. Her breasts rub against me in the most enticing way. Since I don't think she did that on purpose, I don't comment, and I certainly don't get grabby. Instead, I fold her jacket and lay it aside. She's wearing a zip front sweater, and I start easing down its fastener.

"Are you sure you're okay getting naked in nature?" I ask with an overlay of excitement in my voice.

She smooths her hands over my chest as she begins to unbutton my shirt. "This place seems secluded enough. Your set up is nice, kinda like camping out. And I know the platform can't been seen from below because I've driven by a million times and didn't see it. I think we're pretty safe from prying eyes and wild animals up here."

That is exactly what I wanted to hear. "I'll take good care of you tonight. I promise this is a good idea, trust me."

"I trust you way more than I should for not knowing you very long," she responds thoughtfully as her hand roams over my chest.

I help her out of the rest of her clothing, and she climbs into the oversized sleeping bag.

She leans on one elbow and watches me kick off my pants. Quickly joining her in the sleeping bag, I lower my head to kiss her briefly, before brushing my lips down the side of her neck. She moans and runs her hand through my hair.

Daydreaming about finding my one after spending years playing the field was messing with my mind. How did she move from being my shiny new dance partner with benefits to the woman I want something serious with? I guess that sometimes when you know, you know. That's what all my club brothers said when they found their old ladies.

We start kissing again, deep and hungry for one another. My mouth drifts from her lips to her neck as I move into place above her. Our naked bodies slide together, and it makes me realize just how soft her skin is. The swells of my big muscles are hard compared to her firm but yielding flesh. I nip playfully at her neck and then lick the sting away.

She moans my name, reminding me of how she shouted my name the last she came with my thick cock inside her excited body.

Her hands ran through my hair as I move down to pleasure her with my mouth. Although I'm moving down eagerly, she also presses me down, pulling me toward her pussy. It felt like a sexy unspoken command and I'm totally there for it. Something about knowing she wants what I have to give, as much as I want to give it, really stokes my lust.

I quickly get lost in the taste of her body and her small cries of pleasure as my tongue swirls around her clit. I slide two fingers inside her tight pussy and run the tip of one finger over her g-spot. Being between her legs is making me lightheaded. Long before I've had my fill, she comes hard, and I busy myself licking up her sweet arousal. Suddenly she's pulling me up and it's only then that I realize she's wrapped my long hair around her hand. It's sweet of her to keep it off my face while I had my head between her legs.

I move my body over hers. "I'll never get enough of making you come on my tongue, Trix."

When she pulls back, I say, "Look darlin', if you just want to cuddle and talk I'd be down for that, I don't want this to just be a one night thing. We can take it as slow as you want."

She shakes her head. "No, I can feel that iron bar of yours laying on my stomach. We'd best take care of him before he starts feeling betrayed."

I feel a grin taking over my face. "He's been disappointed before. Trust me he'll get over it."

When she opens her mouth to object, I interject, "Being denied occasionally is good for him. It teaches discipline."

"I'd rather have some more of what I got before. I've been thinking of you a lot and don't want to miss my big opportunity to enjoy you while I can."

"I'm so glad you said that. My cock is aching to be back inside you in the worst way."

She chuckles. "I can tell because of all the precum."

I use the sleeping bag to wipe the wetness from her stomach. "Yeah, he gets spitting mad when everyone's not paying attention to him exclusively. The little fucker is weird that way."

She reaches down to stroke my thick cock. "I hope you're not one of those men who names his cock. I've always found that to be super weird."

A needy sound almost like a growl escaped from the back of my throat because her long firm strokes feel so fucking good. "Oh, hell no. My cock doesn't get a name. Little fucker is self-important enough. If I named him, he'd be ten time worse."

"Let's see what he can do," she says as she flexes her legs that are wrapped around my waist and urges me forward until my cock is notched at her entrance.

"Fuck. You feel amazing tonight," I gasp.

She responds breathlessly, "It's because this is a stolen moment. Stolen moments are always better because they're unexpected and by their very nature slightly forbidden."

My pretty new woman is not wrong about that. Loving our playful banter, I grin down at her. "I've never thought about it, but you're right."

Once I'm balls deep inside her, I stop to make sure she's okay.

"I'm so full of you. I can feel you everywhere."

"That tight little pussy of yours stretches just enough to let me in and I appreciate that more than you will ever fucking know."

"You can thank me by moving," she says playfully.

I pull out, emptying her body of my generous endowment. I throw back my head and plunge back in. Repeating the movement with firm, rhythmic precision until she's clawing at my chest and moaning my name. Everything about this moment in time is profoundly addictive for me.

I can't resist looking down into her face as we chase after the pleasure of our stolen moment. Trix is so goddamn pretty. I swear, cute is exactly the word that described her with those brown eyes, flawless creamy skin and adorable turned up nose. I know deep down inside that I'll never be able to think of her as anything less than perfect. I'm already falling hard and fast for her and that is not a very good idea because she's associated with the Hellfire Hounds, our bitter enemies. I hate to think what they might do if they discover she's been hooking up with a patched member from a rival MC.

I'm brought back from my worries by the sound of her voice. She's telling me that I'm the best and how good I feel. Everything about this experience calls to me as a man.

Leaning down I cup her face in my hands and look into her eyes. Somehow the clouds have moved allowing us to be bathed in the pale moonlight. My chest tightens with raw emotion as we gaze into each other's eyes. My strokes are slow and purposeful as if to bind her to me, to create an us, where there had been only her and me before.

When she comes again, I can't hold back and I empty my seed inside her, coming together makes the situation feel ten times more intimate. It was this moment that made me decide to do whatever it took to get close to her, to learn all her secrets and prove myself worthy of being given a chance.

She gets herself comfortable on my chest, I pull the zipper shut, and we just lie there watching the sky as a gentle wind swirls around us.

Tugging her closer we enjoy the afterglow. "I never thought about bringing anyone up here until I met you."

"Well I'm glad you did. This is by far the most unusual date I've ever been on."

We cuddle for I don't know how long, but eventually I realize that we are falling asleep. Before we get too comfortable, I suggest that we move into my hammock.

Once we're settled and she's snuggled in my arms I just tug the sleeping bag up around her smaller form and enjoy the feeling of a beautiful woman in my arms as I tumble off to sleep. We still haven't exchanged last names but I'm okay with that because I've learned the past is long gone and the future is never guaranteed. All we really have is the present and I intend to make the best of mine. Plus, I have that plan in the back of my mind to do whatever it takes to get to know her better.

The last thing I remember thinking before darkness claims me is whatever else happens, I need to protect her from getting blowback by the Hellfire Hounds. Maybe if I can understand more about her association with them, I can slowly encourage her to step back from interacting with them. Their club president, King, has never been the forgiving type and I don't want him to get all vengeful over her getting together with me.