And him. He may have agreed to my silly request, but he doesn’t like it; it’s evident in his behavior. He hasn’t been hostile, only a little indifferent. Over the last week, we’ve barely talked, even though I’ve seen him every day. He came into the pet shop once for a refill on mice, and he’s seen me home from the gym every night. I always find him waiting for me by the juice bar, cup in hand. “Thank you” and “no problem, darlin’” have probably been the extent of our conversations. Every day I watch him work out, track the droplets of sweat as they trickle down his face and arms, lick my lips when the bulge and ripple of his muscles make them dry. Then at the end, I get to smell him, freshly showered and sense-tinglingly awesome.
God, I want him.
Why can’t I be less complicated and give in to what my body wants? Stupid brain always wants to be in charge. For once, I wish I could be someone else… someone normal.
Sighing, I finish my shower, get dressed, and prepare to face Venom. He’s right where he always is, but tonight Kurt is with him. My text alert sounds from my phone, and I pull it out of my pocket. My mood goes sour the moment I see who the message is from.
James: Have an answer for me?
Emily: The answer is and always will be NO.
James: We’ll see.
“You okay?” Venom asks, brows creased.
“Yeah. No worries,” I brush off his concern. It’s not like he can do anything about the situation.
“Sit.” He motions to the stool next to him. Kurt steps back as I take my seat. “You head on home,” Venom tells him. “I’ll do the rest.”
“Thanks. See you guys tomorrow,” he says.
“Bye, Kurt,” I reply.
I have no idea what they’re talking about, but Kurt nods and walks away. My brain is still addled by thoughts of James the asshole, so I drown out the two men and suck on the straw sticking out of my cup.
“What’s going on with you?” Venom’s voice drags me back to the moment.
“Huh?”
“Something on that phone is fucking with you again. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s personal.”
“Anything I can do to help?”
“No, but thanks.”
“Hey, what are friends for, right?” He shrugs.
“Yeah… friends.” I roll my eyes internally at the word.
“So… have you decided when you’re going back to Atlanta?”
“I think I might stick around for a while. Stony View is growing on me.” So is a certain bearded hunk.
“What about work? Don’t you have a job to get back to?”
“No. Uncle Jeff is friends with the principal of the high school, and he said he may be able to get me in part time or as a sub when school starts back up.”
“You’re a teacher?”
“I used to be. This should give me some room to breathe while I figure things out.”
“What are you trying to figure out?” His gray eyes meet mine, searching for an answer I don’t want to give.
I break our gaze, looking down at my cup. “Life. It hasn’t really turned out the way I hoped.”
“What were you hoping for?”
“I don’t know. Something different, I guess. I love to bake and always thought I’d be running my own catering business by now.”
“So why aren’t you?”
“Again, life. It got in the way.”
“Emily, look at me.”
I face him, unable to turn away from his eyes this time. They hold me captive, making me their willing prisoner.
“Life’s too short to not do what makes you happy. If that’s what you want, you should go for it.”
Yeah, like it’s that easy. I can’t just start a business. Besides, baking is why I now have to live in the gym. I’m a stress eater, and with everything I’ve gone through over the years, chocolate cake became my best friend. So did red velvet. Hell, anything with sugar. Once I passed the two-hundred-pound mark and my doctor said I was borderline diabetic, I decided I had to change my habits. I gave up baking and did my best to steer clear of anything that could be labeled “dessert.”
“What about you? Are you doing what makes you happy?”
“Fuck yeah. Don’t I look it?” His lips curl up in a smile, exposing his impossibly white teeth.
“What’s that? Feeding rats to your snake?”
“A part of it.” He chuckles.
“Tell me about it.”
“What, the snake?” he asks, smirking and leaving the unasked portion of the question in the air.
Nope. The anaconda. Tell me about that. “Of course, the snake!” I giggle, gently smacking his arm. Shit. That arm? Hard. That’s all I can say. I feel like I hit a wall.
“Do you really wanna hear about it?”
“I wanna hear about you. What do you do?”
“Well, the MC owns a few businesses. We’re all equal partners in those.”
“What businesses?” I take another sip of my drink, eager to hear more about the man sitting next to me.
“Patch, the auto parts store, and the Pretty Kitty, a strip club outside of town.”
“Strip club?” I raise a brow. “You guys must love that.”
“We’re men.” He lifts a shoulder. “What’s not to love about naked women dancing?”
“What about guys?”
“What?” he asks, confused.
“What about male dancers? I’m sure women enjoy naked men dancing.” I waggle my brows, then run my gaze over his body, hoping he can take a joke.
“Fuck no. And don’t get any ideas.” He points at me. “Unless you want to give me a little show.”
I almost choke on my drink. “Um, no.”
“We do have pole dancing classes here, you know,” he adds with a smirk.
“Oh, shit!” I look at the time on my phone, now realizing we’ve been sitting here for a while. The place should have closed thirty minutes ago. And… Kurt left. “It just occurred to me… you told Kurt to go home. Who’s going to lock up?”
“I am.” He drops a bunch of keys on the counter.
“You have keys? Why do you have keys? Do you know the owner or something?”
“Or something.”
“Wait… it’s you, isn’t it? This is your gym?”
“It is.” He nods, watching me with a keen eye, assessing my reaction. “Kurt manages it for me.”
I don’t know why I didn’t realize it sooner. All the hushed conversations I’ve seen him having with members of staff, especially Kurt. The way he would disappear into the back sometimes, how helpful he is to the members. I’m such a dumbass. Oh, God… I really am a dumbass!
“There’s no promotion, is there?” I ask, voice accusatory.
“Promotion?”
“When I tried to sign up, Kurt said there was some kind of promotion going on for a free month of membership.”
“That’s what he told you?” Venom chuckles, not at all bothered by my now defensive mood.
“Yes. What was this, some other ploy to get me in your bed?” I hop to my feet, no longer able to sit quietly.
His jaw clenches. “I don’t need ploys to fuck a woman, darlin’,” he spits out, his voice quite… well, venomous.
I reach into my bag, snagging my credit card and slapping it on the counter. He’s clenching his teeth so hard, I can practically hear them gnashing against each other.
“I don’t want your money.”
“Fine.” I pick up my bag and my card, leaving him sitting at the juice bar. “I’ll just have Kurt charge it tomorrow.”
I’m fuming all the way to the truck, cursing myself under my breath. Since when have I had the luck to get anything for free? When the fuck did I become so gullible? Shit. I toss my bag in the front seat, but before I can climb in, someone grabs me from behind. I’m pulled against a hard body, my startled scream muffled when a hand clamps over my mouth.
Fuck.
CHAPTER 4
***Venom***
“It’s me, Emily,” I assure her as she struggles against me. “I’m going to move my hand, just calm down.”
It’s a good thing Kurt had already shut everything down; I wouldn’t have caught up to her if I had to do more than lock the front doors. The moment I release her, she spins to face me, fists flying everywhere.
“You asshole! You scared the shit out of me!” she screams.
I grab her hands, forcing her against the truck and stilling her movements with my body. She freezes. Her ragged breathing no longer indicates anger but something else entirely.
This woman is killing me.
Why did she think I could ever be friends with her? There’s nothing friendly about the thoughts that run through my mind whenever I see her. Whenever I don’t see her. Being around her every day doesn’t make it any better. I swear I have the worst case of blue balls since I left high school. I’ve even avoided the Hounds because I know I can’t substitute one woman for another. I need the one whose body is crushed to mine right now.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“Well, you did.”
“Look.” I ease off, giving us both some room. “I promise you, it was no ploy. If it was, I would’ve told you it was my gym, made you feel obligated, or impressed, or whatever you think it was supposed to do. Think about it.”
She chews on her lip and I can see it on her face that she knows I’m right. She just won’t admit it so easily.
“You were having a shitty day. I wanted to do something nice for you.”
“You paid for my lunch that day, too. Why?”
“Same reason. I wasn’t expecting you to fuck me because I paid for your salad, Emily.” I take a deep breath, running my fingers through my hair.
“Venom.” She expels a breath through her mouth, shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I just… I told you. I told you to stay away from me.”
“I don’t know how, darlin’. I want you too much.” She lets out another breath, a shiver running through her. I step closer, taking her chin and tilting her face up toward mine. “Stop fighting, Emily.”
“I can’t. It’s the only thing I know,” she whispers, tears shimmering in her eyes.
Fuck.
Pulling her into my arms, I hold her until her rigid body relaxes, and then I keep holding her. Her hands slide around my waist, face pressing into my chest.
What are you hiding, Emily? What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?
“I should go.” She sniffs. “Uncle Jeff will be wondering where I am.”
“Okay, darlin’. Let’s go.”
I see her home like every other night, this time wondering how I’m going to get through to her. I should be running for the hills. Women like Emily never want the same thing I do—no strings attached. But I can’t run. Not when staying means I could help her.
Unlike the other nights, I park and walk with her to the door. She mumbles her thanks while pushing the key into the lock.
“Emily, wait.”
She pauses, an expectant look in her eyes as she watches me. Even with a tinge of sadness, they’re still gorgeous. I’ve never seen eyes as green as hers. The things I’ve imagined about those eyes… staring up as she kneels before me, open wide when I sink into her for the first time, gazing at me fully sated.
Now I would give anything for them not to seem so lifeless.
“Here.” I hand her my phone. “Put your number in.” She doesn’t argue, punching in her name and number, then handing my cell back to me. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
I want to tug her into my arms and kiss away everything weighing her down, but I restrain myself. That’s not me. It’s bordering on emotional territory; way out of bounds for me. I need to find out who’s fucking with her. I eliminate that problem, she opens up.
She opens up to me.
Hopefully her thighs first.
Shit. I head to the clubhouse, knowing I won’t be able to sleep yet. I’m bound to find something there to keep me occupied.
Sure as hell, Razor, Tek, Booker, and Charger are seated on the couch, observing what seems to be a game of strip pool between two of the girls. Melody’s tits jiggle, nipples sliding on the table as she makes a shot. Her ball rolls into the corner pocket, leading Trixie to remove the last of her clothes—her panties. The redhead makes a show of it, wiggling her ass in the guys’ direction.
Shaking my head, I make my way to the bar. Marisol hands me a beer, her glossy, bubble gum–pink lips curling up in a smile.
“Hi, Venom.”
“Hey, Marisol. Your girls are enjoying themselves, I see.”
We’re down to three Hounds now. There used to be more, but after weeding out a few bad apples, and most of the guys having old ladies, we decided to get all new girls. We got one of each, too: a blonde, a redhead, and a brunette. These three seem to be fitting in well. As long as they do their jobs—taking care of the men in and out of the bedroom—they might last a while. Raven keeps them in check, too, making sure they show respect to all the old ladies. She’s fierce, that one. They don’t want to cross her.
“What do you say? You and me next?” Marisol asks.
She’s my favorite of the three, and I’ve taken her to my room more times than I can count, but tonight, the dark-haired beauty isn’t doing it for me.
Cursing under my breath, I shake my head. “Not tonight, sugar lips.”
This is all Emily’s fault.
Fuck.
I leave the bar, taking a chair and joining my brothers. “What’s up, perverts?”
“Look who’s talking!” Razor chuckles. “Birds of a feather, motherfucker.”
“Yeah, yeah.” I take a sip of my beer, watching the pool game with disinterest.
“What the fuck’s wrong with you?”
“Yeah,” Tek chimes in. “Figured you’d have dragged Marisol back to your room already.”
“Just not feeling it tonight.”
“Oh, shit. Don’t tell me you found a woman, too?”
Gage and Einstein walk in right in time to hear the question. I throw a death glare at Razor.
“Who’s got a woman?” Gage asks.
The prez and VP stand before our little group, gazes sliding over our faces. Einstein smirks at me.
Fuck.
“I bet it’s Venom,” he says, his grin telling me he’s getting back at me for a little stunt I pulled a while back with his old lady and her kid. He’s the only one who didn’t find it funny.
“Who is it? Anyone we know?” Gage asks, pulling up a chair.
“There’s no woman.”
“Bullshit,” Charger says. “He’s been sulking around here for days, and he just passed up Marisol.”
Einstein laughs, while Gage tries his damnedest not to as he asks, “The brunette? Isn’t she your favorite?”
“What are you two doing here, anyway?” I try to change the subject. “Your old ladies give you your balls back for the night?”
The men on the couch snicker, but Gage and Einstein aren’t bothered.
“Hey, my balls have never been happier,” Gage says, quickly turning to Einstein and pointing a finger in warning. “Not a word about my sister and your balls.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.”
The prez pushes to his feet, tapping Einstein’s shoulder. “We came to check on things but,” he glances over his shoulder at the girls, “I see you have everything under control. We’re gonna head out.”
“Cool.” I stand also, deciding to turn in. “See you tomorrow, fellas.”
As I pass the pool table, Trixie bends over for a shot and I playfully smack her ass. She giggles but I don’t stop or look back, discouraging further interaction.
Locking the door behind me, I undress and climb into bed. I know my brothers mean well, but if you give them an inch, they’ll go ten miles. If I even mention Emily, they’ll start designing my tat. It’s a Dealer tradition—you claim a woman, you ink he
r on your back. It could be her name or a symbol, anything that represents her. I don’t know Emily well enough to tell if she’s wifey material, but it doesn’t matter. That’s not what I’m looking for.
I grab my phone to set the alarm, and before I can stop it, my thumb is scrolling to Emily’s name, tapping it to send the call. I wasn’t expecting her to answer, but her voice comes through the speaker after the third ring.
“Hello?” she answers in a curious voice.
“Did I wake you?”
“Venom? Um… no. I was in bed, but I was reading.”
“What book?” What book? What. Book? Really, that’s the best you can do?
“You wouldn’t be interested,” she replies with a soft laugh. “It’s a romance novel.”
Now we’re talking. “Were you at the good part?”
“The good part? You mean where the hero declares his undying love for the heroine and they live happily ever after?”
“I mean the part where she finally stops playing hard to get and lets the dude fuck her.”
She goes silent, and I wonder if I’ve gone too far. I’m about to apologize when she speaks up.
“I’m only a few chapters in. They haven’t known each other long enough to do that.”
“I see. How long is she making him wait?” I ask, continuing our little game.
“I can’t tell. Right now he seems nice, but she’s afraid of trusting him. She doesn’t want to get hurt.”
“Because she’s been hurt before?”
There’s another pause, and then she says, “There’s some allusion to it, but nothing’s been revealed yet.”
Just as I thought. Some asshole hurt her, so she’s built a wall around herself. Sometimes I don’t understand my own gender. What’s so hard about treating a woman right? If you know you can’t settle down, why promise exclusivity?
“Okay, Em. You let me know how it goes. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Bye.”
Looks like I’m going to have my hands full with Emily.
I’m not giving up on her.
***Emily***
Venom’s not at the gym today.
However, he did text to let me know he had things to take care of and that Kurt would follow me home. A part of me is bummed that I won’t see him; our little routine has grown on me and I realize I’ve looked forward to it every day. Another part of me is worried that after our phone conversation last night, he’s finally decided I’m not worth the effort after all.
Renascence: Death Dealers MC Book 5 Page 4