CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
*Lace*
Iclimb on stage, sit on the edge in front of Zane, dangle my legs off the side, and engage in a staring contest with him. His immediate discomfort at my close proximity is by far the most intriguing thing I have dealt with in a long time. Kal, Coty, and Baylor appear from the hallway and pull up chairs just when I am about to ask if he enjoyed watching his superior finger-fuck me.
Kio and Jess get off the couch and join us around the stage, too. Vee slinks out of a dark corner, his usually piercing blue eyes now beet red and squinted into small slits.
Brodi puts his fingers in his mouth and whistles, drawing the attention of any lingering women and waving them over. Knowing the score, Kris and the bartender keep to their jobs. Kris does, however, turn the music down a bit, earning a nod of thanks from Bae.
Zane relaxes immediately, realizing business is underway and I won’t jump his bones. Yet. I press my lips together to cover the amused smile and turn my focus to Bae, ready for the announcement.
“Figured I wouldn’t pussyfoot around. I can tell all of you have super important things to do this evening. We tossed around a few ideas for this season’s charity event and decided on a kissing booth type of deal but with a twist.”
Jess chuckles softly. “You boys charging for kisses now?”
My gaze flashes to Kal, who just so happens to be looking at me, and I mouth the saying, “Like father, like son.” He responds by returning his focus to Bae.
“Don’t get smart with me, woman,” Bae says, throwing her a squint. “Ah, but yeah. A kissing booth with a twist.” The dancers all have rapt attention now, more than interested in helping Hell for Leather out with their bi-annual domestic violence charity fundraiser. Especially if it includes kissing. “We’ve been seeing a consistent uptick in sport bikes coming to the rally over the last couple seasons; figured we’d have a little fun with that and do endo kisses. Any rider can participate as long as they can get their ass in the air.”
“Ohh, I love that,” I respond immediately.
“What kisses?” Josie asks.
“Endo kisses,” Jess repeats. “Sometimes referred to as stoppies.”
Vee holds one hand out, palm flat up, and hovers his other hand over it. In his thick Italian accent, he gives everyone a visual explanation albeit a bit slower due to the drugs in his system. “Imagine the tips of your fingers are the front of the bike.” He then tilts his hand at an angle until the M-O-R-I tattooed fingers, part of his “Memento Mori” tattoo, are touching his bottom hand. “A reverse wheelie. Rear end of the bike goes airborne, and the rider stops and balances that way while kissing the person standing in front of them before their ass drops.”
I look around to capture reactions, but all I get is a variety of head tilts, scrunched noses… and dreamy gazes.
Chaz shoots to his feet, still bubbly and bouncy as hell from the line he snorted earlier. “C’mon. Out back. We can show you. Lace, line up all these beauties for us.”
I nod and hop off the stage. Pulling Zane out of his chair, I ask, “Are you any good at endos?”
Coty comes up and answers for him. “Florida helmet law states that anyone under the age of twenty-one has to wear a helmet at all times while riding. Plus, half our crew is fucked up right now, him included. Too dangerous. Baylor, Kal, Kio, and I will demonstrate.” Chaz gives a loud, exaggerated groan behind us. Zane shoves his hands into his pockets, but I am not remiss to notice the bulging of his fists through the material.
“Okay, partner,” I say with my best cowgirl accent, giving Coty a wink, knowing he will be my endo buddy by default.
He and the other guys participating go around front to get their bikes while the rest of us head toward the back door.
Chaz steals me from Zane just as we are exiting. His sea-green eyes, extra vibrant against his puffy, reddened cheek, lock on mine. Brodi passes us, lips hitched to the side, shaking his head. Zane keeps going, following Brodi. Chaz grins wide, gives me a super quick peck on the lips, then dashes outside.
Vincent appears, throwing an arm over my shoulder and jostling me. “Was my explanation poor?” he asks, bottom lip pouting playfully.
“You did perfect. Pretty sure they were all just distracted, thinking about other ways you can use those inked fingers. That is if they were able to look away from your eyes long enough, even if the blue is a little purple from being bloodshot right now.” I chuckle and pinch him on the waist through his jacket. My own body responds to the mental imagery, tightening low and hot. I know exactly what Vee likes to do with those fingers… and what his other tattoos look like beneath the cuff of his club jacket.
He guides us out the door, providing with me yet another appropriately-timed distraction, but not before he gives a few strands of my hair a gentle tug, and his hand slides down the center of my back, dropping away.
Vee, Brodi, Chaz, and Zane all lean against the brick exterior wall to watch, and I step forward to provide instructions to the other dancers.
“Okay, so just stand in a line, side-by-side, but keep separated pretty good to make sure they can get around you when the kiss is over.” I pull Jess aside and grab Josie, who has been working extra hard all day so far, and then hold up one finger, indicating I need one more girl.
Thankfully, the back parking area runs the length of the long shopping center, giving us plenty of room and blocking anyone from seeing a group of topless women in broad daylight.
Four sleek, black bikes rumble around the corner one at a time, bright sunshine glinting off their glossy tanks. Kio unsurprisingly lines up in front of Jess who shoots me a silly school-girl grin. As expected, Coty lines up in front of me. Kal lines up in front of Josie. Baylor lines up last in front of the newbie he was snogging with earlier.
Jess knows what endos are but has never been on the receiving end of one since her old man rides a stocky cruiser. Her hand darts out to mine and she squeezes hard, body shaking from nerves and anticipation.
Since Chaz learned how to do them by practicing on me — unbeknownst to Coty — I have experienced them more times than Coty realizes. I hold up a finger and do a come hither gesture toward my partner. Coty nods, his foot lifts in conjunction with the rev of his engine, and he heads straight toward me, picking up just enough speed to guarantee he can pull off the stunt.