Chapter 11

AVERY

Avery was folding clothes the next morning when her phone rang, and she couldn’t help but smile when she saw the name pop up. “Hello?”

“Good morning, baby.”

“Hi, Justin.”

“How did you sleep?” he asked, putting his feet up on his desk.

“Not bad. How about you?”

“Well, baby, once I finally got to bed, it was lonely,” Justin admitted.

Avery blushed hearing the innuendo in his voice. “Sorry about that…”

“It was my fault that I was lonely. Actually, it was the assholes who started the fight at my bar and caused a scene. Had to meet with the cops and didn’t get back to the clubhouse until about 2,” Justin replied.

“Oh... So, can I ask a question?”

Justin laughed. “I think you already did, baby.”

“Well, another one, then,” she sighed.

“Sure.”

“Well, when you get called out like last night, what happens with Alexis?” she asked.

“If I have to go out, I have a prospect come and stay with her until she gets up and take her to my sister’s house if I don’t get back by then.

“This weekend wasn’t an issue. She is with Ryan and his dad Nick up in the mountains for a long weekend at their cabin. So I didn’t usually have to make other arrangements.

“That’s why I spent the night at the clubhouse,” Justin explained.

“Oh... Are Ryan and his dad a part of the club? Why is Alexis so protective of him?” she asked.

“That is a conversation to have in person. So what about tonight? I’ll make up for last night. Dinner at Magellini’s,” Justin offered.

“Sure. Am I dressing up?” Avery asked, twirling her hair as she talked to him.

“Yes. I’ll bring a cage, not my bike. Are you going to wear a skirt?” he asked with a smirk.

“Maybe,” she answered coyly.

“God, baby, you are gonna kill me, I just know it,” Justin groaned.

Avery laughed and hung up after he said he would be there at 7:30. She picked out an outfit and went about her day.

***

At exactly 7:30, Justin knocked on her door, and when she opened it, his jaw almost came unhinged.

She had on a long, tight black skirt with a dark-green silky shirt unbuttoned just enough to show a hint of the cleavage underneath.

“Baby, there are no words to describe how beautiful you look!” Justin said in awe, watching her blush. “And I love it when you blush!” She rolled her eyes and turned to get her purse.

Justin took a deep breath in as he saw the long slit up the back of the skirt and was immediately hard. “Fuck, Avery! Are you trying to kill me?”

Avery looked at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”

“The fucking back of your skirt! Please don’t tell me you wear that to teach.” Justin gaped.

She shook her head. “No, this is strictly an after-hours skirt.”

“And it is definitely after school hours,” Justin smirked, pulling her close to his chest.

Avery looked up, not sure what she was seeing in his eyes. He leaned in, gently kissed her lips, then guided her out the door and down to his car.

Avery was surprised at the very expensive SUV that was parked below. Justin opened the door for her and helped her in. He climbed into the driver’s side and started it.

He caught her looking at him out of the corner of his eye and turned to her when she asked, “How many vehicles do you have?”

Justin smiled. “Well, I have this one, which I mainly use when I have Lexi and let the sitter use. I have the truck for work shit, and my Harley.”

“Wow…”

Justin chuckled. “Surprised?”

Avery nodded. “Not to sound like a bitch or anything, but how do you afford all of this?”

Justin laughed out loud. “Let’s just say that all the businesses do very, very well.”

Avery bit her lip, thinking what that actually meant, and nodded. “Okay…”

“Hungry?” he asked, grabbing her hand and kissing it.

“Yes,” she smiled and squeezed him back.

Justin drove to the fancy restaurant, and they were led to an intimate booth off to the side. They ordered drinks, he took her hand, and they started talking again.

It still surprised them both how easy the conversation was between them. There was laughing and touching, and sexual tension building.

Justin had already paid the bill, and they were just finishing the last bit of wine when his phone rang. He looked at it and cursed under his breath.

“I’m sorry, baby, I have to take this. Can you give me a minute?” he pleaded.

She smiled, nodded, and watched as he moved to the restroom hallway. She liked watching him. It was like a display of art the way he moved. And that was with clothes on.

Her panties got wet just thinking about what he would look like naked, especially after he mentioned he had tattoos during their make-out session the night before.

She saw a look of anger wash over his face before he hung up, stalking over to their booth and sitting back down.

“Baby, I’m so sorry—there—” he started.

“Let me guess, there is something you need to take care of?” Avery said bitterly. “Fine. I’ll take a cab home. Thanks for dinner.”

Avery scooted to the other side of the booth and got out, ready to walk to the front of the restaurant and away from him.

She stopped when he grabbed her forearm and said quietly, “Wait, baby.”

Avery turned and sighed. “What, Justin? I’m not going to be pushed off again.”

“I’m not trying to push you off, baby. Please just listen. I need to run to one of the businesses and take care of one thing and I want you to come with me.

“It won’t take but a few minutes and then we can continue our night. I’m not ready for it to be over by a long shot.”

Avery looked up at him and could see the tenderness in his eyes, mixed with a little bit of anxiety at what her next words might be. He waited with bated breath until she finally spoke.

“Fine. But only because I hate riding in cabs. They usually smell,” Avery snarked.

Justin grinned. “There is that sassy mouth again. I promise, just a few minutes and then we can continue our evening, okay?”

She nodded and they walked out and back to the SUV. They pulled up fifteen minutes later to the strip club and Avery raised an eyebrow as he helped her out.

“Seriously?” she asked.

“I know, I’m sorry! But I have to sign a restraining order against this asshole that keeps being inappropriate with our girls.

“He came in again tonight and Ian, the club manager, had to call the police,” Justin explained.

Avery was torn between feeling impressed that they were protective of their workers, but a little pissed off that he was taking her to a strip club.

Justin helped her out of the car and walked to the door before he stopped and made her look at him.

“Avery, I’m going to have you sit at the bar with someone watching you. Do not go with anyone and ignore everything that is said by everyone except the person watching you.

“Do you understand me?” he demanded.

Avery looked up at him and narrowed her eyes. “I am NOT a five-year-old, Justin! I can make my own decisions and don’t need you to tell me what the hell to do!”

Justin was a little surprised by the fire in her voice. “I know you aren’t, baby, I just want to make sure that you are safe.”

Avery looked at him and cooled down a little bit, then nodded her head to show she agreed. Justin walked through the door where they were met with loud music and a bouncer.

Justin told him to send someone named Shaun over to the bar. He simply nodded at Justin, but his eyes went big when he saw him holding Avery’s hand.

Avery felt a little better that this man had obviously never seen Justin with a woman before, or at least not outside of the clubhouse.

He led her to the bar and had her sit on the end. He called the bartender, who immediately came over to them, and told her that Avery could order anything she wanted on the house.

The beautiful woman raised an eyebrow and nodded, asking Avery what she wanted. She just ordered a diet coke and turned back to Justin when he started talking to her.

“Okay, baby, this is Shaun. He is going to watch out for you while I take care of this.

“Shaun, you watch, and no one gets up close and personal, got it?” Justin finished, looking at the man with a hard glint in his eyes. “She is special.”

“Yes, sir,” Shaun replied, moving to stand right next to Avery.

Pleased, Justin turned back to her. “Five minutes, baby, then I’ll be back.” He gently kissed her lips, lingering just a little, then walked down the ramp toward the back.

Avery looked at Shaun as she was turning around and saw the shock on his face.

Avery couldn’t help but think that maybe there was something to Justin saying he didn’t date if others who knew him were shocked by her being with him.

Avery looked around, and while she had never been in a strip joint before, this one seemed pretty classy.

The building was kept up well, everything was clean, and the waitstaff was dressed sexily, but not like whores.

There were very large men who were watching what was going on around them to make sure that everyone was behaving.

Shaun was glued to her side, and when one man came up to try and talk to her, he simply shook his head and the man turned tail and all but ran back to the table he was at.

Avery looked at him. “Thank you.”

Shaun gave a small smile and nodded.

“Do you like working here?” Avery asked, trying to make small talk.

“I work for the MC, so I go wherever they need me. Sometimes I’m here, sometimes at the bar, and sometimes with the shipping business,” Shaun answered.

“Do you feel like the MC is good for you?” Avery asked, not sure if she was phrasing that correctly.

“The MC is my family, my brothers. I love them,” he replied simply.

Avery tried to understand that and couldn’t imagine a large group of unrelated people meaning that much to each other. It was really a foreign idea to her, and she wasn’t sure she could see how it worked.

She was knocked out of her thought process when Justin came back to her and smiled, telling her they could leave.

Justin leaned over and whispered something to Shaun. All she heard was, “—out back and clean it up.”

Avery wondered what the hell he could be cleaning and then decided that she didn’t want to know.