by Jessica Ames
“You can’t let that asshole determine your future, Amy.”
She’s right, but I can’t help it. The thought of getting close to a man makes my stomach fill with ice. Can I really do it? Can I really allow a man like Shane into my world? Any man, in fact. I thought Dr Hofstadter was a good guy, and look what happened there.
“It’s only dinner, right? It’s not like he’s proposing,” I mutter, my hand scraping over my eyes. What am I thinking? Dinner. With an outlaw.
I’ve finally lost my mind.
“Go, see what happens. You might really enjoy yourself. If you don’t, well, you don’t have to see him again.”
“Good point.”
“Amy?”
“Yeah?”
“I want all the gossip tomorrow. You’d better call me.”
I laugh. There won’t be any gossip because I plan on behaving myself, but I say, “Obviously I’ll call. Thanks, girl.”
“Anytime.”
Harmony hangs up and I toss my phone onto the bed, wondering for the thousandth time what I’m doing.
Flame is, as I expect, crowded. Every table is full and the waitresses are bustling between the tables. The atmosphere is electric and nerves fire through me as I wait for the hostess to finish with the couple in front of me.
I hope he hasn’t stood me up.
I fidget with my purse, my nerves tingling as I peer around the room. It’s then I see Shane sitting at a table near the window. He hasn’t seen me yet and he looks as nervous as I’m feeling. He also looks delicious. That blond fuzz of hair covering his head and the beard covering his jaw make him look fierce, and the butterflies in my belly start to beat their wings against my stomach.
“Welcome to Flame,” the hostess says.
“Thank you. Reservation under Shane. I can see him sitting over there.” I point in the direction of Shane and she nods, grabbing a menu and indicating I should follow her.
My heart is galloping in my chest the closer we get to the table and by the time we reach the side of it, I’m practically panting. Shane peers up and his lips curve into a smile even as his eyes go molten.
He eyes me like I’m the only woman in the world and that makes a blush creep up my cheeks.
“You look beautiful,” he tells me, and the heat in my face gets hotter.
I’m glad I went with jeans, heeled boots and a floaty shirt that hangs off one shoulder. He’s also wearing jeans and a dark blue plaid shirt that molds to the contours of his chest, showing me every ripple of his body—and what a body it is.
My mouth dries as I shrug out of my jacket and hang it over the back of my chair before I take my seat.
“You look pretty amazing yourself,” I say. “How’s the wrist and cheek?”
My eyes drift between his arm and the stitches I put into his face. “Fine. Wrist itches like shit, but I expected that.”
I fiddle with the menu as I tug my bottom lip between my teeth. My heart is racing as fast as my brain as I try to think up conversation.
Shane suddenly reaches across the table and snags my hand. As soon as he touches me, I feel the breath caught in my chest loosen and I breathe easier.
“You nervous?” he asks in his delicious accent.
“A little,” I admit.
“Don’t be. It’s just dinner.”
Just dinner. Right. I take a deep lungful of air. “Have you looked over the menu yet?”
“Skimmed it. I’m thinking I’ll have a steak.”
That does sound good. I flick the menu over and start to look at the dishes. “I still can’t believe you got a table here.”
“Told you. Club knows the owner.”
“How does the club get to know the owner of a restaurant?” I’m genuinely curious about this answer.
“Not sure how Omen knows him, but the club works with a shit ton of businesses in the local area. At least that’s the case with my own club.”
“How long are you in Tennessee for?” The answer to this scares me. The thought of him leaving town makes my stomach fill with ice.
“Honestly, ain’t sure. It’s not supposed to be long term, but I can think of a few reasons to stay now.”
He meets my eyes and I melt under his stare. God, this man can make me hot with just a look. It’s a good thing this is just a thank you dinner and nothing more, otherwise my panties might spontaneously combust.
“I’d like it if you stayed,” I admit for some unknown reason.
It makes him smile, which I vow to do more often. He’s sexy as hell when he smiles. It makes him seem less severe.
“What made you choose medicine?” I ask.
“Wanted to help people. Forces seemed like it offered a chance to be a part of something bigger, something important. I came to enjoy the brotherhood, the sense of family I had in the army. When I got out, I still wanted that. It’s how I ended up with the Sons. They’re family to me. How about you?”
My heart clenches for a moment before the grief that holds me releases its grip. “My mom died of breast cancer when I was fifteen.” I give him a sad smile. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t miss my mom. She was a huge part of my life, until she wasn’t. “I was amazed by the nursing staff who took care of her. I wanted to do that for another family.”
“Sorry about your mum,” he says.
“Thank you. They say that time makes grief less, but that’s never been the case for me.”
“Me neither. I still remember the brothers I lost out in the field as if it happened yesterday.”
I stare at him, wondering how much shit he’s seen, how bad things must have been in his line of work. I see my share of trauma in the ER, but field medicine in a warzone is another game altogether.
“I’m sorry that happened.”
“Yeah, me too.”
We order food and continue talking. Our conversation is surprisingly easy and I feel like I’ve known this man my entire life as I open up to him. By the time our food comes, I forgot we were here to eat.
Like Shane, I also went for the steak and it looks divine. I cut a piece off and take a mouthful, nearly moaning at how tasty it is. “This is so good.”
He smiles. “Yeah, Omen said it was good food.”
“It’s better than good. This is literally the best thing I’ve ever had in my mouth.”
His eyes lock onto my lips and I see the hunger in his gaze. He looks like he wants to consume me whole and that makes me squirm in my seat.
“I can think of something sweeter I’d like to have in my mouth.”
I nearly choke on my steak. The innuendo in his words has between my legs throbbing.
“Shane…” I breathe his name out and he grins.
“Maybe I’ll have you for dessert.”
God, that makes wetness flood to my pussy. Did he really just say that? My chest heaves as I try to regain control of the situation.
“You can’t say things like that in public.”
“Why not?”
Because now I’m horny and stuck somewhere I can’t act upon it. “You just can’t,” I breathe out my words and he smirks.
“Maybe I’ll take you somewhere after and eat you.”
My eyes pop, quickly scanning the restaurant to make sure no one heard his dirty talk. I can’t deny the fact he’s getting me hot. This man might just be the death of me.
6
Whizz
My words shock her. I can tell by the pink staining her cheeks and the way her eyes dart around the restaurant, as if checking we weren’t overheard. I don’t give a fuck if anyone heard my words. I meant them. I want to take her home and eat that sweet, sinful pussy.
“Shane!” She hisses my name and I smirk.
“You don’t want me to eat your pussy?”
She makes a garbled sound in the back of her throat, her eyes flaring. “A thank you dinner, remember? That’s all this is.”
“What if I want to say thank you a different way?”
I know I’m p
ushing her, but fuck, this woman makes me want things I’ve never wanted before. I’m not a Boy Scout—I’ve been with my share of women—but Amy’s different. She’s the sunshine to my darkness, the sweet to my sour, the good to my bad. I should let her walk away, she’s too pure for a man like me, but I can’t. I want her and I’m not prepared to let her slip through my fingers. I think she wants me too. I don’t miss the covert looks she sneaks in my direction when she thinks I’m not looking. The way her eyes trace my mouth and the way she keeps pulling her bottom lip between her teeth. Yeah, I affect her, and I like that I do.
“Shane,” she breathes my name on a rush of air.
I let her off the hook. “How was your steak?” I indicate her empty plate. She ate everything, even the garnish, so it must have been fucking good.
Clearing her throat and shifting in her chair, she says, “Beautiful. Perfectly cooked, but I didn’t expect anything different. Flame has a hell of a reputation.”
“Yeah, the lads said I should come here when I asked about decent restaurants in the area to bring a beautiful lady.”
She smiles, ducking her head. “Friends only, remember.”
“Right,” I agree, even though I have no intention of being friends with this woman. She’d talked my ear off during dinner, told me every aspect of her life. She’d told me about her mum dying, her dad spiraling after and how her brother became protective of his sisters. She told me of how she worked hard to get into her job and how she loves her work. There’s something she’s holding back, though. I’m not sure what it is, but I’ll get it out of her eventually. I want to know everything about her.
I don’t want the evening to end, but I know they have another booking for the table, so I signal the waitress and have her bring the bill over. She brings it after a moment and Amy starts to rummage in her bag.
“How much was it? What do I owe?”
I snort at her. “How about nothing.”
Her eyes snap to mine. “I’m not letting you pay. It’s not fair.”
“Ain’t letting me do shit, Amy. I asked you to dinner, ain’t letting you pay.”
The waitress glances between us and I hand her the money. She rushes away, clearly sensing the argument brewing.
“Shane—”
“Just let me pay, babe. Ain’t going to kill you.”
Amy clamps her mouth shut and sighs. “Fine, thank you.”
I push up from my seat and she follows, shrugging back into her jacket. I help her get her arms in, brushing her hair off her neck as I do. She freezes and her eyes find mine as I skim my fingers over her skin. She feels soft, like silk and I want to touch her again, but I pull my hands away.
My eyes gravitate to her mouth as Amy turns back to me. Full, pouty with a perfect Cupid’s bow. I want to claim that mouth, make it mine, and I will before the night is out.
“Shouldn’t I be helping you?” she asks softly. “You’re the one with a cast.”
“Broken wrist ain’t going to slow me down, babe.”
I hold out my other hand to her and she hesitates for a second before slipping her hand into mine. She’s smaller, more delicate than I am and the urge to protect her is overwhelming.
Together, we leave the restaurant and head out to the car park area. “Where’re you parked, babe?” I ask.
She points to her sporty looking jeep on the far side of the lot. I want to chastise her for parking so far from the doors, for walking that far across a darkened parking area, but I hold my tongue, as much as it fucking pains me to do it.
“What about you? Where’re you parked?”
“I got a lift in with one of the prospects.”
“So… are they here to pick you up?” She peers around, as if expecting a car to appear out of the ether.
“I’ll call him once I’ve got you off safely.”
Her eyes snap to mine and her nose wrinkles. “I’m not going to leave you here alone.”
I can’t stop from grinning at her words. “Your concern for me is fucking adorable, babe, but I can take care of myself.”
“It doesn’t feel right to just abandon you here. I’ll give you a ride home.”
The idea of spending more time with her is an alluring one, so even though I don’t like the thought of her going out of her way, I find myself saying, “You sure?”
“Absolutely. That’s what friends do, right?”
I snort. If she thinks we’re just friends, she’s fucking delusional.
“Babe…”
“We are friends, aren’t we?”
I peer down at her, my eyes crawling over every inch of her face. She’s so fucking beautiful and I want her more than I’ve ever wanted any woman before. I dip my head and I press my mouth to hers. Her lips feel soft, warm, and fucking amazing. Amy stiffens for a moment before she melts against me. I want to roar my triumph, shout from the rooftops my success, but I keep moving my mouth over hers.
Her tongue moves to mine and I curl mine around hers, sucking it into my mouth. She tastes of the meal we’ve just eaten, sweet and delicious.
Her fingers come to my shoulders, digging into my skin as she uses me to brace herself. I relish the slight bite of pain that mixes with the overwhelming sense of pleasure that’s flooding my body.
My hands move to the back of her head, tangling in her thick locks of hair as I tug her closer, allowing me to deepen the kiss. Our tongues continue to dance over each other’s and I can feel my cock starting to wake up.
This kiss is like nothing I’ve ever experienced. My legs feel weak beneath me and I know hers do too, because she’s gripping my shoulders like I’m the only thing keeping her upright.
When I finally break the kiss, we’re both breathless. Her eyes are wide, shocked by what just happened, but I can see the happiness in them too.
I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. I want to take her home and love on her, but I don’t think she’s ready yet.
“Let’s get home, yeah?”
She nods. “Okay.”
I kiss her again, loving how her hands skim under my shirt to the skin on my back, and I know in that instant she’s going to be mine.
7
Amy
I kissed Shane. The man I was supposed to be going for a thank you dinner with, not the man I was supposed to be developing feelings for. During dinner, we got on so well, shared a lot of the same ideals. I was surprised as hell. I didn’t think we’d have anything in common, but that wasn’t the case. Both of our experiences in medicine gave us ground to share stories.
Now, I’m driving him home to his clubhouse after kissing the shit out of him. Yeah, I’m in trouble.
The thing is, kissing him felt amazing. It was like my world starting to turn a little faster on its axis and my knees went weak. Every inch of my body burned with fire. I needed more of him. I didn’t feel any of the negative thoughts that usually seep in whenever I’m with a man—not that there’s been a lot of them since the incident.
As I drive, I’m hyperaware of him sitting in the passenger seat. My synapses tingle with anticipation as he moves his hand to sit on my thigh. He feels warm, heavy and I love it.
“I had a fucking good night tonight, babe,” he says.
I smile. “I did too.”
“You sound surprised.”
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, if I’m being honest.”
“Did it meet your expectations?”
I split my gaze between the road and him, my heartbeat picking up speed. “Surpassed.”
A smile plays on his lips. “Got fucking lucky when I crashed.”
I frown at him. “You got a broken wrist and a scarred-up face. How is that lucky?”
“Never would have met you if I hadn’t.”
He squeezes my thigh. A pleasant flush of warmth goes through me and I can’t stop from grinning. This man ties me up in knots, but one thing I do know is that I feel whole when I’m with him. He doesn’t see me as a victim of sexual assault, he doesn’t know abo
ut what happened with Dr Hofstadter, so he sees the real me, not the broken version left behind. I don’t know why I’m able to trust him, why he makes me feel safe, but he does. I don’t feel like I’m different when I’m with him. I feel like the old Amy and that’s intoxicating. I forgot what that version of me looked like.
“It’s just here.” He indicates a building on the corner of the street behind wire fences. I can see the rows of bikes inside the perimeter and hear the bass of music from here. It’s a squat building, one story but it seems to sprawl across the compound it’s set in.
“This is home?”
“For now,” he tells me. “Never had anywhere to call home until I met the Sons. Before that I bounced around whatever barracks I was stationed at. London chapter of the club gave me a solid base, a foundation. Leaving wasn’t easy.”
“Why did you leave?”
He peers out the windshield and shrugs. “Club needed me here.”
“That’s mysterious.”
Shane grins. “Ain’t nothing mysterious about it. My president needed me here, so I came.” His eyes find mine. “Glad I did now.”
I want to ask what happens if we get closer and he has to go home, back to London, but we’ve had one date that wasn’t supposed to be a date. I don’t know why I’m even considering a future with him. My brain shouldn’t be thinking that way.
He reaches out and trails fingers down my cheek. I lean into his touch, unable to stop myself from wanting his heat.
“I want to see you again.”
I should say no. I should walk away, but I find myself nodding.
“When are you free next?”
“Maybe midweek.”
He kisses my mouth, his tongue swirling inside mine and my heart stops. I feel like I’m floating outside of my body. His hand slips onto my hip and I flinch. It’s a response I can’t stop, a reaction left over from my assault, but Shane pulls back immediately.
“You okay?” he demands, concern bleeding through his words. His eyes scan my face, searching as my face feels too hot.