Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92397 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Ash’s head twitched. “What d’ya mean? You mean the volume on your TV?”
“No, not my TV. You guys don’t care who can hear what you’re doing in your rooms, but I do.”
“What are you gonna be doin’ in your room? Besides watchin’ TV or readin’ one of those crazy books you like.”
“You serious?” she parroted.
His expression turned dark. “You plannin’ on bringin’ men up here?”
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
His jaw shifted sharply. “Ain’t talkin’ ‘bout me.”
Even though she’d been only joking around, she could see the tendons in his neck tighten and protrude.
But what started out as teasing was turning into something more serious. “No, we’re not.”
How he was acting made no sense. He didn’t think it was “smart” for them to have sex together, but when she hinted at doing it with someone else, he turned into a caveman.
“I’m just glad to be out of my parents’ house.”
“Tryin’ to change the subject.”
“No I’m not. The subject is me moving in here and my newfound freedom.”
“Freedom don’t mean fuckin’ randoms,” he was close to shouting.
“I never said they’d be randoms.”
“Woman,” he growled.
“What?” she asked with fake innocence.
He closed his eyes and twisted his head away. A few seconds later, he pulled in a deep breath and, once somewhat composed, faced her again, but with his nostrils flared and his brown eyes intense.
“Ash, I appreciate you being my first. But don’t think that gives you the right to tell me who I can sleep with now.”
“Sleep with?” exploded from him.
Lyric shrugged. “I was trying not to be crass.”
“You know what the fuck’s crass? You fuckin’ anyone else is goddamn crass,” he bit off.
Anyone else? “Do you hear yourself? You don’t want to have sex with me but you also don’t want me having sex with someone else. How does that make sense?”
“Makes perfect fuckin’ sense.”
Of course it would. For a man and a biker.
She blew out a breath. “Maybe in your head. But in reality, it doesn’t.”
They didn’t believe that women should be able to do the same as them. Unless they were a sweet butt. In that case, they didn’t care because sweet butts were convenient. For patched members, of course.
“Bullshit.”
“Well, then,” she huffed, “do you want to help me break in my new bed?” In her worry that he’d shoot her down, her temples pounded in sync with the pounding in her chest. Rejection was never fun.
“Ain’t new.”
“New to me.”
“Ain’t smart.”
“So you keep saying.”
“Reason for me to keep sayin’ it.”
“Not a good one.”
His Adam’s apple shot up and hung at the top of his throat for a second before it dropped like a rock back into place.
If she took a few more chips with the chisel, she might just get what she was aiming for.
What he wanted, too, but didn’t want to admit.
Damn stubborn biker.
Lyric sighed. “All right…well…thanks for your help today. I’m sure you’re needed back at Heaven’s Angels.”
Why did he suddenly seem to expand twice as big as normal? Was it because he didn’t like to be dismissed?
Huh.
“Anythin’ else you need before I go?” His tone was as tight as his shoulders.
Only what you’re unwilling to give: you. “No. Again, thank you.”
He still didn’t move any closer to the door. In fact, it looked as though he was fighting an internal battle.
Lyric easily ascertained what that battle was about. He was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t.
As well as she knew him, his decision might not be easy, but there’d be no way he’d be okay with another man in her bed.
She was simply using that knowledge to her advantage.
She began moving toward the door to see if he would follow. “Okay…well…I need to unpack my stuff so I can get ready for tonight. Avery and I are heading out to celebrate my move.”
“At The Iron Horse?”
“No.”
“Where?”
“The Pink Pearl.” Of course this scenario was all bullshit. She had no plans but to unpack her stuff, climb into bed, and maybe stuff her face with some peanut M&Ms.
His chin pinned against his corded neck. “The what?”
“The Pink Pearl. You know, the strip club near Uniontown. They’re having an all-male revue tonight. We’re going to that first, then we’ll stop somewhere on the way home for a few drinks.”
“An all-male revue,” he repeated slowly. “Then you’re stoppin’ in for drinks at The Iron Horse.”
Lyric swallowed her laugh. The DAMC men didn’t want the DAMC women drinking anywhere other than The Iron Horse. Or at worst, Dirty Dick’s, the bar owned by their ally, the Dark Knights.
“No, somewhere on the way home.”
“Dirty Dick’s.”
“That’s out of the way.”
“Those are your choices.”
Lyric made sure he saw her eyes roll. “Sure they are.”
“Guess your plans are changin’.”
“What do you mean?”
“Fuck The Pink Pearl. Fuck drinkin’ with some randoms. Fuck it all.”
“Ash, that—”
She squealed when, within four long strides, he had her flung up in the air and over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Fuck that shit.”