Beauty and the Biker Read online

  The old man was right. Only she’d been paying for it for years. “Every day she’s forced to sit back and watch you drink yourself to death.” Talk about torture. “She’s been paying for your mistakes too fucking long. At least with me she won’t have to babysit her mess of a father.”

  Isaac’s mouth dropped open, then closed.

  ​Gunner turned to walk away, but a fragile hand grabbed for him. “Gunner.” He turned to look at him. “Promise me you won’t hurt her.”

  ​He stepped closer. His voice was a low growl. “She will not be hurt. Anyone who tries is a dead man.” Woah, where did that come from? He shook it off.

  ​Then he shook Isaac off. Isabella was exactly where he’d left her. He urged her onward until they were outside and heading toward his bike.

  ​“I don’t understand why you’re doing this.” Her voice was low, he almost thought he heard tears in it.

  ​He didn’t look. “You don’t have to.” He straddled the motorcycle once more, then offered her his extra helmet. “Hop on.”

  Chapter Three

  Isabella’s heart pounded up into her throat. She couldn’t believe what she was about to do. It had only been two hours, and Gunner had everything arranged. The paperwork was done for them, all she had to do was sign.

  ​She stood in front of the desk, wide-eyed and anxiety-ridden. Gunner stood next to her. He’d already signed, and now it was her turn. His friend, Jax, stood behind the desk, holding out the pen.

  ​“Sign,” Gunner growled.

  ​She squeezed back tears and slowly took the pen.

  ​“This isn’t how I imagined my wedding.” She gripped the pen, but still did not sign.

  ​“Listen, sweetheart. This isn’t permanent.” Gunner’s voice had gotten lighter. She turned to look at him, and saw his face soften.

  ​“It’s marriage.” How could it not be permanent?

  ​“That’s what divorce is for.” He stared at her with raised brows. She didn’t understand, and it must have been clear on her face. “I only need this marriage for a year maximum. Probably less. Get me out of a dumb deal. Alright? Then, when I’m out and the coast is clear, you’re free.”

  ​Relief washed over her. It wasn’t permanent. She’d be free at some point. “I can go back home after?”

  ​His lips pulled into a half smile. “That depends on how well you behave while you’re here.”

  ​She swallowed. Hard. Then she signed the paper.

  ​“Alrighty,” Jax grabbed all the papers and patted them together. “Congratulations, you’re man and wife.” He walked out from behind the desk. “I’ll get these down to the county clerk’s office.”

  ​Jax was almost as big as Gunner, but his features were more delicate. He had trustworthy eyes. And yet, his reputation was even worse than… her husband’s… so maybe it was part of his game.

  ​He walked out of the room, and Gunner laced his fingers with hers. His hand swallowed hers, a soft reminder of his strength. “Let’s go.” He pulled her forward.

  ​She yanked back. “You can’t just drag me around everywhere, y’know.”

  ​He paused and grinned, wiping his thumb against his lip as he moved in front of her. “Pretty please?”

  ​She shoved his chest, but couldn’t help but crack a small smile. They headed down the hallway of the large apartment complex to what was now her temporary home.

  ​It wasn’t a huge space, but it was definitely nice. Not what she had imagined a biker would live in. White walls, stainless steel and marble kitchen floors, a big leather couch in front of a massive television.

  ​She couldn’t imagine what the bedroom looked- oh. The bedroom. Isabella couldn’t imagine there being two in the small space, and…

  ​“Bedroom’s over there.” Gunner pointed toward a door across from the big screen. “Bathroom right next to it.”

  ​Isabella swallowed her nerves. “We have to share a bed?”

  ​Gunner stalked toward her. He seemed to like the slow-walk-intimidation-thing. She was getting over it very quickly. “Of course. We’re married.” There was that half-smile again.

  ​“But, I mean-” Crap. What was she supposed to say? She wasn’t a child, but still.

  ​His hand touched her chin, making her jump and then surprising her again with its gentleness. She looked up at him. “Isabella, we will not consummate this marriage until you want to. If that’s where your mind was going, then I’ll just shut that down right now.” He looked down her body, then back up to her eyes. “Sexy as you are, I’m not the kind of man who needs to take.”

  ​She felt a mixture of relief and anger. “Well I’m glad you feel that way, because I’m never going to want to sleep with you.” In her head, maybe, yes, she had fantasized about it a tiny bit, but not after this. No way.

  ​He smiled, and it might’ve been the most threatening smile she’d ever seen on him. She wanted to step back, but didn’t want to show weakness.

  ​Then he grabbed her. She wanted to scream, but his mouth crashed down on hers. She fought it, but only for a few seconds. Then she completely melted into him, succumbing to the heat that was growing between their bodies.

  ​His tongue plunged into her mouth and explored, and she found her entire body going on high alert. She’d never felt so much desire in her life. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and his around her waist. Everywhere his body touched was on fire, and his body touched everywhere.

  ​His lips continued to move with hers. A soft moan escaped her throat.

  ​He pulled away. His hair was messy, his stare hungry. “Exactly how sure are you of that whole never-wanting-to-sleep-with-you thing?” His grin spread even wider.

  ​She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. He turned and walked out of the room.

  ∞∞∞

  ​The phone rang as Gunner paced back and forth in his small living room. He could hear the steady sound of water falling in the shower and couldn’t help but think about Isabella in there, naked and wet and waiting for him.

  ​His wife. This wasn’t exactly how he’d pictured it, but it would do. And hell, he couldn’t have chosen a sexier woman. That kiss had driven him wild.

  ​Truth be told, he’d been fantasizing about Isabella for quite some time. She was the one he could never have… except now, she was his.

  ​“Foxx.”

  ​“Hey, dad,” he said into the phone.

  ​“What can I do for you, son?” his father’s voice rumbled.

  ​“I wanted to tell you something.” He paused, but no noise came from the other line. He heard the shower click off. “I got married.”

  ​Silence. He continued to pace.

  ​“Who?” his father finally asked.

  ​“Her name is Isabella.”

  ​“Let me guess,” his father said. “You threatened her father, who owes me money, then offered to forgive him if she married you. All so you could get out of our deal.”

  ​“Dad, no, that’s not what-”

  ​“You think I’m that stupid?” There was a low, forced laugh on the other line. “Nice try, sonny. Not happening.”

  ​Gunner felt anger course through his veins. “We are married. The county has the paperwork. It’s not some scam.” He’d worked too hard for this, spent too long waiting for this day.

  ​“Yeah? What side of the bed does she sleep on? How does she take her coffee?” Another chuckle. “Better, what’s her favorite book? I know that girl can’t keep her nose out of them.”

  ​Gunner swallowed. Hard. But the truth was the truth… he had no idea what the answers to those questions were. The silence gave him away.

  ​“Here’s the deal, your wedding reception is in two weeks. I’ll have everything arranged for you. I’ll ask her about your marriage and see what she thinks. She loves you, deal’s done. She’s faking, well…” The only thing Gunner heard was the pounding of his pulse in his ears. “Things don’t end well for those who lie to me. Family
or not.”

  ​He wanted to curse. “We’ll be there.” He ended the call and threw the phone across the room.

  ​“Woah,” a soft voice said from behind him. He spun to see Isabella, hair wet and sticking to her face. She wore one of his tee shirts and nothing else, but it was so large it came down to the middle of her thighs. “What did that phone do to you?”

  ​He was not in the mood for jokes. “Jax is picking up clothes for you now.”

  ​She walked into the kitchen. In a better mood, Gunner would have taken a lot more time to admire seeing her in nothing but his shirt. He would’ve even fantasized about ripping it off of her.

  ​Not this time.

  ​“I’m heading out. Stay in here and keep the doors locked.” The building wasn’t safe for her. For anyone.

  ​And I was so damn close to getting out of it.

  ​He squeezed his fist.

  ​“Ah, I see.” He turned to see her holding his phone. “Problems with daddy dearest?”

  ​Gunner damn near saw red. He couldn’t hold back the rage he felt, and he drove his fist right through the wall. He pulled out a bloodied hand and turned to see Isabella’s face filled with horror.

  ​She dropped the phone and took a step back.

  ​He wasn’t trying to scare her. But he certainly did a good job at it. Her chest rose and fell too quickly. He took a step toward her.

  ​She bolted out the door.

  Chapter Four

  Isabella’s bare feet hit the concrete. She hadn’t stopped running. She didn’t care what the paperwork said, she didn’t care what she’d agreed to. She would find her father and they’d run away, they’d hide, they’d find a way.

  ​Gunner was dangerous. She wasn’t going to stick around to find out just how dangerous he was.

  ​Damn it. She had no idea where she was.

  ​She may have lived in the area her whole life, but this was the side of town that smart people stayed away from. She’d never been over here, never wandered these streets or even knew somebody who lived on them.

  ​Who was she kidding? The drive from her house to his had taken a half hour… and Gunner wasn’t exactly obeying the speed limit. She was barely in her town anymore.

  ​Plus, it was getting dark. The sun was barely visible, and in a short while, it would be gone.

  ​She looked down and remembered that she wore only a tee shirt, albeit a long one. She cursed to herself, then quickly turned down an alley that looked somewhat familiar.

  ​Two men moved out from behind a dumpster, wearing leather jackets and wicked grins. Isabella came to a halt.

  ​She turned around, and two more men walked up behind her, wearing the same jackets. But they weren’t like the one Gunner wore… they were different.

  ​“Whatcha doing out here, darling?” The one who spoke had greased back hair, dark as night.

  ​“I was just trying to take a shortcut home,” she said quickly.

  ​He looked her up and down, gaze lingering on her bare legs. “In that?”

  ​“I was coming from the pool,” Isabella lied. “I didn’t want to get chlorine water all over my good clothes, so I left them in the locker.” Thank goodness for her wet hair. It fit the story beautifully.

  ​A hand touched her behind and Isabella jumped forward, spinning toward the man behind her. A body hit into her backside and she spin again. And then the first man grabbed her by the ass and pressed her into the cement wall with his body.

  ​She screamed, but he slammed his hand over her mouth. It smelled like cigarettes and was covered in dirt. Isabella thrashed against him, but it was no use. His hand began pulling away the cotton tee shirt as tears spilled from her eyes.

  ​The man flew backward and tumbled onto the floor. Another man ran toward the shadow that had flung him, but it planted a fist firmly in his face. The shadow turned and rushed toward her.

  ​Hands were on her face. They were gentle hands. She looked up to see Gunner. “Are you hurt? Isabella? Are you okay?”

  ​She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

  ​A blade slashed into Gunner’s arm and he bellowed, then spun and grabbed for his attacker. Fists flew in every direction, but Isabella couldn’t watch it. She sunk down and hid her face, flying away in her head and praying to be anywhere else in the world.

  ​She heard grunts, curses, the cracking of bones. She kept her eyes squeezed shut. She pretended it wasn’t happening.

  ​She was safe. It was okay. Everything was okay.

  ​Feet pounded into the cement. The pounding grew quieter. Running away. Isabella slowly opened her eyes, and she saw only Gunner left, bent over in the alley.

  ​She stood and ran to him. Once she was close, she could see the blood. So much of it.

  ​“Gunner-” she started. Then he fell to his knees.

  ​He was weak. He was hurt. She could run away, and he wouldn’t follow. She could go home, find her dad, and they could escape. Just like she’d planned. But…

  ​He was hurt. Because of her. Because he’d saved her.

  ​She sucked in a few more breaths. Her eyes whipped around the alley. The sun was nearly down, and only shadows surrounded them now. Isabella made a decision.

  ​She knelt to the ground and pulled his arm over her shoulders. “Lean on me, okay?”

  ​He didn’t speak. She stood, and with a lot of straining on both their ends, he stood with her. They slowly made their way back to his apartment building, neither saying a word as they trudged forward.

  ∞∞∞

  ​Gunner cracked open his eyes and felt blinded by the light of the sun. He squinted against it and let his eyes adjust to the bright room.

  ​He could hear Isabella, gently talking beside him, though he didn’t really know what she was saying.

  ​He opened his eyes slowly to see that he was in his room, in his bed. He turned, and there she was, sitting in the bed beside him. She was sitting up, leaning on a stack of pillows with her elbow and holding a book in her hands.

  ​She was reading to him.

  ​She wore pink shorts and a white tee that fit to her body. Jax must have brought her clothes.

  ​“What happened?” he asked.

  ​She jumped at his voice, then pulled the book closer to her chest. “You scared me.”

  ​He chuckled, then noticed the soreness in his chest and arms. “Yeah, that seems to happen a lot.”

  ​She shook her head. “Last night. You scared me. I ran away.” He remembered. He’d punched the wall like an idiot and she ran right out the door. “I ran into some guys, and they started grabbing at me.” He’d wanted to kill them. Rip their throats out right there. “But you saved me.” Her voice warmed when she said that.

  ​“I remember that much.” It was getting in bed that he didn’t quite remember…

  ​“Well, after that I saved you.” She lifted her chin and smiled wide. “So we’re even.”

  ​Gunner chuckled and reached out his hand, resting it on her thigh. “Thank you.”

  ​His gaze held hers, and it felt like the air between them was charged with energy. Her smile spread wider. Her lashes fluttered and she shook her head. “Back to my story,” she said, readjusting herself and continuing to read.

  ​Her words went in one ear and out the other, but he sure liked hearing them. He kept his hand on her thigh and his eyes locked on her face, loving the way she looked up every so often and blushed to find him staring.

  ​Gunner didn’t think he’d ever heard such a soothing voice.

  ∞∞∞

  ​Several days had passed by of changing bandages, watching movies, reading books, and cooking meals. Isabella didn’t want to admit it, but the beast that was Gunner Foxx was growing on her.

  ​She’d began to see a different side of him. A side of tenderness and thoughtfulness. Heck, he was even sweet sometimes, always complimenting her cooking and asking her questions about the books she was reading.


  ​She was starting to see that he was human. Just like anyone else. A human.

  ​“Let’s take a ride,” she heard from behind her. She spun to see Gunner, clad in light blue jeans and a black tee.

  ​She bit her lip. “I don’t know…”

  ​“C’mon,” he said as he walked toward her. He moved in front of her and offered his hand. “It’ll be fun.”

  ​She made him wait a few more seconds, and then the smile broke out. She took his hand and let him pull her up, heart warming at the feel of his touch. “Okay. Let me get dressed!”

  ​Isabella ran into the bedroom and threw on denim shorts and a black tank top. Then she ran out of the room and joined Gunner. They walked out of the building, hand in hand, coming to his bike in the first spot outside.

  ​Gunner handed her a helmet and then straddled the bike. She questioned her decision to wear shorts, and then threw her leg over the bike behind him.

  ​“Hold on tight,” his voice rumbled.

  ​She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, trying not to let the feel of his hard body send her brain to any place she didn’t want to go.

  ​It was no use.

  ​She was there.

  ​The motorcycle growled, then kicked into motion. In a second, they were flying. Her blonde hair whipped across her face. She squeezed tighter, pressing her body into his and loving every second of it.

  ​Soon, they were out of the town. Trees flew past them and the roads changed from cement to dirt. Their path narrowed and curved. She didn’t bother to ask where they were going. Instead, she just held on tight and took in the beautiful sights around her.

  ​They neared a small opening and Gunner began to slow. He parked the bike and helped her off. “This way,” he said, motioning toward the small break in trees.

  ​She followed him, hands interlocked and heart racing.

  ​Isabella wanted to hate the man, wanted to see him as the monster he was. But it was getting harder. He wasn’t a monster, and she definitely didn’t hate him. Instead, she wanted him. More than she ever would admit to herself.