She’d be just fine, but she was alone, and I didn’t like her being alone.

  I also didn’t like that she wasn’t prepared for what kind of attention she was going to get moving forward. That made me worried, and my dick grew, calling me an asshole, because yeah, I was one of those guys.

  I wanted to give her a whole bunch of attention.

  5

  Kess

  He was still staring.

  I hated to admit this, but it was just making me hotter and more bothered.

  What was wrong with me?

  I’d never been this girl. Ever. It’s not that guys hadn’t been interested, but once I joined my crew, those guys went away. There’d been a time I had dated one of my crew members, but it would’ve gone bad fast so that stopped immediately. After that, we’d been a no-dating crew. I loved my guys, or had loved them. They were my brothers. My family. We joined our freshman year, and our crew name had been Shane’s Crew. Nothing fancy and named after Shane Lorenzo. He’d been our leader, but the rest of us all got along. There’d been problems, which was why I felt so blindsided.

  They’d been my security blanket, and now, nothing.

  Shane went to Alaska. Kemp and Gorrup were on their backpacking trip together. Johnny was still here, but not speaking to me. I had no clue why. And Curtis was probably face first in his girlfriend’s pussy since we’d disbanded. She’d been eager for the end of us and now that it happened, I guess she was his new crew in the whole girlfriend/boyfriend thing.

  Mostly we liked to drink beer and laugh together. We did pranks sometimes, mostly on teachers or the principal, or anyone who messed with us. But we weren’t a fighting crew. We weren’t known for that. We were just there in the background.

  Christ.

  They were me.

  I was them.

  That was me.

  I was ‘the background’ and it was hitting me how stupid I’d been.

  There had been conversations over the last year about the summer and next year. The guys had even said they were looking into going backpacking, but I thought they’d talk about it with the rest of us. And Shane had mentioned Alaska. I told them I was going to college. Johnny was doing the same.

  But… just to disband? It hurt. It hurt a lot.

  “Wanna get a burger?”

  His gravelly voice pulled me out of my thoughts, and I tuned back in. His head had remained to the side, those eyes on me, piercing through me, and I was getting all flushed having different thoughts instead. Thoughts like something other than his eyes checking me out.

  “Sure.”

  6

  Kess

  We went on his bike.

  It was glorious.

  It was freeing.

  Barely any words all year, just the awareness of each other, and here I was, feeling like I was meant to be on the back of his bike. My hands were wrapped around his tight chest, my body against his, and I could feel his strength. This guy—whatever the real reason he’d been here—he’d not been a normal student. He just felt more.

  He drove to a small burger café, backing his bike up at the front door. The place wasn’t full, and I wasn’t surprised. Everyone was partying and as I got off his bike first, handing him the helmet, his hand grazed mine.

  A tingle shot up my arm, but I’d been tingling the entire ride.

  I’d been like this since I saw him waiting for me.

  It’s a surreal feeling, your body taking charge and not letting your mind catch up. Because I should stop and question things, but the only question that came to my mind was why did it feel so right when he took my hand and led the way inside?

  He shifted, walking behind me. A gentle hand on my back as we took the booth in the far corner. No one was inside except the staff, but it was a small place. There were only five booths available.

  I slid inside, and Chris sat next to me.

  I raised an eyebrow, but his mouth twitched as he leaned around me to snag the menus. He slid one in front of me. “You need that?”

  I pushed it aside. “I’ve lived in Roussou all my life, been here probably six dozen times.”

  He chuckled. “What are you getting then?”

  “A deluxe cheeseburger with fries and a soda.”

  He nodded. “Maybe I’ll have the same.”

  After we gave our orders, Chris seemed to relax beside me, but he wasn’t. His entire side was pressed against mine, and I felt how tight he was.

  “What’s going on?” I waited until our drinks were served before asking.

  He raised an eyebrow at me, picking his drink up and taking a sip. “What do you mean?”

  “I know you’re not going to tell me why you were really at my school, but you’re tense. And you waited an entire year to approach me.”

  His eyes lit up. “You’re cocky.”

  I grinned slowly. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  He gave another dry chuckle. “Let’s talk about you. You’re going to college next year?”

  I nodded and told him my plans. It was a good school, and I wanted to get a nursing degree. “My mom’s a nurse. When my dad left, she was pregnant with me.”

  “You two are close?”

  “Yeah.”

  “That’s Heckler’s sister, right?”

  Whoa. He acknowledged knowing my uncle. “Yeah…”

  He caught my reaction. “What?”

  “Just,” a shrug, “I never thought you’d talk about, you know.”

  I was getting flustered. I never got flustered. This was weird.

  He laughed, noting my reaction. “What is this now?”

  Why? Why now? Why today? Why at the end of the school year?

  Screw it.

  I tried to ignore how inflamed my face must have been. “Why were you at my school this year?”

  His grin faltered; his voice got quiet. “I can’t talk about that.”

  Okay. Another push. “Were you even a student?”

  He was studying me, but then a reluctant shake of his head. “No. I wasn’t, but your school’s administration knew I was there and why I was there.”

  I sucked in my breath. That was huge. Huge! And what did it mean?

  The food came, but neither of us moved to start eating.

  He waited until the server had moved from hearing distance before saying, “Let’s just say some people in high positions have a certain fear and debt to the MC.”

  And my last question. “Are you a member of the Red Demons?”

  He wasn’t as forthcoming, waiting a few beats before lounging back. His arm came up to rest behind me, and he moved so he was facing me. “That’s a complicated answer.”

  “Why?”

  MCs didn’t like you asking questions about them, and certainly not someone who’d be Red Demon royalty. I was going for broke here.

  I was holding my breath until I heard, “I graduated high school last year.”

  I was doing the math. “So, you would’ve prospected for the summer, then you were sent here?” That was a whole year, and most of it was spent away from his club.

  “We’ll see how it goes when I head back.”

  So, he was leaving.

  My heart sank.

  “Got it. Yeah.”

  He paused, then leaned forward. “Hey.” His voice, so soft there.

  It wasn’t fair.

  “Hey.” Not as soft. He touched my shoulder, hooking his finger under my tank top strap. He moved it down, his finger balling it up.

  Sensations were exploding down my body, inflaming every inch, and I was super aware of his body right next to me. So seriously aware. There was a whole throbbing situation starting, and that was making me all sorts of flushed.

  “Look, I’m going to level with you.”

  That didn’t sound good.

  My throat was spasming as I waited, looking over and holding his gaze.

  His eyes were all stormy looking, focusing on my lips before looking back up. “I asked for the day. I don’t know what orders I’ll get. I will probably get called back to headquarters, but I don’t really know.”

  My tongue felt heavy. “So, you’re saying you have the night?”

  Regret flared over his face, tightening his expression. His eyes flared again in sympathy.

  I hated that look.

  “Yeah. I have tonight.”

  One night.

  His finger started rubbing over my shoulder, moving under my strap. The food was long-forgotten, and he was watching me, waiting for something. I didn’t know what, but did it really matter? One night. The rest of today.

  This sucked.

  I asked, my throat hoarse, “Why’d you wait all year?”

  He cursed under his breath. “I couldn’t.”

  I knew. I mean, I knew. That’s how MCs were, especially if they sent a guy for a long-term mission. That meant he was someone. I already knew that, but he was so young and to be sent away for a nine-month assignment. Those didn’t get handed out lightly. No matter who his uncle was, Chris was meant for big things with the Red Demons.

  One night. Damn.

  I knew my answer to what he hadn’t asked.

  “Got a place we can hang?”

  His eyes dipped to my mouth. “Oh yeah.”

  7

  Kess

  “Really?”

  I gaped at the house when he pulled into a driveway, then turned my head to the house next to it. My house. And I looked back to his house.

  “You were my neighbor this whole time?”

  A low chuckle reverberated from him as he turned the engine off and stood from his bike. “Yep.”

  I was even angrier, but one night. Dammit! I glared at him. “So not cool.”

  He ignored that, taking my helmet off and hanging it on his handle. He took my hand, giving me a tug. “Come on.”

  His eyes were wolfish. His gaze was lingering on my mouth, and just like that, the momentary anger was starting to subside. He hadn’t even touched me.

  Walking to the house, he lifted his arm around my shoulders. I reached up for his hand so they dangled together just off the side of me. This felt nice.

  I was melting against his side.

  Once inside, he stepped to the kitchen. “You want something to drink?”

  You.

  My throat went dry.

  I croaked out, “No.”

  His eyes darkened, and he said softly, “Okay.”

  He took my hand again, leading me down the hallway.

  Were we really going to do this? Was I really going to do this? Just get right down to business? I mean, he had bought me food, but yeah.

  I was nervous.

  I didn’t date. It’s not that I didn’t want to, but there weren’t a lot of guys I was interested in. I had a few hookups, but not many. A girl had needs. That was, until Christopher showed up. Once he did, it was him.

  Only him. All him.

  All year, and I was an idiot for not approaching him.

  His room was sparse. A bed. A chair. A dresser. A laundry basket in the corner. That’s all I noticed before he moved toward me.

  One step.

  He was right in front of me, close enough I could touch him.

  Heat rose in me.

  I was aching to touch him, and he was right there.

  Another step.

  His head folded down. His forehead rested on mine, and I reached out. My hands touched his stomach.

  He was so strong, tight. There was no softness there, and both our chests rose at the same time.

  I slid my hand up, pushing up his shirt, feeling the texture and contour of his muscles until I paused, right over his heart. It was speeding, just like mine, and biting down on my lip, I kept moving. His shirt was ripped off, his hand curling around my waist at the same time his head dipped.

  His mouth found mine—and ooooh!

  I was gone.

  Done.

  He was kissing me. I was kissing him.

  I’d never been kissed like this.

  He was commanding.

  There was no soft, subtle seduction here. We both knew what we wanted. The whole year had been our foreplay, and his mouth opened over mine. I was helpless to do anything except respond. Hell, I was helpless to do anything except what my body wanted. And my body wanted a lot.

  I wanted to crawl up him like he was a pole, and I wanted to feel him slide home.

  Bending as his tongue swept against mine, he grabbed under my leg with one hand and his other hand on my ass. He lifted me. Oomph! He walked us backwards, lowering me gently onto the bed. He came down with me.

  He moved down, his mouth trailing a path south until he lingered over my jeans.

  He looked up, waiting.

  I bit into my cheek and nodded. Yes, please. So many yeses.

  My jeans were unbuckled, lowered, and his mouth moved there. He touched me, kissed me, and I lifted off the bed.

  I was inflamed.

  He explored me, every single inch of me.

  He made me explode, then waited and brought me to the pinnacle again, and right before, he paused. A second. I heard the crinkle of a condom, and then he was back.

  He had undressed me. I had done the same.

  I relished in the feel of him, and then he moved between my legs. His eyes met mine, held me captive, and he slid inside.

  So good. Sooo good.

  As he began moving inside of me, and I was rolling with him, in the back of my mind, I knew it wasn’t usually like this. There should’ve been clumsy fumbling. An awkward maneuver to unsnap my bra. I should’ve been embarrassed at how his fingers slid inside, and then gasped at how good that felt, but none of that happened.

  The good part had happened, then happened again, and continued to happen, but this wasn’t normal. We weren’t normal.

  He and I, we were made from the same fabric. It was that life, where I wasn’t the cheerleader or the book nerd. He wasn’t the jock or the frat preppy. He’d been born into a world outside the norm, and all my life, that’s where I kept finding myself migrating toward.

  Thrust.

  Harder.

  I wanted more.

  Deeper.

  Please.

  Oh, please.

  I didn’t realize I was panting until he skimmed a hand up my throat, and his mouth leaned to capture mine once more.

  God.

  Yes. This was so out of the ordinary, but one night of this? It was better than no nights of nothing.

  He groaned, pushing into me and holding there. “Come, baby. Come.”

  I didn’t want to. I started to shake my head, trying to hold on, but then his hand dipped, and he found me right there. Oh-OH! I surged right over the edge, and I just kept right on going. My body was trembling, more waves were hitting me, and as he slid out and back in once more, I was clutching onto him, holding him to me.

  One. More. Push.

  He tensed, then I felt him jerking.

  His body trembled just as mine had. He rested on me, a lazy kiss to my shoulder. “Fuck, woman.” He grinned against my skin, moving to lay on his side.

  I smiled, that same lazy feeling starting to course through me.

  That was good. That was really good.

  I said as much, trailing a hand up his arm and chest.

  He lifted his head, dropping another kiss to my throat before finding my gaze. “Hell yeah, it was.” His words were raspy. His eyes were molten. They were on my mouth again, and his hand moved down between my legs. “Jesus. I could go again.”

  “What?” I started to laugh, then was groaning as his mouth dipped down.

  And he found me right where his fingers had been.

  Oh, dear--oooooh.

  I raked my hands through his hair and held on. I had a feeling the night had just started.

  8

  Christopher

  “Are you kidding me?”

  The buzzing had woken me, and when I saw who was calling, I wanted to roll right back and pull Kess into my arms. We’d gone at it all night long. It’d been amazing, and now this?

  I grabbed my phone and headed outside.

  My uncle said, “I need you back.”

  I bit back a growl. “In the morning.”

  “Now. We’re headed to Texas. I need you with me.”

  “In the morning.”

  “Now!”

  He was our MC president, but he was my uncle.

  Silence. Then, “What am I missing? You asked for a night to hang with friends—”

  “Her. I wanted a night…”

  “With Heckler’s niece?”

  He didn’t sound happy about that. I gripped the phone tighter. “Yeah.”

  “Are you kidding me? Tell me this is a joke. Tell me I don’t have to hang up, and when her uncle asks me what’s going on, I don’t have to choose to either lie to him or tell him the truth, that my nephew just banged his niece? Tell me I don’t have to do any of that.”

  “She’s not a one-night thing.”

  “What?”

  I felt raw saying this, but to hell with it. “I held off all year. All year. I couldn’t leave without—I protected her for nine months, Uncle Max. She’s not a one-night thing.”

  There was more silence.

  Another beat of it.

  Then a gruff, “Well, that changes things.”

  I sighed, exhaling a little easier. “Does it change things enough?”

  “Maybe. Let me make a few calls.”

  “Thank you, Uncle Max.” I was about to hang up when he called my name again. “Yeah?”

  “You did good this year. I’m proud of you.”

  My chest swelled up.

  My uncle was the smartest and most dangerous man I knew. He could hire the killings of hundreds if he wanted. He had the men. He had the power. He had the connections, and he got there by being ruthless and brilliant at the same time. Words like that were not normal from him.

  Yeah. My chest swelled up.

  “Thank you.”

  “I’ll be in touch. Go hold your girl again.”

  I hung up, turning to go back into the house, then stopped.

  Kess was there, a bed sheet wrapped around her.