by V. Theia
All the while, her nerves waited for Tag to get back from the bathroom, knowing she’d feel settled once she had his knee touching hers under the table.
It was no surprise to her to see women stopping him on his journey back.
Was he setting up dates? Ugh, stop thinking about it, Marianna.
Oh, irony. She saw it. She’d done everything to tell him she wasn’t interested in that kind of relationship. And here she was nearly biting her lip bloody through jealousy, while he smiled at other women who were not afraid to show their attraction.
She was pathetic.
There was something about the last woman who stepped in Tag’s path. She came out of the crowd as if lying in wait for him. Putting a hand on his forearm, he didn’t tell the woman to remove it.
It was in the way the golden-haired woman leaned her body into Tag. The touching roiled Marianna’s belly. There were no friendly smiles as he’d offered the other women, but he inclined his head to listen to her.
Questions piled into her mind.
Her unease turned to stone as she watched.
Seconds passed like hours.
Stop watching him, she warned. Curious won. Jealousy won. And she went on watching.
Was she special?
Did they have a history?
The seductive smile told Marianna something intimate was between them.
Jealousy stung her. Hard.
Maybe constant loneliness had pushed Marianna to crazy town. She didn’t want a relationship, but now she realized she didn’t want him to have one either.
So fucked up.
She cleared her throat and tore her gaze away.
Being his friend didn’t give her the right to know intimate details.
* * *
His boys were fucking with him and they were all about to die very painfully.
He’d been gone only a minute to take a piss and came back to them grilling Marianna. Parking his ass next to her, staring a hard warning at Snake.
“What do I see in him?” She repeated, confusion making her look extra cute. Her face turned to scrutinize him.
The look was felt deep in his gut.
Snake, the rat bastard, cackled.
They knew already how it stood between him and Marianna.
“I see the kindest person I’ve ever known.” She announced, making the old ladies coo.
Shoot him now.
She’d friend-zoned him so deep in front of everyone.
Did he wait for a button and welcome pack to arrive in the mail?
“Ignore these assholes, darlin’. They’re trying to be funny.”
“What do you mean?”
“They assume we’re dating, even though I’ve told them more than once we’re not.” He aimed a warning stare to the idiot twins known as Preacher and Grinder, who were geared to pipe in. “They’re fucking around.”
“Oh. I see. I’m sorry, I take a moment to translate English, I don’t always understand certain phrases.” She smiled shyly at Snake.
Now Tag wanted to rip his brother’s head off ‘cause she was smiling at him when he worked so fucking hard for all Marianna’s smiles.
“Sorry, babe.” Snake apologized, “just fucking around with this one.”
“He’s a good friend.” Further hammering all the nails in his coffin.
Though she did it smiling at him, like she meant that shit, so he couldn’t pout too much.
“You’ll learn to ignore whatever comes out of these bikers’ mouths, Marianna.” Winter supplied. “They chatter worse than we do and love teasing each other. As tough as my husband looks, he’s a big softie.”
“Snow queen, don’t be telling all your man’s fucking secrets.” Snake complained, pushing his face into the side of his wife’s throat.
“What did Sofia want, brother?”
It was subtle, and he doubted anyone noticed, but he felt Marianna’s leg stiffen under his hand.
Answering Grinder, he shrugged. “You know Sofia. Same shit, different day.”
She’d only made a beeline for him after seeing him with Marianna.
Now she had her beak out and her claws sharpened.
Because he monitored his ex, ready to step in if she dialed up her crazy stunts, it meant Tag was unaware of another man approaching until…
“Holy fuck, I know you, don’t I?” He aimed his drunken fumes Marianna’s way.
It brought out Tag’s protective instincts as he clocked the jackass salivating over Marianna pressed up against his side.
“Walk on, man.” Warned Rider.
“Yeah, yeah, Rider, I will, got a lotta respect for you. But I saw her, and I recognized you, babe.”
“I don’t think so. I don’t know you.” She answered.
The man swayed in his scruffy jeans. He was a no one. But he was a no one who was frightening Marianna with his sleazy stare, and that shit didn’t fly with him.
“Back the fuck up, chump. No other warning.”
“Last time I saw you, you were getting nailed by a Russian I was working for. Goddamn, he had some class, babe.” The man slaked his tongue over his lips. “Maybe you wanna spend time with me, babe.”
The way a gasp moved through Marianna put fire in Tag as he went on autopilot, grabbing the guy by the throat.
This made all his boys leave their seats.
“You don’t listen so well, do you, asshole? Now I’m gonna have to make sure you do. She said she doesn’t know you; she doesn’t know you, got it?”
After each word, Tag squeezed the guy’s throat until his face turned purple. He was so angry he wanted to drain the life out of him and then piss on his corpse.
Daring to talk to Marianna that way? He had to die.
“You don’t talk to her, you don’t fucking look at her, do you understand? Or I’ll kill you.”
The bar came to a standstill. While his rage blasted out of control, boiling his blood until he only saw red mist, a schmuck begging for his worthless life. The need to pulverize this fucker was strong until Rider’s big palm clapped on his shoulder from behind.
“That’s enough, brother, see to your girl, she’s upset.”
The old ladies rallied around Marianna.
Tag wanted to kill.
But it was her broken voice that brought him to heel when he heard. “I think I should leave.”
“Honey, it’s okay. Let Tag handle this.” One of them told her.
He dropped the piece of piss, letting him fall to the floor, gasping for air. “Get the fuck out,” he warned, “don’t let me see you again.”
The guy got gone. His first wise decision.
A knot formed in his throat when he turned to clock eyes with her. “You okay, darlin’?”
“Da. But I think I would like to leave. I can go alone if you wish to stay.” There was no choice what he’d do. He hooked up her hand.
So proud of how she walked out with her chin held high.
But the moment the cold air hit, she deflated.
“I don’t know him, Tag. But… but he knows me, from that place.”
God, his heart broke for her and all he could do was grab her up.
“Don’t think of that asshole, darlin’. He’s no one and he won’t come near you again.”
“How…how many more recognize me? How many men have seen…” she didn’t finish the sentence. His brain did though, and he felt violently murderous on her behalf.
If Grigori were alive now, he’d track the motherfucker down and make swiss cheese out of his body.
“Shhh, Anna. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
He didn’t know if she believed him.
Would he ever get her to a point of trusting him?
He’d fight all her battles if he could.
Keep her safe.
Earn her trust.
Win her heart.
TWELVE
“A biker kiss makes everything better.” - Marianna
Shame and annoyance burned hot through Mar
ianna until she wanted to pulverize the brick wall in front of her.
This was not her fault.
It was not her fault.
She wanted to claw her skin off, go back in time and be a different person.
Anxiety crept in, coiling her stomach.
Would the past never let her move on? She was so fucking angry.
“Hey, don’t give that dick power over you, he knows jackshit.”
Taking a hard inhale, she leashed all those feelings as she was used to doing, turning to a concerned Tag. He looked murderous. And funnily, she felt more at ease because of it.
“Sorry.” She tried for a smile. “You’re a biker, you don’t need to see me blubbering.”
“I’m a man, darlin’, and no man worth a damn would ever see a woman crying and not break his back to make it right. So, let me make it right.”
“H-how will you do that?” The hiccups made their way up her windpipe.
“Let’s start by letting me hold you.”
Starved for affection, she all but fell into his chest, sighing over how good it felt to be held in competent arms.
She knew she was capable of looking after herself, but his care was intoxicating.
“Thank you.”
“Fuck, darlin’, it kills me when you thank me for the slightest thing.” He rasped thickly. She flicked her gaze up, discovering his chin dipped. If she were a stronger woman, she would have torn her glance away. Instead, she went on gazing at the bluest, most extreme eyes she’d ever seen.
The longing wasn’t disguised, and it swept the air from her lungs.
It rocked the earth under Marianna’s feet.
Longing. On. his. Face.
For her.
Awe. Hunger and surrender. So much lust it almost took out her knees.
Had she been blind all these months?
Yes. Yes, was the fucking answer.
It hit like a train when it came.
Arousal.
Fast and sticky, soaking her panties.
Marianna, for a second, didn’t know what to do in the headlights of those oh-so-blue eyes.
A greedy throb came unbidden and unwelcome.
It was unwelcomed, da?
She hadn’t felt this … anything in forever. Never this strong.
Muttering in Russian, because her brain was mush and couldn’t translate, she took a needed breath and a step back.
It was like an out-of-body experience when she gravitated forward. Almost as if she were pushed by invisible hands. She stopped only when the heat of his bigger body radiated like a furnace through cloth and leather. And then, further shocking herself, Marianna went up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to the edge of his mouth.
Lingering on his stubble.
“Thank you for what you did for me back there. You were very gallant.” And sexy as hell.
Never had a chaste kiss cause her to almost come spontaneously.
Giggly with relief, she wasn’t ruined. Not broken.
Her dormant arousal blazed to life and was barking happily for Tag’s attention.
One silly kiss and she was ready to beg.
“Didn’t you know, darlin’? It’s not a decent night out for a biker until he throttles someone.” Delivered in his rich tone. His eyes softened. “C’mon, let’s get you home.”
It was the biker with the big heart who escorted her home, ushering her into the bathroom to take a hot bubble bath while he fixed them some food.
Glad of the time to think, she took a fast soak.
She didn’t know she’d fallen asleep until she woke up wrapped in a blanket and her head resting on a denim-clad thigh. His bare feet up on the coffee table.
“Good sleep, darlin’?”
“How long was I asleep for?”
“Couple of hours. You flaked out right after dinner while we were watching the TV.”
“Sorry,” she groaned, pulling herself into a seated position, “you didn’t have to stay.”
“Didn’t wanna leave you alone.”
So sweet.
Rising to his feet, she felt safe staring at his back as he walked into the kitchen.
When he returned, he was holding a mug of steaming hot chocolate. Sweetness drifted to her nose, and she almost salivated.
“I didn’t have any cocoa.”
Tag swung into his jacket, sent her a grin. “I put a carton in the cabinet the other day. Get to bed soon, yeah?” Bossy, bossy. She wrinkled her nose at him.
“And I’ll come pick you up in the morning.”
She blinked.
“I walk to work.”
“Not for work, darlin’. I wanna take you somewhere.” When she frowned, he went on. “Trust me.”
Marianna couldn’t admit his directives made her shiver.
He was her friend.
Only her friend.
A friend who soaked her pussy and made her breasts ache.
Was gratitude manifesting into attraction?
It showed how fucked up she’d been for a long time if she couldn’t tell the difference. Galina had been her only stable friend until him.
Kindness had been in short supply for years. The twin’s father, who she fondly thought of as a piece of shit, didn’t have a hand in raising the kids. Paternally or financially.
He played a pivotal role in why she was here now, though. Asshole.
Lessons came hard, males were untrustworthy.
All but one.
She drank the cocoa, sent a prayer to God for answers to all her problems and then climbed into bed.
Sleep came much, much later.
Thoughts ran rampant by picturing Tag dating women who weren’t her. She was driven half mad with jealousy for most of the night.
Her timing sucked.
One thing she knew, now Pandora’s box had sprung open, there was no way to put all her burgeoning feelings for a biker back inside.
Ignore them or embrace them?
That was a good question.
Because of Marianna’s shitty decision-making, she couldn’t trust herself to answer yet.
THIRTEEN
“The actions of a mad man.” - Tag
It’s universally understood: the more someone is off limits, the bigger the dick ache for them becomes.
Tag knew that shit firsthand as he watched Marianna try to contain her excitement, gazing at the display of cell phones.
Picking her up with a coffee earlier in his Raptor, he’d told her they were going into Denver to buy her a new phone. Of fucking course she protested, he’d keel over and die the day she agreed with him off the bat.
His aching balls made him animalistic to possess her. To touch parts of her body that made her melt for him.
Heat flooded his muscles.
The grueling workout this morning was a waste of time, because he was on goddamn fire for a woman who treated him like a brother.
He couldn’t do any of the filthy shit he had on his mind. So he did the next best thing for his urgent soul, and that was to take care of her in other ways.
With her knock-out body, all lithe limbs and promises. Her cold confidence and fuck-me eyes, she could have any drooling guy with a bat of her lashes.
He felt feral knowing he’d hinder anyone trying to get close to her.
He’d snap necks and break bones, do what he had to do to piss a symbolic circle around Marianna. Mine, hands off.
Touching the base of her spine, feeling how she softened for him. He dipped his mouth to the shell of her ear. “Did you decide on which one you like?”
Biting her lip, she turned her head. “They are all very expensive.”
Money wasn’t an issue. “Which one, Marianna?”
“I like the rose gold one.”
Addressing the hovering store assistant. “We’ll take that one. Load it up with the biggest data and storage, yeah?”
“Yes, Sir.” The kid snapped to attention, smelling a big commission. And Tag wasn’t finished yet. He’d seen he
r eyeing the iPads.
“We’ll take the best tablet you got too.”
She swung around. “Tag! No.”
“Yep.”
“It’s not right. I can’t take all this from you.”
“Cook me dinner, make it fair.” But then he added. “We’ll stop for groceries.”
“You want me to cook a meal with the food you also buy?”
He was a goddamn genius. “Yep.” Marianna’s scowl didn’t agree.
“Tag.” She sighed, leaning her shoulder into his chest.
Did she realize she’d been doing that more lately? Yeah, baby, use my body.
“Never said being my friend would be fair, darlin’.”
“You are very sweet.” Shoot him fucking now, “but insufferable. Does anyone tell you no?” Yeah, plenty. He didn’t like hearing it from Marianna, though.
He’d never known what a glutton for punishment he was until she came into his life. Now he sought any contact with her to get a fix, even if he had to become her best fucking friend for life.
She thought he was her savior. Some fucking Prince. When in reality, he was a nasty bastard who dreamed about painting her in his come, having her smell like him all day so she was sticky and turned on by his filthy need.
Fuck him. He was screwed. Because he couldn’t stay away from her.
Wanted to help her more than he wanted to help anyone else.
Tag wasn’t altruistic.
Nor did he want paying back, but if she wanted to climb all over him, he wouldn’t refuse.
Every shy smile she sent his way made his stomach swoop.
It was a currency a man like him didn’t know he wanted. He’d be the most productive pervert there was if he spent every day watching her go through her daily routine.
Dark hair, begging for his fist wrapped around it, cascaded down her back as they waited for the kid to ring up their purchases. Inching closer into his space, he could swear she was seeking comfort from him. Tag touched her hip, reassuring her that everything was fine.
She needed a phone. How the fuck had she lasted this long without one? And the tablet would make video chatting easier for her as soon as he got the internet hooked up at her apartment.