With a lightning fast move, he seized my chin and tilted my head back. “Let me explain your options, Mac. You come with me now and join the party. Or you wait till Nyx and I are done, then I haul your ass back to my bed. As far as you’re concerned, I am the only man in the world.” He cast a glance over his shoulder at Darryl and Dwight, who instantly ceased their crude miming. “You think any of these men will challenge me for rights to you?”
“Asshole,” I repeated weakly, acting like all the fire and bluster had gone out of me.
He stepped back. “You coming?”
I shook my head, wrapping my arms around my stomach.
“All right. Be back for you in a while. Take the time to get your head screwed on straight. You and me, we ain’t done till I say we’re done.” Ripper held out a hand to Nyx. Without a backwards glance, they walked away, leaving me alone with the Wilcox Brigade.
Exactly where I needed to be. The room let out a collective sigh. Libby rushed to my side and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I’m sorry, Mac.”
I leaned into her embrace for just a moment before extricating myself. I didn’t need Libby to console me. I needed Tuck, who was watching me from across the room.
“Do all you bikers think that you can have whatever you want whenever you want it?” I asked him. I had no idea if he’d stand in solidarity with a brother biker or grab the opportunity to make a move on me. No matter what happened, I had to be ready to steer the conversation in the direction I needed it to go.
He patted the empty spot on the sofa next to him. I sat and clasped my hands together on my lap, waiting for whatever pearls of wisdom fell from his mouth.
Tuck scratched his beard, sending dandruff flying. I held my breath until the flakes subsided. “Well now, men who are drawn to the lifestyle don’t like to be hemmed in by laws and convention. You had to know that.”
I shook my head. “Ripper is the first biker I ever met. I didn’t know much about the lifestyle before I met him.”
“Maybe so, but now that you know what he expects from you, you got to decide if that’s what you want. You do have options, some better than others.” He rolled his eyes at Dwight and Darryl, who were mixing drinks in the corner. Tuck laid a hand on my knee, and I fought the urge to shrink away from the man who beat the crap out of his last girlfriend.
“It’s just...” I turned on the waterworks, crocodile tears streaming from my eyes. “It’s just that I love him so much.” Guess I was wrong about being a lousy actress if I could blubber at will. I am an ugly crier. My skin blotches and the whites of my eyes turn bright red. Under Tuck’s dismayed gaze, heat scalded my cheeks, and my nose began to drip. Sniffing, I rubbed my face on my sleeve.
Tuck frowned watching my performance. My sloppy tears and declaration of love for Ripper had its intended effect, nipping any come-on in the bud.
Dwight and Darryl hurried toward me, carrying a glass full of dark liquid. “Libby told us that you like rum and coke. We made this for you special.”
I hiccuped, reached for the glass, and took a small sip. It was ghastly, sickly sweet, like cough syrup. “Thank you.” I snorted through my runny nose and took another tiny swallow. Dwight awkwardly patted my shoulder while I dissolved into more tears. “Ripper,” I wailed.
Dwight and Darryl must have figured that they wouldn’t make any inroads with me tonight, and they beat a hasty retreat, leaving me alone with Tuck.
“Guess you love him then,” he said, his tone grudging.
I bobbed my head. “We were happy. Why did he have to hook up with her? Why wasn’t I enough for him?”
Tuck shifted uncomfortably. Shoot. If I overplayed my hand, he might flee.
“You’ve been really nice.” I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and smiled tremulously at him. “Would you mind...” My voice trailed off, and I left the question hanging.
“Would I mind what?”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with me and Ripper. I’m scared. I sure could use a friend.”
“I’ll be your friend, sweet thang.” He rubbed a slow circle on my back. “You can count on old Tuck.”
“Could I ask my friend for a hug?” I lowered my face, then glanced shyly up at him through my lashes. I both hoped and feared that he’d buy my sweet, timid act.
“Come here, baby girl.” He held out his arms, inviting me to sit on his lap.
I sidled onto his lap, laid my head on his shoulder and sighed. His prickly beard tickled the top of my head. He smelled sour, as if his rancid soul had corrupted his body. Drawing in shallow breaths, I spread my fingers across his chest.
“You’re being so nice.” I choked on the words.
“I’ll always be nice to you, honey.” He began to rock slowly back and forth, comforting me the way you would a small child. We sat for a long while, while Dwight and Darryl drank several glasses of the alcoholic concoction they mixed together. Boyd and Libby sat together on the sofa, carrying on a hushed conversation. Jerrilyn leaned back in the recliner, watching Tuck and me, her expression avid.
Finally, we heard a door open at the opposite end of the house. Tuck stood, depositing me on my feet. No doubt he didn’t want Ripper to find me perched on his lap. I wrapped my arms around Tuck’s waist and pressed my stomach against his crotch, shifting from side to side while I hugged him.
His cock jumped beneath my belly as I slid my palms over his flat ass. “I’ll never forget how sweet you were to me,” I whispered in his ear. I slipped one hand into the back pocket where he kept the keys. Crap. The pocket was empty, except for what felt like a wadded-up tissue. Ripper’s footsteps announced his return. Even if I was willing to reach into his front pocket—pretend like I was copping a feel—there wasn’t time. I stepped away from Tuck and turned toward the arched opening to the room, clutching my hands together nervously.
Ripper walked into the room, barefoot, barechested, hair mussed, with bright red lipstick smeared on his neck and chin. He was certainly selling the I-just-got-laid-look, wasn’t he? Leaning against the doorway, he crossed his arms over his chest and fixed steely eyes on me.
“Get your ass over here, Mac.”
I hesitated, as if torn by conflicting impulses, then nodded. “Okay.” I conceded defeat and came to heel, walking slowly toward Ripper. Without another word, he wheeled around and strode toward the bedroom, forcing me to trot to keep up with him.
Outside the bedroom door, Ripper paused and glanced both ways up the hall, probably making sure we were out of earshot. He gripped my shoulders and swung me against the wall. “It fucking killed me to leave you alone back there.” His voice shook. “You all right?”
“I’m okay, but I didn’t get the keys. I had to get way cozier with Tuck than I ever wanted. I managed to reach into his back pocket. It was empty. I groped the creep for nothing.”
Ripper growled—he actually growled—an outraged, possessive snarl that both surprised me and warmed my heart. He dropped his forehead against mine. “The thought of that man with his hands on you.” He shuddered. “I didn’t touch Nyx. You know that, don’t you?”
I pulled back so I could meet his eyes. “You might be a scary hard-ass, Ripper Solis, but I know you. I know your heart. You’ve more than earned my trust. So yes, I know you didn’t touch Nyx.”