Page 41 of Animal's Reformation
Chapter Ten
For the pasttwo weeks, Animal had closed shutters and pulled blinds on the windows that faced south, essentially shutting out the view of Olivia’s house. The way he figured it, he didn’t need any fucked-up princess messing with his dick, so the less he saw of her, the better it was for the both of them.
Olivia had made it abundantly clear that she’d regretted their kiss, and the last damn thing he’d ever do was chase a chick who didn’t want what he had to offer—a great fuck. The lame BS excuse about being Lucy’s teacher didn’t cut it with him, and she’d had the damn gall to blame the way she responded on being drunk that night. Animal decided that the good teacher had been scared of the passions he’d aroused in her when they’d kissed. And by the way she’d responded, there was no fucking doubt in his mind that he’d turned her the hell on.
Animal went to the sink and washed the breakfast dishes then reached for a dish towel. He briefly shook his head, then went about drying the plates and coffee mug and putting them into the heavy old cupboard his dad had given him when he’d bought the house. The wooden cupboard had belonged to his paternal grandmother who’d brought it back from her small village in Ireland.
He slid the dish towel off his shoulder and hung it over the oven door handle. “Fuck her,” he muttered under his breath.
Anyway, Animal wasn’t interested in hertype: one who always played by the rules, believed sex equaled love, and drooled over the thought of being Mrs. Prince Charming. Give him a woman who held up her middle finger to authority and that’s the one who got his blood pumping and his dick hard. Nah … he didn’t need the goody-goody next-door neighbor. There were too many other chicks to mess around with—willing, available women who didn’t give a flying fuck what people thought.
Animal went into the family room and walked over to the coffee table strewn with magazines and books of motorcycles. He straightened up the stacks and set them on a bookshelf next to the fireplace. A blaring car alarm pierced the quiet, and Animal walked over to the window to see if there was any trouble. Olivia’s car was parked on the driveway, and he could see the back of her head in the driver’s seat, her arms moving like a frenzied bird flapping its wings. A few neighbors rushed out to see what the commotion was in the normally peaceful cul-de-sac.
Finally the noise stopped and Olivia stayed in the car for a long moment before she opened the door. Instead of turning away, Animal propped an elbow on the window frame and watched as she stepped out onto the driveway. He sucked in a sharp breath and stayed still for several seconds, staring at her.
She wore skinny jeans, short boots, and an oversized sweater that came right to her waist. Olivia popped open the trunk and leaned inside, showing off that luscious ass, and pulled out a large canvas bag filled with what looked like groceries. He watched her try to balance the bag on her knee while she grabbed for something else inside the trunk.
The sunlight filtering through the leaves dappled her skin, highlighting her hair. She straightened up, a sack of food in one hand and a plastic gallon of water in the other, and she looked up at the trees with her head tipped back. As sun rays shone on her face, and her long hair cascaded down her back, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her.Fuck, she’s beautiful.
As if sensing his scrutiny, Olivia glanced his way. For a long second, they looked at each other. Animal noticed her green eyes, wide and startled, and the pinkish flush on her cheeks. Seeing her that way—surprised, rattled, and aware—went straight to his dick.
Olivia put the items in her arms down and turned to face him square on, a smile tugging at her lips, her chin lifting up in defiance, and her eyes sparkling … with desire? Maybe, but whatever it was, it made him want to plummet himself into her, to touch and smell and taste her.Fuck.Animal took a deep, ragged breath and kept his gaze fixed on Olivia even after she turned around, picked up the groceries, and faded away into her house. He stayed and watched, hoping Olivia would come back out again. The seconds turned into long minutes, and still, he stood against the window just to catch a glimpse of her, but she never appeared.
The cellphone in his pocket vibrated just before he pushed away from the window. It was Jax letting him know that Lucy was having a good time at his house. Cherri had arranged a slumber party for their daughter, Paisley, and Lucy had been glowing from excitement for the past two days about the sleepover. Animal pretended not to notice, but whenever his daughter wasn’t looking, a big grin broke out over his face. The best thing that had happened since Lucy had come to live with him was how Paisley had become her best friend. Sometimes, though, Lucy would come home after spending an afternoon at Jax’s house and she’d be more sullen than usual. From some of the things Lucy had said about Paisley having “the best mother in the world,” Animal surmised that when his daughter saw her new best friend and Cherri together, it reminded her that her own mother had abandoned her. Animal didn’t know how to deal with those emotions any time they’d come up, so he usually tried to distract her. Video games and Legos seemed to do the trick.
He slid the phone back into his pocket, closed the blinds, and stared around the quiet house. This was the first time in five months that he was alone. It was liberating and Animal decided to make the most of it. It’d been way too long since he’d gone to a club party and hung out with his brothers. A night of booze, rock and roll, and sex sounded good to him. The memory of his kiss with Olivia and the way she looked at him earlier that day played through his mind. Animal rolled his neck and then his shoulders, the muscles tight. Maybe he just needed to get laid to thwart the tension that had been building since the sexy neighbor moved in next door.
He scooped up his jacket from the back of the chair and thrust his arms through the sleeves. Animal just needed an outlet for his sexual tension, and the club girls would be more than willing. It was about time he lived it up a little; he’d missed the parties, playing pool with his buddies, and being a damn bachelor. With Lucy gone for the night, he had every intention of living up to his road name. Animal had earned it with every chick he banged and every bottle of Jack he downed, and it was time—if only for a night—to reclaim his reputation.
Animal tossed the keys to his bike in the air and caught them as he made his way to the garage. He threw one leg over his black Harley-Davidson Fat Boy then rolled the bike to release the kickstand. The motorcycle roared to life then lurched forward as he sped down the street. He threaded through the streets until he hit the old highway road, then increased his speed. Cool air carrying the sweet scent of pine engulfed Animal while mountain streams, forests, and wildlife blurred past him as he swayed around tight curves. Animal had taken the long route to the club, enjoying the sun on his skin, the drone of the engine, and thefeelof the ride. The past few weeks had been snowy, and busy, so he hadn’t been able to take out his bike, which had driven him crazy. Now, with the temperature in the high 50s, Animal relished the opportunity to go for a long ride before he headed to the clubhouse.
Two hours later, he pushed down the kickstand, removed his sunglasses, and walked across the lot, the gravel crunching under his boots. It was still early in the afternoon and most of the brothers would be either passed out or still snoozing from the previous night’s party.
Before he could pull out a chair, Hog, a prospect, rushed over and placed a shot of whiskey and a bottle of beer in front of Animal. Staring into the distance, he tilted his head back and let the whiskey burn down his throat, feeling—for the first time in two weeks—the sweet unknotting of relief.
“Hey, bro,” Throttle said as he pulled out a chair and sat down. “I haven’t seen you in a long time.”
“Been busy,” Animal replied.
“Yeah … How’s the parenting thing going?”
He shrugged. “Okay. Are you staying for the party?”
“Nah … Kimber and I are heading to Vail in about an hour.” Throttle tented his fingers in front of him.
“Are you guys taking the back roads?” Animal asked.
“Yep. We’ve been itching to go for the last damn month, but the weather’s been for shit. We’re gonna go over Canyon Way.”
“Those backroads kick ass. I need to do something like that, but it’s kinda hard now with the kid and all.” He took a long pull on his beer.
“I haven’t ridden them in a long time, and it’ll be a first for my old lady. Where’s Lucy tonight?”
“A sleepover at Jax’s.”
“Well, fuck you!” Smokey cried as he walked into the main room. “Are you just here for a pit stop, or are you gonna party tonight?”
“Party. You look like you did a bit of that last night.” Animal chuckled.
