by Wynne Roman
With the financial problems I’d had long before ever meeting Talon, it was always going to be a stretch for me to mount a reasonable bid. Complicate things with Cody’s sabotage, and I never really stood a chance.
Not that that matters, I remind myself with some false encouragement. All I ever wanted was a fair and equal opportunity — and Hell’s Creed gave it to me. I can never complain about that.
Keg places my shot and beer in front of me and heads to the other end of the bar. Shiner, Tex and Nyet are there, and I give them what I hope is a friendly smile. I still don’t know any of them well, but I get three duplicate chin lifts in return.
The press of soft lips against my neck sends my senses haywire, and I know Talon is behind me. It’s kind of become our thing, this neck-kiss greeting, and it always sends the same shot of awareness through me. Predictably, my nipples tighten and my core goes damp.
“How you doing, sweet thing?” he asks.
Smiling, I turn to answer but falter when I see Joker standing right behind him. I wet my lips with my tongue and answer as easily as I can.
“I’m okay.”
“Sorry things didn’t go your way.” Talon leans down to give me a quick kiss on the mouth.
“Yeah, me, too.” I feel the corners of my mouth turn up in a regretful twist. “But I think it was probably best for everybody.”
“Glad to hear you say that.” Joker doesn’t smile, but I hear an appreciation in his voice that I don’t recognize. Maybe he’s been stressed by all this, too.
I take a swig of beer but hold off drinking the shot. I want to see if these guys are going to belly up to the bar, as the saying goes, or if they want something else from me.
“Charlie from Prospect Falls Construction wants to talk to you,” says Joker after a couple of seconds. “Told me to have you call him.”
I blink. “Really? Why?”
“Guess he’s looking for a subcontractor to help take some of the load off. Likes the fuck out of the idea that you’re a woman-owned business.”
I blink again, look at Talon, who’s grinning like a fool, and then back at Joker. He snorts a laugh, and then the three of us break up. Life just keeps surprising the shit out of me.
“Looks like you’re getting that thing you keep asking for,” Talon observes.
“Yeah? What’s that?” It sounds kind of flirty, but — damn. When the bid was awarded, I thought that was the end of things for me. Now, it looks a little different.
“A chance,” he says with a smile that surprises me with its tenderness.
I return the smile, lean into him, and agree. “You’re right. I’m one lucky girl.”
“Bet she’s not the only one who gets lucky tonight,” calls Nyet from his seat. From the corner of my eye, I see Talon flip him off.
“How about it?” my man asks, but he doesn’t have the shit-eating grin I was expecting.
“How about getting lucky?” I ask, thinking maybe a quickie in his bedroom before I start drinking is the way to go.
“No, how about giving me a chance?”
I angle my head as I try to figure out what he’s asking. “What kind of chance?”
He gives a sharp nod to Keg, who’s back at our end of the bar. The prospect offers a secretive smile, reaches behind him, and then produces a large, flat box. Talon takes it and places it right in front of me.
“What —”
“Open it,” Talon interrupts.
I lift the lid, peel back some tissue paper, and see the most amazing sight: a leather cut folded so I can see the back with its Hell’s Creed emblem and the appropriate rockers. Hell’s Creed MC. Prospect Falls, California. And then there’s the one that catches my attention above all the others.
Property of Talon.
My heart picks up a new pounding, my breathing is ragged, and I raise wide eyes to his. “You mean it?”
“When have I ever done something I didn’t mean, sweet thing?”
“I . . .”
Words desert me, so I do the only thing I can. I pull the cut out of the box, slip it on, and then throw my arms around Talon with a triumphant squeal. My man laughs and wraps me in his embrace.
I probably don’t deserve the bounty that I’ve been given. It’s like a miracle. The chance to make something of my father’s company, the love and protection of this amazing man, and the surprising and unconditional acceptance of these men — and women — of Hell’s Creed.
Cheers surround us, but I hardly listen. I’ve got only one thing on my mind, and I’m going to enjoy every second of this time.
Talon has claimed me — all the way — and I’m claiming him. We’re in this together. Forever.
The End
Acknowledgments
This was not an easy book for me to write. I loved the characters, the setting, the story, but I had to write short. A novella doesn’t leave space for the kind of story and character development I’m used to, but I was determined to tell Ainsley and Talon’s story in the best way I could. They took pity on me, showed me a way through the confusion to get to the heart of the story, and I found a way to share Ainsley’s struggle to become a woman of power in world where everything seemed to work against her. She discovered herself and her love for Talon, while he learned not to underestimate this woman he loved. I count that as a success in any book.
I would like to thank the other authors in the Girl Power Collection for their hard work and dedication, and for sharing their distinct and sometimes contrasting visions.
As always, no Wynne Roman book would be complete without the dedicated assistance of my Unicorns: Rachael Egan, Nickie Harmon, Jennifer Kress, Karen Wilson, and Stacy Young. I would also like to thank my wonderful Facebook supporters, those incredible women who keep me motivated on Backstage with Wynne Roman. Last, I would like to thank Mr. Amazing for . . . well, lots of things, but mostly for showing me how to celebrate myself.
Also by Wynne Roman
The Wycked Obsession Series:
Available Now
Wycked Crush, Book 1 - Ajia & Bree
Wycked Rumors, Book 2 - Knox & London
Wycked Escape, Book 3 - Noah & Paige
Wycked Trio, Book 4 - Baz, True & Arden
Wycked Love, Book 5 - Rye & Minx
Coming Soon
Wycked Redemption, Book 6 - Zayne & Grace
Wycked Sin, Book 7 - Angel & Claire
Wycked Protection, Book 8 - Kel & Taryn
The Girl Power Collection:
Love by Design
About the Author
Reading and writing have always been a part of Wynne Roman’s life. She was the odd child who went to the library during summer vacation and read romances before she realized what they were. Her reading habits haven’t changed.
Wynne published two historical romance novels as Wendy Douglas. Shades of Gray and The Unlikely Groom were released by Harlequin as part of their historical line. After a long hiatus from publishing, Wynne returned with a new enthusiasm and a different focus. That began the Wycked Obsession rock star series, with Books 1 through 5 available now and Book 6 coming later in 2020.
Born and raised in northwest Iowa, Wynne spent most of her adult life in Anchorage, Alaska before moving to the Texas Gulf Coast to thaw out her bones. She lives with a very spoiled dachshund named JJ and an assortment of fictional characters who get their way far more often than she does.