Spotting Stumpy, she smiled and headed in his direction. He often went to the diner for his meals. His conversations were always sweet. He liked to talk about his motorcycle, which she knew nothing about. Most of all, she liked hearing stories about his family. He had one sister who had a baby recently. Stumpy was a proud uncle.
She would never be someone's aunt or experience having small children around. Well, unless she had a child, but she couldn't see that happening.
"I see you've finally wandered over to the clubhouse, or Romeo let you out of his sight." Stumpy held up his bottle, clinking it against her pop can. "About time."
"More like I was ordered over." She laughed. "Romeo's my ride after work, so I have to wait until he's ready to go."
"That's an excuse if I ever heard one." He winked. "Look at you. You've got a drink in your hand—even though it's for virgins. You look sexy as fuck. You came ready to party."
Because of his friendly nature, she wanted to be the kind of person who could let loose and have fun. She wanted to be the kind of woman who could dance all night, drink until her head buzzed, and talk to all the people around her without worrying that she'd do something wrong.
She took a drink. Maybe it was easier to be someone else for one night than worry about making a mistake.
Leaning closer to Stumpy so he could hear her over the music, she asked, "What happens at a Killere party?"
He leaned down. "Do you want to know?"
She nodded, eager to find out what Romeo expected by having her stay at the clubhouse with him and not taking her right back to the house.
Stumpy pivoted and stood right in front of her. Cupping her head, he brought his mouth down and whispered in her ear, "Most of these guys are going to get drunk."
His warm breath tickled her ear, and she glanced to the side, seeing Romeo frowning at her from across the room.
"More women will show up when we're all feeling good." His voice lowered in her ear. "Then, we all do what makes us forget there's a world outside that door. There's nobody inside the clubhouse who will tell us how to live or tell us no. We never say no, sweetheart."
Her heart pounded, pushing all the blood to her face. The erotic pull of the world he'd created in words left her shaking. It wasn't Stumpy's closeness or his description of what could happen at the party that gave her goosebumps on her overheated body. No, all her attention was across the room because Romeo's gaze had locked on her as he headed her way, stoking a fire inside her.
By the look in his lightning blue eyes, she'd done something wrong. And, by the heated gaze, he wanted to drag her over his knee and swat her ass.
Tingles shot down her spine. She wasn't afraid of him.
She squared her shoulders, refusing to run. The impending confrontation was the last thing on her mind.
In her head, all she could wonder about was if he'd kiss her. If he'd touch her. If he'd whisper in her ear. If he'd spread her legs and...
She shivered in pleasure. Nobody said no inside of the clubhouse.
Romeo barely came to a stop in front of her and hooked her elbow, pulling her away from Stumpy. She bumped into the back of one of the bikers and stumbled to keep her feet under her. He wasn't slowing down.
In the hallway of the clubhouse, Romeo whirled her around until her back was against the wall, and he stared down at her, pinning her with his body.
"You. Can't. Act like that here." He placed one hand on the wall behind her head. "Jesus Christ, Timber. These men will split you apart, and it'd kill me if something happened to you."
Her heart thrummed. "What did I do that was wrong?"
So close to her, his gaze flickered as he tried to slip inside her by looking through her eyes. With every exhale, his breath caressed her face. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, breathing heavily to match him.
"You..." He cupped the side of her neck, and instead of bringing her closer, he pulled himself down to her level and pressed his forehead against her head. "You being beautiful is what you did wrong."
Her eyes closed, hiding behind him. Why would he say something like that? Pissed off, yet that was the nicest thing he'd ever said to her.
"I'll leave." She raised her gaze, wanting to please him. "You can stay."
"I don't want to stay," he rasped as if in pain.
"What do you want?"
His gaze never wavered. "You."
Her heart pounded. She swayed forward, catching herself with her hands on his stomach. Everything about his confession was wrong. She was renting his bedroom—though that hadn't stopped him from continuing to use the bed.
Now her dad was involved with Romeo. They dictated her life, and she wanted out. She just wanted out.
But she wanted to sleep with Romeo. She wanted to have sex with him. She wanted to know what it was like being with someone older.
The rumors swarming around Romeo teased and tempted her. If he were as good of a lover as women say, she would like to know what made him different from other men.
She rubbed her lips together. "You want me?"
"I'm already going to hell. I might as well enjoy the trip." He captured her lips.
He threaded his fingers through her hair, cupping her skull, and lifted her to her toes. She grabbed his wrists, holding on.
The shock of intimacy and the fear of breaking under the roughness of his touch opened her mouth.
Romeo plunged his tongue past her lips. All the strength left her legs, and her knees bent. He pulled her back up, caressing her tongue.
Her eyes rolled behind her lids. She moaned, consumed with warmth from their friction.
He jerked his head back, staring at her. "Go out the back door."
She blinked, not understanding why he'd want her to leave. The kiss was wonderful. She wanted more.
"Now," he barked.
She jumped, hurrying down the hallway and out the door. The night air slammed into her. She gasped for air, stumbling in one spot, unable to stop moving. The adrenaline flowing through her held her captive. Why would he send her away?
He'd felt it.
She knew he felt it.
The hardness of his cock pressing against her upper stomach proved that she wasn't imagining that he liked touching her.
Pressing her hand on her forehead, she turned in a circle. What was she supposed to do outside?
A lone headlight flashed over her. She lowered her hand to shield her eyes. The engine's rumble purred inside of her the closer the rider came.
The biker stopped in front of her. Her stomach rolled. Romeo.
He held out his hand. She latched onto his fingers. The pull to come to him had her sliding behind his body and wrapping her arms around him like every time he'd taken her to the diner or took her back to his house.
But it was different tonight.
She clung to his back, pressing every inch of her body against him. The kiss in the clubhouse gave her permission to touch him back. The moment he rode around to the back of the building, he'd shown her what they could do together.
She expected him to take her back to the house and have sex.
That's what she wanted.
That's what she needed.
Chapter Twenty
Romeo locked the bedroom door without letting go of her hand. She wasn't going anywhere, even if she could.