"Okay, okay, yeah, we're not the bad guys, right, we care and shit. So what do we do?"
"That's the question of the hour, pretty baby. Let's discuss it over a drink? You look like you could use a Bloody Mary or two," Endo said, reaching out and pulling Honey into his arms. She had to laugh; Endo almost always made her laugh just by looking at her or touching her. He just made her happy. He didn't quite chase away all her bad feelings, but he certainly made them a little better. And a Bloody Mary sure sounded fantastic. Better than fantastic, even. It might help her think a little clearer, too, if it helped shake away her hangover.
"Who'll man the kitchen?" She asked, still concerned about the bar's welfare when it was her day off and when, in fact, no one would complain too much if the kitchen closed for the night. All the better to get drunk on an empty stomach.
"We'll get that little shit-eating recruit in there, he's supposed to be something of a cook," Endo said, beginning to gently rock Honey back and forth in his arms. His beard scratched at the side of her face.
"Alright, you pour, it's my day off," she said through a tight-lipped smile. She shouldn't be smiling. She should be worrying. But it was hard to worry in that moment, with a nice drink to look forward to and one of her favorite biker's arms wrapped around her.
She'd keep an eye out in the bar, she'd stop herself from drinking too much. Everything would be fine. She was sure of it.
21
My god, but she looks good in this thing, Reign mused as he watched Gabriella's long black hair fly out behind her in the rushing wind. The smile on her face was a rare one; true and unrestrained, a smile he'd only seen once or twice so far.
Too bad she's gonna use it to hightail it to Mexico, he thought sourly. He'd inspected the engine and every inch of the car before letting Gabriella drive it off the lot; he'd noticed her slip a couple extra hundred into Frankie's hand when they shook on the deal and thought it was cute.
It also told him a little more about what Gabriella might be trying to hide from him. Not that he cared. He didn't care about money; he had plenty. He'd have given her some, if she hadn't already told him she had some. He would give her more, if he thought maybe she needed it, but apparently that wasn't the case.
"Hey, take this road," he said, pointing to a dirt road that veered off from the long, lonely street.
"This car handles like a dream," Gabriella said, clearly enamored. It had been written all over her face as soon as she slid into the driver's seat. She was in love; with the car, of course. Reign didn't dare hope that she might be in love with him, too. Not that it mattered, not that it mattered, he had to keep reminding himself of that.
The car barely bumped over the dusty, uneven road as it wound into the desert. Gabriella leaned forward and squinted, apparently catching sight of their destination through the ever-rising sand.
"Where are we going?" She asked, turning to him for a moment before putting her eyes back on the road. She was a safe driver. Of course she was a safe driver. It made him happy to know he didn't have to worry about her getting overzealous in her hot new wheels and running herself into a ditch.
"A mirage," he said with a smile. She looked back at him quizzically, but he only grinned at her slyly. They rode on, the radio playing loud, a classic rock station. Stevie Nicks was singing about how players only love you when they're playing. The sky was so blue it almost hurt to look at. A bird's eye view: red convertible, brown dust, a black-haired, sun-kissed couple exchanging playful glances. Other lovers, under other circumstances, would have been picturesque in their excitement over something new and amorous.
As the dust began to clear, Reign watched Gabriella's eyes twinkle slightly. Their destination was becoming more vivid, less of the haze of heat to obscure their view. An oasis if there ever was one: the road ended in a ring of tiny but strong trees and bushes, all centered around a small lake, the water greenish-blue from the reflection of the sky. Gabriella turned to Reign, a smile on her face as big as the desert itself.
"What is this?" she asked.
"A lake," Reign said.
"In the middle of the desert?"
Reign shrugged. Who knew how long it had been there, where it came from, how it formed? In the heat of the day, the oppressive monotony of the desert sand, it was a gift from God. Cold, clear water, perfect for swimming off the midday sweat.
"Can we swim in it?" Gabriella asked, brow furrowing. "Is it, like, polluted or, like, have weird algae?"
"Algae yes, polluted no. But we can swim in it; everyone does. The algae is just around the edges."
As the car pulled up to the little lake, which was only about half the size of a football field, Gabriella peered in earnest at the still pool.
"I don't have a bathing suit," she said, turning back to Reign, who grinned boyishly. She blushed, knowing that he knew that as well as she did.
Reign loved seeing her blush. He wanted to make her do that all the time. He wanted to do lots of things to her, and for her, all the time. But he didn't have "all the time": he had now. And now he was going to do his damn best to show her everything he wished he had "all the time" to show her.
"Last one in," he said, shedding his jacket and shirt quickly before dashing towards the water, kicking his boots away even as he undid his belt and threw his pants off to the side. Gabriella clasped her hands to her mouth to stifle a laugh; handsome as he was, he still looked hilarious, his pale butt nearly gleaming in the strong sun. He splashed into the water with a bellow, turning to her, his manhood exposed for only a moment before disappearing under the water.
Even that little glimpse, though, was enough to get Gabriella's mind turning with memories of what she'd already experienced – and fantasies of what she might experience in the future. She walked slowly towards the water, still nervous about exposing herself to him. He floated on his back in the water, eyes closed, a serene smile on his face.
"Water's fine, baby," he said, craning his neck to look at her as she stood uncertainly at the edge.
Gabriella gulped. He'd only ever seen her in the dark … what if he didn't like what she offered in the full light of day?
"If you don't come in, I'll throw you in," he said, playfully threatening. He turned over in the water, his chest now facing her as he tread water.
"Is it deep?" Gabriella asked, desperate to stall.
"You think I won't do it? I'll do it," Reign said, now beginning to stride towards her, the water parting before him.
"No, no! I got it, I get it, I'm getting in," Gabriella said, the idea of being thrown into the lake the only thing worse than the idea of shedding all her clothes in broad daylight in front of this way-too-handsome-for-her man. Blushing, she kicked her shoes to the side and turned around.
"Aw, come on," Reign groaned, and Gabriella shot him a look over her shoulder. With a deep breath, she shut her eyes and threw her shirt off, letting it land near Reign's jeans. Like a band-aid, she thought, knowing that the longer she took to expose herself the more ashamed she'd be.
In a moment, she was undressed, still with her back turned to Reign. He didn't mind the view one bit; her luscious hips opened up onto her wide, inviting bottom, plump and edible. Her long black hair hung to the middle of her back, and when she turned to look at Reign again over her shoulder he watched as it waved and slid like silk over her skin. He felt his cock twitching as he imagined that hair cascading over his chest, suffocating him with her scent, each strand tickling him from head to toe …
Gabriella was bolstered when she saw the way Reign stared at her naked body. It made her feel like Venus in the oyster shell. She turned and waded into the water, her tanned skin glistening in the sun and heat.
Reign let his eyes eat up the sight of her; she was perfect, every curve and inch of her inciting a riot in his nerves, his cock throbbing to life as the water parted before her. She gasped then giggled as she waded further, the water lapping up to her delicate sex, the blush in her cheeks only making her more attractive. She eased herself further in, the water slowly covering her, much to Reign's consternation. She paddled over to him, the relief of the cool water evident on her face as she smiled and closed her eyes.
"Told you it was nice," he said as she got closer. She laughed, the sound like tinkling bells to his ears. It was all he could do not to grab her right then.
Gabriella felt the heat that had taken up residence in her skin slipping away as the cool water enveloped her. She cast short, furtive glances at Reign, still ashamed of her nakedness. His hair was wet and clung to his forehead and neck, like a frame for his handsome face. Droplets of clear water clung to his beard. His lips were parted, his mouth full and moist, her own tongue darting out to lick her lips, instinctively, wanting to be nearer to him.