by Mia Madison
Table of Contents
Prologue
Epilogue
My Armor Is Melting
What’s Wrong With That
Just To Spite Me
The Man Responsible
What He’s Busy Denying
Sexy And Pissed
All Over Again
Just A Woman
Feel That For A While
Harder On You
Lady D
Also by Mia Madison
About the Author
Lone Wolf
An Adamo Story
Mia Madison
Contents
Prologue
1. My Armor Is Melting
2. What’s Wrong With That
3. Just To Spite Me
4. The Man Responsible
5. What He’s Busy Denying
6. Sexy And Pissed
7. All Over Again
8. Just A Woman
9. Feel That For A While
10. Harder On You
11. Lady D
Epilogue
Also by Mia Madison
About the Author
LONE WOLF
Copyright 2017 Mia Madison
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author or publisher except for the use of brief quotations in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, businesses, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, actual events or locales is purely coincidental.
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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Prologue
Eight years ago
I’m surrounded by Adamos. My big Italian clan loves Thanksgiving, combining as it does two of their favorite things: food and family.
We’d have to rent a hotel for all of us to gather in one place, so we’re scattered at numerous gatherings around the city and the state. I’m at my aunt Lucia and uncle Alonzo’s house. Three branches of Adamos, from great-grandparents on down, means there are close to thirty of us, gathered around multiple tables set up in the living-dining room area.
The sound of a motorcycle engine cuts through the steady hum of conversation. We all stop talking as it gets closer, and it’s clear whoever it is has pulled up right outside the house.
My cousins Tonio and Dante get up and move toward the front door. They’re both in the Firestorm MC, so this must be another club member outside. Pushing back my chair, I murmur, “Bathroom.”
I have a fascination — one I’m careful to hide from my family — with bikers. Maybe because they’re rebels who do what they like, and I’m a studious little mouse who never breaks any rules.
I leave the big dining/living room area where the tables are set up and go toward the small half bath tucked in next to the laundry room. From there, it’s a simple matter to sneak around the corner and down the short hallway that leads to the front door. There are two of those long, narrow windows on either side of it, and I pull back the curtain over the nearest one and peek out.
My breath stops; my heart accelerates.
Standing with my cousins is Reid “Wolf” Calhoun, president of Firestorm and the most amazing man I’ve ever seen. He looks like a Viking warrior, only dressed in motorcycle leathers. Tall, broad shoulders, long legs, powerful thighs. The afternoon sun glistens off his red hair, turning it to fire.
He’s not handsome, exactly; his features are too fiercely masculine for that. What he is is stunning. His eyes are impossibly blue, and I think if he ever looked right at me I might have a heart attack.
Like Tonio and Dante, he’s a lot older than I am. I know a man like him would never be interested in a shy, teenaged bookworm like me. That doesn’t stop me from fantasizing about him late at night.
Suddenly, Dante and Tonio move to come back inside. I’m trapped, with no time to dart back into the main part of the house. Fortunately, the door opens toward me.
I stand very still, hidden behind it, as they come in, and they’re so engrossed in conversation that they move through the foyer and let the door swing shut without looking back.
I peek past the curtain again. Wolf is turning his bike around, preparing to go. Before I can think, I open the door and slip outside.
His head snaps around and those blue eyes freeze me in place. I’m vaguely aware that the sky is leaden, the air heavy and chill. My arms are cold; I should have brought my sweater with me.
But all of that is faint background. I’m too busy staring at Wolf, closer to me than he’s ever been before. There’s a lengthy silence before I manage to breathe, “Hello.”
He doesn’t answer. His gaze sharpens, taking me in, and I get a funny feeling in my stomach. I take an awkward step toward him, having no plan and no idea what I’m doing.
“I’m Dani.” No answer. My nerves are getting the better of me, but I press on. “Would … would you like to come in? We’re still eating. There’s plenty of food.”
Finally, he speaks. “How old are you, Dani?” It gives me tremors to hear him say my name. His voice is soft, but not gentle; it has undertones I don’t understand.
I swallow. “Sixteen.”
“Does your family know you’re out here?”
My mouth opens, but no sound comes out. “Didn’t think so,” Wolf says. “You best go back inside.”
The same wild impulse that drove me out here, to speak to a man in a way I’ve never done before, doesn’t want to let him leave. I take another step forward, until we’re close enough that we could stretch out our arms and hold hands.
“We have dessert, too.” The words are barely audible, because even I, teenaged bookworm that I am, know I’m throwing myself at him, that my actions are both pathetic and hopeless. But I can’t seem to stop myself.
A strange light glitters in his eyes. “Sweet,” he whispers, and something I’ve never felt before shivers down my spine. “Come here, Dani.”
My heart leaps and starts racing in my chest. I go right up to him, until my torso is almost brushing against one leather-clad arm. “I need you to do something for me,” he says.
“What?” I whisper, my heart swelling. I’d do anything for him. Anything.
“Stay away from me.”
Pain lances through me. I jerk back an inch, staring at him in wounded horror.
“I’d wreck you, girl.” He’s being gentle now, and it makes things so much worse. “The likes of you ain’t meant for the likes of me.”
“But—”
“No, babe.” He shakes his head. “Someday you’re gonna meet a nice, normal guy. Save yourself for him.”
Dreams I didn’t even know I had until this instant crumble into dust. My eyes fill with tears. Whipping around, I run into the house.
As the door closes behind me, I hear the roar of his motorcycle pulling away.
1
My Armor Is Melting
Present day
The Firestorm compound is full of Adamos.
Last night, on Valentine’s Day, my brother Kosta and three of my cousins all got engaged to the women they’ve been seeing. And this morning, my cousin Rico took his fiancée, Mickey, down to the courthouse and married her, thereby scandalizing all the Adamo mamas.
Deprived of a big, traditional Italian wedding, they’re organizing a recepti
on instead. But tonight, even though Rico is no longer a member and hasn’t been for close to twenty years, Firestorm is holding a party in his and Mickey’s honor.
This is because Rico’s twin brother, Dante, is a senior member of the club, as is Rico’s and my cousin, Tonio. It’s also because Reid Calhoun, Wolf to his Firestorm brothers, is one of Rico’s closest friends. Things got tense between them after Rico left, but they never lost their bond.
So here I am, surrounded by bikers and Italians, not to mention Italian bikers, all of them laughing and talking and drinking. Except for me. I’m playing Don’t Get Near the Big, Bad Wolf.
Since the day Reid shattered my youthful heart, I’ve done exactly as he asked and stayed away from him. Far, far away. I graduated high school early, went to college out of state to study architecture, and then stayed there to serve the three-year apprenticeship required in order to become a licensed architect.
I came home for summers and holidays, of course, but on the rare occasions that Wolf stopped by one of my cousin’s houses when I was there, we were never in the same room for more than a moment or two. If he came in, I made my excuses and went out.
A few weeks ago, my eight-year streak of avoiding him ended. Several members of Firestorm came into Kosta’s, the nightclub started by my brother, one night while I was there with Mickey. Wolf and I had a conversation, but it was a very brief encounter.
It went like this:
“Dani.”
“Reid.”
And then he was gone, swallowed up by the crowds in the nightclub. I had to lie to Mickey. I let her believe he’s a casual crush, not someone who crushed me. Of course she encouraged me not to give up on him because she has hearts in her eyes, like most people when they’re in love.
This includes Kosta’s fiancée, Erin, a tall blonde who comes over to stand with me, beer bottle in hand. "Aren't they beautiful?" she sighs, her eyes on Mickey and Rico.
"They really are,” I agree. Even with all these people around them, they can barely take their eyes off each other. A little smile plays around Rico’s lips, which for him is like grinning from ear to ear. Mickey's got a quiet glow that makes my heart ache, I’m so happy for her. "They're just so right together."
I scan the crowd. It’s a chilly February night, but there are big metal containers with fires in them burning all over the grounds, keeping the cold at bay. Right now, Wolf is near one of the outbuildings, a long, low structure that looks like a motel.
He’s surrounded by women. Despite my keeping away from him, I’ve heard plenty of talk over the years, and especially in the last few months since I came back home. I know he’s a charmer, with a ready smile, an easygoing manner, and flirtatious banter always on offer.
For everyone but me, that is. Mickey says that’s because I’m not like other women where Wolf’s concerned, but she doesn’t know what he said to me all those years ago. I’ve never told anyone about that and I never will.
The likes of you ain’t meant for the likes of me.
I study the women around him. They’re all biker babes, rocking their tight denim and big hair and high heels. It looks good on them, because they’re at ease with who they are.
I’m in denim too. I spent a ridiculous amount of time getting ready to come here tonight, just in case my avoidance techniques failed and I had to talk to Wolf. My outfit is faded blue jeans, a black tank top, a black flannel shirt with blue checks, silver jewelry, boots, and a leather jacket.
Not completely different from what the biker babes are wearing, but I don’t have big hair or lots of makeup or high heels. And I don’t have their easy confidence. At least, that’s what it looks like from here, as they laugh at something Wolf says, smile big at him, touch him if they’re close enough.
Jealousy and envy form a bitter stew in my stomach.
“So what’s up with you and Wolf?” Erin says.
I jolt. Absorbed in my thoughts, I forgot she was here. “Nothing,” I say hastily.
“You’re not watching him like it’s nothing.”
I hunch one shoulder up, trying desperately to sound nonchalant. “He’s easy to look at.”
“Uh-huh.” She’s not convinced. Eager to distract her, I look around and spot some people I don’t know among the crowd – a couple and three young women.
They’re standing close together, looking more than a little overwhelmed and out of place, but they’re not alone. Rico’s mom is talking to the woman, Tonio’s dad is talking with the man, and the young women — their daughters? — are each paired off with an Adamo fiancée: Frankie, Cait, or Gina. “Is that Mickey’s family?”
“It is,” Erin says. “This is a bit of a shock for them.”
That’s probably an understatement. “Did they even know Mickey was seeing Rico before they got engaged?” When Adamo men make their move, they don’t mess around, so once things finally got going with Mickey and Rico, it all happened fast.
“They knew she was seeing someone, but not who at first. So their daughter-slash-sister went from never dating anyone in her whole life, to having a sorta-secret boyfriend, to telling them she’s engaged to her much older boss, to marrying him the very next day. I can’t blame them if they’re freaked out.”
“Me either. But she’s happy,” I say. “That has to count for a lot.”
“Yeah. And Rico adores her, and doesn’t hide it. It may take a little while, but they’ll come around.”
Satisfied with the results of my attention-diverting ploy, I turn my head to check on Wolf and nearly jump out of my skin. This is because, while I was talking to Erin, he left his biker-babe harem and is standing right next to me. Dammit!
“Oh, hey, Wolf,” Erin says, sounding suspiciously pleased.
“Hey, darlin’.” His blue eyes twinkle at her with his usual good humor; then he looks at me, and his smile fades.
“I’ll, um, just go find Kosta,” Erin says. Neither of us responds. I’m drowning in the sea of Wolf’s gaze, trying to get my head above water so I can breathe.
“I should get going,” I say at last, pleased that my voice comes out sounding more or less normal. This verges on the miraculous. I can feel the heat coming off his body in waves, sinking through my skin, warming me from the inside out. His scent, clean and masculine and all Wolf, is doing the same thing, filling my senses, intoxicating me.
But when I take a step back, his hand shoots out and clamps over my wrist. I gasp and try to pull away, but his grip only tightens. Not enough to hurt me; enough to make it clear I’m not going anywhere.
“You runnin’ away from me?” he demands.
My shock gives way to anger. “Let go of me.”
He doesn’t. His other hand comes to my back and he hauls me against him. “Answer me.”
“No, of course not!” I snap.
“Every second you’ve been here, you’ve spent bein’ where I’m not. Why?”
Holy crap. I can’t believe he noticed that. I didn’t even think he knew I was here.
His arm is like an iron band against my back. There’s no use trying to get away, so I don’t. “Let me go,” I repeat.
Wolf pulls me even closer, until I’m pressed against him. Heat flares between my legs. “Why, Dani?”
“You told me to!” I try to ignore my body’s response to him. “You said to stay away from you.”
His eyes move over my face like he can’t believe what he’s hearing. “Babe. That was eight years ago.”
Oh my god. He knows how long it’s been? This is not good. Wolf’s hot, he’s getting me hot, and my armor is melting.
“The likes of you ain’t meant for the likes of me,” I retort, trying to get my defenses back in place. “No time limit on that, Reid.”
His eyes narrow. “You call me Reid again, I’m gonna spank you.”
2
What’s Wrong With That
I suck in a breath as my nipples stiffen. He must feel it, since my breasts are right up against his broad chest. His ey
es start burning.
“Why can’t I call you that? It’s your name,” I gasp, trying vainly to battle both him and my own traitorous body.
“You’re usin’ it to keep me at a distance. I don’t like it.”
“Well, excuse me for keeping you at a distance after you told me to keep you at a distance.”
He gives me a little shake. “You ain’t listenin’, babe. That was then, this is now. You been gone almost a decade, come back grown into the promise of all the beauty you showed back then, you expect me not to notice?”
For a moment I’m too stunned to speak. “I … what?”
“That ass, those tits, you throwin’ me attitude. That I do like. All of it.”
Oh my god. It’s like my brain is a snow globe and someone’s just given it a good shake. Trying to get back on an even keel, I start, “Reid …”
As soon as the word is out I realize my mistake. I open my mouth to apologize, but it’s too late. “Right,” Wolf says, and then he hoists me over his shoulder as if all my curves weighed nothing at all.
“Wolf!” I hiss. He’s carrying me through the crowd, my upper body hanging down his back, and the silence around us tells me that everyone we pass is turning to look. Including every Adamo present, which includes, god help me, my parents.
Despite my mortification, I’m tingling in very specific regions of my body. Is he really going to spank me? And if he is, he might do other things too.
This is very, very different from how I expected this evening to go.
A door opens, and then we’re inside a building. I glance around and see that we’re passing through a good-sized room with a bar built along two walls and pool tables at the other end. Then we’re in a hallway, with doors opening off both sides.
Wolf carries me into one of them and shuts the door. Setting me down by a wall, he leans against it, his forearm over my head, penning me in. My pulse is pounding in my neck.