Page 16 of Savage King

Heat blasted through her at the compliment…and his weighted gaze. The intent in his eyes became clear; he looked at her like she was something special, like he meant all the words he was speaking. But she knew better than that.

“Thank you,” she offered, politeness engrained in her by her parents, grandparents, and many uncles. “You? Special Forces?” So, yes, she wanted to know at least that.

How about everything? Know everything!She mentally rolled her eyes at that voice in her head she rarely heard and never answered. The voice that would get her into trouble more often than not. The voice that was screaming at her to lean into Odin and find out what his arms felt like wrapped around her. Those massive, tattooed arms….

Odin nodded, his sexy grin going lopsided. “Army Ranger. Served ten years.”

“Then came here and decided to kick butt another way?” she asked, smirking. She couldn’t help it, the man brought out the snark.

He and the man—Trouble—chuckled.

Trouble slapped Odin on the back. “This man decided that he was done taking orders from others, and I decided that I would only take orders from him. So, here we are.”

“Here you are…buying a gun range and training facility.”

That’s right, bring it back to business. Then get the heck out of here!

Odin crossed his arms and cocked his head, his expression serious.

“The Savage Raiders are abusiness. A business that looks for other businesses to add to our already thriving portfolio.”

“Since you are already into drugs, sex, ink, and grease, you decided that guns were the next natural step in Las Vegas domination?”

Odin’s lip curled, his straight white teeth flashing. A wolf staring down his prey.

“I see you’ve done your homework about us,” he drawled.

Fighting off a full-body tremor at the depth and silkiness of his tone, Skathi crossed her arms and planted her feet, a move that meant she wasn’t intimated. At least, she hoped it looked that way. With Odin, she had no idea what the heck she was doing.

“When Slim said you had approached him with an offer to buy, of course I looked into the Savage Raiders…and you. I had to know that Slim wasn’t getting himself involved in something illicit. Only doing my due diligence for a man who’s earned my respect over and over.”

A please growl rumbled from Odin’s chest. “Loyalty.” He grunted. “I like that. Very much.”

Skathi, not knowing that to make of what he’d said or his strange growliness, merely shrugged. “I’m loyal to those who’ve earned it, and Slim has. So, let’s discuss what you plan to do with the range if Slim sells it to you. You realize that we’re the most popular gun range, training facility, and gun reseller in the state, correct?”

Trouble threw a beefy arm over Odin’s shoulders and grinned. “We’ve done our homework too, Skathi. We wouldn’t have put in an offer if we didn’t think it was a good fit with our other already superbly profitable businesses.”

Superbly, huh?

Skathi opened her mouth to ask just what he meant but Odin raised a hand and took a step closer.

“We’ll discuss this in more detail at dinner. Tonight. Lush & Co.,” Odin informed her, tossing a glare over his shoulder at a clearly stunned Trouble, who then turned his stunned gaze to the other two men in their party of four.

Dinner? With Odin? That wasn’t going to happen. Did he plan to bring the blondes from the club party along?

Gritting her teeth at the swell of jealousy in her chest, she dropped her arms and leaned back, giving herself some space to breathe without getting a nose full of his intoxicating scent—leather, spice, and big, beautiful man.

“I’ll let Slim know to meet you there—”

“No,” he said, the single syllable a vocal punch. “You. Me. Dinner.”

She curled her lips into a sneer and lifted her chin. A bully. He was a bully. And she knew just how to deal with those.

“You. Me. Nothing. Ever. Call your blonde friends—” ugh, she couldn’t keep the bitterness from her voice— “enjoy your evening on the town. If you want to talk business, speak with Slim. As the owner, he makes all the final decisions. If you want to talk tactical training, speak with me. Next week. When I am free.” The implication, of course, being that she had no time for him.

Skide, she really needed to get out of there. Her skin was too tight, the ache between her legs throbbing, her nipples turning to diamond tips against her sweat-soaked t-shirt. She hadn’t just crossed her arms to look tougher, she’d done it to hide the evidence of her unwanted arousal. She re-crossed her arms before taking a step back, the overwhelming sexuality of the man bleeding into her, heating her blood, making her want things she had no business wanting, especially with a man like him.

Silence bit into the air between them like a shark into a thrashing seal.

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