CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Danielle

“She found me,” I said, and smiled. “I didn’t mind.”

He crossed his arms. “She likes you. She doesn’t typically like women. Used to men, ’suppose.”

“You’re raising a really sweet little girl.”

“Seriously. What’s your story, Dani?” he asked. “How’d you meet Booker?”

“I got lost and broke down outside the wrecking place. Aust—ah, Booker, came to my rescue.”

“What do you do? You know, for a livin’.”

“I teach kindergarten,” I said.

Hawk dropped his head back and laughed. “You’re shittin’ me.”

“Babe,” Austin said from the threshold. “Ready to go?”

I nodded, dropped the paper towels I’d used to dry my hands in the garbage can next to the island, and skirted around Hawk to get to Austin. “Nice to meet you,” I said.

“You too, babe,” Hawk replied just as Austin grabbed me and kissed me a little too intimately before sweeping me out of the kitchen and back up to his room.

“Fuckin’ asshole,” he snapped, and slammed the door shut.

“Who?”

“Fuckin’ Hawk.”

“Okay, you need to tell me what’s up with him. He was really nice to me, honey, and Lily’s adorable.”

“He wants you.”

“What?” I squeaked.

Austin scowled. “He’s got his fuckin’ sights on you, which means I have to deal with his form of bullshit.”

I don’t know why, maybe it was the wine, but his little jealousy-induced hissy sent me into a giggling fit.

I quickly found myself lifted and dropped onto his bed, his hands at my waist. “You find this funny, huh?”

I tried to scooch away from him, nodding as I continued to laugh uncontrollably.

“Fuck, baby, you’re gorgeous,” he rasped as his hands left my waist and moved under my cami to cup a breast.

I arched into his hand as he pushed up my clothing, bra and all, and drew one nipple into his mouth, then the other. How he did it, I have no frickin’ clue, but he removed the top half of my clothing faster than I was ready for. He tugged off his cut and shirt and then he was back to laving attention on my breasts again.

The feeling of his smooth chest against mine was delicious. I’d messed around with a couple of high school boyfriends a few times, but no one this muscular, and then there was Steven who was more fuzzy teddy bear than hot biker sex machine. God, Austin was irresistible.

He moved his mouth from my breasts to my lips as he unbuttoned and unzipped my jeans. His hand slid inside, under the band of my panties, and between my legs. I squirmed at his touch, his thumb sliding to my clit.

“Soaked,” he whispered against my lips.

I nodded, my breath coming in short bursts.

He grinned and slipped two fingers inside of me. “Beautiful.”

I stroked his cheek as he intensified the pressure. “Back atya.”

I was just about to come when a banging at his door had him yanking his hand away from me and sitting up while I whimpered in frustration.

“What?” Austin demanded.

“Booker, Prez needs you,” Mack called.

“Can it wait?” he bellowed.

“No.”

“Fuck,” he grumbled. “Gimme a minute,” he called, climbing off the mattress and heading to his bathroom.

I covered my face with my hands while he washed up. The touch of his lips on my stomach had me cupping his face.

“I’m sorry, baby. Shit’s happening right now.”

“Can you call me a cab?” I asked, sitting up and searching for my clothes.

“Stay.”

“No. I think I should go,” I insisted. “We can’t do this right now, honey. Not yet, anyway, and if I stay, it’ll be too hard to stop.”

He frowned. “I’ll have Mack drive you home.”

“Will he mind?”

He shook his head. “Give me a minute.”

I nodded and he stepped out of his room as he pulled on his shirt. He peeked inside, made sure I was dressed, and pushed open the door. “Mack’ll drive you.”

“Okay, thanks.”

He cupped my face and kissed me quickly. “Text me when you get home.”

“Okay, honey.”

He ushered me out of the room and into Mack’s capable hands, and then went to do the Prez’s bidding. Mack dropped me home, walked me to the door and checked my apartment for who knows what.

Once he was gone, I locked up, texted Austin, and poured myself a glass of wine. I was too wired (and horny) to sleep.

***

"Dani?" Emily reached over and squeezed my arm.

“Sorry, what?” I focused on her sitting next to me at the dinner table. I’d been distracted all evening, my date with Austin the night before swimming around my mind.

“What is going on with you?” she asked, grinning like she knew something I didn’t.

My sister was not only highly intelligent, but also gorgeous, glamorous, and very, very taken. She was tall and blonde, with emerald green eyes, and a body to die for. She’d married Mitch Parsons right out of law school, and it was coincidentally their fifteenth wedding anniversary, which we were celebrating tonight. Mitch was also gorgeous, but in a rugged way. He’d been a cop before he changed careers and turned to bounty hunting. He loved my sister with an intensity that was sometimes scary, but she’d admitted it was also a huge turn on.

They had two gorgeous and glamorous children, Brandon, who was twelve-years-old, and Amelia, who was ten. They sat across from us, their blond hair perfectly coiffed, their behavior impeccable, and their senses of humor on overdrive. They were great kids and I adored them.

“Nothing,” I said, quickly. “Just didn’t sleep much last night.”

Because Emily was so incredibly smart, she could see through me… truth be told, she could see through most people… with ease. She was often underestimated because she was so pretty, which she used to her advantage any time she could.

My sister raised an eyebrow. “Liar,” she whispered. “Spill.”

“Em,” I hissed.

She leaned closer. “You’ve met a guy!”

I shook my head.

“What are you two conspiring about,” our mother asked.

“I’m trying to get Dani to go out with a friend of mine,” Emily improvised.

“And it’s not going to happen,” I said.

“Go easy on the baby, Em,” Elliot piped in. “Her date the other night was a total bust.”

“Was it?” my father asked. “That’s a shame.”

I choked on my wine as everyone laughed. “Say that a little more believably, Dad.”

“I’m surprised you haven’t forced her to wear a chastity belt,” Emily said.

“I have always allowed you girls to make your own choices,” he said.

“Ohmigod, Dad,” I droned. “You are such a liar.”

“Is that allowed in law enforcement?” Emily mused. “Lying to your children?”

“I think Ell should arrest him for being really bad at it,” I said.

“Leave your father alone,” my mom said. “He’s very, very pretty… he can’t be good at lying too.”

That sent us all into fits again, including my niece and nephew.

“How about Dani and I do the dishes and get dessert ready?” Emily suggested. “Mom, you go relax for a bit.”

Mom grinned. “I won’t say no to that.”

“Who wants to play pool?” My dad asked.

“Me!” Brandon said. “Can I, Mom?”

“You and your sister clear,” Emily said. “And then you’re free.”

Mitch chuckled. “I’ll help, then I’m gonna beat my kids’ butts at pool.”

“Not even gonna happen, Dad,” Amelia droned.

“We’ll see, honey.”

She chuckled and started to clear the table.

Once Emily and I were blissfully alone in the kitchen, she scraped plates while I rinsed and loaded the dishwasher.

“Okay, girlie, spill,” Emily demanded.

I sighed. “The guy that fixed my car is gorgeous and confusing and scary. And he’s decided we’re ‘gonna get to know each other.’”

“Wow, all of that, huh?”

I nodded.

“Who is he?” she asked.

I bit my lip and dropped forks into the basket.

“Dani?”

“He’s a biker, Em.”

She cocked her head. “Like Tour de France?” she joked.

“Like Hells Angels.”

Emily nearly dropped a plate into the garbage can. “He’s in the Hells Angels?”

“No…Dogs of Fire.” I faced her and grimaced. “Right? I can’t do this.”

“Why can’t you do this?”

“Because all I keep coming back to is that all I know about motorcycle clubs is what I’ve seen on television, and that’s pretty limited. I have no idea if he’s a criminal or if he kills people. He says the club’s clean, but I’m just not sure.” I shook my head. “Even saying that out loud makes me sound like an idiot.”

“It doesn’t, honey,” Emily assured me.

“He’s gorgeous, Em, but he’s also really bossy and I think he’s used to having people do exactly what he tells them to do, because he gets all weird when I defy him. Like it’s alien to him.”

Emily laughed. “Welcome to the club, babe.”

“Really?”

“Hells yes. Mitch is the same way. Well, he was.”

“He was? But he’s so sweet with you and the kids.”

She smiled. “Yes, he is, but he’s also bossy and protective, and if another man looks sideways at me, or disrespects me, he’s pissy about it because he can’t beat the shit out of him. Or at least, he doesn’t do that anymore.”

“He beat people up?”