AllFreeNovel
Share Us
CHAPTER1
JOSEPHINE
Staring across the table in sheer boredom and dismay, I keep my smile in place. I should never have accepted a fourth date with Porter Houser. I shouldn’t have agreed to go out with him period. Alas, I did all the same.
Why?
Because I’m an idiot.
Not really, I was just tired of being alone I suppose. All of my friends have found men who love and adore them. While the man I longed for wasn’t interested. So, I finally gave up and moved on. It’s why I decided to date Porter.
At first, I tried to give it my all, but he’s just so boring and likes to talk about himself. A lot. He’s also a lousy kisser. One that could use some lessons, but I’m not about to tell the guy.
I’ve already decided this was going to be the last date with him.
He picked Keeper’s Pub for us to have drinks after going to a dinner at a diner in town. Granted, I liked the diner, tonight, I guess I just wasn’t feeling it.
Being at Keeper’s Pub is putting me on edge, and it shouldn’t. I’ve been here so many times and know the staff by name. But it’s owned by the club, and I’ve been doing my best to put distance between them and me. Well, distance between Scythe and me.
The last time I saw him, it still swirls in my mind. I’d been feeling brazen and wanted to just go for it. Tell him that I wanted him. I went to his room, knowing he was in there. I figured he was doing something for the club at his computer, but I opened the door, like it was my right, and came up short. Scythe hadn’t been alone. He’d had two of the pocket pussies in there with him. One strapped to a swing the other leaned over some stockyard contraption with a dildo working inside her. Scythe stood right there, shirtless, with a wicked tattoo on his back, and he’d looked over his shoulder at me.
I ended up all but running out of there and not going back. He didn’t even try coming after me or reaching out.
“So, this guy at the gym bet me fifty bucks that I couldn’t bench press two hundred pounds.” Porter laughs, drawing me from my thoughts.
“Let me guess, you got the fifty bucks.” I giggle, appeasing him. Big whoop-de-do. I knew people who could do that and more. I’d even seen Scythe lift weights once and he’d been oh-so sexy.
“Damn right I did.”
Porter reaches a handout and grips mine in his. His thumb stroking over my palm. He gives me this look that I’m guessing is supposed to be his gaze of seduction.
Yeah, not really working for me.
“How about another drink?” he suggests.
I nod, knowing it’s too early to call it a night and I don’t want him to get any ideas that when I leave, I want him to join me. “Yeah, one more will be good. After that, I should probably get home. I have to work tomorrow. It’s inventory day.”
The joys of managing a salon. I love my job, and being a cosmetologist is great. I make my own schedule, but I always make sure to be fair with time off for the others who work there. Ironically, it’s my parents who own the place, though, they’re both retired and off living the best life. I took over for them while my brother, Jamie, was off doing his thing.
“All right. I could always come home with you. Make sure you get all relaxed and rested for a long day of inventory,” he suggests, wagging his brows.
“You know I’m not ready for that,” I remark, rolling my eyes.
“Oh, come on, we’ve been going out for weeks now.”
“We’ve gone on a total of four dates,” I correct him. “That’s hardly going out. It’s dating. Getting to know each other. Nothing about that says we’re together as a couple.”
“Baby, you know what I mean.” Porter tightens his hand on mine and leans in. “I want you, and I know you want me. You’re just playing hard to get. Why not just say to hell with it, and we both have some fun.”
“I’m not that kinda girl.” I jerk my hand away and smile while reaching up to run my fingers through my hair to make it seem like I wasn’t yanking my hand to get away. I’d already seen a couple of the members from the club here. They’ve been watching out for me. I know them, they see me as family. A part of the club. But that’s not me. Not really.
“I know you’re not. It’s what I like about you.” Porter grins, leans back in his chair, and motions to the waitress to get our drinks.
Keeping my smile in place, I check the time on my phone sitting on the table and hope to finish this soon. I have no doubt at least one of the members of the club have tattled on me to my best friends. I’d used Porter as an excuse not to be around them much.
But in truth, I’ve been busy with work and going to the off-road park, I hadn’t had time to do anything. Just in my downtime have I gone out with Porter to keep from going to the cookouts or parties at the clubhouse.
The last thing I need them to do is show up here and find out the truth. That I’m not into this guy at all. Then they’ll want to grill me on what’s going on. Yeah, I don’t want to deal with any of that. I love my friends, they’re the best, but I don’t need the mothering or protection.
