CHAPTER ELEVEN

Danielle

I sighed. “You’re everything my parents warned me against. You’re secretive, but you’re also honest. I feel wholly protected by you, but then you scare me more than anyone I’ve ever known. You’re a bad boy, but when I dated a so-called good one, he turned out to be the devil, so, yeah, I don’t get you because you’re not what I expected. You drive me crazier than anyone I’ve ever met, but then you make me feel complete. I’m feeling things I don’t quite know how to process and that makes me want to run. I don’t want to give up something that might be really, really good, but I also don’t want to be stupid and fall for a boy just because he’s super pretty and makes me come.”

He shrugged, his nonchalance back in place. “I did tell you I would.”

“You also promised you’d do it more than once.”

“Happy to oblige, baby.”

I tied my robe with an angry swoosh. “I’m pouring my heart out to you and you’re talking about making me come again?”

He sighed and dragged his hands down his face. “Dani.”

“What, Austin? I don’t know what kinds of women you’ve dated in the past, but I’m not one who can be manipulated with your ability to be really good at oral sex, or kissing, or… well, anything oral,” I said, lamely. “I deserve to be treated with respect and if you’re not willing to do that, then see you later.”

“Pain in my ass,” he grumbled.

“Then leave!” I stepped into the bathroom and slammed the door.

My tirade had completely counteracted my body’s sated state just moments before and that made me mad. I wanted to go back to my post-climax glow. I stared in the mirror and scowled at myself. I shouldn’t look this way. My eyes were bright, my skin was flushed, and I looked more alive than I had in a long time. Despite my tirade, I felt happy. Austin did that for me. I knew that I could be totally honest with him. Show him one hundred percent of myself, even if it wasn’t pretty. The door opened and I caught Austin’s eye in the mirror. “I thought you were leaving.”

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, pulled my hair to the side, and kissed my neck. “You show me that and expect me to leave?” he challenged.

“Yeah, kinda. It’s been three days and I’m showing you everything.” I sighed. “So much for wanting to be sexy and mysterious.”

He turned me to face him. “You couldn’t be more beautiful to me, Dani.”

“I think there’s something psychologically wrong with you.”

“You could be onto something.” Austin chuckled. “Meeting my brothers is a big deal, baby, but I’ve been trying to downplay it, so you don’t panic on me.”

“Maybe it’s too soon, then.”

He shook his head, cupping my neck. “They need to know who you are to me.”

“Who am I to you?”

“Everything, baby,” he said. “Everything.”

“How can you say that?” I asked. “It’s been less than a week.”

Austin smiled. “You’re what I want, Dani.”

“Well that explains everything.”

“You want out at any point in the night, you tell me. I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

I fisted my hands in his shirt. “I want you glued to me all night.”

Austin chuckled. “’Cause that’s gonna be so hard for me.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

I nodded and he grinned before he kissed me.

“But,” I continued. “I want to stop off at Freddie’s and grab something to contribute.”

“You don’t need to do that, babe,” he countered.

“I was raised that when you are invited to someone’s party, home, get together, whatever, you bring something.” I patted his chest. “So, we’re going to bring something.”

He shook his head. “Okay, baby, we’ll stop.”

“Thank you. Now, seriously. What should I wear?”

“Whatever you want, Dani.”

“Jeans it is… but not as tight as you might require.”

He laughed and patted my bottom. “Five minutes, baby.”

“What? No! I can’t dry my hair in five minutes.”

“Then pull it back,” he said.

“Hell, no,” I snapped. “If I’m meeting your family, then I’m meeting them looking my best.”

“Baby, you’re gorgeous, doesn’t matter what you wear.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere today, now go and let me do my thing.”

“It gets me nowhere every day,” he grumbled, and walked out the door.

I blow dried my hair with a stupid grin on my face, and the grin stayed put as Austin ushered me out the door forty minutes later and into his truck. I chose jeans, knee-high black leather boots, a black cardigan and red lace camisole. Casual, but still nice, and Austin’s response after seeing me was to pull me in for another of his mind-blowing kisses, so I felt confident with what I was wearing.

After a quick stop at the supermarket for wine, beer, and a few snack items, we headed into Portland. Austin drove to another sketchy area in North Portland and I was glad we were in his truck. “Where are we?”

“Cully.”

“Are all the businesses in bad areas of town?”

“The ones we don’t want noticed are,” he revealed, and reached over to link his fingers with mine. “I got you, baby.”

“I know,” I said quickly. “I’ve just never been here.”

He chuckled. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

Austin pulled into the large lot of Big Ernie’s Body Shop and parked. I couldn’t help but wonder who Big Ernie was, considering he had two businesses named after him. Austin opened my door and helped me out of the truck before grabbing the bag of groceries from the back. I looped my purse over my shoulder, took Austin’s free hand, and followed him through an unmarked door to the left of what looked like the actual shop.

A dimly lit hallway led to another unmarked door and Austin raised his face to the camera mounted on the ceiling and the door was pulled open. A small foyer with a few easy chairs and a desk with television sat in the space. A couple of bikers sat in the chairs, but they paused their conversation to eye me and Austin.

Austin released me long enough to greet the “brother” who’d granted entry. A man by the name of Cookie.

“Cookie, Dani,” Austin said. “Dani, Cookie.”

Cookie was older, probably in his fifties, tall with tattoos that covered his arms and went up his neck. He had patches on his cut as well, one of them read, “Vice President,” so I assumed he was someone important. His dark hair was peppered with gray and he had a big bushy beard that worked very well for him.

I smiled and reached my hand out. “Nice to meet you.”

He gave me a sexy grin and stared at my hand long enough for me to lower it and feel like an idiot. I moved closer to Austin, who wrapped an arm around me.

“You too, babe,” he said, and turned toward the big room behind him. “Mags!”

“What?” A blonde woman with big hair and tiny clothes revealed herself from another doorway and walked over to him. Cookie pulled her into a passionate and borderline inappropriate grope session before grinning and facing us again.

“My old lady,” Cookie said. “Mags, meet Booker’s new woman. Dani.”

Mags glanced at Austin and then me. “It’s nice to meet you, honey,” she said, her gravelly voice indication she probably smoked.

“We brought a few things,” I said. “Where would you like them?”

She smiled. “What kinds of things?”

“Just some beer and wine, a few snack things and dessert.”

“That was really nice of you.” Mags raised an eyebrow at Cookie. “Wasn’t that nice of Dani?”

“Yeah,” Cookie said, slowly. “Real nice.”

“Why don’t you come with me, Dani?” Mags said, and took a second to kiss Austin on the cheek. “I’ll show you where everything goes.”

“Um… I…”

Austin handed Mags the grocery bag and beer, and leaned down to kiss me. “I’ll find you in a minute.”

I gave him a look I both hoped no one else saw, and that he took to heart. We’d been inside for barely a second and he was already ungluing himself from my side.

He chuckled and slid his hand to my neck. “One minute, baby.”

I said nothing, considering it was either that or make a scene, and followed Mags through the door she’d entered from and into a large common room milling with people. The space was filled with sofas, overstuffed chairs, a pool table, large flat-screen television, several smaller tables that kids gathered around for board games, and three outdoor picnic tables.