by Debra Kayn
Risa tightened her robe and glanced between the sheriff and Kurt. She hid her emotions well, but Kurt saw the hesitation to argue. Legally, he owned the building and that trumped any wishes from a renter.
"Colby, could you have your men take care of dumping the water out of the tub?" Without waiting for an answer, she faced Kurt again. "I'm going to go inside, change my clothes, and only then will I talk with you."
She walked toward the building as if the tender skin on the bottom of her feet couldn't feel the rocks poking into her heel and the material of her robe wasn't clinging to a wet, round ass, perfect for a man's hands.
The door closed, and Kurt turned to Sheriff Colby who stuck his hand in the water, shook his head on a chuckle, and ordered two deputies to drain the tub. Kurt glanced at the water and a flash of light reflected back at him.
"Hold on," he said, leaning over the rim.
He cupped his hand, scraped the bottom of the tub, and brought the contents above the surface. He stared down at a palm full of shiny flakes of— he rubbed the pieces between his thumb and finger—silver? He looked back into the water. The same material covered every inch of the bottom of the tub.
"What the hell?" He raised his gaze to the door of the Sterling Building, confused at what took place right in front of him. Who was Risa, and why did every man in Federal, with a population of only eight hundred people, drop silver into the tub?
Chapter Two
Risa returned downstairs to the lobby after getting dressed, talked to Shari, one of her employees, and then motioned Sheriff Colby and Kurt Ramchett to follow her upstairs to her apartment where they could talk in private. She smoothed the Tee over her stomach, feeling half-naked under Kurt's dark gaze even though he'd seen her naked not twenty minutes ago.
His eyes, not brown or black, but deep dark gray under the lights intimidated her. He unsettled her for more reasons than the threat of her losing her place of business. He demanded attention where the other men from Federal had their attention on her.
She'd spotted him right away, because he stood out from the others. Not only as an outsider, but also a threat. A threat that stared intently at her the whole time and distracted her from the other men.
While the miners who worked at Meghoni mine charmed her tonight, she pretended not to notice the group of bikers surrounding the tub and the scary atmosphere they created by being here.
However, she couldn't deny her focus was on Kurt's reaction the whole time.
He was beautiful. Sure, he wore the leather vest, the tattoos, the swagger, the windblown dark hair brushing his shoulder, and the whiskered covered jaw of the typical biker. But, his quiet demeanor had set her stomach to fluttering, and the symptom hadn't left.
The other men in town looked at her with lust in their eyes and were easy to ignore, because they never looked her in the eyes. To them, she was all tits and ass.
She climbed to the landing on the second floor of the building and walked down the hall. She could handle lustful men. They stayed trapped inside their own head, in their own misconstrued idea of her. She was only a naked body for them to think about while they played out their fantasies alone or with someone else later in the night. It wasn't about her.
No, Kurt looked past his lust—which was there; she wasn't blind—and wanted to consume her. If not consume, he was capable of taking what he wanted, and going by the way her body tingled knowing he was watching her ass right now, she wasn't sure if she had the power to tell him to stay away.
That made him not only scary, but also dangerous.
Risa opened the door and ushered Sheriff Colby and Kurt into the room. She crossed her arms. "In the morning, I'll call Leo and have him talk to you, Mr...Kurt. I'm sure after you see the contract I signed, you'll understand the position I'm in better."
After living in Federal her whole life, she couldn't miss the whispered reverence of how Bantorus Motorcycle Club from out of state bought one of the historical buildings in town years ago. She knew who Kurt was by name, but she imagined someone close to sixty years old, not someone in his mid-thirties.
She also believed he'd never show up. Why would a biker club come to Federal? This was a silver mining town.
The town had even scheduled a meeting in front of the city council to voice their worries and concerns when the transaction closed and news got around that a biker club bought real estate in Federal. The last thing the town needed was a riot on their hands with a bunch of scary, rough bikers trying to push people around and partying every day.
Meghoni Mine already owned the town, since most of the male residence worked underground. The mines solely supported not only the businesses in Federal, but the families that made up the small community too. No one needed more confrontations and fighting. The levels of stress between union contracts, labor conflicts, and the rise and fall of silver prices were already high.
Kurt leaned against the door. "I don't see Leo here now, so talk."
She glanced at Colby, who nodded for her to go ahead and talk to Kurt. She swallowed hard. "There's an inhabitant clause in my contract with you that's good for one more year. In addition, a clause that states if for any reason I'm not permitted to continue business, you'll be in breach of your contract. So, if you want to try and kick me out of the building, you'll find yourself standing in front of a judge because what you're demanding goes against my contract."
Kurt's gaze intensified, until she wanted to step away and avoid his anger. She remained in front of him though, determined to fight for everything she'd worked for and what she wanted to accomplish by clearing her past. Her employees deserved to continue working, the miners depended on her, and she damned well wasn't going to let the owner bully her.
"That's not the standard contract I asked Leo to use," he said, his voice low and rough.
"I know." She lifted her chin, wishing Leo was here to defend her. "I had him add the addendums, while you benefitted by making an extra sixteen hundred dollars a month. A month. We bargained for two days, and it all comes down to Leo signed the contract."
"Fuck." He exhaled and looked down at her. "Name a price."
"For what?" She raised her arms out to the side of her and shook her head. "I've got a business. You'll have to wait out the twelve months, and you'll have to do that out of my business."
Several awkward seconds passed as they stared at each other. She swallowed hard. The famous Bantorus Motorcycle Club everyone worried would show up in Federal and take up residency had finally happened. She'd heard the stories of the brotherhood and the speculations of what went on inside the club.
It wasn't as if Pitnam, Washington was that far away from Federal. Many of the people living here traveled to Washington several times a year, including her. Yet, she'd never had a real biker in a real motorcycle club standing in her room and talking with her before.
She inhaled sharply, unaware that she'd held her breath while waiting for him to answer and had gone lightheaded. He was scary, but he was a man. How hard could it be to smooth over their confrontation and work together?
She turned to the sheriff. "Colby, maybe you could escort—"
"No." Kurt stepped over to the door and opened it. "Hit the road, Sheriff."
"But, I should stay here and..." Colby winced when Kurt nailed him with a look, and walked to the door. "I'll check in on you in the morning, Risa."
"Colby, no." She moved to stop him, and Kurt shut the door.
"We'll deal with our problem alone," Kurt said.
"I'd prefer if you deal with Leo. If you'll excuse me, I have to make sure my girls are safe and the men leave soon. I'm sure the motel on Cedar Street has vacancies if you'd like to stay in town until you can talk with Leo." She threw his earlier suggestion to her back at him.
Kurt lowered his chin, and she took that as an agreement. She reached around him and opened the door. Her heartbeat faltered at the intensity of his gaze ogling her.
She'd covered all her bases in the contract an
d there was no way the Bantorus Motorcycle Club could order her to leave. She pressed her hand to her chest. Nothing stopped the fear of knowing one wrong step and he could take away everything she owned.
Sure, she could fight him in court and she was damn good at the legal aspects, but she provided a small entertainment business in a sinking economy. Not only were her goals in jeopardy, her livelihood was at stake. Somehow, she'd have to figure out what to do if Kurt found a way to kick her out.
There were no other buildings available in the mining town that'd be feasible for the girls to continue working and allow the privacy they needed to stay in business. With tourist season starting in a month, the threat of having to close her business or have Silver Girl's moral practices questioned by outsiders would kill any business she brought in.
People came from other states to experience the unique show she put on, a once a month highlight drawing attention to the tourist town. She needed the attention to gain the respect she desired. She was nowhere close to meeting her goals. Her only hope was to continue, so someday, everyone would see her as respectable and not as the prostitute's daughter who had no idea who her daddy was.
God, what a mess.
Kurt finished scoping her out and met her eyes. "I want to set up a meeting at eight a.m. sharp. Downstairs. Make sure you're there. In the meantime, my men and I'll bunk here."
"You can't." She stepped toward the hallway, ready to call for help if he didn't leave.
He moved close enough, she stepped away from the door to keep from touching him, and he shut the door, closing her in the room with him. "You have a bed. I'm sleeping. We'll talk after I sleep."
She pressed her hands into her stomach. The heat rolling off him warmed her and left her struggling to come up with any excuse to get him to leave. "But, you can't—"
"Don't forget you're on Bantorus property." He cocked his head and finally moved back a step. "I damn well can and will."
She remained by the door and blinked. What did he mean?
Kurt shrugged out of his vest, folded the leather, and laid it on her coffee table. His broad bare chest filled the room. She gasped, not in shock, but because she'd held her breath the moment he walked past her.
Flames covered his shoulders and upper chest, and when he turned around, his back displayed the detailed fire tattoo, too. Almost fully covered in fire, except for the random skulls integrated in the design and Bantorus MC name tatted along the inside of his arm, he looked scary and intimidating and sexy. A deadly combination. She stayed by the door in case she had to run.
"Put your clothes back on, and get out," she said.
Was that really her weak, squeaky voice?
He gazed at her without saying anything. She followed movement down his body where his fingers were undoing his belt. She closed her mouth, afraid a small moan escaped. He wasn't in any hurry and instead of listening to her; he unbuttoned the fly of his jeans.
The thin line of dark hair on his lower stomach—a rock hard lower stomach—going lower and lower, one inch at a time, silenced her. Warmth flooded her neck and over her cheeks. He wasn't suddenly naked or even caught with his pants down, he slowly and deliberately took off his clothes, and she knew how powerful of an act stripping had over people. She'd just never experienced it herself.
His thumbs hooked into the top of his unfastened jeans. She inhaled. Lord help her, she wanted a peek at what was under the material.
Banging came from behind her, rocking the room. She muffled her scream, whirled around, and opened the door looking for a reason to escape the one place she found sanctuary.
Shari, draped in a lavender silk robe over her skimpy halter and bikini bottoms, stood in the hallway. Her employee's messed curls half hid her heart shaped face. She shifted her gaze to the man at her side.
The biker had his arm draped over Shari's slim shoulders, his hand cupping her breast, and a satisfied grin plastered on a perfectly proportioned whiskered jaw. She wasn't sure, but his eyes looked too glossy and incognizant for having come off a long ride.
"I just came upstairs to let you know the bikers downstairs escorted the Federal men out of the building. They explained what happened and how they planned to sleep here tonight, so the girls and I decided to put them up in our rooms." Shari glanced at the biker at her side and smiled. "Jojo locked up the downstairs and turned the lobby light off. We're all heading to bed, so you're free to go to bed yourself."
Risa shook her head. "The men are not staying here."
"We're staying in my building." Kurt joined her at the door. "We all need to crash. There's room in my building, and we'll talk in the morning."
She swept her gaze down his shirtless chest. Her shallow breathing grew worse and she struggled for more air. He still had his jeans unbuttoned and hanging on his hips low enough the only thing keeping them from falling down was the more than a handful of package between his legs.
"This is ridiculous. I have rules." She glared "You're not—"
"It's okay," Shari interrupted. "The girls and I understand that they have a right to stay here and have no problem doubling up, two men to each bed—she smiled—girls in the middle, since Ink won't sleep next to another man. This isn't about working, but being good hosts."
"He won't...?" She clamped her lips together, wondering how her night ended up with her debating with a biker club and her own employees.
Shari leaned into Ink, who Risa suspected earned his name from having a body covered in tats. "No worries, Risa. We're all following your rules. The men who only want a place to lay their head are bunking down in the spare room. Tomorrow, everything goes back to normal and no one needs to know. We're not working, so we're not breaking any rules. They need a place to rest, and we're offering it."
Ink thrust his arm straight out. Risa ducked, narrowly missed being hit, and clung to the handle on the door. Kurt knuckle bumped Ink's raised fist. She glanced from Kurt to Ink to Shari. Did nobody see the bad situation happening here? These were bikers, not customers, and more importantly, they were outsiders who probably killed people for telling them no.
Once Shari and Ink walked away, Risa pushed herself to her full five feet nine inches and pointed out into the hallway. "Get dressed, get out, and take your men with you."
Thank God, her voice sounded stronger this time.
Totally ignoring her, Kurt's jeans came off along with his socks. Shocked into silence, Risa ogled. His flaccid penis thickened, elongated, and rose until his cock pointed right at her. She inhaled air as if she was dying of suffocation, taking in his size, shape, and oh-my-God the whole package. He even had a tattoo on the inside of his hip.
Two inches higher and to the right of the very part of him showing her attention was a small skull, the size of her thumbprint. It wasn't the position or the size of the artwork that grabbed her attention. It was the warm, red heart inside a hollow skull that intrigued her.
Why would a badass man, covered in death, anger, and scary non-colored tats put a colorful symbol of love inside of a skull hidden on an area of his body that he would normally cover with clothes?
Kurt's hand swept across his hard, flat stomach and he gave her a lazy smile. "You keep looking, and I'll start believing you might want to take your employees example and offer to keep me warm while I sleep."
She pressed her hand to her chest and shook her head. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. Call her whacked, but the blood red heart tattoo among the black tats all over his body had her wanting to agree on letting him stay. That would not do, so if she had to leave the apartment to escape him, she would.
Because if she stood here any longer, she'd want to know what was behind that lazy smile. Afraid that if he told her the truth, he'd hurt her pride. She wasn't delusional. They had nothing in common. He was a biker. She was a stripper.
She'd only be setting herself up for a world full of hurt, because like every other man, he'd probably lie.
"The bedroom is the first door down the
hall on the right." She skirted the living room. "You get up before our meeting in the morning and walk out my apartment door and I'll blow a hole clear through you with a forty caliber."
He grinned for the first time tonight. "You have a gun?"
She leaned over and opened the drawer on the end table, raised her chin, and removed her pistol, while also grabbing her purse with her makeup bag in it from the couch. "You're in Idaho. Everyone carries a gun, including all my girls, and in case you're wondering...we shoot to kill."
She escaped out the door without looking at him again. To be on the safe side, she shoved her weapon in her bag and hurried toward the stairs. She'd hide out in her office and wait for morning to come.
She'd have privacy, a couch to sleep on, and time by herself to read over her contract one more time to make sure she covered all her bases. Then, she'd deal with the impossible Kurt Ramchett first thing in the morning. She'd worked too damn hard to lose everything she'd built, because some damn motorcycle club thought they could bully her.
Chapter Three
After calling and leaving a message on Leo's voice mail to meet him at eight o'clock and spending an hour trying to shut his mind off and forget about Risa's bed smelling like the mix of woman and a sweetness he couldn't decipher, Kurt received only a few hours of sleep. He laced his boots, slipping his vest on, and headed downstairs. Ideally, he needed at least eight hours to recoup from the ride before dealing with business.
Kurt walked down the stairs, wondering how far Risa carried her business. If he hadn't shown up, would she have gone to bed with the men who paid her with silver?
The idea bothered him.