Page 5 of Burly Biker of Misty Mountain

Chapter two

Maverick

Trouble comes in many forms, and Katie was downright dangerous. She had no idea what kind of power she wielded with that sweet disposition and those big blue eyes.

When she practically begged me to act like her boyfriend, of course I folded in a heartbeat. She looked so rattled by that creep who wouldn’t take no for an answer.

At forty-five years old, I’d been around the block a few times. I was no stranger to the games people played when it came to sex. Especially if they believed a quick fuck with no strings attached was on the table. Pretending to be naive and helpless was the oldest trick in the book, and I’d fallen for it myself on more than one occasion.

I didn’t sense any of that pretense with Katie though. In my experience, most people were working an angle, but she seemed genuine, wearing her heart on her sleeve. She’d walked into this bar like a lamb into the lion’s den, a plump little morsel thatany red-blooded man would eagerly sink his teeth into. And she appeared to be completely oblivious to that fact.

Wearing a petal pink blouse with bell-shaped sleeves, jeans, and soft pink wedge heels, she looked like she was dressed up for some fancy event.

“So, what brought you to Misty Mountain?” I prompted. “I pass through town on a regular basis and I’ve never seen you around before.”

She shrugged.

“I’ve always lived here. Except for college. I went to Pleasant View University a few towns over, but I moved back after I graduated. It’s cozy in a small town, like one big family.”

A college-educated angel with a heart of gold. This woman was too pure to be around me—a high school dropout who barely scraped together a GED, with a rap sheet half a mile long. I could taint her by association.

My tongue flicked out, wetting my lower lip at that thought. There was something wickedly tempting about getting my hands on this curvy little creature and ruining her for every other man that looked her way.

“What about you?” Katie asked. “Where are you from?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, debating how much I should tell her and how much I should skip over.

Running away from home as a teenager.

Stealing to make ends meet.

Trying and failing repeatedly to join one motorcycle club after another, until I finally decided to become a nomad, belonging nowhere. Katie couldn’t understand that lifestyle though, not when her whole world was this storybook small town.

“Drifter,” I simply said. “I’ve never been the type to settle down and stay in one place for too long. I’m happy to make friends along the way though.

I jerked my chin in Hank’s direction. He lifted his hand in a wave and went back to wiping down glasses. On quiet nights at the bar, Hank and I would chat to kill time. As an ex-Marine, he had a tough exterior, but his loyalty ran bone-deep.

Even though I would never survive in the military—I’d rather walk through hellfire than take orders from someone else—I recognized the value of a man who was willing to lay down his life to protect others, to watch your back if you asked him to. Hank Montgomery was one of those men.

Katie’s eyes softened as she regarded me for a moment.

“That sounds lonely.”

I shrugged. Just because I didn’t put down roots didn’t mean I lacked company. Since I didn’t belong to a club, I managed to dodge a lot of feuds and turf wars. Unless I chose to take up arms, which was rare.

As a free agent, I could come and go as I pleased, and I was welcomed in damned near any club without question for a meal of greasy food, good conversation, and a drink.

“I’m never lonely as long as I have my bike and the open road,” I countered. “Besides, I’m talking to you now, aren’t I?”

“You didn’t exactly have much choice in the matter,” Katie pointed out.

I huffed a laugh of disbelief and shook my head, scrubbing a hand over my mouth. I was doing everything in my power to be on my best behavior with a dozen filthy fantasies running through my head about her—those thick thighs, gorgeous heavy tits, and creamy skin.

Meanwhile, Katie fully believed she wasinconveniencingme.

I rose from my chair and pushed it aside, sliding into the booth next to her. She blinked at me, wide-eyed, as I took her hand in mine, rubbing my thumb across her knuckles. Fuck, her skin was just as silky smooth as it looked.

“What—what are you doing?” she squeaked.

---