It’d been a long
time since he gave a fuck what any woman thought. “You enjoying your first
night out with the Dueling Devils?” Monster asked.
“I
don’t know. We barely made it through the door. Only thing I’ve seen so far is
the game room.”
“We
need to remedy that and show her around,” Chase suggested. She plunked her
bottle down on the bar. “But first, I need to take care of a little business.
Can I trust you to keep an eye on her?”
“I’m
not a child,” Symone drawled.
“No,
but you’re new to our world and it’s like a sweet fragrance everyone wants to
smell.”
“Not
on my watch,” Monster said.
“That’s
what I was hoping you’d say.” Chase jumped up and patted him on the shoulder. “Be
back in a bit.” She disappeared into the crowd.
“Sorry,
you’re stuck with me.”
Symone
snickered. “It’s okay. I’m pretty sure Chase does as she pleases, so it’s not
like you could stop or predict her next move.”
“You
already picked up on that, huh?” He smirked.
She
snorted and covered her mouth with her hands.
The
sudden fear in her eyes slayed him.
“I’m
sorry,” she whispered.
“That
you think I’m funny?”
“No,
that I forgot myself?”
“I’m
not following you.”
“A
lady should always put her best face forward.”
“No.”
He gently grasped her hand and pulled it down from her face. “You do whatever
the fuck makes you happy. Don’t hide from me or anyone else.”
Her
eyes widened.
“I
don’t know where you’re from, or what you’ve been through and I won’t ask
because that’s none of my business. But I will tell you this. You are free to
be yourself here, whatever that means. Once you’re under our protection, no one
is going to fuck with you. I promise you that.”
She
nodded but remained tucked back into her shell, like a turtle.
The
silence stretched between them. He threw back another shot. “How about I give
you that tour Chase mentioned?”
“Please.”
“Baby,
you don’t ever have to say please to me. All you have to do is ask and if I can
do it, I will.”
“Why?”
she whispered. Her brow furrowed and her thin eyebrows sloped down, almost
meeting. The expression wrinkled her button nose.
Fucking
adorable. What the hell am I doing using words like that? He
shrugged. “I’m still trying to figure that out. That okay with you?”
She
bit her bottom lip. “I’m not sure yet.”
“Fair
enough.” He stood and held his breath.
Quietly,
she sat on a stool and gave him a slow once over.
His
heartbeat kicked up a notch. His throat grew thick. She’s one of my own
kind, the scarred and wounded. If she doesn’t want me, that’s it. She slid
off the stool and his lungs began to work once more.
Her
gaze darted around, like she expected someone to come from nowhere.
“Hey.”
Looking
troubled, she glanced back over at him.
“I
got you, Symone. You’re with me now. You can relax, okay?”
She
swallowed hard and nodded her head.
He
wanted to wrap an arm around her slender shoulders, but he knew that’d be invading
her personal space. He shoved his hands in his pockets to resist temptation and
led her down the hallway to the deck out back.
“Oh,”
she whispered.
“Not
what you expected to see, huh?”
“Not
at all.”
“It’s
been a year of additions since Pres got married and things became a little more
family friendly, if you know what I mean.”
“That’s
nice though, says a lot about him.”
Her
wistful tone wasn’t lost on him. “Yeah, one thing about us bikers. When we
decide to claim someone, we take their happiness pretty damn seriously.”
“Yeah?
And all the club stuff here is what? Just a nice distraction the ladies back
home don’t need to worry about? I know men. They’re never satisfied with what
they have.”
“A
little presumptuous to lump us all in the same category, don’t you think?”
Monster asked.
“I’ll
believe it when I see it with my own eyes.”
“I
think
time since he gave a fuck what any woman thought. “You enjoying your first
night out with the Dueling Devils?” Monster asked.
“I
don’t know. We barely made it through the door. Only thing I’ve seen so far is
the game room.”
“We
need to remedy that and show her around,” Chase suggested. She plunked her
bottle down on the bar. “But first, I need to take care of a little business.
Can I trust you to keep an eye on her?”
“I’m
not a child,” Symone drawled.
“No,
but you’re new to our world and it’s like a sweet fragrance everyone wants to
smell.”
“Not
on my watch,” Monster said.
“That’s
what I was hoping you’d say.” Chase jumped up and patted him on the shoulder. “Be
back in a bit.” She disappeared into the crowd.
“Sorry,
you’re stuck with me.”
Symone
snickered. “It’s okay. I’m pretty sure Chase does as she pleases, so it’s not
like you could stop or predict her next move.”
“You
already picked up on that, huh?” He smirked.
She
snorted and covered her mouth with her hands.
The
sudden fear in her eyes slayed him.
“I’m
sorry,” she whispered.
“That
you think I’m funny?”
“No,
that I forgot myself?”
“I’m
not following you.”
“A
lady should always put her best face forward.”
“No.”
He gently grasped her hand and pulled it down from her face. “You do whatever
the fuck makes you happy. Don’t hide from me or anyone else.”
Her
eyes widened.
“I
don’t know where you’re from, or what you’ve been through and I won’t ask
because that’s none of my business. But I will tell you this. You are free to
be yourself here, whatever that means. Once you’re under our protection, no one
is going to fuck with you. I promise you that.”
She
nodded but remained tucked back into her shell, like a turtle.
The
silence stretched between them. He threw back another shot. “How about I give
you that tour Chase mentioned?”
“Please.”
“Baby,
you don’t ever have to say please to me. All you have to do is ask and if I can
do it, I will.”
“Why?”
she whispered. Her brow furrowed and her thin eyebrows sloped down, almost
meeting. The expression wrinkled her button nose.
Fucking
adorable. What the hell am I doing using words like that? He
shrugged. “I’m still trying to figure that out. That okay with you?”
She
bit her bottom lip. “I’m not sure yet.”
“Fair
enough.” He stood and held his breath.
Quietly,
she sat on a stool and gave him a slow once over.
His
heartbeat kicked up a notch. His throat grew thick. She’s one of my own
kind, the scarred and wounded. If she doesn’t want me, that’s it. She slid
off the stool and his lungs began to work once more.
Her
gaze darted around, like she expected someone to come from nowhere.
“Hey.”
Looking
troubled, she glanced back over at him.
“I
got you, Symone. You’re with me now. You can relax, okay?”
She
swallowed hard and nodded her head.
He
wanted to wrap an arm around her slender shoulders, but he knew that’d be invading
her personal space. He shoved his hands in his pockets to resist temptation and
led her down the hallway to the deck out back.
“Oh,”
she whispered.
“Not
what you expected to see, huh?”
“Not
at all.”
“It’s
been a year of additions since Pres got married and things became a little more
family friendly, if you know what I mean.”
“That’s
nice though, says a lot about him.”
Her
wistful tone wasn’t lost on him. “Yeah, one thing about us bikers. When we
decide to claim someone, we take their happiness pretty damn seriously.”
“Yeah?
And all the club stuff here is what? Just a nice distraction the ladies back
home don’t need to worry about? I know men. They’re never satisfied with what
they have.”
“A
little presumptuous to lump us all in the same category, don’t you think?”
Monster asked.
“I’ll
believe it when I see it with my own eyes.”
“I
think
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