CHAPTER NINE #2
I watch as they pile into Eagle’s truck, Saylor waving frantically through the window until they disappear down the gravel road that leads to a row of houses.
Panda climbs up my leg and settles on my hip, his familiar weight comforting.
Standing here under the stars, I feel a strange reluctance to leave.
Which is ridiculous.
I’ve known these people for a day.
I should be eager to get back on the road, back to my life.
The thought of returning to my empty RV, driving back to Jacksonville, and then doing…what? Wait for the next job?
The next body to clean up?
The next problem to solve?
It all suddenly feels hollow.
I sigh, turning back toward the clubhouse.
I need to say my goodbyes and hit the road. The longer I stay, the harder it will be to leave.
As I approach the entrance, Tacoma steps out, backlit by the lights from inside.
Even with only a shadow, he’s impossibly handsome.
“You leaving?” he asks, his deep voice sending a shiver down my spine.
“Yeah,” I point over my shoulder. “I should get going. It’s a long drive back to Jacksonville.” The words sound weak, even to my own ears.
He takes a step closer, and I can smell the scent of Irish Spring, leather, and something uniquely him. “Or you could stay.”
My heart skips a beat. “I can’t.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?” He’s closer now, close enough that I have to tilt my head back to meet his gaze.
“Both,” I whisper, then tell him the same thing I told his baby girl. “My brother’s expecting me back.”
His hand comes up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing across my skin. “Stay, Foxy.”
Everything inside me is screaming to run—to get back in my RV and put miles between me and this man who’s making me feel things I promised myself I wouldn’t feel again.
Not after Zane.
Not after being betrayed.
But there’s something about Tacoma that breaks through all my defenses.
Something in those ocean-blue eyes that calls to me.
Before I can respond, he dips his head and captures my lips with his.
The kiss is deep, possessive, claiming.
My knees weaken, and my heart races as his arm wraps around my waist, pulling me against his solid chest.
Panda chatters indignantly, scurrying up onto my shoulder to avoid being crushed between us.
I should push him away.
I should tell him no.
I should remind him that his club and my brother’s club are business partners, and this could complicate everything.
Instead, I find myself melting into the kiss, my free hand sliding up to grasp the front of his cut.
When he finally pulls back, we’re both gasping for air.
“Stay,” he says again, his voice rough with desire. “Just for tonight.”
I know I’m going to regret this.
Getting involved with a biker is a bad idea.
Risking my heart again is a bad idea.
But I nod anyway. “Okay.”
A slow, triumphant smile spreads across his face, and he presses another quick kiss to my lips.
“City!” he calls over his shoulder, not taking his eyes off me.
A prospect appears in the doorway. “Yeah, Prez?”
“I need you to go to Kitties and bring Foxy’s RV back here.” He holds out his hand, and I hesitantly place my keys in his palm. “Then take this little guy to my parents’ place.”
I carefully extract Panda from my shoulder, kissing the top of his furry head before handing him over to the prospect. “Be good,” I tell him, though I know it’s probably a lost cause.
“I’ll take good care of him, ma’am,” City promises, looking slightly nervous as Panda clings to his shoulder.
As the prospect walks away with my keys and my pet, I turn back to Tacoma. “I need to call my brother.”
He nods, pulling me back toward the clubhouse. “Use my phone in the office.”
I follow him inside, hyperaware of the eyes that track our movement across the room.
Some are curious, others stare, knowing exactly what’s happening between us.
Tacoma leads me to a door marked President and ushers me inside, closing it behind us.
The office is surprisingly neat—a large desk with a leather chair behind it, filing cabinets against one wall, and a comfortable-looking couch against another.
He hands me a prepaid phone from his desk drawer. “Use this. It’s clean.”
I take it, our fingers brushing in the exchange, sending another jolt through me.
As I dial Mason’s number, I wonder what the hell I’m going to tell him.
The truth?
That I’m staying because I can’t seem to walk away from a biker I just met?
That would go over well.
Not.
The phone rings three times before he picks up. “Yeah?”
“It’s me,” I say, turning slightly away from Tacoma’s piercing stare.
“About damn time. You on your way back?”
I take a deep breath. “Actually, no. I’m going to stay in Odin for a couple more days.”
There’s a long pause, and I can practically hear the gears turning in my brother’s head. “Why?”
“The job was more... complicated than expected. I want to make sure everything’s taken care of.” It’s not a complete lie.
There was a dead mayor, after all.
Another pause. “Does this have anything to do with Tacoma?”
My eyes flick to the man in question, who’s leaning against his desk, arms crossed over his chest, watching me. “No,” I lie.
Mason sighs heavily. “Cali—”
“I’ll be fine,” I cut him off, not wanting to hear any lectures tonight. “I’m a big girl, remember?”
“That’s what worries me,” he mutters. “Call me tomorrow.”
“I will. Love you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Be careful.”
The line goes dead, and I hand the phone back to Tacoma. “He’s not happy, but he’s not sending a search party either.”
Tacoma sets the phone down and moves toward me, his movements deliberate, predatory. “Good.”
My heart hammers in my chest as he reaches me, his hands settling on my hips. “Because I’m not done with you yet.”
The hunger in his eyes makes me shiver with anticipation. “Is that right?”
“That’s right,” he murmurs, his mouth hovering just above mine. “Not by a long shot.”
As his lips descend on mine again, I know I’ve made my choice.
For better or worse, I’m doing this.