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But, please, don’t call it Rubenesque. I don’t like that one.
Bennett’s moss green-gray eyes heat as he looks at me before meeting my gaze for a second. Then he looks me over again as if he can’t help himself. Now I really do scoff.
I hiss, “What the fuck, Bennett? What do you mean you ‘didn’t mean for us to see each other again for the first time this way’? You don’t have a choice in what?”
The man in front of me, and yes, he is all man now and not at all the boy he was when I left. I kind of hate the way my body heats up as my thighs beg me to squeeze them together in the hope of getting some relief—which I will not be doing, by the way. The last nine years have been good to him. Too damn good. He’s sexy as fuck and drooling right now would go against the whole pissed off alley cat thing I’m going for.
He sighs and rubs the back of his hand against the underside of his lightly bearded jaw. It’s trimmed to that perfect length on a man where you just know it’ll leave the most delicious beard burn on the inside of your thighs.
No. Bad Evelyn. Do not think about him being anywhere near the inside of your thighs even if he is the sexiest man you’ve ever seen and you’re no longer stepsiblings. Technically.
“Penance.”
He stares at me after delivering a one-word response which doesn’t answer any of the questions I have. I arch and eyebrow in question and he reaches over to my dresser where he picks something up and then slips it on. My eyes widen as I look at the leather thing he’s put on. I notice the patch on the front that says ‘Penance’ before he turns and shows me the back where the Devil’s Saints Motorcycle Club patches and emblem are displayed.
“I don’t,” I start to trip over my words, “I mean, I’m not.”
When he turns around, his eyes are intense as he looks at me like he’s memorizing me. “My road name is Penance. I’m more than happy to tell you the story of how I joined the Devil’s Saints. I can’t do that right now. I came here to get you. I need to take you to the clubhouse. We’re on lockdown which means everyone who matters,” I swear his eyes only get more intense, “need to come in.”
I wave my hands around a little franticly and my voice takes on a shrill quality, “Nothing you just said makes sense. None of it. Penance,” I add his ‘road name’ on like a curse at the end.
He doesn’t smirk at me this time, he full-on grins and my breath hitches at how his smile transforms his face. I see a glimpse of the boy I knew, the one I got to see in the quiet moments when he didn’t have to be cool. The one I wasn’t sure was real. For years I’ve thought it was only a mirage.
“When we’re alone, little feather, you’ll still call me Bennett.” My mouth falls open and I’m about to…well, I’m about to do something when he holds up a hand to stop me. “I can’t go into too much detail right now, but the club is on lockdown. That means all the brothers bring their family to the clubhouse, where it’s safe.”
“Where it’s safe?” I pinch the bridge of my nose and try and find some peace in this fucking weird conversation. “I haven’t seen you in years, Bennett,” my voice is tired.
“The longest nine years of my life,” there’s so much regret in his voice that I can’t not look at him.
Really look at him. There’s a sadness around him, he wears it like a cloak along with the regret I heard in his voice. My heart starts to soar before I bat that wild fucking organ which has no place in this situation back down to Earth.
I cross my arms across my chest and ignore the way my pussy throbs when his gaze flicks down to my tits. My very braless tits. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
Bennett crosses his arms across his chest and hot damn. His muscles bunch as his t-shirt stretches and the leather thing he’s wearing creaks slightly with the strain of it all. His gaze bores into mine, but he must know I’m not backing down.
I’m not the weak girl I was when I was in high school. I’ve learned who I am. I’ve been forged in hard work, loneliness, and the need to forget. He has no idea the strength of the steel of my spine.
“Evelyn,” he takes a step toward me and drops his hands to his sides while his chest brushes against my arms and makes my body light up, “I need you safe. I need it,” there’s so much conviction in his words. “I’ve known you’ve been home since the moment you got back. I’ve been waiting. I know I owe you so much more—an explanation, an apology, begging and pleading probably too. I know, but I can’t do that right now.”
I glare at him and hate how my voice comes out weak, “I’m not going anywhere with you, Bennett.”
“Someone killed one of our prospects,” his voice is hoarse, like the words pain him. It’s clear by the look in his eyes that they do, but not the words, it’s the reality of them. “We don’t know who did it. Until we can figure it out, we’re on lockdown.”
“I’m sorry for your friend,” I whisper, unable to help myself.
He leans forward and kisses my forehead. It’s so quick and so light that I’m not even sure it really happened. It throws me completely off balance.
“We can do this the easy way or the hard way, little feather. If we do this the hard way, then I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here in just the sleep shirt you’re wearing. You won’t be able to grab any clothes or girly bathroom shit you might need.” He pauses and gives me a pointed look like he’s hoping I choose the hard way. “Or you can pack up a few things and then we’ll head to the clubhouse.”
His jaw is firm and set. It’s clear he’s not going to budge.
As I stand in front of him, exhaustion washes over me. I’m tired of fighting him tonight. I’m tired of fighting the memories of him. I’m tired of fighting his words that always seem to haunt me at just the wrong time.
I’m just fucking tired.
I swear the man can read my mind because he cups my face for a moment and tips my head up so we can stare into each other’s eyes. Then his hands slide down my neck and over my shoulders until he’s wrapped his strong arms around me, and I’m pressed against his chest.
He smells like home—mint and sunshine with a hint of leather coming from whatever it is he’s wearing.
