She glanced up to see Noah leaning so far over the bar, he looked about to tip over the other side. Her eyes widened.
Then widened more as she saw the man behind him.
In a blur, Dixon grabbed Noah by the waistband and yanked him up to his feet. Her brother whirled on Dixon, who cocked an arm to punch him.
“No! Stop!” She did her signature move of launching over the top and landed between them. She held up both hands to stop both her brother from attacking Dixon and Dixon from making sure her brother sported a new smile.
Dixon pushed in on her, big chest swelling with anger and his glare as dark as sin. “He made a grab at you, Fiona.”
“Who the hell is this guy, Fee?” Noah spat.
Her attention centered on Dixon when her brother called her by her family nickname. She didn’t like how the man’s brows lowered with menace.
Twisting from her brother, she placed both hands up in front of the Marine. “Back off, Dixon.”
“This your boyfriend?” His mouth twisted.
“What the hell’s going on, Fee? This guy’s oversteppin’, and I’m about to show him the goddamn door,” Noah growled.
She whirled to her brother and flattened her hands on his broad chest to hold him off. “Find a stool, Noah. I’ll talk to you in a minute.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Oh hell no, Fee. Not another fucking dirtbag fighting for your honor!”
She gritted her teeth. “Sit…down…Noah.”
He sent another glare over her head at Dixon. She tapped his chest and sent him walking away. She watched to ensure he did as she told him to before spinning back to Dixon. The man was beginning to be her problem child.
He held out his hands to his sides. “Only tryin’ to help you out.”
“Butting into my business, you mean! I was right about you—you’re all fists and brawn but you don’t have two brain cells to rub together.”
He cocked a brow at her rage.
“That’s my brother, you jerk. I think you and your buddies had enough for tonight. Go home.”
He twisted his lips as if biting off something he wanted to say. He started toward the table but turned and stepped up to Noah. “Sorry, man.”
Her brother cocked a brow. “Yeah.”
Dixon walked to the table again. She didn’t watch him go this time.
After Dixon and his crew left the Painted Pig, she felt as if some of the party atmosphere died down. Soon, more people left one by one, until only a few stragglers remained, including Noah.
Fingers wrapped around his shot glass, he eyed her.
“Don’t say it, Noah. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I saw the way he looked at you, Fiona. Do you think I’m blind?”
“I can’t account for how he looks at me or doesn’t look at me. I serve him drinks—nothing more. Now why did you come?”
“Only passing through after a job and thought I’d grab a drink. Catch up with my l’il sister.” He swiped his fingers through his dirty blond hair. “Is that guy part of the gang you’ve been dealing with here?”
She blinked at him. “Dixon? No. He’s not part of the Mayhem. They’ve stayed out of my bar for a few days now.”
“He looks like he’s part of a biker gang, the way he’s dressed.”
She looked through Noah’s eyes for a moment and saw what he did—all the guys Dixon hung with dressed the part. Looked the part. Acted the part. Even the way they held court around that table smacked of some kind of organization.
She sized up Noah. “You’d know. You, Lake and Syd ride with a club.”
“Yeah, only on fundraiser runs. We don’t actually belong to the club. Look, Fiona, I’m only looking out for your welfare.”
Irritation crashed over her. The long night coupled with the near fight between Dixon and her brother—and the dark desires she began to realize she couldn’t shake for that man—she had no patience for her family.
“I’m glad you stopped in to see me, Noah. But I moved away from home for a reason. I needed a fresh start, in a place where people don’t know my brothers. And where my brothers can’t butt into my business.”
He shook his head. Slowly, a reluctant smile spread over his features. “I’ll tell them all at home that you’re doin’ well. Just as sassy as always.”
She chuckled as relief swept through her. She hated fighting with her brothers. “Tell Momma I love her.”
He pointed to his cheek, and she leaned over the bar to drop a kiss to his stubbly jaw. Then he climbed off the stool and headed out with a wave and a smile for her.
A long hour later, she closed out for the night and swept the floor of the worst of the mess. She always came in early to make sure the bar looked ready for the night, and she would be glad to get off her feet right now.
When she exited and locked up, she automatically shot a look toward the place she’d seen Dixon waiting for her that night.
Her heart slammed hard.
He was there again, leaning on his bike in the darkness. The outline of his body sent sharp shocks through her.
After she pocketed her keys, she started toward him. Gravel crunched under her feet, and she tried to ignore how slippery she felt between her thighs.
Pulling away from his bike, he took a step to meet her. Their gazes locked, and damn if she didn’t surrender to him without him giving her a glimmer of encouragement.
Breathless, she tilted her head to stare at him. “You didn’t need to wait around for me.”
“Had to make sure you were safe.”
“Well…thank you.” She let her gaze skitter down his angled jaw and back up to meet his eyes.
“I wanted to say something to you.”
“What’s that?” Her heart took off at an even wilder pace.
He reached out. When his knuckles skimmed over her cheek, an unbearable need rose up inside her. His eyes glowed in the darkness.
“I’m not like those other assholes.”
He kissed her.
Dammit, he knew it from the start—one touch and he’d never be the same again.
As Dixon cupped Fiona’s cheek, threaded his fingers into her thick waves of hair, he growled in surrender.
He never gave anyone power over him, but right now, he’d do anything this strong and beautiful woman commanded.
Her plump lips trapped underneath his ignited much more than simple lust in him. Sucking on her lower lip, he pulled a moan from her that drove him over the edge of sanity.
“Fuck!” Angling his head, he deepened the kiss, pushing past the barrier of her lips to the warm, sweet heat of her mouth. The first swipe of his tongue and he reeled her to his chest. She pressed closer still, arms circling his neck to pull him down for more.
He thrust his tongue in over and over, drawing her onto tiptoe with each pass. When she rubbed her breasts on him, his dick hardened to full length.
She rocked into him, and he barely held back from ripping off both their clothes and lifting her over his cock right here in the parking lot of her bar.
“I shouldn’t like you,” she murmured between long, slow kisses that soon turned to frenzied ones.
“I definitely should like you.” He grinned against her mouth, and she nipped his lip with her sharp teeth.