The man she had dreamt about and made a fool of herself in front of less than twenty-four hours before.
“Star,” he smiled as he stopped and studied her.
She felt herself blushing furiously. Still, she was determined this time she would not look away.
“Hi,” she said, and her voice came out in a small squeak.
He crossed his big arms over his chest and looked down at her, his muscles on his forearms swelling and heaving out of the bottom of his t-shirt. He looked so good, so much better than she had remembered. It was as if each time she saw his face, he became better looking. She noticed another curve or edge to his features that accented them more.
“Can I join you?” he asked suddenly.
Star’s heart was pounding so hard now she didn’t even know if she had heard him correctly. She nodded her head slowly and waited to see what his reaction would be.
He didn’t say a word, instead sitting down opposite her. She jumped a little when she felt his feet skim against hers. His boots were so big and rough, and hers so small and dainty, it was like the perfect juxtaposition was occurring beneath the table.
She was somewhat gob-smacked, but she tried not to show it. She sipped her drink again and suddenly didn’t feel very hungry.
“Are you not working tonight?” he asked, as he watched her from under his dark, furrowed brow.
“No,” she said with a small smile. “Tonight is one of my much needed nights off.”
He nodded his head slowly and watched her as if he was taking her all in and trying to figure her out.
“Are you settling into town okay?” she asked him, trying to think of something, anything, to stop the conversation from running dry so painfully quick.
“Yes,” he said with a slight nod, “I am.”
His eyes locked in on hers again and it was making her nervous. How did he do this to her? How could he instill such a violent reaction of nerves and lust?
“And what about you?” he asked as he smiled a wry smile. “Have you settled in nicely into our new neighborhood?”
“I have,” she said. “It’s nice and quiet and completely different to where I was before. You have no idea how appreciative I am for you letting me stay in the house. It’s like a palace compared to what I’m used to.”
He waved her comment away as if it was nothing and then his eyes settled on hers again.
He had a vague look of amusement in them, but also one of intrigue and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on. It bordered on authority, but it was also one of passion.
“Did you get everything sorted with the TV?” he asked. “I was going to offer to come in and help you with it when I dropped you off this morning, but you seemed in a rush to get away.”
His smile flickered, and Star saw something in him that she hadn’t seen before… uncertainty. As if he was uncertain he was making the right move.
“Actually no,” she admitted. “I haven’t.” She shrugged and felt herself blushing again.
“Well then,” he said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “That settles it. I don’t need to be anywhere tonight, so I’ll come over and give you a hand.”
It wasn’t an offer or a question, it was an order.
Star felt her insides clench and her heart flutter. “Are you sure?”
He leaned forward so he was closer to her and stared at her with those intense eyes.
“I’m very sure,” he said menacingly.
Star’s whole body was tingling. She had never felt so excited in her entire life.
“I’ll leave you to eat in peace,” he said as he tapped at his phone and rose to his feet. “But make sure you’re back home in an hour?” He asked her as if she had a choice in the matter, but she liked knowing that she really didn’t.
“Okay,” she squeaked.
He smiled at her and walked away to the far corner of the diner where he sat at a booth with his back to her. Her heart was racing, and her palms were sweating. Even just a conversation with him made her so confused and aroused it was sending her insane.
He looked back over his shoulder and caught his eye and flashed her a naughty smile.
Am I imaging it, or is he flirting with me? she thought as she spun the straw around in her glass and pushed her plate away.
She wasn’t hungry now. S There was no way in hell she was going to be eating any more of what was in front of her. She rose to her feet and walked back to the counter. She could feel Chains watching her and it was making her both nervous and turned on. She had no clue what was happening to her when she was around him, but it was so different to anything she had experienced before that it was making her dizzy and dumb. She could barely keep her composure.
“Heading off already?” Joe asked as she slammed a twenty down on top of the counter and hurried toward the door.
“Yes,” she called back. “Thanks, Joe.”
She didn’t look back at Chains however much she wanted to. She knew that she had to remain composed.
As she raced back home, all she could think about what how he had looked at her, how she felt when she was in front of him, and of all the things she knew he was capable of deep down. Her dream hadn’t been random; there was something running beneath the surface when it came to Chains. He was dark and dangerous, but he had an edge to him that was raw sexuality and carnal desires.
She shivered.
It had been such a long time since a man had touched her and she had buried her own desires well away, never thinking about or tending to them. But now that Chains had walked into her life, all she could think about was submitting to him and to what she craved.
And what she craved was him. Between her legs. On top of her. Holding her down, and dominating her.
“Yikes,” she whispered as she had to catch her breath. “He really has awoken something very naughty in you.”
She raced home without looking back and when she threw open her front door the first thing she saw was the TV sitting in the corner, still in a tangle of wires.
He was coming for her in less than hour. She had to be prepared, because she had the distinct feeling that he was going to be fixing a lot more than her television when he arrived.
8.
She heard the bike pulling into their street and she looked in the mirror, smoothing her hair down and trying not to look nervous. She heard him turn of the engine, then everything outside went silent before she heard the stomp of his big boots coming up her driveway.
She walked quickly and silently to the door and hovered behind it, waiting for him to knock. When he did, she still jumped a little. She waited a second or two before she undid the locks and opened the door wide.
He was standing there with his arms above his head holding onto the doorframe, looking down at her with those eyes that sent her legs into a wobbling mess.
“Hi,” he rumbled.
His features were so perfect and so unbelievably handsome that it startled her every time. She knew it wasn’t just her that had been taken aback by how good looking he was, because Jill and Renee had said the same back at the club.
“Come in,” she said as she took a step backwards and let him inside.
He closed the door behind him as she moved back to give him room. Their eyes were still locked in on each other’s and it was so very, very clear there was a lot more than just an attraction between them. It was something deep and fateful; something raw and natural, something so powerful that it was becoming more and more overwhelming with each moment they spent together.
Star bumped up against the wall and Chains stopped walking toward her. Her heart was pounding away in her chest and she wanted so desperately to reach out and take hold of him, but she knew she had to wait for him to make the first move.
He was a man of power and control. She could sense it, and she wanted him to exert it.
“Thank you,” she whispered nervously. “For offering to come by and help me.”
> Chains took another step closer and exhaled deeply.
“It’s no problem.” his voice was so heavy and gruff it made her quiver.
He held her gaze again before reaching up to remove his leather jacket. He let it fall to the floor with a deep thump and then he turned and looked at the corner where the TV and all the wires lay in a twisted mess.
“Can I get you a drink?” she asked him.
He looked up at her and nodded. “Whatever you’ve got is good with me.” He knelt and got to work.
Star turned and mouthed Oh My God to herself as she went through the doors to the back hallway and into the kitchen.
The tension between them was reaching breaking point and she didn’t know how much longer she could stand it without just letting herself unleash her inner power.
She felt more powerful around him. It was as if her energy and his mixed so well together that it made them superhuman. It was addictive.
She rested her head against the front of the refrigerator and breathed in and out slowly. She was going to have to calm down and relax, otherwise they were going to be ripping each other’s clothes off any second. She had promised herself no bikers, but now he was in her home and all she wanted was him.
“You damned fool,” she whispered, but she couldn’t help but smile as she said it.
She took a beer out of the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of red wine before she wandered back to watch him and his muscle, hunched over her television. He already had it set up on the stand and nearly finished plugging in all the wires.
“Wow,” she smiled. “You did that fast.”
“Well,” he said nonchalantly as he ran a hand through his hair. “It’s an easy job. I’m not going to lie.”
Star felt herself blush.
“I’m so useless,” she said.
“No, you’re not,” he grinned. “You just need a man around to sort this kind of thing for you.”
She felt her heart flutter again.
She remembered back to what she had told him in the early hours of that morning when she had climbed off his bike.
He knew she was afraid of attracting the wrong man. Now here he was, helping her and paying her all this attention. The attraction between them was building and her need was growing.
She sat down on the edge of the couch and he leaned over and held his bottle of beer out to chink against her wine glass.
“Cheers,” he said before he took a sip, his eyes not once leaving hers.
“Cheers.” She smiled and did the same.
The silence between them returned, both not addressing the elephant in the room. They both clearly wanted each other, and now it was turning into a game of cat and mouse.
Who was going to break first?
Who was going to pounce?
“Why did you move here?” she asked him suddenly. Determined she was going to win this game and he was going to make the move on her.
“I had to,” he said. “For the club.”
“But you’re new,” she said. “How does that even happen? I thought The Forsaken Riders were all just old school boys from Slate Springs. Where did you come from?”
His eyes lit up a little and he smiled.
“I’m from far, far away,” he said mischievously. “From a completely different world and a completely different life.”
“And yet, you’re here, in little old Slate Springs.”
“That I am,” he agreed.
“Does it have to do with the Russians?” she asked bravely. “I don’t know a whole lot, but I know there’s some trouble around here. You’re not affiliated with them, are you?”
Chains laughed and shook his head. “No Star, I don’t have anything to do with them. Quite the opposite, in fact.”
He had such an air of mystery surrounding him and the way he revealed different parts of his story, only made him more irresistible and intriguing.
“Well, what then?” she asked cockily. “I mean we’re neighbors, I think I deserve to know who I’m dealing with.”
She bit her lip and grinned and he seemed to like her playfulness. He rose to his feet and took a step toward her.
He loomed above her, all muscles and darkness, making her whole body ache with desire. She wanted him so badly. She knew he wanted her too. It was so palpable, she could feel it the moment they were within ten feet of each other. She could feel it across time and space, and even in her dreams.
This man was going to be something to her.
He was important, and he was also an enigma.
A mystery.
A beautiful puzzle that she wanted to solve.
“The Forsaken Riders had heard of me,” he said as he reached up and swept a strand of hair away from Star’s eye to behind her ear. His touch was electric, making her body tingle. His skin against hers was so much more than she ever could have imagined, and he had only gently stroked her face. Her breath caught in her throat and he grunted slightly as he took in her reaction. He clearly enjoyed it.
“And they needed me here as a silent protector,” he said. “They needed someone who no one knew, someone who was on the ball and dangerous and could move around town unnoticed.”
“How could you ever go unnoticed?” Star asked genuinely. “You’re one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen, and you exude power and authority.”
A wicked smile flitted across his lips.
“You’re an observant little thing, aren’t you?” he mused.
Star smiled back at him and looked up with doe eyes.
“I’ve been trained in a lot of arts,” he said gently, almost as if he didn’t want to scare her. “I have skills, life experience, and I’m useful here. I know Ax from way back. We’re like brother’s, and I’m here because he knew I could help. Signing up in blood was my choice. I’m part of The Forsaken now, and I’m honored to be here.”
Star swallowed. He was as passionate about the club as she had hoped he would be. She also knew he wasn’t going anywhere. Slate Springs was his home now, and he had found her. He had chosen her to spend his first week in town with, and that had to mean something. It had to mean he felt exactly what she was feeling, otherwise, he wouldn’t be there with her. He would be immersing himself in the club.
“I thought maybe you were a decoy,” she said. “A hired actor, someone to come in and look good and deflect attention. You’re so striking to look at.”
“Well I was a model,” he mused. She couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.
“Seriously?”
Chains nodded his head slowly. “Ax is the only one who knows though, so I’d appreciate it if you kept that one to yourself.”
Star grinned and nodded. “Of course I will, I just can’t believe I was nearly right.”
“But that was the old me,” he said now. “I did that when I was young and needed cash. Now I’m older, wiser, stronger, and I just want to do something I love. I want to be passionate about something and find my place in the world. I have to say, the second I came to this town I knew I had found it.” He paused for a moment and looked at her sternly. “And then I saw you.”
Her heart skipped a beat and she stopped breathing for a moment. She didn’t dare in case she missed a word that he was saying.
He looked at her, moving ever so slightly closer so that they were almost touching. Her heartbeat was pounding through her ears and she felt dizzy with anticipation. He was only millimeters away from her. If she looked up at him now and into his eyes, there was no doubt that they would kiss.
“I saw you,” he whispered. “And I knew I had found something special.”
He trailed off and he ran his fingers through her hair and down her chin. He tilted it up slightly so that they could finally look into each other’s eyes again. Star felt completely overcome with want for him.
“I… I…” she stammered.
He smiled as he cupped her face in his hands before he leaned in and kissed her.
His kiss powerful and y
et soft at the same time. He was clearly very strong and dangerous, yet he was holding her there as if she were a precious flower that he was afraid to crush. His lips met hers and she raised her arms and wrapped them around his waist, holding him much like she had done the same morning when they were on the bike together, but now they were face to face. They were exploring each other, and Star knew that she had been right all along.
She had fought it, but she had been right to be attracted to this man. He was everything she had ever hoped for, but never dared to admit.
Their lips broke apart and he smiled at her mischievously.
“I didn’t know if you’d noticed it too until this morning,” he said. “This pull between us.”
Star nodded her head and stared up at him.
“It’s intense,” she whispered. “It’s… consuming.”
He nodded and looked down at her with his dark brows and intense eyes.
“It’s very powerful,” he said.
Star relaxed against him and he wrapped an arm around her pulling her against his chest. She felt her body sigh with relief at knowing she wasn’t going insane, to know that he felt it, too.
Being there in his arms made her feel safe and cared for. He was like a giant next to her, yet he was so different in spirit to all the other bikers she had ever met. There was a deep intelligence to him, one that pulled at her and enveloped her as if she were a fly caught in his web.
But she wanted to be caught.
She wanted him to have her.
Chains tilted her head back up to him and stared into her eyes again.
“I better go,” he breathed.
“What?” she asked him, stunned.
“I have a confession,” he said. “I wasn’t really free this evening, I just had to come and see you. I had to know if you felt it too.”
Star looked at him and she felt her heart swell.
“I wanted to help you out,” he said. “But that was just an excuse to get you all to myself. I had to see if this was real.”
“It’s real,” she told him. “I felt it the second I saw you, but I was trying to deny it.”
A little smile flitted across his face and he swept in and kissed her again. This time his kiss was so intense it took her breath away, and he pushed her up against the wall gently and pinned her arms high above her head. She gasped and moaned, completely absorbed and taken over by him. He was everything she had hoped he would be, and it appeared so much more as well.
CHAINS (Forsaken Riders MC Romance Book 18) Page 7
