Instead of taking the hint, he comes in close and plants his hands on the counter, effectively trapping me between his arms.Again. It’s like I’m doing it on purpose or something.
“I’ll take you out Sunday afternoon.”
Wait. Did he just ask me out? For a moment, my brain goes numb as his sexy gaze ensnares me, but then I catch his cocky smile and reality crashes back in.
“Did you hear what I just said?” There’s no way I’m going out with him on Sunday, or any other day, but I can’t seem to control my tongue when we’re together. “I’m not making an exception for you.”
His grin damn near sucks all the air from my lungs. “Keep telling yourself that, baby.”
“Don’t call me that.” Okay, so I like it when he calls me baby, but Ishouldn’tand that’s the point. “I’m a sex-free zone.”
That sounded so much cooler inside my mind, and it really should’ve stayed there since Gage’s lips twitch as though he thinks I’madorable. Damn Kat and her stupid comment. All Gage sees when he looks at me is a piece of pussy. I know how these guys think.
It’s the reason why I was so sure I’d be immune to Gage Reynolds, not only for who he is, but what he is. After the way the Wolves treated my mom all those years ago, there’s no way I’ll ever get personally involved with a member of an MC.
Not even for you, Dad.
Chapter Five
Amelia
It’s almost two thirty when I arrive home. I’m not sure how I feel about living less than fifteen minutes away from Gage. For the last ten years, the Viking Bastards were like the boogeyman, something to hate and plot against in the dead of night, but it’d never occurred to me that in real life they were so nearby. Did Mom know that when we ran from the Silver Wolves we ended up right by the Bastards territory?
As usual, Mom left the front room and hall lights on. She hates me working nights. Well, unless I can find another job this weekend, I won’t be for the foreseeable future.
I make myself a coffee and tiptoe up the creaky stairs to my tiny bedroom and dump my cell on the desk. Rex left a text a couple of hours ago, but I’m in no hurry to call him. In any case, I said I’d let him know when I had any info, and the only thing I found out tonight is that I can’t go through with it.
As my laptop boots up, I collapse on the bed and peel off my boots before I pull an envelope from my jacket pocket. Gage didn’t even blink when I asked for my wages up front. There’s no reason to feel guilty. I worked my tail off all night and earned every last cent.
Guilt crawls through me anyway. I feel bad that I’m going to let him down, which is batshit crazy. I don’t owe him anything, and it’s not my problem if he thinks I’m playing hard to get. Guys like him never have to work for it. I might’ve only been thirteen when my old world imploded, but I remember the life, the girls who’d hang around the Wolves, desperate for any kind of attention from them, and how the brothers would casually share their conquests like they’d share a beer.
Not that I was supposed to notice things like that. I was the eldest daughter of their enforcer, and as such, I was pretty much untouchable.
I take my laptop and get myself comfortable in bed. My shift at Mama Coco’s Diner doesn’t start until eleven, which gives me a good two hours to work before I need to grab some sleep. As always, when I open my latest document, anticipation zings through me at being able to dive into my imaginary world again.
This is my real passion, the reason I work odd hours—so I can write down the stories that crowd my head and fall in love with guys who’re never going to break my heart or crush my world. Only this time, as I read through the last chapter with the hero being all macho and shit, all I can see in my mind’s eye is Gage Reynolds.
Being all macho and shit.
I wince. But it’s no good. I have the sinking feeling he’s going to be the inspiration for my next few heroes, whether I want him to be or not.
…
Gage
I usually hang out at the clubhouse on Saturday nights, and tonight’s no different, except for the first time, I was tempted to stay at Odin’s. To see Amelia when she turned up for work.
It’s crazy. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her all day, and that’s after I jacked off in the shower last night and this morning. I should’ve taken Ruby up on her offer after the bar closed, but Ty beat me to it.
I didn’t fucking want Ruby in any case.
Weird, but the memory of my uncomfortable night makes me grin, and I take a long swallow of beer before any of my brothers see it. I can’t work out whether Amelia is for real or winding me up, but either way, before this week’s done, I’m going to have her.
“Hey.” My older brother Zach gives me the nod as he comes to stand beside me.
“Surprised you’re here. Grace let you out for good behavior?” I leer at him and he gives me the finger, but he doesn’t follow it up with a punch like he might’ve if I’d said something like that to him a few weeks ago. I’m still trying to figure out how a rich chick like Grace ended up trapping my brother, but he sure as hell seems happy about it.
“She’s at some bachelorette weekend shit with her sister and girlfriends.”
