by Joanna Blake
"It's not that, Devlin. It's just- I'm so young. And you didn't even ask me! A girl wants to be proposed to!"
"I'm asking you now."
She felt tears welling up in her eyes. How badly she wanted to say yes- to just forget the high handed way he'd asked her- no, told her and say yes.
But she couldn’t.
"I'm sorry I just- I need some time to think."
His face was white as she backed away from him. She'd never seen him look like that. He looked lost.
She grabbed Sally's hand and ran.
Chapter 6
Sally
Sally followed Kaylie around the side of the building and through the crowd around the front gate. Then suddenly they were out on the street. She breathed a sigh of relief as they hurried down the sidewalk.
She didn't like crowds.
Not anymore.
Poor Kaylie was a wreck. It was hard to imagine that the big guy might love her too much. He had pushed too hard.
"You okay?"
Kaylie shook her head. She was walking fast with tears rolling down her beautiful face. Sally put her hand on her younger friend's shoulder.
"Weren't expecting that, huh?"
"How could he? The day you get engaged is supposed to be one of the happiest days in your whole life!"
"I'm sorry, Kaylie."
Sally felt awful for her friend. What a mess. But she was glad to get out of the clubhouse and away from Donnie. Not that she didn't like him. It was that she liked him too much.
That was dangerous for someone like her.
He was dangerous.
A tough guy like him was just the sort who would manhandle a woman. He was a criminal after all. Weren't all bikers?
And she'd seen the way they treated the scantily clothed women at the barbecue. They'd been pure cavemen, taking their pick of the girls without asking.
That's what Devlin had done to Kaylie, even if he'd been sweet about it.
That's what Donnie wanted to do to her.
She shivered suddenly, the image of Donnie throwing her over his shoulder and taking her somewhere private to have his way with her. Her body was hot suddenly. She wouldn't mind that so much.
What she minded was what happened after.
First he'd get used to her, start taking her for granted. Then he'd start barking little commands at her. Telling her what to eat, where she could go, what she could wear. Then came the insults… and finally the fists.
She'd rather be alone than go through that again.
Maybe she was fooling herself, thinking she'd be safe here.
Maybe it was time to find a new town.
"Sorry about all of this, Sally. I think I need to go home. My mom will be home from work soon."
"Don't apologize to me. I was ready to leave anyway. I have a class this afternoon."
She had been planning to skip it, but it would be the perfect way to regain her equilibrium. To face her fears head on.
"Oh, okay. I'm glad you came, anyway. I'll see you at the diner later this week?"
"Yes. Have a good night, Kaylie. Call me if you want to talk."
"I will. And thanks."
Sally watched Kaylie turn down the street that she lived on. Sally's house was just a couple of blocks further. She would run home and change into her workout gear.
There was nothing to be afraid of now. She’s averted the crisis. She would just continue to avoid Donnie. She would not give into temptation.
She would be strong.
She looked behind her suddenly, feeling like someone was watching her. She shivered suddenly as her arms broke out in goosebumps.
But there was no one there.
Chapter 7
Donahue
Donnie and Jack sat in silence in the slowly emptying parking lot. Janet had left shortly after Kaylie and Sally to go see if her friend was okay.
She hadn’t seemed okay to Donnie. The poor girl had been so upset. The whole thing was hard to watch.
Meanwhile Dev was in the clubhouse bar, slowly drinking himself into oblivion.
"What a disaster."
Jack just nodded. No one had expected Kaylie to run off like that. Dev must be destroyed right now.
Donnie knew it was selfish of him but he was still upset that Sally had left before he got a chance to work his magic on her. Kaylie had taken Sally with her. He'd barely had a minute to talk to her at all.
Talk, ha. He’d just wanted to take her home. He’d had plans for her tonight.
Big plans. Big and hard plans. Plans that involved making her scream his name.
But now that shot was blown, and Dev was crushed.
Donnie considered going in to keep his friend and leader company. But the thought of drinking heavily was unappealing to him. He wanted to be sitting with a certain pretty lady, eating chicken wings. Or not. He'd really rather be tasting her right now… those sweet lips… her earlobes… then lower…
He should go see if she was okay. Offer to take her out another time. Make his move.
He had a vague idea of where she lived, just from seeing her walking around town. It wasn't in the best part of town, that much was certain. It was odd, all the little things he'd noticed about her in the past couple of months. All without realizing he was doing it.
Kind of like a stalker actually.
He stood up abruptly.
"I gotta go."
"Okay. I'll keep an eye on Dev."
"Thanks man. I'll check in later."
He was out the gate and on his bike in less than a minute. He pulled his helmet on and smiled. He never had chicks on the back of his bike but he kept a spare helmet back there just in case. He kind of hoped he would need it.
Maybe Sally would be up for a ride.
Chapter 8
Sally
Hustle, girl, hustle.
Sally pulled the hoodie down over her face and walked faster. If she could get there in 5 minutes, she could make the 4 o'clock class at the dojo. You weren't allowed in if you were late. Jerry Davis, who owned the place, was very strict.
Then again, he always made exceptions for Sally.
She did her best to ignore the fact that Jerry pretty openly had a crush on her. After almost two months though, it was hard not to notice the discounts, special attention and lingering looks.
It was too bad he wasn't her type. He was blond and reasonably good-looking. A total jock. A nice guy with his own business. Exactly the kind of guy she should be going for. But he just didn't do it for her.
He was too… boring. She hoped he never actually asked her out because she would hate to hurt his feelings.
After all, this place had changed her life.
Before taking classes she'd been weak, at the mercy of anyone stronger. Now she could at least stand up for herself, if not win, a fight with someone twice her size. Plus, she had the element of surprise on her side.
No one expected a tiny little blond like her to whoop their butts.
She almost hoped she'd get a chance to use her new skills someday.
Almost.
She hustled and slid into class just before Jerry shut the doors. Good. She needed this today. She needed to feel empowered.
Jerry's eyes flicked over the seven students lined up. Oh no. An odd number. Sally knew what that meant.
"Sally, you'll spar with me."
She nodded and joined Jerry at the front of the classroom. She bowed and they began. Jerry was laser focused, challenging her at ever turn. She was getting sweaty and overexerted, just trying to stay on her feet.
That's until she took her work out jacket off.
Oops.
She regretted taking it off immediately.
She almost rolled her eyes at the way he was so distracted by her body. Her tight tank top and jogging pants, with the tiny glimpse of a hot pink jog bra was not standard gear for the dojo.
But Jerry did not seem to mind. In fact, he was barely paying attention to anything other than her torso
. Or her butt. Or her legs. It was almost insulting how blatantly he was ogling her.
Then again, he was distracted so…
BAM
She got a direct hit to his chest, sending him stumbling. He landed against the wall and was on his feet in an instant, glaring at her.
Uh oh.
Jerry wasn't distracted anymore.
They sparred for the rest of the hour and a half class until she was exhausted and soaked in sweat. He challenged her at every turn, keeping her on her toes, really honing her instincts and technique. She was wiped out by the end, with jello for muscles.
It was tough as hell.
It felt awesome.
She was patting herself down with the towels Jerry kept at the front desk when she looked outside and saw him.
Donnie.
He was outside, lounging on his motorcycle with his long legs stretched out in front of him. He really did look like a model pretending to be a biker. But what was he doing out there in the dojo parking lot?
Oh no. He wasn’t there idly. He was there for a reason.
He was waiting for her.
"Friend of yours?"
She nearly jumped out of her skin from the voice behind her. Jerry was practically whispering in her ear. He was that close.
Too close.
She could feel his breath on the back of her neck. She stepped sideways toward the exit. Now she was getting annoyed. Couldn't the guy take a hint?
"Yes. He is."
"Be careful, Sally. The Spawns aren't good guys you know. They don't treat women well."
Oh, and you would?
She gritted her teeth and forced herself to sound calm and most importantly- cool. No need to snap at him and create an enemy- or a threat.
Besides, whenever a woman raised her voice, even if she was right, somebody invariably used the same word.
Crazy.
Anytime a woman was inconvenient, or justifiably riled up, someone said it. And poof, just like that, it took her power away. There was no word Sally hated more in the dictionary, even though it hadn’t been used on her more than once or twice.
Usually when she was trying to defend herself.
"I can take care of myself, Jerry."
She pushed the glass door and stepped out, almost missing the odd look Jerry was giving her. He didn't look like a nice guy in that moment. Not at all.
Donnie smiled and stood up as soon as he saw her. She squared her shoulders and walked over to him. There was no point in running. It was a small town. And he came to Mae’s.
Plus, there was a tiny voice inside her head telling her that she could trust him. That Donahue was one in a million. That he was a good guy.
Not a hitter.
She reminded herself that she had nothing to be afraid of. He was just a guy. A really, really hot guy, but a guy all the same. And she knew how to defend herself now.
She was probably going to skip the dojo for a while, but she’d learned a lot already. She could practice on her own.
Just relax.
He was holding a helmet in his hands. She stared at those thick paws for a minute. His hands were huge compared to hers. He could do a lot of things to her with those hands…
Good and bad.
"Hi Sally."
"Hi Donnie.What are you doing here?"
"You disappeared so fast that I didn't get to talk to you."
“Oh. I had to go. Kaylie was pretty upset."
"Yeah, I gathered."
She just stared at him. He looked big and tough in all his leather but the look on his face was similar to what a puppy looked like when it wanted a bowl of kibble.
An enormous, muscle bound puppy with gorgeous blue eyes.
He looked utterly harmless.
She was afraid of him anyway.
But maybe, just maybe, it was just a flash back. Maybe that had nothing to do with Donnie himself.
He held out the helmet. There was another one on the seat behind him. Oh dear. He wanted her to ride with him.
"Come on, let me give you a ride. It'll be fun."
She took a step back, her hands flying to her damp ponytail.
"But I'm all sweaty."
He grinned at her in a way that made her heart start beating double time.
“I don’t mind.”
“Donnie…”
"It's hot out. I’m sweaty too.”
She did not want to get on that bike. She did not want to wrap her arms around him. She did not want to feel his body against her chest. She did not want to rub their sweaty bodies together.
She was such a liar.
That was exactly what she wanted to do.
"Okay."
He grinned and helped her put her helmet on. He was standing so close to her that they could have been kissing. She stared at his chest, ignoring the insistent tug she was feeling. The urge to look up at him and… just let go. Give in. Fall into his arms.
She was just going for a ride, that was all.
Baby steps.
Chapter 9
Donahue
Damn, she felt nice against his back.
Donnie could not stop smiling. At first anyway. Sally was on his bike, letting him drive her around town. Her arms were clasped around his waist, which felt great, but he wanted more.
Much more.
He wanted to spend the night with her, talking and fucking. Mostly fucking. But he wanted to get to know her.
He wanted everything.
He picked up speed and her arms tightened, pulling her tight against his back. Jesus. He wished he had left his jacket at home. Then he could feel her body even better. As it was, he could barely think at all with her incredible breasts touching his back.
Maybe he should go a little faster…
He revved the motor and she was forced to hold him tighter, her body smushed against his, her legs spread wide behind him.
Oh God.
Donnie wasn't smiling all the sudden.
No, he was too busy fighting off the most intense arousal he'd felt in his entire life. He would lay money on the fact that his boner was hard enough to cut glass. Like a dick made out of diamonds.
Thankfully, Sally couldn't see the huge bulge growing in his pants. He was grateful she was behind him. Though really, it would be a lot more fun if she was against his front.
He headed out into the farmland that started just outside of town. The sun was just beginning to set and the country roads looked spectacular. Might as well give her a tour while he waited for his body to calm down.
He had a feeling it might take a while.
After about twenty minutes they came to a hill that overlooked the setting sun. He pulled over so they could watch the sunset. He climbed off the bike and reached for her helmet.
She moved her head back subtly so he decided to leave it. He threw her a charming smile and pulled his helmet off. Then he offered her his hand. She stared at it for a minute before accepting his help off the bike.
He walked toward the lone tree on the hill before he realized she wasn't following him. So he went back. Sally was staring at him with her arms wrapped around her body.
"Are you cold?"
He pulled off his jacket and tucked it over her shoulders. She looked good in it, sweaty or not. He’d like to get her a lot sweatier.
"What are we doing all the way out here?"
He shrugged.
"It's pretty. I thought you would like it."
"I thought you were just going to drive me home."
"What's the fun in that?"
It took a moment before he caught the look in her eyes.
Sally looked terrified. She looked away quickly but he had definitely seen it. His guts twisted with guilt.
Fuck.
The girl was practically hyperventilating. Her eyes were full of tears. How had he missed that? He'd been too busy thinking with his dick.
"Was I going too fast?"
She didn't say anything. She just shook her head.
Not the speed then. What the hell was wrong with her? Was she actually afraid of him?
"We can go home. I didn't mean to scare you."
"I'm not scared."
He frowned. She was lying. So much for his charm. And he had really thought she was starting to warm up to him.
"Well, put the jacket on at least. It will keep you warm on the ride back."
She did as he asked and climbed stiffly back on the bike. He slid on in front of her. Way to go Donahue. Really winning over the ladies with your smooth moves.
He rode slower on the way back, but he could still feel her against him. Her breasts brushed against his back with every turn. He groaned inwardly.
Talk about rubbing salt on the wound.
What the fuck was he supposed to do now?
And what the hell was she so afraid of?
Chapter 10
Sally
In and out. Count in for three, hold for three, breath out for three. Her heart was still racing but it was a little slower now.
She was okay. She was safe.
Sally's rapid breathing had eased a little bit by the time he pulled up in front of her house. She yanked her hands back as soon as the bike stopped.
She felt lightheaded, whether from the speed, his closeness, or the fear that had over taken her in the field, she wasn't sure. She was a bit wobbly as she climbed off the bike.
Donnie hastened to get off in front of her and give her his arm but she just shook her head, handing him his jacket and hurrying into the house. She fumbled with her keys until she had the door open and then collapsed against it. Hot tears spilled out over her face.
She was okay. She was safe.
The confused look on Donnie's face was burned into her brain. Oh god, he must think she was insane! She’d run off on him like a freak. Maybe this was one time the word ‘crazy’ would be justified.
Why did she have to ruin everything?
Her hands were shaking as she turned and slowly chained the door and threw the locks. It took her a second to notice it.
