that this guy earned his physique through physical labor and
fast living, not hours spent toiling away at the gym. Thick black lines are
inked across his chest and arms, and there are probably even more tattoos
hidden beneath his perfectly fitted jeans, black tee, steel toed boots, and
leather cut.
But as powerful and impressive as his body is, it’s his face
that truly captivates me. His features are strong and sculpted, but utterly
unique. A razor sharp jaw, straight nose, and high cheekbones are offset by the
perfect amount of scruff. Dark chestnut curls fall across his forehead, and his
firm, full lips are fixed in a knowing half-smile. A two-inch scar cuts across
his right eyebrow, and his skin boasts a healthy, sunbaked tan. But the one
feature that stands out above all, rooting me to the ground in his presence, is
his eyes. They’re such a bright shade of emerald green that they practically
glow.
And even more arresting is the fact that those gemlike orbs are fixed hard on me. Our eyes lock
firmly, and I’m struck dumb by the depth of his gaze. I’ve never met this
person before in my life, so how can it feel like he knows something hidden
about me that even I have yet to discover?
“Oh. Sorry. Are you guys in the middle of something?” Tiberi
asks, looking at me with vague curiosity.
“We were just finishing up an interview,” Kassie says, wrapping
her arm around his waist. “This is Keira. She’s going to be working for
CrowdedNest from now on.”
“You already hired her?” he asks, as if I’m not standing
five feet away. “You didn’t consult me on this.”
“We all hit it off,” Kelly shrugs, “why wait?”
“Shouldn’t you be calling references, running a background
check?” Tiberi insists.
Between this mysterious stranger’s gaze and Declan Tiberi’s
scrutiny, my pulse is quickening out of control. He can’t possibly suspect me
of anything, can he?
“Excuse my man, here,” Kassie says to me. “His club had a
bit of a...hiring snafu recently. He’s just being paranoid.”
“We’ve already checked her out, Dec,” Kelly adds. “She’s
perfect.”
“Damn right,” murmurs the man in the doorway. My cheeks
blaze at his unexpected utterance. I can’t tell if I’m flattered or furious. Or
both.
“Who’s this?” Kassie asks, nodding toward the green-eyed
god.
“Ladies, let me introduce you to Caleb Brooks,” Declan says.
“‘Brooks’ will do just fine,” the man corrects, his smile
widening as he rakes his eyes along my body.
“Brooks is...” Declan begins, but he shuts his mouth when he
remembers I’m in the room, “Uh, maybe I should wait to go into it—”
“Oh, relax,” Kelly says, rolling here eyes. “I’m sure Keira
doesn’t mind hearing about MC business. Something tells me she doesn’t scare
easy. Do you, Keira?”
“I’m not exactly sure what MC business is,” I reply, “but
I’m sure it’s cool in my book.”
“Declan’s part of a local motorcycle club, is all,” Kassie
says, totally composed. Guess these people are pretty comfortable with their
life choices, then.
“Sounds like a cool hobby,” I smile, laying the lighthearted
ignorance on thick. I can’t help but be satisfied as Declan winces at my word
choice.
“It’s not a hobby ,”
he corrects me, “it’s a way of life.”
“Oh. Got it,” I chirp, shooting him an amiable grin. Really,
I want to roll my eyes. It’s
a way of life? Seriously? Out of the corner of my eye I catch Brooks
still looking at me intently, his scarred eyebrow raised. Crap. Is he not
buying my “oh, shucks” act?
“This is a real nice place you’ve got here, Dec,” Brooks
says, reaching into the pocket of his cut. My fingers twitch again, but I tamp
down the impulse to produce my gun. And good thing, too. Turns out the gorgeous
guy was just reaching for a pack of cigarettes. Marlboros. My favorite, when I
used to smoke in college. I haven’t craved a cigarette in years, but
fast living, not hours spent toiling away at the gym. Thick black lines are
inked across his chest and arms, and there are probably even more tattoos
hidden beneath his perfectly fitted jeans, black tee, steel toed boots, and
leather cut.
But as powerful and impressive as his body is, it’s his face
that truly captivates me. His features are strong and sculpted, but utterly
unique. A razor sharp jaw, straight nose, and high cheekbones are offset by the
perfect amount of scruff. Dark chestnut curls fall across his forehead, and his
firm, full lips are fixed in a knowing half-smile. A two-inch scar cuts across
his right eyebrow, and his skin boasts a healthy, sunbaked tan. But the one
feature that stands out above all, rooting me to the ground in his presence, is
his eyes. They’re such a bright shade of emerald green that they practically
glow.
And even more arresting is the fact that those gemlike orbs are fixed hard on me. Our eyes lock
firmly, and I’m struck dumb by the depth of his gaze. I’ve never met this
person before in my life, so how can it feel like he knows something hidden
about me that even I have yet to discover?
“Oh. Sorry. Are you guys in the middle of something?” Tiberi
asks, looking at me with vague curiosity.
“We were just finishing up an interview,” Kassie says, wrapping
her arm around his waist. “This is Keira. She’s going to be working for
CrowdedNest from now on.”
“You already hired her?” he asks, as if I’m not standing
five feet away. “You didn’t consult me on this.”
“We all hit it off,” Kelly shrugs, “why wait?”
“Shouldn’t you be calling references, running a background
check?” Tiberi insists.
Between this mysterious stranger’s gaze and Declan Tiberi’s
scrutiny, my pulse is quickening out of control. He can’t possibly suspect me
of anything, can he?
“Excuse my man, here,” Kassie says to me. “His club had a
bit of a...hiring snafu recently. He’s just being paranoid.”
“We’ve already checked her out, Dec,” Kelly adds. “She’s
perfect.”
“Damn right,” murmurs the man in the doorway. My cheeks
blaze at his unexpected utterance. I can’t tell if I’m flattered or furious. Or
both.
“Who’s this?” Kassie asks, nodding toward the green-eyed
god.
“Ladies, let me introduce you to Caleb Brooks,” Declan says.
“‘Brooks’ will do just fine,” the man corrects, his smile
widening as he rakes his eyes along my body.
“Brooks is...” Declan begins, but he shuts his mouth when he
remembers I’m in the room, “Uh, maybe I should wait to go into it—”
“Oh, relax,” Kelly says, rolling here eyes. “I’m sure Keira
doesn’t mind hearing about MC business. Something tells me she doesn’t scare
easy. Do you, Keira?”
“I’m not exactly sure what MC business is,” I reply, “but
I’m sure it’s cool in my book.”
“Declan’s part of a local motorcycle club, is all,” Kassie
says, totally composed. Guess these people are pretty comfortable with their
life choices, then.
“Sounds like a cool hobby,” I smile, laying the lighthearted
ignorance on thick. I can’t help but be satisfied as Declan winces at my word
choice.
“It’s not a hobby ,”
he corrects me, “it’s a way of life.”
“Oh. Got it,” I chirp, shooting him an amiable grin. Really,
I want to roll my eyes. It’s
a way of life? Seriously? Out of the corner of my eye I catch Brooks
still looking at me intently, his scarred eyebrow raised. Crap. Is he not
buying my “oh, shucks” act?
“This is a real nice place you’ve got here, Dec,” Brooks
says, reaching into the pocket of his cut. My fingers twitch again, but I tamp
down the impulse to produce my gun. And good thing, too. Turns out the gorgeous
guy was just reaching for a pack of cigarettes. Marlboros. My favorite, when I
used to smoke in college. I haven’t craved a cigarette in years, but
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