Chapter 4 Titan
Chapter four
Titan
I shouldn’t have interfered with Ruby and that kid. And I shouldn’t have said what I did either. One minute, she was standing right next to me. The next thing I knew, Ruby wandered off, talking to that… boy.
And something vicious twisted in my chest. Before I realized what I was doing, I forced myself between them, using my body as a shield.
I tried to reason it away. Ruby was an incredible young woman—bright as the sun, lively, and full of joy. She needed someone who realized what a precious and rare jewel she is. Someone who was willing to give her the moon if that’s what she wanted.
That smarmy kid with his too-white teeth and his skinny jeans with the saggy ass had no idea what a treasure Ruby was. I couldn’t stand by and watch her make that mistake.
But I didn’t have an excuse for the things I whispered in her ear. It was inappropriate, out of line, completely uncalled for and…
…and true. Every word of it.
Even though Ruby was my best friend’s daughter, that didn’t mean I had to sit there and twiddle my thumbs while she chased after mediocre sex. And I had no intention of preventing her from getting laid either.
That woman needed toe-curling, earth-shattering, forget-her-own-name orgasms. She needed to come so hard, over and over, that her legs were still trembling hours later.
Then a small, quiet, filthy little voice in the back of my mind damned me to hell.
I want to be the man who makes that happen for her.
Shaking my head, I chastised myself for entertaining a dangerous thought like that. Maybe it held a kernel of honesty. And maybe I wasn’t fucking blind to how attractive Ruby was.
So what? I couldn’t do anything about it. She would never be mine.
Despite my best attempts to smother that thought into silence, I continued to wrestle with the echoes of it, replaying in my mind for the rest of the day.
After finishing up with the market, Ruby, Barrett, and I agreed to grab dinner at the Old Spruce Pub.
The place was so packed that we barely managed to secure one of the last remaining tables.
The dark wood paneling and low lighting created a cozy, warm atmosphere—a welcome refuge after hours spent in the cold and snow.
The murmur of conversation filled the air, mingling with the scent of earthy beer, savory roasted meat, and yeasty fresh bread.
“I have so much wrapping to do when I get home,” Ruby declared, shedding her coat as she studied the menu. “It’s going to take hours. And I still don’t have all of my shopping done.”
I blew out a breath of disbelief.
“What else could you possibly need to get?” I asked. “I’ve been carting around at least twenty pounds of your shopping all day.”
“Oh, come on, you can handle it.” She squeezed my bicep with both hands. “For a big, strong guy like you, twenty pounds is nothing.”
I hated the damn knot that formed in my throat at her touch. I hated the fact that my cock twitched in my pants. At the goddamn dinner table, in the middle of a crowded restaurant, no less.
Over a woman half my age.
For fuck’s sake, I should have more self-control than this at forty-eight years old.
I clenched my jaw so tightly that my teeth threatened to crack.
Pull yourself together.
Thank God for Barrett speaking up, drawing my attention away from her.
“The bookstore hosts a charity sale for the holidays,” he said. “The proceeds go to kids in need—gifts, clothing, food, stuff like that. Ruby and her best friend pick up no less than a dozen books there. Every year.”
Ruby wiggled in her seat, bright-eyed with anticipation.
“My Christmas shopping isn’t complete until I’ve added at least one new book to my bookshelf.”
“Sounds like serious business,” I replied.
She gave a sage nod.
“It is. So many books, so little time.”
“And I suppose you’re going to drag me to this book sale as well? As part of the ongoing Christmas festivities you’re subjecting me to.”
“Of course.” Ruby flicked her menu closed and propped her elbow on the table, resting her chin in her hand. “Sierra is bringing her husband, Dash. You two can talk. He’s a biker, too.”
“Dash,” I said with some familiarity. “Why does that ring a bell?”
Ruby dug around in her purse until she found her phone and pulled up a picture of a couple on their wedding day—a curvy little cutie, smiling from ear to ear at the camera in her white gown, with a tattooed groom standing behind her, arms wrapped around her waist. He wasn’t looking at the camera. He only had eyes for her.
“You might know him as Levi?” Ruby offered. “He married Sierra last Christmas when he was passing through town. He used to be a nomad, but he’s been hanging out with the Reckless Order lately. I haven’t heard if he’s planning to join or not.”
“Yeah, I vaguely recognize him. Our paths probably crossed on the road at some point. Montana, I think? I have biker friends in Brightwater, so I stayed there for a few weeks during the summer."
Ruby poked a finger into my chest.
“You’re not allowed to poison him with your humbug nonsense. Sierra and Dash are celebrating their first Christmas in their new home together, and you—” she added, punctuating her words with another poke, “—aren’t going to ruin their fun. Got that, Mr. Grinch?”
Fuck, she needed to stop touching me. My cock couldn’t handle it.
“Your daughter missed her calling, Barrett,” I said. “She could have been a drill sergeant. Shouldn’t you do something about that bossy streak of hers?”
He snorted.
“Like what? She’s old enough to have her own kids by now. Besides, I stopped grounding her when she was sixteen. It didn’t do any good.”
Ruby preened, smug with her victory. I narrowed my eyes.
“A decent spanking should straighten her out. Doesn’t matter how old she is.”
Her smile faltered and her spine straightened. Something flickered in her brown eyes—fleeting, but impossible to miss.
Arousal. Desire. The burning, ravenous hunger of an appetite that had been awakened, ignited.
Oh, shit.
This was not helping the state of my cock.
I shifted in my seat, tugging at the ever-tightening crotch of my jeans in a futile attempt to get some relief and cool down my rapidly growing hard-on.
Why the hell did I stick my foot in my mouth like that?
Talking about spanking? At the damn dinner table? What the fuck was wrong with me?
And now, my mind was taking off with that fantasy.
Bending Ruby over my knee. Peeling her jeans down to reveal a lacy set of white, barely-there panties. Peeling those down too as she squirmed and pleaded a babbling string of nonsense.
Touch me, Dean. God, please. Just touch me already.
The way she would desperately spread her legs for me, exposing her sweet, pink pussy, dripping already.
Then I’d smack the flat of my palm against her perfect ass. Hard enough to leave a red welt of my handprint on her skin.
“Dean?”
I snapped out of my reverie and glanced at Barrett. He raised his eyebrows expectantly and gestured to the waiter on standby, notepad and pen in hand. Waiting for my order.
Everyone stared at me.
Damn it. Caught red handed, daydreaming about my best friend’s daughter. I cleared my throat and glanced at the menu, scrambling to latch onto anything. But the words were a blur and I was too scatterbrained to focus.
“I’ll just…uh…I’ll take the house special,” I said.
The waiter jotted it down with a scribble. I had no idea what I just ordered, but I didn’t care.
“Well,” Barrett said after the waiter had left. “I have to work one more day tomorrow. Then I’ll have the rest of the week off for Christmas. So, you and Ruby are on your own. Try to keep her out of trouble, yeah?”
I blew out a breath and closed my eyes. Being alone with Ruby was probably not a good idea right now. Not in my current state.
Ruby’s phone rang, lying facedown on the table. She grabbed it and glanced at the screen.
“It’s Sierra, I’ll be back in a few minutes. Don’t go anywhere without me, you two!”
Hopping off her chair, she scooped up her coat and picked a path through the crowded, noisy restaurant to take the call outside.
“I’m surprised she hasn’t started hounding you yet,” Barrett said, as soon as Ruby was out of hearing range.
“About what?”
“Your abysmal love life,” he replied, nonchalant.
“Okay, first of all, ouch. You don’t have to say it like that.”
Barrett spread his hands.
“Am I wrong?”
I huffed a laugh, tracing the arc of a water stain on the table’s surface with one finger.
“I don’t have any problem attracting a lady’s company,” I protested.
“But you do have a problem with the long-term aspects of a relationship.”
Leaning back in my chair, I sighed and folded my arms. Ever since we were boys—wild, rowdy devils who ran roughshod through town, leaving a whirlwind of trouble in our wake—Barrett had been the level-headed one in our duo.
He was the boy that girls wanted to bring home to meet the family. They were proud of him, impressed with his polite, mild-mannered ways.
I was the boy that girls kissed in secret for the thrill of rebellion, but no one wanted to be associated with a bad kid like me.
So, it came as no surprise when Barrett got married, bought a house, and started a family. He’d been destined to follow that path in life.
Meanwhile, I joined the Reckless Order MC. Forever burdened by that label of being a bad kid. Things were rough at home with my folks fighting day and night, so I acted out my frustration in all the wrong ways. I had my fair share of hook ups and one-night-stands, but nothing more than that.
“The longest relationship I’ve ever had is with my bike,” I replied. “And that damn club.”
“It’s not too late to find someone and settle down, if that’s what you want.”
I shook my head.
“That life belongs to good men like you, Barrett. Not me.”
“Bullshit,” he said, quiet, but firm. “If you weren’t a good man, I wouldn’t trust you around my little girl.”
“Right.”
I glanced away, dragging my tongue over my lower lip, utterly wracked with guilt and sick to my stomach with it.
If Barrett knew the fantasies that swamped my mind featuring his daughter—naked, soaked, and begging for my cock—I can’t imagine he would be so gracious toward me after that.
Shortly after Ruby returned, our food arrived. The waiter placed my plate in front of me and I stared down at it.
“What…the fuck…is this?”
“The house special,” Ruby said. “That’s what you asked for.”
The food itself wasn’t the problem—juicy roasted turkey doused with gravy, creamy mashed potatoes, pan-seared carrots drizzled with a light garlic sauce.
The issue was that someone had sculpted it into the shape of a smiling Santa Claus.
Ruby reached across with her fork and stole a carrot, gesturing with it triumphantly.
“See? I knew I’d wear you down eventually and get you into the Christmas spirit.”
I heaved a sigh, but I couldn’t even be annoyed when Ruby looked so delighted over all this cheesy holiday shit.
If it made my girl happy…well…I guess it couldn’t be that bad.