Chapter 8
Seeing Ranger walk out of that room was like a clap of thunder on a clear day.
What the hell was he doing in a closed NA meeting?
It was closed for a reason. That’s why Toni had to wait outside to look for her mom or speak to Edema, her mom’s sponsor.
He wasn’t supposed to go inside. Who did they think he was?
Why hadn’t they questioned why he was there?
“Funny,” he replied dryly. “I was about to ask you the same question.”
Her? As in, he thought she had followed him here? But then… Then that would mean he had a purpose here. That would mean he was supposed to be in that meeting.
Realization dawned on Toni like a bucket of cold ice. “You’re an addict.” The words, while spoken softly, came out sad. Almost accusatory, though that was not her intention. She, of all people, knew the true disease addiction was.
Ranger’s ice-blue eyes flared, almost making them appear more storm-gray, but before he could reply, Edema approached them from the side.
“Toni? Sweetie, I haven’t seen you in so long.
” Edema opened her arms to hug Toni, and though Toni returned the gesture, her eyes never left Ranger.
“I was wondering what you were doing here,” Edema continued, stepping back.
In her mid-forties, she had a kind smile, dark skin, and no-bullshit attitude.
Per Edema, she got enough sass from her teenage kids.
She did not need it from her sponsees, too, no matter their ages.
“But now I see you’re with Liam.” Turning to Ranger, she patted his arm.
“I didn’t see Stuart tonight. I hope he’s doing okay. ”
“He’s fine. I saw him this afternoon,” Ranger answered. The crisp tone he’d had with Toni vanished as he looked kindly down at Edema. “He just had another engagement tonight.”
“Good. You keep up the good work,” she said, reaching up to pat Ranger’s cheek.
“And I am so glad to see you with Toni, and thank your mom for the pies. I know she says it’s not necessary, but tell her anyway.
” Eyes flicking between them, she added with a knowing smile, “I’ll let you two be.
And, Toni? Next time you speak with your mom, tell her to give me a call, would you?
I haven’t heard from her since yesterday morning and I just want to check in. ”
Toni swallowed hard and nodded stiffly. Edema had just unknowingly answered the exact question and reason why Toni was here tonight.
If her mom wasn’t at this meeting, she’d at least been hoping to see Edema or Charles, her father’s sponsor.
But it wasn’t that surprising not to see Charles here, as he’d been having some health issues recently.
It had been a long shot coming to this meeting anyway, but Toni had been foolishly hoping that her mom might have shown up seeking help after the night before.
If she’d even been in the house when Toni had pulled the trigger, which Toni still wasn’t convinced she’d been.
Her father, high as he was, could have easily been arguing with himself.
Edema walked off, waving to someone else like she hadn’t just dropped a huge bomb of information on Ranger and Toni.
Pursing her lips to the side, Toni glanced up at Ranger. “So…your name is Liam.”
The frown on Ranger’s face did not lessen as she’d hoped with her stupid comment. “How did you get here?”
Seemed an odd question, since there were so many other more pressing ones to ask, but Toni still answered. “Sophia let me borrow her car.”
Ranger’s narrowed eyes shifted to the large window beside them that lead out to the parking lot, as if he was calculating something. “And Ghost sent Specs with you…”
Toni was a little on the confused side, not entirely sure where this conversation was going.
“I don’t know his name, but there’s been a prospect following me around all day.
Ghost insisted until we have some answers about…
” Her voice trailed off as she glanced around at the others still casually exiting the meeting. “Well, you know.”
“I don’t know, apparently, but I’m slowly starting to piece it all together.
” Quickly, Ranger grabbed her hand, and with a startling jolt on her arm, started to pull her down the hallway.
They weren’t speed walking, but Ranger’s long stride made it seem like she was.
Once outside, Ranger paused until he spotted Sophia’s car and then headed in that direction.
The prospect, Specs, was standing next to his bike. “Ranger?” he frowned. “I?—”
“Leave,” Ranger snapped.
Specs’ eyes bounced between Toni and Ranger like he was at a tennis match. “I can’t. I’m sorry. If it was anyone else but Ghost who?—”
Ranger let out a small growl. Not letting go of her hand, he reached into his jeans pocket for his phone. Hitting a few buttons, Ranger put the phone to his ear and waited a second. “I have her,” he snapped into the phone without a greeting.
Then he pulled the phone away from his ear in time for Specs and Toni to hear Ghost say, “Specs, you can go.”
Without saying another word, Ranger hung up the call and pocketed his phone again. He stared the prospect down until the man hastily grabbed his helmet, got on his bike, and sped away.
While Toni did not mind losing her babysitter, she didn’t fully understand it, or what was going on in general.
Ranger seemed angry, but not at her. Maybe for her?
But despite the firm grip he had on her hand, his hold was gentle.
He kept rubbing his callused thumb over the inside of her wrist, sending shivers up and down her arm.
Toni’s attention was caught by the taillights of Specs’ bike, and was completely taken off guard when Ranger pinned her up against the side of Sophia’s car.
In a flash, his mouth was over hers, hungry, hot, demanding.
Toni didn’t fight it, had no desire to ever stop kissing this man.
His hard body caged her, surrounded her, and Toni forgot everything.
Where they were, why they were there, and most importantly, that they were once again in a public place where anyone could see them.
She’d never considered herself an exhibitionist, and it wasn’t that she did now.
It was more like Ranger had the ability to make her forget everything but him.
There was no outside world, no prying eyes.
When he kissed her, it was just him and her.
Never in her life had she ever felt this way. She hadn’t even known it was possible outside of her romance novels. They kissed like starved lovers, pleasure and arousal coursing their way through her. She was a pot about to boil, and there was no stopping it.
Suddenly, Ranger pulled away from her. Toni let out the most pitiful sound she’d ever heard herself make in her life. “Unlock the car door, Antonia,” he ordered through gritted teeth, “or I’m going to owe Sophia a new window.”
Toni scrambled for her purse, having not even been aware it had fallen to the ground at their feet.
Her fingers felt stiff and clumsy as she fought with the zipper.
Why wouldn’t it just fucking open? She nearly dropped the keys once she finally got her hand on the key fob, but thankfully, she was able to catch them.
The lights hadn’t even finished flashing before Ranger had the back door open and was guiding Toni inside.
She slid across the bench seat on her butt, but she’d never made out with anyone inside a car before.
Was she supposed to go all the way over?
Was she supposed to get on top of him? Was he getting on top of her?
What were the possible positions in a small car like this? Was she even wearing sexy underwear?
But then her back hit the hard plastic of a child’s car seat, and she realized they didn’t even have the full bench seat available to them.
Ranger didn’t seem to mind as he squeezed himself into the small area, closing the door behind himself.
Toni was only pinned for a moment before he had her around her waist and was positioning her over his lap.
“Never knew skirts and sneakers could be so fucking sexy,” Ranger muttered as her knees touched the seat on either side of his legs. “This is going to be rough and fast. Are you good with that, Antonia?”
Fuck. There was that consent kink of hers again.
Why was it so fucking hot that he checked in with her?
In theory, it should have been hotter for him to just do what he wanted, take total control of her body, but nope.
She was on fire just from him verifying that she was on the exact same page as him.
She nodded frantically. “I don’t know what’s happening right now or what mood you’re in, but I want this. I want you, Ranger.”
Toni had always hated her full name. Antonia Anderson.
It wasn’t as bad as some of the similar first and last names she’d heard over the years, but it was close enough to irk her when she heard it.
She’d gone by ‘Toni’ since grade school, though some thought she did it so she could have a masculine name in a predominantly masculine field.
But hearing Ranger say her full name in that deep, sexy, husky way he did?
Jesus Christ! She was pretty sure she could cum just from hearing him whisper her own fucking name into her ear.
Toni lowered her hands to his belt, needing to speed this along. But Ranger took hold of her wrists. He placed one hand on the tinted window to her right and her other hand on the back rest above his shoulder. Once again, completely stopping her from touching him.
“What’s happening, Antonia, is you look fucking hot and I just found out my club trusts me. Specs was here for you, not me. So I’m going to fuck you in the back of this borrowed car before we have what I have a feeling is going to be a very heavy conversation.”
Toni stared down at him, the street lamp the car was under casting shadows across his face. “Sounds like an excellent plan.”
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