Prologue
Dusty
Past
I stood in the compound with my heart in my throat as I looked around at all the men and women mingling. The women flirted so easily with the men. Envy flickered to life in my chest, wishing I had their skills. There was someone I wanted to approach, but my nerves were controlling me, and I couldn’t get my feet to move from the floor, away from the wall I leaned against.
Still, my eyes stayed glued to the tall, wide man on the far side as he spoke with his biker club brothers. He wasn’t the one who’d interviewed me for a position, but I wished I had met him that day. At least I would have a name to put with the handsome face. His smile was radiant, his eyes soft and ones I could get lost in. His cropped dark-brown hair, where it was a little longer at the top, called for my fingers to run through it. I would have to get on my tippy-toes to achieve it, but I’d be willing to do so.
He threw his head back and laughed. A heavy breath fell from my lips, and I quickly bit down on my bottom one when I pictured myself kissing him right there on his tattooed neck. I even wanted to know what his neatly trimmed goatee and moustache felt like against my skin.
I probably looked like a stalking weirdo leaning against the wall and watching, and that was the only reason why I pushed off the wall and walked to the bar. As soon as I reached it, I sat on one of the few empty stools and rested my elbows on the top of the counter.
A guy around my age, or maybe a bit older, stopped in front of me. “Hey, what can I get you?”
“Um, a beer, please. But I, ah, don’t have an ID on me.” Why did I add that? Now I’d acted underage like I was at nineteen. Not that it didn’t stop me from stealing out of my parents’ liquor cabinet on the nights I was bored and extra lonely.
He grinned. “No need for one here. I’ll grab you a beer.” When he placed the bottle in front of me, we got to talking about random things, and before I knew it, I’d had another few drinks and was feeling slightly buzzed. I swung around on the stool with a giggle as I searched for the man who’d caught my attention. Even as I talked to Kylo, who was a prospect, I couldn’t stop from searching out the man. I wanted to ask Kylo who he was, but the words died in my throat each time.
Though, with my spin on the stool, I couldn’t find him anywhere, and my shoulders sagged at the thought of him leaving. It wasn’t until I finished turning that I noticed a form close to my side. When I lifted my gaze, my eyes nearly bugged out my head, and I almost fell backward off my stool. He was there. Right there. He quickly reached out and took my arm, steadying me.
Once he saw I wasn’t going to crash to the floor, his hand disappeared, and he smiled down at me. It was the first time in my life my clit pulsed from a smile.
“Ah, hey, hi, hello,” I blurted, blushing. I glanced to the side to see if Kylo caught my stupidity, but he was serving someone else a drink, thankfully.
“Hey, darlin’.” His voice was like a warm caress that hinted toward something orgasmic. If the sound was something to roll in, I would have got naked and jumped in. I couldn’t believe he was standing right in front of me, and I was gaping like a fool.
Quickly, I snapped my jaw and waved, like I hadn’t just told him hello three times in one sentence. His grin widened.
“You’re new, yeah?”
“Uh-huh.” I couldn’t look away from him or form more words in my brain.
His chuckle had me wanting to tear off my panties and throw them at him. He took a sip of his beer, and there was that neck again, on show and waiting for my lips. I gripped the stool under me to keep from jumping at him.
“Dusty,” I blurted when he’d looked away. I wanted his attention back.
“That your name?”
“Yep. Do you want a beer? I mean, I can buy you one.”
He smirked. “Don’t need to buy drinks here, babe, but I’ll have one with you.”
I wanted to palm my face. I forgot we didn’t pay for drinks at the compound—all the booze was supplied. At least he wasn’t running from how I’d acted. “I’d like that…”
“Country.”
“Country,” I muttered under my breath as he called out to Kylo for two beers after glancing at my empty bottle. I peered down to his thick tattooed arms and then to his vest, my eyes widened when I saw the patch read, President.
He was in charge of the club, and all I could think was that it would have to be a hard job to do since there were so many members.
Country passed the beer to me. When I took the bottle, I tipped it his way. “Thanks. Can I ask you something?”
He nodded. “Yeah, Dusty.” Oh boy, my name from his mouth sounded like porn.
“I… can’t remember now.”
He chuckled. “Then let me ask you somethin’.”
Smiling, I nodded. I took a sip of the beer, kicking my feet since they didn’t touch the ground.
His gaze made a quick run over me, and instead of feeling creeped out, I liked it. “How old are you?”
With a mock glare, I gasped. “You should never start with the age question.”
His dark brow rose, and a chuckle sounded, this one softer. “I shouldn’t?”
“No. Not unless you’re prepared to answer it as well.”
“All right, darlin’. You go first.”
“Nineteen.”
His eyes widened. “No shit?”
Shaking my head, I replied with his own words, “No shit.”
“Babe” was all he said with a shake of his head.
“What?”
He rested his elbows on the counter and turned his head my way. “What you doin’ here?”
Picking up my drink, I shook it a little. “Drinking.”
“Nah, darlin’, I mean what are you doin’ at a clubhouse at nineteen? Don’t you got better things to do? Go out with friends, people your own age?”
“No, I don’t have many friends who I feel comfortable drinking with.” Coffee dates, sure, but nothing where I felt I could let myself go and drink around them. I’d be too worried about what I’d say or do or if they found me annoying.
Yet, there I was drinking in a biker’s club of all places.
Yeah, my actions didn’t make sense.
My face heated. “I know it doesn’t make sense because here I am drinking with you, but…”
“But?”
Shrugging, I took a sip of the beer and looked up at him. “I guess I feel safe here.” Strange, even to my own mind. But I couldn’t understand why, when I walked in there, I felt a sense of home.
He jerked his head back as if surprised by my answer.
“And don’t think I didn’t realize you didn’t answer me about your age.”
“I’m thirty-eight, babe.” I didn’t like the way his brows pinched together or the fact he looked away. I was sure my being younger was a problem for him.
“Um, I just wanted you to know that I don’t think you’re old.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Good to know, darlin’. What made you join as a club girl, Dusty?”
“I overheard some women talking at a coffee shop about it.” I pointed behind him. “Those two over there.” He didn’t look away from me. “I thought it was time to do something different in my life, and that decision took me here.”