Two-hundred-and-fifty pounds of lean muscle.
And … black hair? Though the color and cut more than suited him, she couldn’t help wonder the reason.
A shiver traveled down her spine as his icy blue gaze raked over her, staying on her breasts a bit longer than appropriate before stopping at her waist and the hand now residing there. Kimber had been about to remove it when the over-friendly man rose to his feet, puffing his chest out. Moments ago, Tena had all but skipped off to the dance floor with said hot guy she came to meet. Wanting a margarita and not relishing the idea of standing alone near all the ravers, Kimber had approached the bar. Before she could place her order, the guy to her left, wearing a Sons of Sangue vest, had placed his hand on her person as if it were his right.
Although she was thankful for Anton’s sudden appearance, and being saved from having to remove the man’s hand, she now worried about being faced with an all-out war. The Sons of Sangue would not be happy to have a rival gang member standing on their turf. She had seen situations like these in documentaries. Guns, knives … out-and-out blood battles all over OMC territories.
Unsure what to do, other than save Anton from a beating the two Sons seemed ready to hand out, she skirted the bar. “There you are, honey.”
Anton’s dark brows met over the bridge of his nose as he looked down on her. “What—”
Kimber placed two fingers on his full lips, remembering all too well how they felt smoothing over her flesh and tasting every inch of her. Shaking off the erotic image, she needed to keep him from spoiling her brilliantly crafted ruse. She’d deal with the ramifications of it once she got him away from the threat of the rival gang.
“What the fuck are you doing here, boy?” The man who had taken liberties with her person spoke up again. His tone told Kimber she had been correct in her assessment. He meant to physically remove Anton from the premises if need be. “Rule is you don’t fucking come out here.”
“I suggest you mind your manners when a lady is present.”
“I think the lady is capable of speaking for herself.” The large man took a step in their direction. “You want to take it outside, Rogue?”
Anton’s taut cheek told Kimber he wasn’t about to back down. Before he could reply, she stood on her tiptoes and nipped his chin with her teeth. “What took you so long, babe?”
“What the hell are you doing, Kimber?” His deep voice washed over her like a shot of warm whiskey.
“I didn’t realize this wasn’t exactly an appropriate place to meet.” She winked at him, hoping he’d for once keep his mouth shut. “We can go someplace else.”
Placing a hand in the center of his rock-hard chest, Kimber pushed him backward, through the doorway and into the room he had shared with the tall, dark-skinned woman who had exited moments ago. Never mind what they might have been doing. It was none of her business. Clearing the door, she quickly slammed it with her free hand, effectively shutting out the bar noise and the two Sons.
Anton gripped her wrists and quickly set her away from him. His gaze moved to the door, causing her to worry he might stalk right back into the bar. Instead, he turned his anger on her. “What the hell are you doing, Kimber? Following me?”
Kimber yanked her wrists free of his large hands. “You would think that, you arrogant ass.”
He raised one brow and waited for her to answer. Damn, this close there was no denying his hotness. His sexual appeal was off the charts. He smelled of man and musk. She gave her head a brief shake as she tried to remember exactly what Anton had asked. Too bad he turned out to be such a bastard. She wouldn’t have minded taking him home for another go around.
“Answer me.” His irritation was clearly evident in his cool gaze and the stern set of his jaw. “Well?”
She rubbed her nape. “Ummm… What was the question?”
“What. Are. You. Doing. Here?”
“I’m not deaf, Anton. Just flustered. Forgive me for not expecting to see you tonight.” Kimber jammed her fists onto her hips. “As if it’s any of your damn business, I came here at the invitation of a friend.”
“A male friend?”
“What?” He had been the one to chase her off, not the other way around. Not to mention, he seemed quite often in the company of the opposite sex. He had no right at all to question anything she did. “As if you would care.”
“You shouldn’t come here, Kimber. Ever. Do I make myself clear?”
With a roll of her eyes, she snorted. “This isn’t exactly my scene, Anton. Murphy’s Tavern is more my speed.”
“Good, then I’ll escort you over to that bar.”
Anton reached for her, but she took a step back. Lord, she didn’t need the extra stimulation his touch caused. Just being in the same room with him had her naughty parts humming with unrequited desire. Even angry he was all sorts of sexy. Kimber shifted her stance, trying to alleviate the ache centered in the V of her thighs.
“I’m with a friend.”
“Wolf or Xander?” he all but growled.
“Who?” Her voice rose, having had about enough of his surly attitude. He should be thanking her from stopping the beating he was about to receive from those two buffoons.
“The two idiots at the bar you were cozying up to.”
“Lord, you’re either blind or stupid.” She ran a hand through her hair in frustration. What the hell did she see in him? Plenty, her overactive brain reminded her. “I’m here with a coworker. She was on the dance floor and I was about to order a drink.”
“You in the habit of letting strange men paw you?”
Oh, he so overstepped his boundaries. Her ire shot to the metal roof. “Not since you. I guess I should thank you for curing me.”
Kimber thought she heard a slight chuckle, but the look on his face didn’t give way to any traces of humor. “Just in case you might be wondering, I’m a much better fuck than Wolf.”
“The guy with the roaming hands? And you would know this because…” She let it hang in hopes he’d elaborate. This ought to be good. She’d be damned before she’d feed his ego, even if he no doubt was better in bed.
“You see any women hanging around Wolf before you arrived at the bar?”
“No, but that doesn’t mean anything. The night is early. He has plenty of time to pick up a date.”
“Looked to me like he was heading in that direction before I opened the door.”
“What about the woman you had in here with you?” Her forefinger indicated the orange sofa in the corner. “I suppose you were offering her your services on that ugly couch.”
“As I recall, you didn’t complain about my servicing you.”
Her face heated, no sense in pretending he was wrong. The regret was that he’d turned into an Grade A ass afterward and she hadn’t gotten a second sampling. “I had no complaints.”
A slight grin edged up his lips. “I don’t suppose.”
“You have sex with her?”
The smile left his face as quickly as it appeared. “I’m not about to deny what’s obviously none of your business, Kimber.”
Why the hell she allowed the thought of him screwing some other woman in the back room of a bar bother her, she refused to examine. It wasn’t as if they had dated. They slept together … once. No strings attached. Anton had never led her to believe it had been anything more.
“You’re right.” She nodded. “Who you sleep with isn’t my business, any more than who I do. Wolf? He’s all kinds of sexy, if you ask me.”
Anton swiftly gripped her wrist. In the blink of an eye, he pulled her flush against his rock-hard sternum. Her breath left her chest. His steely erection lay hot between them. Either that answered her question whether he had sex with the dark haired woman, or he was ready for round two already.
“Don’t fucking think about it,” he growled. “Every one of the Sons are off-limits to you.”
“Why?”
“Trust me, they’re not known to be nice.”
; “And you are?”
“I never claimed to be, tesoro. As a matter of fact, I’m the last person you should ever be alone with. Being nice to you isn’t exactly what I have in mind.”
Anton’s gaze fell to her lips as if he meant to kiss her, and damn if she didn’t want him to. It had been well over a year since she had slept with him, but the memory of it was still fresh in her thoughts. Every second of it, as if each moment of it was stuck on repeat. Just the thought of Anton filling her completely had her damn near crossing her legs in a pathetic attempt to quell the ache. She took a shaky breath, glad for the fact he’d have no idea how much he affected her. He was correct about one thing, Anton Balan was the last person she should ever be alone with. The man was temptation in the flesh. As if Satan himself stood on her shoulder, whispering for her to take her own turn on the ugly plaid sofa.
His nostrils flared and his eyes darkened. “You need to leave now. Go home, Kimber.”
“I can’t leave my friend—”
“And I can’t allow you to go back through that door.”
Kimber’s gaze took in his dark shorn locks. “What’s with the hair anyway?”
He paused. She supposed her question had thrown him off. “I needed a change.”
“You were fine before.”
“And I’m not now?”
She couldn’t deny he was more than fine, regardless of the hair color, though it did add a darker edge. “What in the world has gotten into you?”
Anton’s full lips thinned as his gaze dropped to her mouth again. “If you stay here, tesoro, make no mistake, I will fuck you.”
Kimber gasped, unsure if she wanted to smack him or take him up on it. The latter would no doubt be a huge enjoyable mistake she’d regret the minute he walked out the door. And he would. Kimber held no illusions where he was concerned. Anton seemed to enjoy women far too much to saddle himself with one.
“If I let you walk through the door, there are two bikers by the bar guaranteed to scent your desire. They aren’t exactly fans of mine. They’d try to get in your pants just to piss me off.”
“You cannot be serious.” Kimber harrumphed. “You think I desire you?”
He raised a brow. “I’d be willing to prove my point. If I place my hand between your thighs, I’m betting I’ll find your panties wet.”
The arrogant son of a bitch! He had no possible way of knowing how close to the truth he had hit. She all but squirmed. Regardless of what she thought of his attitude, Anton was sex on a stick … ready to be licked. She refused to give way to the fantasies that evoked.
Time to put distance between them. “Let go of me.”
“Not unless you promise to stay the hell away from Wolf and Xander.”
“I gave them reason to believe you and I are together. They wouldn’t dare try to pick me up now.”
A muscle ticked in his cheek as his gaze held hers. Part of her wished he’d just kiss her and step over the line they danced around. His heart beat heavily against her palm, letting her know he felt much the same way. Anton’s look was pure predator … as though he was about a hairsbreadth of taking what he wanted. The fact a man like him desired her stoked a fire deep inside. The flames of which demanded release.
Anton grumbled beneath his breath in a language she didn’t understand. He nudged her chin up with the knuckle of his forefinger. “Trust me, tesoro, they would go after you because of me. If you won’t let me escort you from here, then when you go back through that door, you walk to the dance floor and find your friend. You tell her you’re leaving, then don’t come back to the Rave. This isn’t the place for you.”
Desire aside, he certainly had a way of pissing her off. “You know what, Anton? Screw you. I’ll do what I want when I want, and with whom I want. You’ve made it perfectly clear you don’t want me—”
“On the contrary, tesoro, I think the erection in my pants speaks otherwise.”
Kimber backed from his touch. “You didn’t let me finish. In your life. You don’t want me in your life. I’m not about to be your passing — excuse my language — fuck buddy. I think you have plenty of women willing to step up to the plate. I’m not one of them.”
“I believe it was you who put me in the friends’ zone. Not the other way around.”
She fisted the neck of his tee and hauled him close again, forcing him to bend down. Their noses were mere inches apart. “Your turn to answer my question, Anton. Do you want me in your life or do you just want a friend with benefits?”
Anton’s jaw tightened. His nostrils flared as his icy blue gaze stayed focused on hers. “I only want to fuck you, tesoro. I don’t recall saying I wanted your friendship too.”
She released him. His admission stung. She had no one but herself to blame for her silly fantasies. He had all but said the same thing over a year ago. Kimber had been foolish enough to hope he might have changed his feelings. Apparently, not.
“We have nothing more to say to each other, Anton. I won’t be a part-time plaything. Keep your nose out of my business and my life … and who I decide to date.”
Without another word, she turned and swung open the door and headed past the two Sons. Kimber knew better than to toy with either of them. Where Anton respected the word no, she doubted the likes of those two did. Stalking the dance floor, she grabbed the hand of the first lonely man she saw and pulled him into the middle of the ravers. This might not be her scene, but she’d be damned before she’d allow Anton the right to dictate her choice of entertainment.
Taking the young man’s hands, she placed them on her hips. She moved from side to side. He easily fell into step, his fingers digging into the soft flesh of her hips. Kimber turned in his hold, raised her arms, and shimmied her hips against him. Anton needed to see what he had turned away. One last look proved she had a struck a chord. His icy blue gaze had damn near turned black as he scowled in their direction. Anton turned and walked back into the storeroom, the slamming door going unheard over the loud bass music.
Chapter 4
Anton shut the door of his green and white 1968 Ford F-100 Ranger, the other love of his life, the first being his Road King. He had left his bike at his farmhouse and opted to drive the old, restored Ford up the coast. Restless, he was unable to sit still. He had left the Rave the night before and headed home. The vision of Kimber grinding on some punk had started a fire in his gut he had no hope of extinguishing. It took the restraint of a saint to keep from giving the young man a beating for daring to touch what he denied himself.
Hell, his hard-on had demanded he act. He had scented her desire, knew it wouldn’t take much coaxing to get between her long, lean legs.
Instead, knowing his eyes had transformed and his vampire self wasn’t far off, he had hightailed it to the backroom. Taunts from Grigore had followed him, telling Anton he was nowhere near ready to forgive him for defecting to the enemy. Alexander, on the other hand, hadn’t said a word. He had always been a man of few words. The look he leveled on Anton, just before the door closed though, was enough to tell Anton what the man thought about him.
Christ, these were his brothers. Brothers who now considered him the enemy. Anton’s heart weighed heavy, his reason for the trek to the coast among other things. The ocean had a way of soothing him and letting his troubles melt away. He’d survive his undercover work and the censure of his brothers. When his own personal hell came to completion, he’d set his world right again.
Kimber slammed back to the forefront of his thoughts. Since arriving back in Oregon, and seeing her standing there watching him, he had trouble thinking of little else. Somehow, she had sneaked in and grabbed a hold of his balls with both hands. All the women he had fucked in the past year ceased to matter. The question that plagued him was, what the hell he planned to do about it?
He was a fucking monster. A vampire.
Something Kimber would never understand. Should she ever see his features and not have them masked by hypnotism, she’d be repulsed. Since thei
r beginning, vampires hid from the scrutiny and judgment of humans, stayed under their radar. If humans found out about their existence, they’d be no doubt hunted down and eliminated. Not that Anton could blame them. He drank their blood, for fuck’s sake. The world wasn’t ready to live in peace with someone who considered them nourishment.
Walking to the viewing area overlooking a private beach, Anton sat on a grassy knoll, the ocean breeze feathering over him. He breathed in deep, taking in the salty air. Even if he had a choice, he wouldn’t want to live anywhere else in the world. The coast of Oregon would always call him home. It wasn’t as if Santa Barbara wasn’t a nice area, but even after a year of being there, it wasn’t home. He wondered how long he could stay in Oregon before Tank demanded his return.
Control freak didn’t begin to describe the man.
The fact Anton hadn’t asked permission to take a few days off to ride up the coast wasn’t likely to sit well with him, though he didn’t give a rat’s ass. He’d head back when he was good and ready. Cara and the DEA be damned as well. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t already given up a year of his life. They could damn well wait for him to get a little R&R. Besides, the Devils weren’t moving anything at the moment. Not with the cartel catching rumors about being under the DEA’s microscope.
Every day they sat on their asses was lost money.
Anton would bet they wouldn’t be lying low for long. With damn near every law enforcement in Mexico deep within the various cartels’ pockets, Raúl Trevino Caballero would find a way to get his operation back up and running, no matter who he had to pay off to do it.
The sooner, the better.
He wanted nothing more than to get this show on the road so they could find a way to take the kingpin down. Anton would take him out personally if it come to that. He’d stop at nothing to get his life back and that of Draven’s, even if the barkeep had gotten himself into the huge fucking mess. The dumb shit thought he could run drugs from his establishment with no repercussions. Now Anton was left with protecting him. Good thing he had a soft spot for the barkeep, or he might have just as easily turned the job down.
Rogue (Sons of Sangue Book 4) Page 3