“You okay?” he asked, his green eyes skimming over me. The lights in the bar made his hair seem redder, and his arms flexed as he stopped directly in front of me.
Shaking off the warmth coiling through my veins, I rested my hands on the bar and leaned across it. “Yeah, I’m fine, Lucky. But we have company, and they’re—”
“I told you not to call me that,” he growled.
Then, without a warning, he curled his hand behind my neck and hauled me farther over the bar. Before I could so much as blink, his lips were on mine. He kept the kiss gentle, so it didn’t hurt. Despite the fact that he was hot, and I’d been attracted to him since day one, the way he kissed me was so impersonal that it did . . . nothing.
Nothing at all.
His generous lips were hard under mine, and he didn’t so much as move his lips softly over mine even once. They were just there, pressed against mine, and then they weren’t. He pulled back slightly but didn’t let go of me. “I know they’re here, watching. That’s why I kissed you. They needed to see it before I went over to them.”
I blinked. “I don’t mean to insult your game or anything, but that wasn’t a kiss. I don’t know what it was, but I definitely wouldn’t classify that as a kiss.”
Instead of looking wounded or injured at my insult to his moves, he appeared amused. His green eyes danced, and the smirk I’d come to know so well slid into place. “It wasn’t supposed to be one. Not really. Run your hand down my back.”
He swept his thumb over my jawline, still holding on to me. From a distance, it might look tender and loving, but I knew it for what it really was.
A claiming, intended for those jerks in the corner.
I skimmed my hand down his muscular back. The feeling of his body beneath it affected me much more than that shadow of a kiss had. Not one to follow directions blindly, I slipped my hand down the curve of his ass, cupping it tight. Digging my nails into his jeans, I stared right back at him, not backing down. “How’s this? Good enough of a show for you? Why not just write ‘Taken’ on my forehead for all to see? Or better yet, bend me over the bar and fuck me from behind. Then they’ll really see I’m yours.”
He hissed through his teeth and gripped my chin, holding me still. “Easy, sweetheart. Keep tempting me with that saucy little mouth of yours, and I’ll bite. Hard. I don’t think you want to go down that road with me just yet.”
“Is that a dare?” I smiled at him. “I never could back down from a dare, you know.”
“Good to know.” He leaned close, his lips a breath from mine, and despite myself, my stomach tightened in anticipation. Instinctively, I knew that if he kissed me again, it wouldn’t be the mockery of a kiss that he’d given me earlier. “But I told you that I’d make you admit you wanted me before I touched you again, and I meant it. Are you ready to admit you want me now?”
Hell yeah.
“Nope.” I laughed and patted his butt condescendingly. “Not in a million years. Hate to break it to you, but you’re not really my type, Lucky.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
He traced an invisible path down my throat and over the top of my shirt. His gaze dipped down to my cleavage, then shot back up as if there was nothing much to see there at all. Man, he was good. Too good. “Yeah, I am. But that’s okay. Deny it all you want. We both know the truth.”
Scoffing, I shook my head slightly. “You go on and keep thinking whatever gets your rocks off, man. Don’t let me sink your battleship.”
“Oh, I won’t.” His grip on me tightened. “Because I’m glad you’re not ready for me yet. What would be the fun in winning the fight so quickly? I plan to break you down, slowly and gently, until you finally fall apart in my arms and beg me to fuck you. It’ll make the victory all the sweeter, in the end.”
Ignoring the surge of lust his words brought out in me, I lifted a shoulder. “Whatever you say.”
“Make no mistake. In the end, you’ll be naked in my bed.” He trailed his hand down the curve of my body, barely touching my breast. But it felt as if he’d stripped my shirt off in front of everyone and had his way with me. My stomach clenched tight, and I pressed my thighs together. It did nothing to ease the empty ache inside me. “And you’ll love every second of it, darlin’.”
When he dropped his hand on the bar, I released the breath I’d been holding. “Keep chasing that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, Lucky. You’ll have better luck catching that than me.”
“Who said I wanted to catch you that badly that I’d chase you at all? The way I see it, you’re the one who ran into my arms. You’re the one who needs me, not the other way around,” he said, his cocky brow arched. He gave me a once-over and then lifted a shoulder. “This thing we have between us? For now, it’s a necessary transaction and nothing else.”
“Is that so?” I slid my hand around the curve of his ass, over his hip, and brushed against his dick. And what a dick it was, thank you very much. He was hard and huge and unyielding. Much like the man himself. “Doesn’t feel like just a transaction to me.”
He stepped back, out of my reach. “That, darlin’, is called being a man. You cup a guy’s ass and talk dirty to him, you’re gonna get a reaction. Next time? I’d make sure you’re prepared for it, because you can be damn sure it won’t end with me walking away empty-handed.”
Lucas walked off without another word. Instead of going to the gang members to tell them to leave, he walked by them, nodded once, and sat in the opposite corner of the bar, his back to the wall. When he saw me staring at him, he raised a brow. The small gesture was a hell of a lot more intimidating than the four beefy, hardened gang members tracking me, because unlike with them . . .
I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
CHAPTER 7
LUCAS
Damn it all to hell, Heidi was trying to kill me. I’d been sitting there for three hours now, watching her sashay behind her bar. Back and forth, back and forth, all while wearing those tiny-ass shorts of hers. As if that wasn’t enough torture, she made it a point to flirt with every single guy who came up to her. Every. Single. One.
I knew what game she played, and what she thought she was up to, but even so? It pissed me the hell off. While she might not have admitted it yet, and while I hadn’t had her yet, she belonged to me. And I didn’t share. Hell, I never kept women around long enough for sharing to be an issue in the first place. But still . . .
I wasn’t about to start now.
Some dickhead raised a hand for her attention, and she rested her elbows on the bar and smiled at him, giving him a clear shot of her cleavage. Judging from the way the man shifted on his chair, he took full advantage of that view. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear she didn’t even realize she did it. Didn’t realize how damn seductive everything she did was, from her laugh, to her walk, to the sexy way her hips swung with every step she took.
But she did.
No one was that sexy without knowing it.
She said something else, laughing and shaking her head. The guy got up and walked to the door, not taking his eyes off her until the last possible moment. The clock on the wall showed me why he’d left. It was closing time. Good.
I’d had enough of this waiting bullshit for one night.
When I glanced back at Heidi, she quickly looked away, as if she hadn’t been watching me all along. I involuntarily smiled. Her show of independence was . . . cute. Her attempts at making her disinterest known were even cuter, especially since she thought it would actually work to get me to back off.
Little did she realize, it had the exact opposite effect.
The harder she pushed me away, the more I wanted to pull her closer.
It was in my nature. Who I was, and who I would always be. Tell me I couldn’t have something, and damned if I wouldn’t stop trying until I proved you wrong with a big fuck-you emblazoned in the sky for all to see—after I’d taken the very thing you told me I’d never have. Twice.
Heidi had jus
t made herself even more irresistible.
All last night, I’d sat on the couch, watching both the front door and the bedroom door, where everything I wanted was lying—more than likely naked—in my bed. And I’d been a perfect gentleman. Hadn’t moved off that couch.
If she hadn’t been nearly raped yesterday, I would have taken up the challenge of convincing her to admit her desire for me, before fucking her in every possible position. As it was, it looked as if I’d have plenty of other opportunities. As I’d predicted, those little shits from Bitter Hill were hanging around, just waiting for an opportunity to take her from me.
Waiting to pounce like the dirty vultures they were.
I knew three of the men from past sales, and I recognized the last one from somewhere, too, but I couldn’t quite place him. Business with them was a necessary evil. They dealt in drugs, while we did guns, so there was no competition there. Up until now, we’d peacefully worked side by side without issues.
Up until I’d killed some of their guys last night, anyway.
They’d been tailing me all day, and I knew it was only a matter of time until they made their move. What that move would be? I had no clue. But it wouldn’t happen in here. Heidi didn’t need us breaking up her bar or causing the police to shut her down. If they wanted a fight, they’d get one.
Hell, I’d love to give them one.
Just not here.
I lifted my empty glass at Heidi, and she rolled her eyes from across the room. I’d been slowly sipping my whiskey all night, not willing to risk getting shitfaced while we had the enemy in our midst. They weren’t here to drink—that much was obvious, since their still-full beers sat on their table untouched—so I couldn’t afford to be stupid.
Again.
After Heidi had a low conversation with her bouncer, who had reappeared a few minutes ago, the boy looked over at me, frowned, and went back upstairs. I could just barely make out the steps before a door closed behind him. I had a feeling that his dismissal had more to do with keeping him out of trouble than with the time. Judging by the worried glances she’d been throwing at him ever since he’d come down and seen the Bitter Hill Crew still hanging around, she had a soft spot for the boy.
If that was the case, she shouldn’t be so obvious about it.
It was rule number two in this life. Never show your weakness. If you did, it gave them a chance to exploit it . . . and you. A lock clicked as his footsteps climbed higher and higher, and then I heard him walking above us. So did the four men in the opposite corner. Heidi stared at the closed door, let out a sigh, swiped her hands down her shorts, and nodded at me once.
We were the only people left in the bar.
She carried over a glass of whiskey, shooting the men in the corner a narrow-eyed glance as she passed, snapping at them, “It’s closing time. Time to go home.”
Her steps faltered when one of the pricks lifted his hand, made a gun figure, and pulled the “trigger.” It was the guy I couldn’t quite place. It took me a second, but then I finally recognized him. It was the one I’d let go—the one with a star tattoo on his neck. I should have popped him. I’d correct that lapse in judgment tonight.
Growling, I lurched to my feet. “Outside. Now.”
“Don’t.” Heidi slid the glass across my table and shook her head, her lips pressed in a tight line. “It’s not worth it.”
She rested a small hand on my chest. It burned through my shirt, and some foreign emotion swept through me. I shook off the unfamiliar feelings she caused, not even sure what the hell they meant, and filed them away for a day when I was ready to examine my emotions more closely.
Aka, never.
Behind her, the leader, Phil, kicked the one who’d upset Heidi and whispered something to him. The other man lowered his head. I glanced down at her, and she stared back, her blue eyes crystal clear but shadowed. They were still missing that sparkle that had intrigued me initially.
That pissed me off even more than the fucker’s actions did.
“The hell it isn’t,” I snarled. The other four men stood, hands resting on their pieces. Pieces we’d sold to them. Heidi stepped in front of me for the second time that night. “Get out of my way before you get hurt.”
Curling her hands in my shirt, she held on tight and didn’t budge. “No.”
“I don’t take orders from you, darlin’.” I gripped her hands and forcibly removed them from my shirt. “In fact, you’re supposed to take them from me.”
“I’m not one of your men,” she argued, her hands stiff under mine. “So you can take your orders and shove them up your—”
“Heidi.” Amusement trickled past my irritation at her resistance, but it wasn’t strong enough to win the battle. Didn’t she see I was trying to help her? “Get out of my way.”
When she didn’t move fast enough for my tastes, I picked her up and set her aside. But she didn’t let go of me. In fact, she curled both hands in my shirt and shoved me against the wall. If anyone else had done that, they’d be dead on the floor right now.
I stumbled back. “What the f—?”
Throwing her arms around me, she kissed me. Unlike my cold, calculated kiss . . . she was all fucking in. Her mouth moved over mine, and her tongue swept inside my mouth, seeking mine. I kept my eyes cracked open, refusing to let those shits out of my line of sight. They watched us intently, so I cupped her ass and hauled her against me, letting out a groan to make it look realistic.
Oh so slightly, I let my fingers trace the insides of her thighs, barely brushing against the heat of her pussy. Man, I wished we had privacy, so I could actually enjoy this. But we didn’t, so I couldn’t. She, however, had no qualms about letting her feelings take over, and practically melted in my arms. A moan escaped her, and it distracted me.
Almost dragged me in.
If this had been an actual kiss, one that would end with her naked beneath me, I’d spin her, press against the wall right now, and my hands would be learning every inch of her body. Every. Delicious. Inch. It wasn’t real, though.
And that would have to wait.
If she wanted to sell the story to these guys, I would let her. We were together, and fucking—as far as Bitter Hill knew, anyway. Whatever. But I’d be damned if I lost myself in her, in fiction or real life. I wanted her, yes. But that was it.
No matter how she made me feel, or how much I liked her, it would never become anything else. It couldn’t. She’d have to know that before I touched her for real.
Breaking the kiss off, I pushed her behind me. Miraculously, she didn’t fight me this time. In fact, she clung to the back of my shirt, shuddering slightly behind me. “Holy shit,” she muttered under her breath.
I almost smiled. Almost.
“You need to back off my girl,” I said, my voice low and hard. I didn’t need to shout to get my point across, and all six of us knew it. “Find somewhere else to drink and cause trouble. I let you off with a warning last night. It won’t happen again.”
The lieutenant motioned for his boys to stay back, and rounded the table. “You consider last night a warning? You killed two of my guys.”
“It could have been three, Phil.” I shrugged and stared at the man who’d dared to “shoot” my girl. “Still could be. Tonight.”
Phil laughed and ruffled his brown hair with his left hand. “We have four guns, and you have one. It’s hardly a fair fight.”
“You’re right.” I eyed them and just as quickly dismissed them. Easy. “You should have brought at least two more guys. We all know George and Patrick aren’t the best in a fight, and I already bested this idiot last night.”
“Fuck you,” said idiot snapped.
He came a step closer, and I lifted my shirt a bit, resting my hand on my Sig. It was a violation of my parole to carry, but I didn’t give a damn. In my line of work, doing business unarmed was a death sentence. “That’s close enough. You want a fight? I’ll give you one, gladly. But take it outside my girl’s bar.”
<
br /> Phil laughed, and the other three joined in. Admittedly, their laughter sounded a little forced. “You talk a big game, but you let a hot piece of pussy stop you from fighting?”
“Excuse me?” Heidi tensed behind me and let go of my shirt. I knew without looking they’d managed to piss her off. And once she was pissed off, there’d be no shutting her up. In the time I’d frequented her bar, I’d learned that. She came out from behind me, her finger raised as she pointed to them. “You can take your untouched beers, and kiss my a—”
“Enough.” I grabbed her and propelled her toward the bar with a gentle shove between her shoulder blades. “Finish closing up. I’ve got this, darlin’.”
She shrugged free of my hold. “The hell you do. I refuse to be shuffled aside like a good little—”
“Heidi.” I locked eyes with her, giving her the look that Chris always said could scare the clothes off a nun. “Go.”
For a second, I thought she wasn’t going to listen. Her eyes flashed with anger, and she jabbed a finger at me. “We’ll talk about this later.” And then she spun on her heel and went behind the bar, slamming things around as she finished closing up.
I sighed. Tonight was going to be a bitch.
Phil laughed again. I’d never wanted to kill someone for laughing as badly as I did right now. “Shit. If I had any doubts about your relationship, they just went away,” he said, amusement clear in his tone.
“Oh?” I turned around and raised a brow. “Why’s that?”
“Because she yelled at you and you didn’t shoot her.” He grinned. “Also, the evidence that you’re pussy-whipped is there for any fool to see.”
The hell I was.
But I wasn’t about to argue with this fucker. His misconception worked to my benefit. “You need to clear out and consider this place off-limits. You’re lucky I only killed two of your guys this time.” I gave a curt nod toward the asshole I let live and had the satisfaction of seeing him pale. “Or would you be okay if I let one of my guys come to your house and rape your girl?”
Dare To Run (The Sons of Steel Row #1) Page 7