Page 40 of Gypsy's Lady
Traveling West
Gypsy, Two weeks later
Staring down at the display of his ringing phone, something in the back of his brain tickled and then kicked in, tagging the area code as California. Decided, he answered and lifted the device to his ear, and was immediately transported back at least a decade by the voice that spoke. “Tatum, how the hell are ya?”
“Joel, I didn’texpect to hear from you until we got on your patch, man.”
He was answered by laughter, so tired and filled with rough edges much of the humor was lost. “What? I asked for you by name, and you think I’ll leave it up to your president to convey what I need? You shoulda known I’d be calling.”
“Thought you might be, theonlyreason I answered an unknown.” Gypsy grinned, focusing on Blue Line’s voiceas he stared at the wall. “You gonna tell me what’s goin’ on?”
“Nah,prollynot the best of ideas. Phones, ya know. When will you be out here?” Made sense, especially if Joel felt they were drawing the kind of scrutiny Mason had alluded to. “Can’t wait to hear all about your path, brother.”
“Undecided, but soon.” Hewaited fora beat, then asked, “Can you tell me who to contact when we’re onthe way?” If their staywereexpected to last as long asGypsythought was likely, he and whoever went with him would be riding out, not flying. “Hate to roll into town without letting somebody know.”
“You can let me or Moby know.” Digging through his memories, that wasn’t a name he’d heard mentioned, so he questioned.
“Moby?”
“Yeah, my new second.” Interesting. A leadership change hadn’t beenmentioned by anyone, which meant it had to be recent. “He’s got ties to the Rebels, actually. Y’all got his uncle under your colors.”
“Oh, yeah? Who’s that?” Could be anyone, but Gypsy would bet money he knew the name that would be coming next.
“Tugboat.”Yeap, I was right.
“He separated from the navy already, then? I knew Tug was hot to come with to help his boy settle. He might not be toohip on you alreadyhavingdone that for him.” Not true, given how Tugboat felt about Blue Line, but it didn’t hurt to keep someone as entrenched in power as Blue Line a bit off center. Gypsy grinned. “Might have some words to say.”
“He can say all he wants. Moby’s a man grown and makes his own decisions. If he picked Malcontents over Rebels, shouldn’t be taken as a swat against the RWMC.” Humorfinally flooded Blue Line’s tone. “Might be we’ll woo the rest of you over to my side of the line. You got enough experience under your belt in both worlds now, following the Blue Line wouldn’t be a hardship.”
Laughing loudly, Gypsy choked out, “I can’t wait to see you, asshole.”
“Backatcha. I’ll text you Moby’s info. Give one of us a heads-up when you’re coming into town, and we’ll roll outthe red carpet for ya.” A pause, then quiet words. “Got a lot to discuss, brother. Truth. Need you here, so when you ride, ride fast.”
“Will do, on all counts. See you soon.” Gypsy disconnected and stared at the dark screen for a moment before deciding to give Mason the update in person rather than over the phone. “Kels,” he called, knowing even if she’d moved from the couch where he’d seen herlast, she would still hear him. “I’m headed to the clubhouse, want to go with me or stay here?”
“Go with,” she responded, coming through the doorway into his bedroom.Our bedroom. She’d slept in here every night since coming to the States. It had become part of his routine to ease from the bed before she woke, taking his rampant erection with him into the shower where he’d jack off to fantasiesof her.
Two nights ago, he’d woken from an erotic dream to find his hand down the front of her panties, fingers slowly caressing that so-sensitive flesh, her hips pumping in time. Thank God she’d been asleep during his somnolent groping, or she would have had a well-deserved meltdown. A woman so ill-used by Baxter and his men could never be okay with that behavior, and Gypsy had nearly come ungluedat himself, opting to sleep on the couch for the past two nights rather than risk exposing her to a repeat.
Last night she’d gone to bed like normal, but an hour later had been standing at the end of the couch, pretending to watch the show on TV. From the sheer number oftimesher gaze had glanced to the side where he sat, it hadn’t taken a mind reader to know her real motive for coming out.
“I’ll be in bed in a minute, Kels. I’m just winding down. Long day.” His guilty lie echoed through his head, amplified by the disbelieving look she landed on his face. “Go sleep, darlin’. You need your rest.”
Standing there in a thin nightgown, blue light of the TV hinting at shadows that lay at the cleft between her legs, and under the swell of each breast, Kelsey was a wet dream come true. Chewingher lip, she looked as if she were about to speak and then an expression of resigned disappointment settled on her face and she nodded, turned, and disappeared into the obscuring darkness.
Now, standing before him in the bright light of day, he found her just as frustratingly alluring as last night, and every night since he’d saved her. It was the saving her that had him so tied up inknots,becausewith all his heart,he believed she would heal and find a way to get beyond what had been done to her, all the terrible things forced on her, with having her choices stripped away. But what if she saw him as a continuation of that stifling imprisonment? Could he live with himself if he allowed something to happen between them and then found the same stoic fear in her eyes? Which wouldbe worse, that, or allowingmisplacedhero worship to influence her emotions? Those were his middle-of-the-night doubts, and he hated how they took root, making him second guess everything he’d done so far.
But, she was better every day. He knew it, could see it, and still believed the change of scenery was what both she and Nary needed for healing.So now, we work to take advantage of it, andshe eventually won’t need me anymore.
“Wanna ride the bike?” From the light that flared in her eyes, he knew her answerandhe smiled, took a step towards her and cupped her cheek in one palm. “You know the drill.” She nodded, pressing against his soft hold before turning towards the bathroom to braid her hair and put on sunscreen. Even wearing a tightly-fitted helmet, her fine hair tangled badlyif it wasn’t constrained in another way, something she’d learned on their first ride together. She had suffered through his tentative efforts to help her tame the mess, but he had winced each time the brush hit another knot. She was so fair-skinned the sunscreen was also a must, and he suspected the sensitivity was as much about her going nearly a year without her skin seeing the sun as anythingelse.
Once seated on the bike, she threaded the fingers of one hand through his belt loops, and cupped the other over his shoulder, pulling herself close against his back. With the rumble and vibration of the motorcycle between his legs, and the feel of her softness all around him, his cock started to fatten, a response which had quickly become familiar. Gypsy closed his eyes and swallowed hard,trying to will away his erection.Fuck. Could he be wrong to want Kelsey like this?Maybe I need to get laid, he thought, then involuntarily shook his head, just the idea of bedding someone else turning his stomach inside out.
“Ready?” he called back to her, turning his head just as she leanedforwards, her lips grazing the skin of his face next to his mouth. They both froze for an instant, andthen she touched him again, those soft lips deliberately ghosting a caress he felt down to his gut, balls drawing up close to his body as if he were about to shoot his load.Fuck.
“Ready.” The answer was certain, no stutter to mar the word. Her mouth had shifted up beside his ear and even in the light wind he swore could feel the heated gust of her breath. Gypsy closed his eyes, gripping thehandlebars tighter.
He turned to stare out ahead of them, focusing on a distant stop sign. Then they were rollingandinstinct took over, his hands and feet moving through the carefully choreographed dance of riding the bike, care taken for his passenger. Before he realized the ride was over, he was easing the bike ontothe lotof the clubhouseandhe scanned the other vehicles there. Mason andTugboat, Bear, Slate, and several other members looked to be in attendance, which was good. They could all stand to hear what Blue Line had told him.
