“I can’t see that. He’s just an asshole who thinks that he has to see to it because his ego is too big.” Kelsey rolled her eyes, wondering what the hell he was going on about because Burner was an asshole and he certainly wasn’t interested in her. Tonight had proven that to her in vivid color. Lance watched her for a long moment, making her feel a little uncomfortable with the tight scrutiny.
“He wasn’t always an asshole, you know. He used to be like your Hanna actually but he’s been through a lot in the past year and a half and it hardened him. It’s changed him. I know him better than you and I can tell you he is very interested in you if he’s still hanging around. Likely tore up about it because of what he’s been through and that’s why he’s being an asshole.”
Kelsey knew that her mouth was hanging open because she couldn’t imagine Burner being a jokester like Hanna. It just wasn’t something she could visualize. It was also the second time one of Burner’s club members had said something about him being interested in her. But if that was the case wouldn’t he have tried to take her rather than run away tonight? She didn’t know the answer to that but she did know that she was annoyed with this conversation and she wasn’t going to continue it.
“Well if you’re refusing payment then I can’t force the issue but if it upsets the club, just let me know and I’ll make sure you get the credits to cover our visit here,” Kelsey muttered before she turned on her heel and walked over to where Hanna and Greta were arguing, ignoring the slight chuckle from Lance that followed her.
Burner sat down on the edge of his bed before flopping back on it, throwing his arm over his eyes. Even covering his eyes didn’t rid his mind of the image of Kelsey and her black lace panties that was burned into his retinas. His dick was still hard and it had been for over an hour since he’d run out of her apartment like a scared little bitch. It was embarrassing that he wasn’t able to forget the image of her in black lace.
How many women had he seen half naked?
Why was her image the one that lingered, making him ache with unfulfilled desires? He didn’t know but he sure as hell didn’t like it because he knew she was way too damned good for him. Burner couldn’t seem to escape the needs he was feeling for her and if he was honest, those feelings of longing and desire had been building for weeks while he stuck close to her. She was like a breath of fresh air and he should have known that being near her wasn’t a good idea.
His first clue should have been that he didn’t fuck himself to sleep at night anymore; instead he hung around her apartment watching it when he wasn’t with her at the bar or doing something for the club. Burner knew that he wasn’t dealing with his addiction to Kelsey any better than he was dealing with the part he’d played over a year ago. Both had him tied into so many knots that he was unsure which way was up.
He couldn’t seem to walk away and that was the biggest issue of them all because him being wrapped up in her while dealing with his fucked up life was not a good idea. Burner sighed, his hands curling in the bedding, and he let out a mournful grunt as he lay there trying not to allow his desire for Kelsey cloud what little judgment he had left. He couldn’t fuck her and then just walk away because she was a good girl and good girls weren’t for men like him. Fuck, if he touched her it would sully something so pure it made his back teeth ache.
He wanted to touch that beauty she had inside her so badly he almost couldn’t bear the pain of its loss even though he’d never explored it.
Damn, what the fuck was wrong with him?
The need to screw her brains out shouldn’t be this strong; after all she was just a woman. Just one of many and they were all nameless, faceless females that he fucked and moved on from. With Kelsey it was different; he couldn’t allow himself to use her and that was why he couldn’t give in to his need for her body. Kelsey deserved a man who could be there for her in a way he couldn’t, someone safe who would care for her and treat her like spun glass. She certainly didn’t need a bastard who’d allowed women to be raped and beaten while he listened to their screams.
Burner rubbed his chest with the arm that had rested over his eyes, feeling an ache from the scar where the bullet had pierced his chest five months ago. It had almost killed him and likely would have if Roz hadn’t known what to do to save him. Wasted effort on her part if you asked him because letting him die would have been just what he deserved. He couldn’t justify his right to live when he’d had a hand in so many women’s deaths. Okay, so many of them hadn’t died but they were forever changed by what they’d been through and they would never be the same as they once had been.
Burner knew he was in trouble when he realized as he roared away from Kelsey’s place that he hadn’t slept with a woman in over six weeks. He needed to keep his shit together and fuck some sweetbutt because he had no right to ever lay a hand on someone as sweet as Kelsey.
Chapter Twelve
His eyes tracked her movements while he silently seethed. He’d been here for over three hours watching her serve customers and hadn’t been able to talk to her about the other night yet. He hadn’t tried to discuss that night with Kelsey yet because he hadn’t trusted himself to be able to keep his hands to himself with the sight of her black lace burning in his head, so he’d avoided her for a few days. Now he was regretting that choice.
His teeth ground together as he watched her throw her head back and laugh at something some dickhead at the bar had said. Her long red hair flowed over her shoulders in a waterfall of perfect curls that he wanted to bury his hands in. He felt his cock stir and shifted in his seat trying to relieve the pressure.
Burner was still beyond angry with himself for running away the other night just because she’d stripped down to her underwear. Even though he’d given himself a stern lecture about leaving her be and taking a sweetbutt to alleviate some of his currently frustrated desires, he hadn’t done it. The sad part about it was even he knew the excuse he used was lame as shit. He kept telling himself that he was too busy working his contacts trying to find the Headhunter’s president, which was true but it was still an excuse. The club was always on and the fact that he hadn’t been getting in until five in the morning didn’t really matter; there was always someone or another up and about and that included the sweetbutts.
So why the fuck wasn’t he getting laid?
He couldn’t seem to figure out what the hell was wrong with him at the moment other than insanity and obsession with a tight-assed redhead who made him ache with unfulfilled desires. He watched her lean forward, her elbows resting on the bar in front of her as she spoke to the asshat who stared at the tops of her breasts revealed by her low-cut top. A gnawing pit opened up inside him and he wanted to wring the little fucker’s neck. He was about to get up and toss that motherfucker out when a hand landed on his shoulder before he could stand.
“Still obsessed I see,” Hammer said, releasing him as he sat down beside him. “I’ll give you a little advice though. Women don’t like it when a man shows his ass when they’re flirting with another man. Let her be, that dude hasn’t got a chance.”
Burner wanted to deny that he was going to do anything or that he was interested in Kelsey but he knew it would just look like a denial. His need to get that idiot away from her was all about protecting her, not because she made his dick hard. He let out a snort as that thought filtered through his head because even he could tell it was bullshit.
“Mind your own damned business,” Burner growled, his glare hot, his eyes moving from Hammer back to Kelsey and the bozo at the bar flirting with her.
“Don’t worry, I’m not here to get in your love life. I came over here to talk to you about Gibbs.”
Burner glanced at Hammer. Gibbs was one of the newer prospects and Burner didn’t like him. For some reason the man just rubbed him the wrong way and he couldn’t quite put his finger on why. Watching Hammer’s face turn into a grim frown, he wondered what the other man was about to tell him.
“What about him?”
“You think he’s playing us?” Burner asked
“I don’t know but it was just odd that he was in there, you know. It’s not something I would normally assume right off the bat but when I asked him what he was doing he gave me some bullshit answer about looking for a receipt that Lock was supposed to leave out for him and hadn’t. That’s why I was trying to talk to Lock about it but he hasn’t been around for the past two weeks.” Hammer leaned forward, his eyes dark and his lips tight.
“I’ll look into it because yeah, that does sound odd.” Burner turned back to stare at Kelsey again. She was at the opposite end of the bar now serving drinks to a group of women.
He felt his cock jump when she smiled and bent forward revealing the tops of her breasts as she grabbed beers from the cooler. He was going to have to talk to her about not wearing that loose low-cut top to work again because it was too revealing and he didn’t like the fact that men were likely enjoying the same view of her breasts that he was. His jaw tightened to granite and his shoulders tensed.
“Thanks and you know the whole club is talking about you, right?” Hammer asked, a little snicker slipping out, earning him a dark glower. “Hey man, don’t shoot the messenger, just thought you should know.” He pushed his chair back and with a sly grin walked away while Burner ground his teeth together, wondering why they were interested in what he was doing because it was none of their fucking business.
Kelsey could feel his eyes tracking her and she wanted to scream the sensation was so strong. It was why she’d flirted a little harder with Cody than she normally would. He was safe because he had a steady girlfriend that would cut his nuts off if he tried anything with another woman. He was a flirt though and it had caused an issue a time or two between Amanda and him in the past. Now Amanda was used to his ways and didn’t bat an eye when he flirted with another woman because she knew he would never cheat on her. It was one of the reasons she loved the couple; they had a rock steady love that you didn’t often see between two people. Kelsey asked where Amanda was tonight and Cody had told her that she was working and wouldn’t be in for another few hours.
Kelsey had been friends with the couple for almost two years and they were very dear to her so she never would have flirted with him if she thought it would cause problems between them. Burner however didn’t know that and she wasn’t sure why that pleased her; maybe it had something to do with the way he’d ignored her for the past four days. She had expected him to show up that next day to lecture her about her not calling him and when he hadn’t shown, she’d been a little disappointed. Not that she wanted to receive a lecture from the man but she still thought she would hear from him and him not showing up had fucked with her head.
The sad part about it was she had no idea why it was messing with her. What did it matter that he hadn’t given her a lecture about calling him; he wasn’t her keeper. Why she cared was beyond her. She glanced briefly at him seeing that he was talking to Hammer and wondered what the two of them were discussing with such grim looks on their faces. Kelsey turned away trying to put them out of her mind. Whatever they were talking about was none of her business.
Burner stood up and walked down the hall headed to the back room after he’d seen Kelsey head back there a moment ago. Entering the door, he grinned wickedly when he saw her turn to look at who’d opened it. She took an involuntary step back from him, her hand going up to her chest as she watched him warily.
“You startled me,” she accused.
“Did I?” Burner questioned as he stalked towards her, his eyes narrowed and his cock hard from watching her prance around the bar with that shirt revealing her breasts for his and every other man’s pleasure. He really didn’t like that and it was screwing with his head because normally it didn’t bother him when women wore revealing clothing but with her it did.
“Yes,” she whispered, taking another step back, running into the sink and almost falling down but she caught herself at the last second managing to stay upright.
“Good,” Burner growled as he moved into her personal space, his hands landing on the counter, blocking her in the cage of his arms. “We need to discuss a few things, little girl.”
“No, we don’t,” Kelsey said, her voice a barely understandable squeak.
“I beg to differ. You see, we had a deal and you, my dear sweet little dove, broke it. How do you think I should punish you for that? Hmmm?” Burner asked, his eyes moving over her face hungrily.
Kelsey shifted inside the cage he’d created seeming to test his hold. Her body was almost bowed as she tried to lean away from him but he followed her, not letting her put any space between them. He watched her intently, his body mere inches from hers.
“You don’t have any right to punish me, asshole,” Kelsey snapped, her eyes wide in her pale face and her hair hanging down her back in a flow of red curls. Burner felt a sudden urge to show her exactly why you shouldn’t tempt a man like him the way she had been tonight but held it back.
Moving in closer, his lips so close to hers that he knew she would feel his breath tease them, he spoke, “You shouldn’t call me names again or you will find out why it’s best not to tempt a man like me. I’ve warned you before, take my advice and don’t give me a reason to teach you a lesson you will never forget.”
She watched him, her eyes wild as they darted from side to side trying to see a way to escape. She tried to lean farther away from him but he followed her, keeping their mouths in close proximity. His body now pressed against hers and he knew that she could feel the hard ridge of his cock pressing into her stomach.
“You’re nothing but a bully and I refuse to be intimidated by your highhanded behavior. I am not a child. I made a single error in judgment that night and I refuse to allow you to use it against me. Now, leave me alone.” Kelsey’s hands moved up between their bodies, her hands curled against his chest as her eyes narrowed, and she pushed him hard.
Burner felt the anger pouring off her as she shoved at his chest trying to get him to move back. He refused to budge and instead pressed into her more firmly. His cock throbbed painfully and his mind whirled with the words she’d spoke because he wasn’t in the mood for her to assert herself at the moment. It was like she waved a red flag at a bull and he tried to tell himself to step back, to leave her alone, but the sight of her parted lips and the way her hazel eyes lit with fire pushed those thoughts from his head.
Unable to contain the desire anymore, his hand came up grabbing her head and forcing it to tilt slightly before his mouth crashed into hers. His tongue speared through her parted lips and his other arm slipped around her waist pulling her impossibly closer to him. His mind blanked and all he could do was feel and taste as he devoured her. His lips ate at hers, his hands possessive as they held her, one digging into the soft skin at her waist and the other cupping the back of her head. He couldn’t get enough of her sweetness but he needed to explore her and the two needs warred inside him both seeking to make their mark on her. She was moaning and pressing into him as his lips slipped along her jaw leaving light nipping kisses that left him hungry for more of her.
Her hands still rested against his chest and he felt them uncurl to grip his cut, pulling him to her rather than pushing him away. A rumble of satisfaction escaped him and his hands moved to cup her hips, tilting them towards him as he pressed his hardened cock into her. He needed more and suddenly he couldn’t breathe if he didn’t get what he wanted. His mouth took hers again, his teeth nipping her lips before his tongue thrust past her lips, meeting hers in a purely carnal dance that made him desperate to feel her wrapped around his cock.
>
She moaned again, her body now pressing into his, and he moved his hands up to cup her breasts. She let out a cry of pleasure when his thumbs brushed over her hardened nipples and she arched into him. Need poured through him and he jerked her shirt down and when he found her breasts weren’t covered by a bra beneath her shirt, it almost blew his mind. He growled roughly before taking one cherry-colored tip into his mouth. Sucking hard on her distended nipple, he curled his tongue around it hearing her moan as her hand buried in his hair holding him to her.
He pulled back slightly, looking at the swollen point for a moment before moving to the other one, sucking it just as vigorously, his hand plucking at the one he’d just released. Kelsey was panting heavily now, her hands holding onto him in desperation as he played with her nipples. He couldn’t contain his need for more and grabbed her hips intending to set her on the edge of the counter so that he could push the skirt she was wearing up and out of the way so that he could thrust inside her like he wanted. He lifted her and attempted to set her on the counter when a loud clang of metal hitting metal brought him to his senses and he jerked back.
Burner stood staring at her nipples exposed and reddened from his rough treatment and her sitting on the edge of the sink panting, her eyes wide and her look dazed with desire. He couldn’t move for a moment, the sight of her there was so potent, and he wanted to grab her again and finish what he’d started. His brain kicked in finally and he realized that this was exactly why he shouldn’t be anywhere near her.
“Next time you think about not calling me when you work I will paddle your ass. Don’t wear clothing like that here again either. It tempts men like me and that’s not what you want, trust me, because we will take what you offer. I won’t warn you again,” Burner growled. His head filled with the sight before him and it was taking everything inside him not to grab her and take what he wanted, no, what he needed from her.
Burning Desires (Blue Bandits MC Book 4) Page 11