their gazes locked and held. The shell-shocked surprise she felt
was mirrored in his expressive eyes. “I think you might be in for more than you
bargained for,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because there’s no way I’m letting you walk away after
this.” The honesty in his voice sang to her soul.
“Who said I wanted to?”
“It’s written all over you. I knew this wasn’t your norm.
You walked on the wild side. Now you want to return to your safe corner of the
world and look back fondly knowing a moment existed when you didn’t follow the
rules.” His face hardened and the intimacy they’d shared began to recede. His
words stung.
Is this where he turns into Peter? Shows his true colors?
“You’re wrong.” Her body went stiff as a board.
“What then?”
“I wanted to live.” Her lower lip trembled and she shoved
him away. The lashing from his sharp tongue cooled the arousal he’d raised. How
dare he make me embarrassed? There she was, bared for him to see, living
free and he’d chosen to attack. “I think we’re done here.” She’d be damned if
she walked down this road again.
“The hell we are.” The words rumbled in his chest. Refusing
to be intimidated, she pushed to her feet and glanced down at him. No man would
steal her sense of self and dignity.
“You think you can judge me and I’ll still let you in my
body? You must be crazy. I thought we had a connection. But I guess you spout
pretty words to all the women you bring back here. Sad thing is, if you’d kept
your mouth shut, you could’ve had me.”
He rose to his full height, towering over her as though she
didn’t top six feet. “I’m not an errand boy you can dismiss.” His jaw flexed.
“I never said you were. Regardless, I’m leaving.” She moved
to sidestep him. He blocked her. What the fuck was I thinking, letting
things progress this far?
“No, you aren’t.” His gaze hardened into black onyx.
Anger ignited in her belly as she placed her hands on her
hips. She was used to doling out discipline to naughty children. She could
expand her repertoire to include overgrown bikers too.
“Watch me. Control is a gift that’s given. You had me up
until the verbal assault.”
“Verbal assault?” he sputtered, jaw opening and closing.
“Don’t twist the words around, Librarian .” The emphasis on her job title
turned it into something dirty. She’d never wanted to smack a man across his
face so badly in her life. The fire he’d ignited went bone-deep and didn’t stop
at arousal.
“What word would you use then?”
“Warning.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About what you’re really getting into. We bikers aren’t
like most people and I’m even less so. I told you I wanted to do more than
sleep with you, Juliette. I want to possess you, crawl beneath your skin,
inside your heat and live. Nothing else will satisfy me. Are you ready for
that? There’s a complex set of rules removed from what you might consider in
polite society.”
“You’ve been nothing but up-front. You don’t think I know
that? Why let me decide?” She shook her head, flustered. “I don’t understand
you, Shooter.”
Guilt crept into his eyes before his face went blank. “I
shouldn’t have started it.” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.
“I have trust issues. There’s a reason why I’ve been out of the dating game for
so long. I can’t do casual with you.”
The inches between them began to feel like miles as he
pulled back, dulling their natural connection.
“I’m sorry. I’ll take you home.” He ran a hand through his
hair and she saw a vulnerability previously hidden. It didn’t take a genius to
recognize how rare the moment was. Against her better judgment, she opted to
stay.
“No. I’ve had enough of people telling me what I can and
can’t do. You included. I thought you said I was free here. That means it’s my
choice. We’re so close to being something amazing. Don’t fuck it up
was mirrored in his expressive eyes. “I think you might be in for more than you
bargained for,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because there’s no way I’m letting you walk away after
this.” The honesty in his voice sang to her soul.
“Who said I wanted to?”
“It’s written all over you. I knew this wasn’t your norm.
You walked on the wild side. Now you want to return to your safe corner of the
world and look back fondly knowing a moment existed when you didn’t follow the
rules.” His face hardened and the intimacy they’d shared began to recede. His
words stung.
Is this where he turns into Peter? Shows his true colors?
“You’re wrong.” Her body went stiff as a board.
“What then?”
“I wanted to live.” Her lower lip trembled and she shoved
him away. The lashing from his sharp tongue cooled the arousal he’d raised. How
dare he make me embarrassed? There she was, bared for him to see, living
free and he’d chosen to attack. “I think we’re done here.” She’d be damned if
she walked down this road again.
“The hell we are.” The words rumbled in his chest. Refusing
to be intimidated, she pushed to her feet and glanced down at him. No man would
steal her sense of self and dignity.
“You think you can judge me and I’ll still let you in my
body? You must be crazy. I thought we had a connection. But I guess you spout
pretty words to all the women you bring back here. Sad thing is, if you’d kept
your mouth shut, you could’ve had me.”
He rose to his full height, towering over her as though she
didn’t top six feet. “I’m not an errand boy you can dismiss.” His jaw flexed.
“I never said you were. Regardless, I’m leaving.” She moved
to sidestep him. He blocked her. What the fuck was I thinking, letting
things progress this far?
“No, you aren’t.” His gaze hardened into black onyx.
Anger ignited in her belly as she placed her hands on her
hips. She was used to doling out discipline to naughty children. She could
expand her repertoire to include overgrown bikers too.
“Watch me. Control is a gift that’s given. You had me up
until the verbal assault.”
“Verbal assault?” he sputtered, jaw opening and closing.
“Don’t twist the words around, Librarian .” The emphasis on her job title
turned it into something dirty. She’d never wanted to smack a man across his
face so badly in her life. The fire he’d ignited went bone-deep and didn’t stop
at arousal.
“What word would you use then?”
“Warning.”
“What are you talking about?”
“About what you’re really getting into. We bikers aren’t
like most people and I’m even less so. I told you I wanted to do more than
sleep with you, Juliette. I want to possess you, crawl beneath your skin,
inside your heat and live. Nothing else will satisfy me. Are you ready for
that? There’s a complex set of rules removed from what you might consider in
polite society.”
“You’ve been nothing but up-front. You don’t think I know
that? Why let me decide?” She shook her head, flustered. “I don’t understand
you, Shooter.”
Guilt crept into his eyes before his face went blank. “I
shouldn’t have started it.” He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.
“I have trust issues. There’s a reason why I’ve been out of the dating game for
so long. I can’t do casual with you.”
The inches between them began to feel like miles as he
pulled back, dulling their natural connection.
“I’m sorry. I’ll take you home.” He ran a hand through his
hair and she saw a vulnerability previously hidden. It didn’t take a genius to
recognize how rare the moment was. Against her better judgment, she opted to
stay.
“No. I’ve had enough of people telling me what I can and
can’t do. You included. I thought you said I was free here. That means it’s my
choice. We’re so close to being something amazing. Don’t fuck it up
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