scanned the crowd until her gaze locked in on him. He wanted to bust Edge’s nose. No one had a right to burden her with problems that were none of her concern.
Edge removed a pen from his back jean pocket. Tori held her hand out, palm up, and allowed Edge to write on her skin. She nodded, closed her fingers, keeping whatever he wrote to herself.
He’d seen enough. Digging in his pocket, he pulled out the first bill he came in contact with and held it in front of him. “Dibs.”
The guys backed away, parting the crowd and giving him space to walk right up to Tori. He tucked the money under the tiny string between her breasts, heard her gasp, and removed the plate of cookies from her hands.
“Rain?” She snatched the cash out with her fingertips, looked down at it, and raised her brows. “Seriously? Is your problem with me big enough that you’d spend a hundred dollars?”
“You’re closed for business.” He turned to the men. “Clear out.”
Heads nodded and, as a group, all the bikers pivoted and headed toward the bar. He relaxed, but he was anything but cool. He’d done exactly what he’d sworn he wouldn’t do, and that was to involve himself with a woman outside the biker world. He’d taken that path before, and it had almost cost him his sanity.
“Don’t tell me that meant what I think it did.” She spoke quietly behind him.
His attention went back to Tori. “What?”
“Don’t tell me — ”
“I heard you, babe.” He ran his hand down his goatee. “I stamped you.”
“You stamped me?”
“That’s what I said.”
“Exactly what does that mean?” She pursed her lips.
“You’re my woman.”
“Oh, no, I’m not.” She backed away and stood on her porch, looking down on him. “You can go right back to your bar and drown yourself in a mug of beer until you forget all about claiming I’m your girlfriend. You can’t open your mouth and expect me to … to do whatever you want me to do.”
“I just did.” He gazed off into the distance. “Wouldn’t take you as my girlfriend, babe. You’re not girlfriend material. From here on out, you’re my woman.”
“Take it back,” she whispered.
He stomped up the step and stood in front of her so she had to look up at him. “Gotta keep you safe.”
“But, Rain … ” She fiddled with the knot of material covering her hip. “I don’t do boyfriends.”
He smiled. Then his smile grew until his cheeks hurt, leaving him wondering when he’d last found such entertainment talking with a woman. “I don’t do girlfriends, either.”
She let her hands fall to her sides. “Thank God. Then you understand how ludicrous — ”
He planted his lips on her mouth. A man could only take too much yapping, and he put his foot down. And his tongue in her mouth.
He sank his fingers into her mess of hair and held her in place, taking what he wanted from her and giving her what she could expect if she hung around his territory. Then he softened his mouth, slowed down, and smiled through the kiss as her hands gripped the front of his vest and held on for dear life. He gave her what he knew she wanted. Pulling her to him, he cupped her ass and supported her weight. Using his tongue, he stroked her until her eyes closed and she mewed. The verbal acceptance wrapped around him.
Needing more, he backed her up against the wall of the cabin, pinning her in place. He slowly swept his hands down her sides, skimming the swell of her breasts, her ribs, and the indention of her waist. She sagged, and he shifted his leg between her thighs. Her heat warmed him through his jeans.
He tilted his head to the other side, tugged on her bottom lip, and tasted her plush mouth. Starved and aroused, he wanted to take her here on the porch. He wanted to claim her in front of everyone. No one would mistake his intentions. He’d stamped his woman.
Women he claimed stayed in his bed until he tired of them. They were interesting in bed, an irritation out of it. Not
Mercy Walker, Eva Sloan, Ella Stone
Mary Kay Andrews, Kathy Hogan Trocheck