Chapter 10
ten
DARCY
From my small Bluetooth speaker, Taylor Swift’s “Florida” breaks into the quiet office as I start going through the paperwork left by the overnight warehouse crew.
After organizing it all, I rest my palm on the mouse, moving it around in frustration as if it will magically unlock the computer for me. Awfully clever of Dane. The only way I can work is to summon him, the last thing I want to do. Meanwhile, I’m stressed just looking at the pile of paperwork on my desk waiting to be completed.
With a resigned sigh, I raise the white flag and reach for my phone.
Darcy
It’s ridiculous that I have keys to the building but not the password to my computer.
Dane
I’ve explained my reasoning. I regret nothing. You start texting me on the regular so your name’s on my phone waiting, we’ll talk.
Darcy
What if I step away from my desk for too long, the computer locks, and I don’t have access to my computer for the rest of the day because you’re off doing biker shit?
Dane
Then you just got yourself a free afternoon. Go home early and relax. I’ll pop in when I have a chance.
That’s what I’m afraid of.
I am not going to think about yesterday. That little memory is going to be kept nice and boxed up, then stored so deeply buried in my memory that I’ll never stumble across it again. Somehow, I don’t think it’s going to fly with Dane. He’s made it very clear he’s not nearly done with me. He’s even left a mark on my neck for all and sundry to see. It took concealer and a good dab of powder to cover it.
I feel like I’m waiting for the other shoe to fall waiting for him to show up again.
Liar. You’ll get a tiny hit of adrenaline every time he’s close, wishing his lips were on you again, calloused palms gliding up your spread thighs.
I just want to bury myself in my work, something easily done given what I’ve walked into. Leave it to bikers to leave vital details out. I was told the auto supply store had a small warehouse in the back. They didn’t mention they bought the businesses on the street behind and remodeled. In the new space, the warehouse is big enough to supply parts to all White Dog garages in other cities once it’s fully operational. A lot of other areas, but only ones near the bayou. Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Florida. Well, once it’s up and running anyway. There have to be dozens of franchises.
Are all of them used to launder money? The whole town knows that the club owns some sort of casino on the outskirts of town. When the sheriff came up for re-election, there was even an article in the paper with a reference to the lawman’s habit of frequenting “an illegally operated gambling den run by a local motorcycle gang.”
In the next edition of the paper, there was a notice, larger than the original article itself, correcting a fact from the published story. Not that it occurs, but that the infamous business is operated by a motorcycle club, not a gang. The Dogs hadn’t even denied the allegations, just taken issue with being called a gang.
The metered, confident steps of heavy boots traipse down the hallway, breaking into my thoughts. Excitement ripples through my veins. He must have been close by already. I haven’t seen him since my very intimate, brief “tour” of the building yesterday.
It felt like a blessing to dodge him so easily, but somehow disappointing at the same time. The shot of dopamine I got yesterday could easily become addicting.
Remembering the way he leaned in to type the password yesterday, his hands grazing against mine, the sensual closeness…his smell. Because of that memory, I drag my high-back desk chair a good distance from my desk. For good measure, I move back another foot just in case. I don’t know why I’m bothering. The moment he walks through the door, the inevitable goosebumps will come, my stomach will start flipping, and the warmth between my legs will spread.
Awareness crackles the minute I sense him in the open door. I turn my head, stupid enough to want a glimpse of him. Dane’s hair falls in waves, framing his sculpted face and flowing down past his shoulders. Breathtakingly gorgeous, as always. Dane’s eyes light up with the joy of challenge when he notices where I’ve moved, his devilish smile saying, “Oh, Sugar, you thought that would work?” He makes a beeline in my direction, carrying a small paper bag with him. A heavy silver wallet chain sways against dark denim with his every step until his body is only inches from mine. He sits the bag down on the desk, then takes two large strides toward me. Masculine hands reach out and grasp the bottom of the seat. The castors on the desk chair make a loud noise as he drags me to him. I try to keep my face placid, knowing it’ll only keep him further entertained with his game if I react.
“Give me a morning kiss,” he demands, eyes flickering with carnal mischief.
Holy guacamole he smells amazing today. Like the wind during Fall.
“That isn’t a good idea,” I reply as I try to drag the chair backward. Strong arms give enough resistance on each side of me that I can’t move. Eyes boring into him, I try to push again with all the strength in my calves, but the chair doesn’t budge, nor does he release his grip.
He presses his forehead against mine and with an exasperated breath he says, “Why do you have to be so difficult Darcy? We could be so good together if you just let it happen.”
“Heard that one before,” I snip, sarcasm dripping like venom. I move to stand, hoping to escape, only to find myself blocked in by a wall of man.
Caressing my chin, Dane moves back assessing my face. His jaw ticks, whether at my insult or mention of another man, I’m not sure. “If you start issuing challenges like that Darcy, I promise, you’ll like how it ends, but it won’t be the way you think.”
Leaning down again, he takes what he wants, what I want to give. It’s possessing, demanding, and reawakening my body. It’s his will that I think of him constantly. With kisses like that, it’s impossible not to.
A wolf-like hunger flickers in his gaze when he breaks off the kiss I couldn’t. With a smirk, he ambles over to the desk. I can feel the heat of his gaze as I move to stand, rolling my desk chair back to its place.
“Thought the least I could do is replace these,” he says, handing me the paper bag he’d carried in, “Tried to bring them to you yesterday, but there were some issues I had to take care of in Thibodaux.”
Peeking inside warily, I only see a scrap of black fabric. Black cotton fabric.
He didn’t. Admittedly they would have been nice yesterday when I’d had to put my wet ones back on.
“Thought about getting you something sexier, but decided I didn’t want to risk anyone else seeing that pretty pussy if you wear that dress again.” He finishes his pronouncement by wiggling his eyebrows and grabbing my bottom with both hands. He squeezes both cheeks through the thick denim before kissing me on the corner of my lips. I try to hide my smile at the attention. Better not get used to it, it’ll stop as quickly as it started.
Lifting the luxuriously soft fabric, I look at him with half-hearted disdain. They’re granny panties, huge ones with as much fabric as my maternity underwear. “I prefer to buy my own panties.”
He leans down until our faces are close, wearing a stern expression, his warm hands squeezing me. “Be a good girl and tell me thank you or I’ll turn that naked ass of yours pink.” He ends his threat with a twinkle in his eye that says he’d love nothing more.
“Thank you for my new panties,” I answer, drawing the words out, my face feeling warm.
He moves away, grinning like the devil he is. “You need to pack a bag during lunch for Owen. There’s a mandatory meeting tonight after he has to be picked up. I know it’ll throw his routine off, but I made sure there’s a quiet place for him to rest,” Dane announces. This meeting must have been what Lucy meant when she asked if I’d been invited. I can’t exactly refuse, not with it being my first week. It’ll be best to be out of the house anyway. With my luck, tonight’s the night Seth finally finds his way home. It’s already been much longer than he normally stays away during his binges.
I hold in a breath as Dane cradles my face in his palms, pale blue eyes gentling. “I’ll be in and out of the office all day. If you need anything, text.” He teases his thumb against my jawline as he’s speaking. The calloused finger instantly reminds me what that same finger feels like while on me. In me.
My skin warms as I nod my agreement. Bringing his body down to mine, he plants a firm kiss on my lips. I don’t even bother dodging it.
Dane smirks. “By the way, we checked out your car yesterday. It’s cleaned up and driveable, but it’s never going to make it to the meeting place. I’ll swing by to pick you up before we get Owen.”
Before I can ask for more details, he leaves me with a playful swat on my bottom that makes me imagine what it would be like if he stayed this way.
The galling part is on his way out the door, he taunts, “Oh and Sugar, you can try to cover up my mark all you want, but I still know it’s there.”
* * *
I thought an affectionate Dane was dangerous. It doesn’t hold a candle to when he adds “sweet” to his arsenal against me.
An hour after Dane left, a prospect showed up with a large box on a dolly. Eyes cast downward, the bashful prospect had barely said a word, except to explain that he was delivering a mini-fridge for the baby’s milk. It’s one of the tall, stainless steel models that fit right up against my desk for convenience. There’s even a freezer section on top. The prospect left swiftly with the packaging and a curt nod. “If it’s not big enough let Odin know.”
“I think this is plenty big,” I answer. How much milk does he think a baby drinks in a day?
As much as I’m trying to be cold, it was thoughtful of him to replace my panties. Now the mini-fridge. Nope not thinking about it.
I spend the next few hours tuning out the world as I do paperwork, trying not to listen for the sound of his heavy boots approaching. He’s going to come back until he gets what he wants, I’m sure of it.
It’s lunchtime when Dane shows up again. An impatient pulling at the doorknob announces his arrival. I amble over to the entryway, already accepting that I’ll have to endure yet another scintillating encounter. As the lever turns in my hand, it pops open with a loud click.
Dane scowls as he opens the door wider with his shoulder, “Why is the door locked?” he rumbles, marching into the room.
“I had to pump,” I defend, closing the door behind him. I chuckle to myself at the confused look he shoots at me and point to the breast pump resting on my desktop. “For the baby…”
“So you have to do that a lot,” he asks in an uneasy tone.
“Every few hours,” I answer with a shrug. “Is there something you need from me?”
He holds up a Gold Brick chocolate egg and a fountain drink, paces them across the room, and lays both on the desk. When he pulls an unwrapped straw from his cut, my stomach flip flops. It’s my favorite soda flavor, with crushed ice. When I worked here before, I would go to the town’s only gas station and get the exact same thing.
He knows about my old lunchtime custom, every little detail of it. He’s certainly done his research. It would be flattering if it wasn’t working against me so well. “You shouldn’t have,” I awkwardly remark.
“You’re pretty determined not to leave this room today. Didn’t want you missing out.”
“I’ve been busy.”
“Busy trying to avoid me.” He gives me a peck on the cheek before sitting on the corner of my desk. My hands feel shaky at the intimate contact. It almost feels natural. It’s terrifying.
“I’m not dodging anyone. I’ve been pretty tied down to the desk. Whoever was doing this before me made a hot mess of all the paperwork.”
“That would be me. Linc started stepping back a few weeks ago, so I’ve been balancing a lot since then.”
“So, you’re running things now?” I’d guessed as much, but I wasn’t sure if it was official.
“You could say that.”
Does running the businesses equate to being the leader of the MC? The patch on his chest still says V.P. though. Maybe Linc gave up working, but not his role as president. Either way, I messed around with my boss yesterday.
“Stop it with the guilty conscience,” he commands, sensing my thoughts “We’re both consenting adults.”
“On the clock. The fraternizing rules were there for a reason.”
“You and me? We’re different,” he insists as he moves to stand. “I gotta go deal with some shit. Let’s pick up Owen together at around five?”
“Do I have a choice?” It would be easier to grab Owen myself and meet back here than to explain his presence to Eleanor.
“Nope, but Flinch already moved your car so you’ll have it for work in the morning.”
And he’s being thoughtful again. It’s hard to argue back when it’s in my best interest.
“Thank you, that's very kind,” I say, moving to stand, distancing myself from the kinetic energy between us. It’s like his body relentlessly darts bolts of electricity straight to mine.
Pacing over to the tall cabinets, I pretend to busy myself rifling through files, my hands trembling as I flip through each of the labeled manilla envelopes. I can feel the danger creeping in, the future heartbreak lurking ahead. Seth was an amateur at this game compared to Dane.
I can feel him behind me before the large calloused hands rest on my hips.
Danger, Darcy, Danger.
“Come give me a proper kiss, Darcy.”
“I believe you just stole one,” I point out, not stopping my task.
Pulling back my hair, he nuzzles my neck right under my ear, “I’ve told you what happens when you say no, Darcy.”
He asks, I decline. Then he makes me, and he loves every second of it.
Not that I don’t. I once believed in the fairy tale of a man falling in love with me at first sight. Never again. I’m not leaving my job, the town, and the possibility of sneaking visits in with my sister Delia to escape Dane. I gave up all of that for a man once. Never again.
The more I fight, the more intriguing it’ll be to him. He’s already getting hard at the prospect of a challenge. Eventually, he’ll grow bored with his little game. I’ll be too much effort, and he’ll quit. Taking in a pull of air to steady myself, I turn to face him, bracing for the contact. Instead, he looks at me, eyebrows raised expectantly. Umm okay.
He points to his lips commandingly. Wait, does he expect me to kiss him ? My heart starts to beat rapidly in my chest, and I start to move away, “No, nuh-uh.” Damn it, I wasn’t supposed to fight. Nothing is more appealing than what you can’t have.
Before I know it, I’m up against the wall next to the cabinet, lifted off the ground, supported by the pressure of Dane’s body. His eyes are alight with the thrill, his hard body pressed against mine. There’s no preamble. A wave of masculine power washes over me as he joins our lips. His hands wrap around me, branding my body. A storm of sensations overtakes my body as his tongue teases into my mouth, stealing a response from me. He answers my groan of pleasure with a low growl and drags his hands to my bottom, pushing me against the long hard ridge of his erection. He grinds his hard-on against my pussy, making me go warm with need. “Like that, Sugar?” he taunts. I start kissing him back, deep, hard, desperate. My eyes pop open when Dane’s attention stops. I need more.
Wrapping my hands around his neck, I pull him into a long deep kiss. I groan with frustration when he breaks contact. Both of us are breathless and aroused, but he slides me back down to my feet. Why is he stopping?
Wicked mischief is written all over Dane’s face as he straightens his hair and adjusts his clothes. That manipulative man…he got me to kiss him back. All of that was so that I was aroused enough to lead a kiss.
I shoot him a withering look.
“Wouldn’t it have been so much easier if you’d given me a goodbye peck, Darcy?” he says as he turns to head toward the door.
He leaves without a glance back at my crushed expression.
That kiss, as amazing as it felt, is only serving as a reminder that he’s toying with me. It pierces my heart and even worse, my pride. Desperate for privacy, I head toward the nearby bathroom, locking the door behind myself. Anger turns to the inevitable pain and tears start to prickle my eyes. I let them fall hot down my face.