Chapter 2
Payton
“I’m taking off, girls.”
“With him?” Meg swallows hard, looking past my shoulder. “No. I think that’s a bad idea, Pay. You don’t even know that guy.”
No, I don’t. And that’s what makes him so intriguing.
“Do you have your Mace?” Chassie asks. She’s the only one who’s smiling at me.
But ever since I got back into town, she’s been urging me to go out and get laid.
I finally found someone that actually piqued my interest and I’m going to go have me some fun tonight.
My entire body is in flames, burning hot and ready.
I don’t know if or when I’ve ever had this kind of reaction to a man before.
“Yes, I have my Mace. And if something goes wrong, I’ll text you our code word, and you can use the app to find me.”
“If something goes wrong, it could be too late,” Meg huffs, sounding just like Mom. “Payton, that guy is a Savage Knight. Don’t you remember what Daddy said about them?”
I do. He warned us girls to stay far away from the outlaw bikers.
They’re dangerous, he said. Criminals. But I’m not getting the sense that Cage wants to hurt me.
From the moment I laid eyes on him, I had a feeling about him.
Something about those crystal-clear eyes drew me in.
He reminds me of a lone wolf out on the hunt.
Homing in on his prey. Quietly watching from the shadows. Waiting for his moment to pounce.
The connection was intense. An attraction so fierce it nearly made me trip over my feet when I saw him.
“Did you see the guy, Meg?” Chassie shakes her head at my sister. “He’s drop-dead gorgeous. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man as good looking. Fucking a man like that is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You need to let your sister go and have some fun.”
She’s right about that. Men like him don’t come around too often.
Or ever. The men of this town are just like my ex.
Most of them are good friends with Callum too, which means they see me as being off-limits.
Makes it hard for a girl to get a date around here.
Especially when Call is still trying to claim me as his.
“Yeah, but I don’t want my sister to find herself buried out in the middle of a cornfield. He’s so tall and big. There’s no way she can defend herself against him. Just look at all those muscles and his skull tattoos. He looks deadly.”
I roll my eyes. “He’s not going to kill me, Meg. But I do hope he attacks every inch of my body.” It’s been way too long since I’ve had a man between my legs. And I’ve never been with a man like Cage. Someone dangerous. Someone who oozes sex with every blink of those gorgeous clear eyes.
Chassie bursts into a fit of giggles while Meg shakes her worried little head.
She better not run home and tell our parents.
They’re already giving me enough grief over everything as it is.
I don’t need a lecture about running around town acting like a floozy and fraternizing with a bunch of lowlifes.
“And this stays between us,” I warn her.
Chass won’t say a word to anyone. And neither will Kota, who’s remained quiet this entire time.
But that’s not unusual. She never speaks unless she truly has to.
If she didn’t want me going, she’d let me know, but she seems to be okay with my plan.
At least that puts one of my sisters in my corner.
Meg is too much of a goody-goody. Just the idea of having a one-night stand is probably blowing her innocent little mind.
“Fine, go have your revenge sex. But make sure you don’t tell him where you live or give him your phone number. And don’t tell him your last name either. You don’t want him stalking you.”
Revenge sex? I’m not trying to get back at Callum.
I’m just trying to forget. To move on and have some fun.
And I doubt Cage has any interest in stalking me.
This is just a one-night thing. Two strangers.
Hot sex. No strings and no regrets. I’m not na?ve to what he wants.
And I’m on the exact same page. I don’t need any more trouble than I already have in my life.
And Cage looks like trouble with a capital T.
“I’ll see you all later.” I lean in and give Dakota a hug, whispering thank you and that I’m sorry for leaving her alone with Meg.
“Hey, I heard that.” Meg shoots me a glare.
I just shake my head, giggling. “I’m only kidding. I love you, sis, and I promise I’ll be safe. Thanks for worrying about me. And don’t wait up, Chass.”
“You better be ready to share all the details,” my best friend states.
I give her a wink then toss them a wave before I turn and head back over to the gorgeous man who’s leaning up against the wooden post. His eyes prowl over me, sending a shiver right down my back.
He is definitely sexy. All that tall, thick, rugged manliness.
The dark wolf. I wonder what it feels like to be beneath him.
By the look he’s giving me, it’s not going to be long before I’m finding out.
“You ready to go, doll?”
His voice is like burnt wood, smokey and rough, fogging up my thoughts with nothing but desire.
“Yeah. I’m ready.”
He leads me out to the parking lot, coming to a stop in front of an old classic truck. A Chevy C10. Red and cream with the classic tan interior. The vehicle is sexy as hell, but it’s not what I expected.
“Thought you outlaws only rode motorcycles?”
I give the beauty another once-over, looking at the polished emblem on the side. It’s either been garage kept or restored to its original condition. The thing is immaculate.
“Weather called for a storm tonight.” He opens my door for me. “I’m glad I came prepared.”
The weatherman was wrong, but there’s definitely a storm brewing between us.
I can feel it building in strength. Lightning courses down my arm when he takes my hand to help me into the cab.
Thunder rolls through my body when those fingers slide over my bare thigh before he shuts the door.
I take a breath as he saunters around the front.
Every stride is slick and smooth. Dominant.
I’ve never been so turned on in my life, and all he’s doing is walking.
“Your place or mine, doll?” he asks as soon as he settles into his seat. His head turns in my direction, and those eyes narrow in on my mouth, forcing me to lick my lips. I want him to cross the console and steal a taste. I want to be devoured by the man.
“Don’t even know if I can wait that long,” he groans. “The way you keep looking at me is killing me, doll.”
My place isn’t an option. Meg’s words are running through my mind.
I don’t know the man, so it’s probably best not to lead the wolf back to my cave.
But I can’t go all the way out to Rikota either.
I have to be at the stables before the sun comes up, and I don’t want Cage to feel obligated to drive me back at that hour of the day.
“I have to be at work early, so it’s probably better to stay close.
There’s a spot I like to go to watch the stars sometimes.
You up for taking a drive out to the country?
” It’s actually on the edge of the ranch I work on, so I’m close to safety just in case I’ve read this guy wrong.
Mr. Segwell has sonic ears. He will bring his shotgun if he hears me screaming.
“I’m definitely up for a drive.” He nods.
My eyes sneak down between his legs, and I can see how up he is. I nearly moan at the sight of the extra-large bulge pressing against his jeans. It looks thick. And long. And is as hard as can be. I want to climb onto his lap and take him for a ride.
“You need to tell me where to go, babe, before I take you into the back seat and fuck you in front of all these people.”
I glance over my shoulder at the wide bench. “It looks like there’s enough room for both of us.” Though, his huge frame may be a little cramped.
“Shit, woman. Where the hell did you come from?”
“Born and raised in this Podunk little town.” I wink.
He shakes his head, letting out a low rumbly laugh as he starts up the engine.
The sound is sexy as hell. The old truck purrs to life and I sit back and buckle up, admiring how pristine it is.
Even the leather looks brand new. Polished with not a single crack in sight.
My dad’s cars have aged, and he doesn’t even drive most of them.
“This is a beauty, Cage. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Chevy C10 in such good condition.”
“A girl who knows her cars.” He hits me with another look, and the lust is firing on all cylinders.
“Damn. That may be sexier than those moves you’ve got.
” He gives me a wink then turns his attention back to the road.
“It was my grandad’s truck. Just finished fixing it up last week.
It’s actually the vehicle I learned to drive on. ”
“Wow. That’s amazing. Is your grandad still alive?”
“He passed away a few years back. Left me his truck, and I just got around to working on it.”
“I bet he’d be proud seeing what you did with the thing.” He restored it to new.
“You want one?” He pulls out his pack of smokes and his lighter.
I nod and he lights two, handing me one.
I take a drag and blow the smoke out the open window, sensing that I hit a nerve with my comment.
I’d ask if he was close with the man, but this is just supposed to be about sex.
I doubt he wants to unpack his life story and drudge up any emotions that might come with it.
“So, how do you know about cars?” He finally breaks the silence.
“My dad used to take me to old car shows.” Back when he wanted to spend time with me. Now, I’m the black sheep of the family and he’d rather not be seen with me. “He has a collection of classics. They’re his babies.”
I take another drag, blowing out the pain of that truth and letting the nicotine settle in its place. My dad treats those cars better than he treats his own kids.