by Sophia Gray
Yep, she was strange, all right. And goddamnit, I was going to figure out why. I had bigger fish to fry, but I couldn’t stay away from this chick. There was something about her that was positively addicting, and I was dying to figure her out.
Chapter 7
Anna
I looked at Donovan and felt a little hiccup of desire. When he saw the look on my face, he winked at me and grinned. I felt the lust turn to irritation and I scowled at him. The big idiot! Who did he think he was, offering to keep his hands off me unless I begged him! I snorted. Like I’d beg him for anything. God. But just looking at him was enough to make some of the lust come back, and I had to shake my head and rid myself all impure thoughts relating to Donovan.
We were just cruising out of the freight yard as real darkness was falling. Soon, Dos Palmos would be blanketed in a haze of inky, black night that felt as real and soft as velvet. I loved the nighttime air, even if I didn’t spend much time in it while I was home. Sharing the darkness with someone felt intimate, almost in the way that sleeping with them would have. When I looked at Donovan, I could barely see his profile outlined in the darkness. He’d lit one of my cigarettes and was puffing away contentedly, the orange tip glowing in the cab. I shivered as I heard him crack his knuckles—the sound was brutal, much louder than the little clicks I’d hear when I did the same thing.
I wasn’t sure why I was helping him. To be honest, I had no real reason to be doing that. Maybe it was because he was the first guy who’d really shown any kind of interest in me in a long time, or maybe just because he was so sexy. I hated myself for being weak like this, but I figured there was nothing wrong with a drink. It was just a drink or two, what could possibly happen?
A lot, Anna. And you’re an idiot if you don’t realize that.
Donovan snickered at something as I drove and I snuck a glance at him. We were passing a streetlight, and I was taken back by his strong masculine jaw, his silky blond hair. I shivered when I thought about how it would feel to have his giant hands on me again. Even though I’d felt nothing but sheer terror when he touched me before, part of it had been exciting. Okay, most of it had been exciting. But I knew I shouldn’t be dwelling on that now.
I never did things like this. I never helped people. If I were being honest, it was because people never really asked me for help in the first place. But there was also something about Donovan I didn’t see in others. He was sexy, sure, but he also seemed to be very alone in the world. His friends had boxed him into a crate and left him for dead; I wondered what would have happened if I’d just unloaded the box myself and left him there. Would he have made noise? Would he have yelled for help? Would the old man at the gate have found his corpse the next morning, frozen to death? I shivered. Maybe he really was lucky I’d come alone. Without me, he’d probably still be inside that crate. Donovan was strong, but I knew he wasn’t that strong. Even though he’d managed to stay with it after god knew how long he’d been locked up, I had a feeling his strength would have given up eventually. After all, I knew how strong that crate had been. There was no way he would have been able to break out all by himself.
“Where are we going?” Donovan turned to me with a lazy grin. “You takin’ me to the cops, honey?”
I didn’t answer. My lips were set in a thin line and I concentrated on the road. I was exhausted, but part of me felt wired. I also felt disgusting—I was more aware of having not showered in a few days than ever before. I wished I’d taken the time to clean up before meeting Donovan. Yeah, I had no way of knowing what an absolute stud he’d be, but I should have made an effort to stay cleaner. I looked down at my ripped up old jeans with disgust. Starting now, I was going to make sure I always looked presentable. Even on the road. Even at three in the morning. After all, you never knew who you were going to meet.
Dos Palmos glittered behind me like a small snow globe on the horizon. I was driving us to a bar and truck stop about twenty miles out of town. I frequented it sometimes when I was headed home and knew there was no food in the fridge. It wasn’t fancy, it was actually pretty rough, but I knew for a fact that no cops hung out there, and we’d be safe. It would likely even be pretty quiet since it was almost midnight. Donovan sighed and rolled down the window on the passenger side door. He flicked his cigarette butt outside and I watched it bounce down on the highway in a shower of orange sparks.
As we approached the truck stop, I saw it was pretty empty. There were only a couple of other rigs, and a few cars scattered through the lot.
Donovan turned to me and nodded. “Thanks,” he said in a gruff voice. “I’d give my left nut for a beer right now.”
I rolled my eyes. Why did men always have to be so gross? “I could use a drink, too,” I told him. “But I wouldn’t be quite so desperate.”
“Hey, you haven’t been locked in a box for hours,” Donovan said with a grin. He stretched and his knuckles dragged against the ceiling of the cab. I watched his muscles flex and then relax—his biceps were bigger than my head. I felt my mouth go dry as he caught me watching and flexed his arm. “I’m strong, honey,” Donovan said. “You wanna find out just how strong?”
I sighed. “Come on, get out,” I said. “Just one drink and then I’m leaving. You’re on your own, kid.”
Donovan tousled my brown hair. I felt a jolt of electricity at his touch, but I glared up at him anyway. “Oops, sorry,” he said, jerking his hand away and giving me a guilty, sexy smile. “Forgot about the whole no-touching thing.”
We strode into the restaurant together. Instantly, everyone turned around and gazed at Donovan. The women let their gazes linger and I felt something unusual flitter through my body. I knew I should be running scared, but I didn’t want to leave. When the women in the bar didn’t turn around, I felt a trace of something almost like possession. Glancing up at Donovan, I saw he had his nose stuck in a menu. He was completely aware every other woman in the room was undressing him with her eyes. I drew myself up to my full height—still over a head shorter than Donovan—and strode with him over to the hostess stand.
The hostess was blonde and perky, with big fake tits and a pink lipsticked smile. She was gorgeous, but she looked like she’d had a tough life. She wasted no time in running her eyes all up and down Donovan’s hard body and I wanted to slap the grin right off her face. When she noticed me, her face fell.
That’s right, bitch, I thought triumphantly. He’s mine. I gloated for a second before the implication of my thoughts sank in. He’s not yours. And you don’t want him, nor should you. He’s more dangerous than a box of fireworks next to a barbecue.
The blonde led us over to a table in the corner of the building. She was walking ahead of us and swaying her hips enticingly, but when I looked up at Donovan, I saw his eyes were hungrily resting on me. The lighting in the truck stop wasn’t very kind, but it was enough to hide the dark circles under my eyes. I was grateful I’d at least washed my face that morning, even though it had been hours. When we passed by tables full of truckers, they all nodded at Donovan and tipped the brims of their hats like they knew him. I frowned. He hadn’t even been here before! This was my truck stop! My frown deepened into a scowl as the blonde curtsied.
“I’ll be right back, sugar,” she said to Donovan, biting her lower lip and fluttering her mascaraed eyelashes. “Don’t you go anywhere!”
“Sure,” Donovan said. He wasn’t even looking at her and I felt another improbable surge of pride in my chest. “Thanks!”
The waitress sauntered off, swaying her hips even more obviously than before.
I rolled my eyes. “Women,” I mumbled under my breath. “Do they have to be so desperate?”
Donovan laughed. He could barely fit on his side of the booth, and it looked almost comical. He wasn’t fat, but his body bulged out over the table and every time he shifted in the booth, I could feel the floor underneath of us vibrating.
The waitress practically oozed back towards the table a moment later. She was carrying
two big tulip glasses full of pink liquid, with tiny umbrellas on the top. When she sat them down on our table, she smiled at Donovan. “First round’s on the house, hon,” she said, smiling sweetly down at him.
He reached across the table and grabbed my hand in his. His paw was so large that my hand disappeared in his grip, and I felt an electric spark jump from his skin to mine. I blushed as I looked up at him.
But Donovan wasn’t looking at me. He was grinning at the waitress, even as he squeezed my hand and shook it in the air. “I’ve just decided,” he said in a casual, lazy voice. “I’m settling down!” The last statement was spoken with an air of drama and he laughed as he said it. The feel of his skin against mine was thrilling and dangerous, and I felt my lower belly thump with arousal.
The waitress laughed and set down our menus. “I bet,” she said. “Our special today is chicken fried steak with a side of mashed potatoes and fried okra. Can I interest y’all in that?”
Donovan waved my hand in the air. “What did I say?” he said with a lazy grin. “Didn’t I just tell you I’d settled down?”
Chapter 8
Donovan
Anna’s hand was warm, soft, and firm in my own. I stared into her brown eyes. I wondered why she’d let me hold onto her for so long. I could practically smell her from across the table, and I was burning with lust. I knew I had to fuck her. Tonight. As soon as possible. Right now.
“I thought you didn’t want me to touch you?” I joked, raising my eyebrow.
She gasped and jerked her hand away as though my touch had burned her. She flushed a delicious, soft pink and it covered her whole face. When I kept staring at her, she looked away and grabbed a menu. Flipping it open, she started mouthing the names of the dishes aloud. It was adorable, and watching her lips move like that was hypnotic. I felt a stirring in my groin.
“This place is pretty good,” she said, clearing her throat and staring at me. “I’ve had just about everything they serve, and I really like it all.”
“I’ve been here, too, sweetcheeks,” I told her. “Didn’t you see that warm welcome I got when we stepped in the door.”
Some of the pink flush returned to Anna’s cheeks and I chuckled. She didn’t reply, and I picked up my menu and perused the offerings. The menus were coated in clear plastic and mine was unpleasantly sticky. The truck stop itself was pretty fuckin’ grimy, and I wondered why Anna had chosen here for us to have a drink. After all, she lived in Dos Palmos. I wondered why she hadn’t chosen somewhere closer to home.
“What do you feel like eating?” She stretched in the booth, raising her arms high over her head. She was somewhat tan on the left side, and then I realized it must be from sticking her arm out the window when she was driving. I liked that; it made her seem even more real to me. I liked that she was obviously independent enough to drive a rig around—most women would be scared to death of that. But even though Anna was petite and obviously bright, she didn’t seem fazed.
“I don’t know,” I said. “Anything.” I stared at her and licked my lips. Anna blushed again and looked away. I could feel her body responding to me; it was like an electric signal that pulsed and flared in my brain—not to mention my cock.
I looked around. There were at least ten women who I’d slept with already. Including the waitress, Minnie. She’d been a hot little number—I remembered I’d had scratches on my back for weeks afterwards. But now she just seemed dull, unappetizing. The only thing I could think about was picking Anna up, throwing her over my shoulder, and carrying her out back for some hot, endless fucking. My cock barely even stirred when I looked at the other women. Plus, knowing I’d had them before made it less sexy to think about. They’d all been good, in their own way, but fresh pussy had a lure like no other for red-blooded men, and I’m no exception to that rule.
Anna was poring over the menu like it was a manual for life. Her eyes glazed over and I watched them skim down the page with relative interest. I had a feeling she was primarily acting like that for me. After all, she could barely stand to look me in the eye. I had a feeling her mind was racing just as fast, if not faster, than mine was.
“I’m thinking about a cheeseburger,” she said without looking up. “Or maybe a salad. I don’t know. I’m starving.”
I licked my lips again when I thought about tiny little Anna ordering a cheeseburger. There was something sexy about it. “Don’t get a salad,” I said. “Trust me, honey. You don’t have to impress me.”
Anna’s brown head snapped up and she stared at me. “I wouldn’t order food just to impress you,” she said hotly. “Don’t be ridiculous. You should think about a salad. You can barely fit in the booth!”
“This ain’t fat, honey,” I said, rubbing a hand over my muscular belly. “Don’t tell me you think that even for a moment!”
Anna blushed again. She looked away and I knew she’d been joking with me. “So what’s really going on?” she asked in a soft voice. “Come on, you told me you’d tell me everything once we were sitting down.”
I blinked. I’d forgotten that stupid promise, and I didn’t want to honor it now. “Do you really wanna know? I have a feeling it may not make you like me very much.”
Anna snorted. “Um, I already hate you,” she said, mocking my gruff voice. “Seriously, you showed up in the back of my rig, held me hostage for hours, and now you’re refusing to tell me what the deal is! I can’t believe you,” she said with a smirk. “You’re impossible.”
There was something about the way her lips curled up that made me shudder with lust. Again, I was hit with the crystal-clear vision of her on her knees, sucking me off while she rubbed at her pussy.
“Fine,” I said, partially to get my mind away from the steamy, X-rated fantasy of her. “I’m a member of The Saints,” I said, leaning across the table and folding my hands together. “You’ve been in Dos Palmos your whole life, you know what that is.”
Anna nodded. She looked almost fearful. “I know,” she said softly. “You’re in a motorcycle gang.”
I shook my head. “It’s not a gang; it’s a club,” I said. “Come on, Anna. You’re smarter than that.”
“And your friends,” she said cautiously. “Are they also members of the club?” She put a little twist on the word ‘club’ and I saw the sides of her mouth turn down in a slight snarl.
Anger flared through me. Who was this chick? She didn’t know me! How could she be so fuckin’ judgmental! “Yes. Thomas and Lucas are also patched members of The Saints. Anything else?”
“Yeah. What the fuck were you doing in that box?”
I laughed shortly. “Oh boy. Knew it was going to come to that. Yep. Well, I was coming home, Miss Anna. You understand that, right? That’s what you were doing this evening, as well.”
“In a box?” she asked, with a hint of derision. “I know airline food sucks, but come on.”
I pulled a face at her. “Some people maybe didn’t want me to come back,” I said smoothly. Anna’s eyes widened but she didn’t say anything. “You ever been in a situation like that? Not likely, I’d bet.”
Anna shrugged and looked away. The waitress was sauntering back towards us, pad and paper in hand. “Can I get y’all something to eat?” Minnie batted her eyelashes at me and I looked away.
“Cheeseburgers, fries, side salads for both of us,” I said, snapping my menu shut and handing it over. “And more of these drink things, whatever they are.”
“That’s a Sex on the Beach,” Minnie said. She winked at me and I turned away in disgust. Anna was rolling her eyes and I wanted to shove Minnie away from us as quickly as I could.
“Thanks,” I said dismissively. “That’s all.”
Minnie glared at me. This time, when she walked away, she kept her hips straight. I glanced back at Anna after a second.
“What?” she asked, pursing her lips. “You read my mind about dinner, you want a reward for that?”
I laughed shortly. “It’s called paying attention,” I said
, tapping the side of my head. “I can do that sometimes.”
“I can do that sometimes,” she said, mimicking my tone again. There was something about the way she flirted that was almost combative.
“You deserve a spanking,” I said. “You can’t even talk to me without taking some kind of flippant tone. What makes you think you’re so superior to me, huh?”
Anna didn’t say anything. She flushed slightly and looked away. “I’m not used to talking to people,” she said after a moment. “And I don’t trust you! You showed up in the back of my rig in a box! And you tell me now you’re in a club with people who completely forgot about you! What kind of friends would do that?”
“They didn’t forget about me,” I hissed, leaning across the table. “Look, you don’t get it. The Saints is a brotherhood. Those men are like my family. Hell, they’re the only family I have!” Anna looked shocked but she didn’t argue. “Something must have happened,” I said slowly. “They wouldn’t have abandoned me like that. Those guys are my family,” I repeated.
