Twist's Raven, page 6
She’d leaned close to touch her lips to his. She’d planned just a quick buss on the lips, but at the feel of his lips, she couldn’t help herself. She’d needed more. For once, she’d just let herself feel, not weighing the consequences until one of her brothers had yelled, throwing what amounted to a bucket of ice water on them.
She wanted another kiss to see if it had really been as good as she thought or had it been a fluke, just from kissing a man for the first time in a while. Raven was trying to figure out how to get Twist away from Axel when Mace, along with Avery—who was Abby’s brother and had provided the land their MC sat on—walked in, heading to their booth. Would it be justifiable homicide if they were keeping her from kissing Twist and possibly getting him naked? But then again, if she disappeared their bodies afterward, there wouldn’t be anything to charge her with.
Only her love for these men was keeping her from acting on her thoughts. Mace had texted that it had been a productive talk with Pit and his Saint’s Outlaws MC. They’d headed back but had promised to talk more later.
“Hey, Twist, there are two ladies outside with your vehicle,” Mace said.
And now she had to deal with these men acting like little boys with their toys. At this rate, she might never get him alone.
Twist got out and held his hand out to help her. She took his hand, and he led her outside. A tall brunette dressed in jeans, a black leather jacket, and sunglasses was standing by a redhead who had on jeans and a jean jacket. Both women were gorgeous. If he hadn’t said they were the wives of his MC brothers, she would have been jealous. Which was strange because she didn’t have reason to be jealous yet.
“Hey, Remi and Beth! Thanks for bringing my vehicle. I’d like to introduce you to Raven and her President, Mace,” Twist said.
Remi held her hand out. “Nice to meet you.”
“You too,” Raven said.
Beth held out her hand, “I’m Beth, the youngest Franks sister. Remi’s the oldest. I’m so glad Twist was here because I’ve never been to this town. I love a small-town atmosphere.”
“So, who got to drive Storm Sweeper?” Twist asked.
“Well, we agreed that we’d take turns, but since it was such a short drive, someone wouldn’t share,” Remi said.
Raven smiled at Beth grinning at her sister.
“It drives great, but I left all the equipment in back alone. I did, however, check out the bed and small toilet area you had added—very nice,” Beth said. “Flick and I might need to get one of these small RVs. We could trailer his bike behind for long trips.”
Twist ran his hand along his vehicle as if it were his prized possession, next to his bike, and for what Raven guessed it cost, it probably was.
“Well, I appreciate you all bringing it. Are you heading back home tonight? What is it, four hours?” Twist asked.
Beth handed Twist his keys. “I think we’re either going to see if there is a motel here or drive back to Kansas City. The parts we were supposed to be picking up were delayed and won’t be in until around four p.m. tomorrow. So, things must be going better. We passed Pit and the group on the road, heading back to Kansas City.”
Mace stepped forward. “Yes. We needed to clear up a couple things, but everything is good now. I’m pretty sure we have one of the cabins at our RV & Resort open. And consider supper on me. I’ve been wanting to grill steaks and tonight seems like the perfect night.”
Raven wondered what her President was doing. Mace was always thinking twelve steps ahead. The FBI had lost a great agent when he’d left them. Raven had cataloged everything about the women. She was positive either one could take care of business if needed but they weren’t a danger to the MC. Knowing Mace, he’d work on building rapport because the Honey Creek Badgers MC needed ally clubs. Maybe Bluff Creek Brotherhood MC could be one of them, as well as the one Mace had just initiated with Pit’s club.
But his plans for supper with all of them were seriously cramping her style. She almost wondered if he was doing it on purpose, but he was also the one in the MC who she’d consider a matchmaker. She’d overheard him and her sister Hoax chatting about who in town might be a good match for Axel.
How Mace could imagine that there was anyone Axel hadn’t banged yet was beyond her. Mace and Charity had both been studious in high school. Axel had enjoyed all the feminine companionship he could. Raven had listened to too many girls crying in the bathrooms in high school because he’d broken their hearts.
“We’d love to stay,” Remi said, following Mace along with Beth.
Raven walked closer to the vehicle. It seemed to be one of those vans that doubled as an RV, but it had extra plating along the vehicle.
“Can I show you Storm Sweeper?” Twist asked.
Holy Hotness. With that voice, those eyes, and his hair around his shoulders, he could show her anything. She nodded because she was concerned she’d drool if she opened her mouth. Twist opened the side door, stepping in and then holding his hand out to her. She let him help her in and was surprised at the inside. She quickly logged the exits because it was instinctual after being in the military—examining for threats and exits available if things went south. Two doors, one each by the driver and passenger, another sliding door that she and Twist had come in by, and double doors at the back of the vehicle.
Twist motioned to one of the chairs. Once she was seated, he sat down in the chair near hers. He opened sliding cabinet doors to reveal two large screens along with keyboards he pulled out. He reached across her, pulling up desktops she hadn’t noticed against the walls. In no time, she and Twist had a full desk set up in front of them.
“I designed everything in here to be able to be used while in motion but also to be stored away out of sight,” he said. He proceeded to show her all the features. Besides all the storm chasing items he’d need, the converted van had a small kitchenette.
“Let me show you what I had added. This area used to be where we’d store clothing and extras. It was basically a big dumping ground for stuff. I added this bed that pulls down from the ceiling and this, which is a shower and a separate toilet,” he said.
The smile on his face brought one to hers. The wind picked up and his hair blew across his face. He slipped his hand into his pocket. He had a hair tie he used to twist his hair into the sexiest man bun she’d ever seen. None of the men she’d seen hanging around the bar with long hair had ever looked as sexy as Twist did with his hair up.
“I’d love to make sure Storm Sweeper sounds okay. How about I drive, and you show me around the town?” Twist asked.
Showing Twist around would at least keep her busy and not make the mistake of sleeping with him. She had multiple reasons screaming in her head of why she shouldn’t sleep with him, but her body wasn’t listening. It had been years since she’d actually cared about the person she was having sex with. After she got out of the military when they’d lost Charity, she’d forced herself to pick up a guy or two just to remind herself that she was in charge and she would choose who she had sex with. It was something she needed to prove to herself, but it didn’t really give her any satisfaction, though the second guy had considered it a challenge. When she hadn’t come from having sex, he’d gone down on her until she faked one to get him to stop. It wasn’t that she couldn’t come with someone else; it had just been a really long time since she had.
She nodded. She let Mace know they were leaving for a while. With what they did, they didn’t take chances. When someone left the property, they let someone know.
Chapter Eleven
Twist finished his last bite of Annie’s applesauce bread and knew he’d be coming back for more. He could completely understand why people ordered from all over to have it delivered.
“That was so good. How do you all not weigh five hundred pounds with that available every day?” he asked.
Raven chuckled. “Oh, it’s really hard because what I like about it is it’s sweet but not overly sweet. To be a part of the quests, we have to participate in our physical training. If any of us skip more than three trainings in a week and there isn’t a reason why, we’re not allowed to participate in the quest. I have a need to find the man who hurt Charity. Less sugar for me helps me survive training. Plus, my family has a history of diabetes. I would like to hold that off as long as possible. Now, let’s head to an institution of the town before we swing by Honey Creek. It’s right on the highway. Melvin’s Thrifty Bargains.”
Twist was interested in getting to know Raven more, but she’d been on edge since Remi and Beth had brought Storm Sweeper. He wasn’t sure what was going on. It’s why he’d offered, under the guise of checking out his vehicle, to get to know the town. If there’d been anything wrong with his vehicle, Beth would have said something. He turned back onto the town’s main drag and saw the green and tan sign. The day had been warm but had cooled down now. Four men were sitting out front. Two had an oversized checkers board between them. One was holding a cat with a dog sitting by his feet. The fourth man was Britt’s dad.
Twist pulled into a parking spot and got out. He would have liked to open Raven’s door, but she was already out and waiting on the sidewalk for him.
“Looks like things turned out okay,” Samuel said, smirking.
Twist nodded and walked forward with his hand out. “It’s nice to meet you. Sorry for the confusion,” Twist said.
Samuel chuckled along with the other men at the table.
“Samuel was telling us about your excitement today,” one of the men by the checkerboard said.
“Twist, I’d like to introduce you to half of the Honey Creek Sentinels. Melvin owns Melvin’s Thrifty Bargains and is in the overalls. My dad, Samuel, you’ve met. Hank is holding the town cat and runs the co-op, and Leroy is currently losing to Melvin at checkers,” Raven said.
“Honey Creek Sentinels?” Twist asked.
“We and our wives have watched out for Honey Creek for years. Now, with what the MC is trying to accomplish, our job is a little more. Let’s face it. No one worries about what they say around four men in their eighties drinking coffee, hanging around the co-op, or talking about cars,” Melvin said.
“We saw Gladys at the café, but where are the other ladies that make up your group?” Raven asked.
Melvin nudged the two bowls toward them, taking a wrapped peppermint puff candy out as he did. “They’re over at the school. One of the newer families who moved to town didn’t have the money for costumes. You know my wife and your mom can’t let that happen. They offered to make all the costumes for the kids so the ones who didn’t have money wouldn’t feel different,” Melvin said.
Raven grabbed one of the red-and-white wrapped candies and cocked an eyebrow at him. He nodded his head. He’d try either candy. He remembered one of the guys getting care packages with the butterscotch candies while in the service. A sweet peppermint taste filled his mouth. Not too strong.
“I imagine sitting out here, you see a lot of what goes on,” Twist said.
All four men nodded. The cat finished the small bowl of cat food in front of her, swished her tail, and jumped down. The dog stood up from where it had been lying and followed the cat as it walked down the sidewalk.
“Aren’t you worried about your animals getting hurt being loose like that?” Twist asked.
“That’s BamBam and Pebbles. They are the town’s animals. Strays that showed up one day. Everyone feeds them, and they spend the night in whoever’s house they show up to, or I have a door that their collars can trigger if they want to just have some time alone,” Melvin said.
Twist was starting to wonder what he’d stepped into. The town that wasn’t just a town. At least four couples knew and supported the MC’s quests. He wondered if that was all or if there were more. A dog and cat that basically did their own thing was something new for him.
“We’re going to head over to Honey Creek so Twist can see it. Mace has decided we’ll all have dinner together, so we’re on a time limit,” Raven said, tugging his arm toward his vehicle.
“Would’ve liked to check out his vehicle, but I understand, girl, if you need to visit Lover’s Lane with him,” Samuel called as Twist held the door for Raven to get in.
Raven leaned out a little. “I believe you have more experience there than I do, Dad,” Raven called out, then smirked. Twist shut her door and walked around Storm Sweeper to laughter from all the older men but Samuel.
Twist started up the vehicle, pulled out, then followed the signs. “So your comment made your dad blush and all the men laugh.”
Raven grinned. “My older brother was conceived at Lover’s Lane my parents’ senior year. If Dad teases too much, that fact will always shut him up.”
Twist smiled. He enjoyed hearing the joking between everyone. It spoke of the deep ties of family. Turning into the park, he followed a road that ran beside the creek, then passed over the creek on a wooden bridge with tall ironwork decorating the sides. The road made an oval with picnic tables in places under trees or one by a dock. It appeared some of the creek had been diverted to make a small pond that circled the area.
“Is this Lover’s Lane?” Twist asked.
“Unofficially, it is. It’s where all the high school kids go parking,” Raven said.
“Are we going to experience Lover’s Lane?” Twist asked hopefully. He was up for tasting more of Raven’s lips or anything else.
Raven grinned. “Although I’m not opposed to this leading somewhere more intimate, we have about half an hour until we need to be back for supper. I don’t know about you but I’m not in it for a rushed time.”
Was there anything sexier than a woman letting him know exactly what she was thinking and wanted? Fuck, no.
“I agree. I don’t want to be on a timeline when we finally get naked, but if you want to do some heavy petting, I’m not opposed to that. I also want to know more about you and would love to sit here and talk without the threat of every single person in your MC stopping by to talk,” Twist said.
Raven smiled, shaking her head. “They were very irritating. I’m keeping a list to pay them all back. Before we were so rudely interrupted, you were going to tell me about your family.”
Twist nodded. Some days, the grief was still fresh, especially when he wanted to call his mom or dad and talk about something that had happened.
“I was a later-in-life baby, only child. They were forty-three when they had me, but I had a great childhood. They were so proud when I went into the military after 9/11. My dad served for twelve years before he met my mom. My parents passed from complications from pneumonia within days of each other, two years ago,” he said.
Raven’s hand grasped his across the console. “I’m sorry, Twist. I’m sure it was hard and still is.”
Raven seemed to understand the depth of love he had for his parents. He could see she was close with hers.
“I think it’s also why, after the military, my MC appealed to me. The feeling of brotherhood and family filled that spot.”
“I understand that. Even though we called ourselves the Honey Creek Girls, it wasn’t just us. It was all the parents and families connected. Oh my! In high school, we rarely were alone in our own homes. Weekends were spent rotating through the houses. I remember Mace and Axel had been home from college when we were having a sleepover at Charity’s house. They left and went to Abby’s house to spend the night with Avery. They said we were too loud. We weren’t. We just weren’t discussing what they wanted.”
Twist brought the hand Raven had placed on his to his lips, kissing the knuckles.
“Barring the time I spent in the Time Out room, I’ve really enjoyed today, and yeah, the sexual attraction is there for me. But I also like the woman I’m getting to know. I guess what I’m trying to say is, despite the short amount of time we’ve spent together, I want more than just giving in to the sexual attraction. Yeah, you make my cock hard enough to pound nails, but I’m in my forties and so done with sex just to get off. I want to see where this goes,” Twist said, waiting to see if he and Raven were on the same page because she did it for him. It wasn’t quite love at first sight. It was a deep-seated need to get to know everything about her because when he was with her, he felt better.
Raven let out a big breath. “Wow! Umm, I was trying to figure out how to say my feelings, which are new to me. Well, not feelings in general but my feelings toward you. And gah, could I be any more of a dork stumbling over my words and just, I don’t know…”
Twist placed his fingers on her lips to stop her rambling. “It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything else if it makes you nervous. How about we head back and have dinner? We’ll agree to explore whatever this amazing connection is between us, and I am going to need to see your Lego collection.”
Raven kissed his fingers that were on her lips and nodded. Twist relaxed. At least he had a chance.
Chapter Twelve
Twist sipped his drink, keeping an eye on Raven. He’d met her as Britt, but Raven was the woman he was falling for. She was Britt, too, but she’d been hiding herself and playing a part when she was Britt. Since meeting her as Raven, he was seeing the whole woman. She was intoxicating—being in her presence gave him a feeling of happiness. Seeing her laugh with her friends had him smiling, even though he didn’t understand what she was laughing about.
He'd texted Booker and Dex to update them that he and Raven were getting to know each other. Twist had also texted a thank you to Pit. Pit had replied that Twist could pay him back by taking Stinger storm chasing again and videoing it. Twist guessed that unless Stinger’s President ordered him to go, Stinger would never go again.
Beth and Remi were hanging out with the women as if they’d known them forever. But Twist’s attention was all on Raven. He wondered how soon he could have Raven alone. They’d agreed to take it slow but slow wasn’t not at all.
