by Debra Kayn
She dropped her gaze to the hand holding her arm. Underneath his fingers, her skin warmed and he allowed himself to soak in the heat.
He relaxed his hold and put her arm down at her side. "Stay away from me."
She stepped back, biting her lip. Without saying a word, she walked inside the bar, leaving him outside alone again. He rubbed his thumb against the palm of his hand, still heated from touching her. He cussed under his breath. Life around Cactus Cove was changing, and he could almost feel his calm slipping away.
Nothing fueled his anger more than another person attempting to control his freedom. Rain might've hired Brandy to run the bar, but she wasn't going to order him around. He walked toward his motorcycle. Gladys had known her place and knew when to keep the others away from him when he found society crushing in on him. He had a feeling Brandy was going to give him a push at the wrong time, and all hell was going to break lose.
The compressing pressure in his head intensified. His body ached deep inside where alcohol or escaping on his motorcycle couldn't touch. He shook his head trying to dispatch the thoughts narrowing in on him.
"Torque," Rain's voice came from behind him.
He stopped next to his Harley. The muscles in his face automatically relaxed to hide the chaos in his head. "Yeah?"
Rain's dark eyes studied him without speaking. Torque shoved his hands in his back pockets of his jeans. His president saw everything, but not all the time.
"I have to go up to Seattle. I'll be taking Tori and Lilly and making a day of it. She's got some shop or mall she wants to go to. Can you hang around here? Keep an eye on things?" Rain widened his stance and added. "Bruce is around, but it's Friday and I don't want Brandy to deal with everything by herself on her first day. The other members know she's off limits, but I'd feel better knowing someone had her back until she gets used to everyone."
He looked back at his bike, wanting to ride away and tell Rain no. "Yeah, I'll stick around."
Rain remained standing in front of him, his long hair loose and falling over his forehead. "Something going on?"
"No," he answered. "I'm good."
At least he would be when he could go home and get away from everyone. Over the years, he'd dodged more shit than he had bullets. Hell, he'd rather take another bullet than deal with a woman who closed in on him. He liked his privacy and space.
Rain clapped his hand on Torque's shoulder. "Pete, Remmy, and Slade are at the garage. Call them if you need a break. I'll give them the heads up to stick around."
"'Right," he said.
Rain walked to his motorcycle in sure, confident steps, and Torque headed back to the bar, each of his steps heavier than the last. Inside, he went straight to the pool table. He'd distract himself with a few games and time would fly, so he could go home. If that didn't work, he'd call in Slade. He trusted his MC brother and knew Slade wouldn't question why he needed to get away from everyone.
No one ever talked about his actions, his words, his threats, his spontaneous need to distance himself from everyone, including the club, in which he was glad. Talking never helped. He was who he was, and life consisted of him. Period.
Leaning over the pool table, he lined the cue ball and broke, watching the balls scatter across the green felted surface. Two solid colored pool balls went in the side pockets, and he moved around the side of the table to take another shot. He often played pool by himself, wasting time, working out a problem, or while waiting for club business to be over.
Then again, he'd had years of practice entertaining himself. He was a solitary player, and preferred the quiet.
Raul approached and thumped the corner of the table with his knuckles. "Want to re-rack? I'm only wasting time while Crystal shows up."
"Nah, man, I'm good. Just watching the clock myself." Torque caught sight of Brandy behind Raul at the counter of the bar.
She leaned her elbows on the surface and displayed her ass for everyone to see. His gaze went down her legs, ogling the bare skin peeking through the rips on her jeans under the curve of her butt. She planted her feet farther apart. He shook his head and turned away. She was setting herself up for trouble.
"See you've met Brandy," Raul said, mumbling something in Spanish that anyone could translate as male appreciate for the opposite sex. "The old ladies are not going to like her once they get a look at her."
"Yeah, well, nobody can replace Gladys," he muttered.
Best thing that could happen was Rain's wife, Tori, or even Raul's old lady, Crystal, took Brandy aside and informed her how things worked within the club. Maybe the women could even force Rain to hire someone new...or someone older like Gladys. Hell, he'd even take a guy running the bar over Brandy, and he was never one to turn down an available woman.
"I agree, amigo. Gladys was the best thing for all of us." Raul's body shifted and he turned toward the door. "Looks like my woman came early."
Crystal stopped a few feet from the door and searched the bar. Her shoulders went back, displaying more of the cross tattoo on her chest that her low cut T-shirt couldn't cover. Torque could almost hear the hiss through Crystal's teeth as she curled her lip at the sight of Brandy. He planted the end of the pool stick between his boots and leaned forward to watch the show. For the first time today, the muscles around his mouth relaxed and he almost smiled.
Brandy had no idea the drama playing out behind her. Torque gazed back at Crystal. Raul's wife marched across the room with her arms swinging at her sides in a beeline toward the counter.
He'd seen what the Bantorus women would do to a bitch that got out of hand or didn't know her place. The female hangers were not allowed around the bikers during daylight hours, and definitely not when the old ladies were present.
He kept his gaze on the action. This was not going to end pretty and since he was in charge of looking after Brandy, he probably should do something.
"Eh, you might want to pull your woman in before there's bloodshed," Torque said.
Raul nodded and moved in a straight line. He intercepted Crystal with an arm around her waist and hauled her back before she was within arm's reach of Brandy. Torque watched him usher Crystal down the hallway, leaving Brandy unaware of the biker saving her ass.
Brandy spun around and caught him looking at her before he could bring himself to turn away. Challenged, he stared her down in case she believed she got the upper hand on him. He regretted his mistake the moment she planted her high-heeled boot in his direction.
He never had taken confrontations well. Seven years of hell early on in his life, he fought and protected his personal space. Old habits die hard, even on the outside.
"I see the vest. I see the flame tattoo on your neck. I see the badass attitude that makes you a Bantorus member. I also get how you have the freedom to come and go making your own rules, because you're part of the MC." She moistened her lips, and damned if his cock didn't hardened at the sight of her pink moist tongue. "But I will not have you interrupting my work day by pushing your authority in the bar or over me. You're not my boss, so get the hell out of here and find some other girl to entertain you."
"You going to make me?" he said, enjoying the banter too much for his liking.
Her gaze flickered and for the first time he noticed her hesitation. Then she stepped closer. "I'm serious. Don't fu—"
"Eh," he said, cutting her off. "Be careful, before I think of something else you can do with that dirty little mouth."
She scoffed and glared. "Get real."
He raised his hand, using his index finger to twine the strand of hair curling over the peak of her large breast pushing against her T-shirt. When he'd wrapped his whole finger, he tugged hard enough to catch her by surprise, causing her to stumble toward him. Her hands sprawled on his chest, and his body tensed in pleasure.
"I warned you. Stay away from me," he whispered.
Her breath quickened. "Or what?"
"You really want to know?" He stared at her mouth.
She p
aused with her lips parted. "Yeah. You talk big, but you're—"
He captured her mouth with his own, shutting her down.
Her full lips cushioned his. He gave her no warming, no softness, no chance to escape. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, stroking the velvety-softness in pure selfish lust. He swallowed her gasp, taking the opportunity to tilt his head to capture her bottom lip and go back for one more taste.
The tips of her nails scratched the sensitive scarred skin under his shirt. He growled, enjoying the pain. She made him feel past the pressure in his head. He sensed everything about her. Her strength, her softness, her taste—wild and hot, her smell—almost intoxicating and reminded him of honey and fresh air...freedom.
Brandy's hips tilted forward, pressing against his hardness. He groaned, leaning her back, taking her off balance so she had nowhere to go but to hold on to him. His breath escaped him and he closed his eyes, sucking, licking, demanding.
Then she was gone. He opened his eyes at the same time his hand jerked. She'd ripped her hair out of his grasp, and he curled his fingers, still holding a few stray strands that stayed with him.
She stared at him with wide, aroused eyes, an opened mouth, swollen and wet from his kiss. He glanced down at his hand and swallowed. He should never have touched her.
—Available at all e-retailer book stores—
Need more Bantorus MC books?
Breathing His Air
Aching To Exhale
Soothing His Madness
Grasping For Freedom
Fighting To Ride
Author Bio
Top Selling Romance Author, Debra Kayn, lives with her family at the foot of the Bitterroot Mountains in beautiful Idaho. She enjoys riding motorcycles, playing tennis, fishing, and driving the men crazy in the garage.
Her love of family ties and laughter makes her a natural to write heartwarming contemporary stories to the delight of her readers. Oh, let's cut to the chase. She loves to write about REAL MEN and the WOMEN who love them.
When Debra was nineteen years old, a man kissed her without introducing himself. When they finally came up for air, the first words out of his mouth were...will you have my babies? Considering Debra's weakness for a sexy, badass man, who is strong enough to survive her attitude, she said yes. A quick wedding at the House of Amour and four babies later, she's living her own romance book.
Website: www.debrakayn.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/DebraKayn
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DebraKaynFanPage
Newsletter: http://www.debrakayn.com/p/contact-me.html
Debra Kayn's Backlist
Breathing His Air – Bantorus Motorcycle Club
Aching To Exhale – Lagsturns Motorcycle Club
Soothing His Madness – Bantorus Motorcycle Club
Grasping for Freedom – Bantorus Motorcycle Club
Fighting To Ride – Bantorus Motorcycle Club
Laying Down His Colors – Bantorus Motorcycle Club, anthology titled Melt My Heart
Archer, A Hard Body Novel, book 1
Weston, A Hard Body Novel, book 2
Biker Babe in Black, The Chromes and Wheels Gang, book 1
Ride Free, The Chromes and Wheels Gang, book 2
Healing Trace
Wildly, Playing For Hearts, book 1
Seductively, Playing For Hearts, book 2
Conveniently, Playing For Hearts, book 3
Secretly, Playing For Hearts, book 4
Surprisingly, Playing For Hearts, book 5
Chantilly's Cowboy, The Sisters of McDougal Ranch, book 1
Val's Rancher, The Sisters of McDougal Ranch, book 2
Margot's Lawman, The Sisters of McDougal Ranch, book 3
Florentine's Hero, The Sisters of McDougal Ranch, book 4
Suite Cowboy
Hijinks
Resurrecting Charlie's Girl
His Royal Princess
Love Rescued Me
Double Agent
Breaking Fire Code
