Tamed by Viper (Steel Souls MC #3)

1. Rhys

one

Rhys

The hotel isn’t the fanciest in town or the most rundown. It’s somewhere in the middle, with its muted tones and chain-hotel signage. It’s the perfect place to blend in for a quick afternoon hookup—or, in my case, a fake one.

My MC brother, Reaper, didn’t tell me much about the woman I’m supposed to meet, not that it matters, since it’s all a cover anyway.

The plan is to meet at the hotel, pass along vital information about a possible corrupt cop in our town, hang out for an hour or so to make it look convincing, then go our separate ways.

I never asked Reaper for the name of my fake hookup, only the hotel name and the room number—nothing else matters. I parked my bike in the spot in front of the room, telling anyone passing by that I’m here to see the woman in that room.

If people want to talk, let them. I couldn't care less about rumors. I grew up as an army brat, moving every few years. Forming lasting relationships wasn’t in the cards for me until I joined the Steel Souls.

I’d spent a lifetime weaving stories just to get people to like me, but it was never enough—I was always seen as the outsider.

My skills as a storyteller have come in handy, allowing me to tell lies to uncover the truth from people—it’s my superpower, one that has served my club and me well.

Just like today. I’ll tell the informant whatever she wants to hear to gain her trust. Even though Reaper vouched for her, I still have my doubts.

My faith in women has been shaken by my father’s three failed marriages—each of his wives claimed to love him, then cheated on him while he was away on a mission.

I’m only now starting to see the positive side of relationships as my club brothers have begun finding their old ladies.

But it’s still too soon to know whether those relationships will last.

I approach the door, raise my hand, and knock firmly.

I’ll play the role I’ve been assigned in public, but once the door closes, I’ll make sure the woman behind it knows this isn’t real.

It’s only a job. I scan the parking lot as I wait for the door to open.

I’m sure the woman behind it is peering through the peephole, deciding whether to let me in.

At 6’4”, I’m one of the tallest of my club brothers.

With my thick muscles, I’m as intimidating as hell.

Finally, the sound of the door opening draws my attention back to the hotel room, where a curtain of brown, wavy hair frames the most beautiful face I’ve ever seen, staring back at me with big blue eyes.

Watching her bite her plump lower lip makes me shift my feet to ease the pressure of my now-hard shaft pressing against my leather pants.

Damn, I want to lick away the pain her teeth are causing her lower lip.

Hell, I’d lick her anywhere she’d let me.

“You must be, Viper,” she says, opening the door wider with a breathy sigh, doing nothing to soften my hard length.

If anything, it’s harder than ever, especially after eyeing the large bed behind her.

“Come in.” She steps closer, rises onto her tiptoes, wraps her arms around my neck, catching me off guard, then presses her lips to mine.

But instead of kissing me the way I want, she whispers against my lips, “I hope this is okay. Sloane said we need to make this look real.”

Placing my hands on her hips, I walk her back into the room, but instead of laying her on the bed like I want to, I shut the door behind me, lower my hands from her waist, and take a step back, putting some space between us. “Yeah, I’m Viper. But you can call me Rhys.”

Shit, why did I tell her my real name?

“Nice to meet you. My name’s Fancy, but I prefer to go by Cee.” She holds out her hand as if she hadn’t just had her body and lips pressed against mine.

A low growl escapes my lips, but I cover it with a quick cough. “Now that the formalities are out of the way, you can tell me what I came here to find out.” All my finesse at weaving a story to get her to open up flies out the window as my eyes keep drifting to the bed.

“Right.” She motions for me to take a seat at the small table by the window. I almost refuse, knowing how ridiculous my large body will look squeezed into the small chair.

With a sigh, I sit down. “Make it quick. I’ve got to go,” I snap, barely keeping my composure around her. I’ve never reacted this way to anyone before. I honestly thought I would die a virgin.

“But we’re supposed to stay here for at least an hour, so if anyone is suspicious, they’ll think we've had sex.” The way she says sex makes me grip the wooden armrests of the chair.

“I brought a deck of cards.” She holds up a new pack of playing cards, and I want to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

I finally find someone who piques my interest, there’s a bed only a few feet away, and she wants to play cards. Reaper owes me big time for this.