Page 5 of Phoenix

This time, I let the smile curve my lips.

“Talk soon, baby.” Then I nudged her to get going and watched until she was safely in her car.

As I strolled through the clubhouse to the back exit, my mind was filled with thoughts of red curls, pine-green eyes, and a voice that heated my blood.

“Heard some sweet thing got a hold of your balls, Phoenix,” Hunter drawled when I walked past him, reminding me of a conversation we’d had recently. I’d given him shit over being pussy-whipped, and he’d warned me that sooner or later, some sweet thing was gonna own my balls—and I’d be beggin’ her to squeeze.

I flipped him off, but one corner of my mouth hiked up. Yeah, Lindsay definitely owned me. And it wasn’t gonna be long before she knew who she belonged to.

3

LINDSAY

Ifelt as though I held my breath all the way to my car. Not because I was afraid, which would’ve made sense since I had just stormed into the Iron Rogues clubhouse and almost interrupted a freaking wedding. But no, my reaction was entirely due to Beck.

The club treasurer wasn’t at all what I was expecting. At least when it came to his looks, his sharp-edged personality seemed like a perfect fit for the guy who handled the Iron Rogues’ money…even if he did miss that their donation to the center wasn’t being used how it was supposed to.

He hadn’t raised his voice. Hadn’t gotten defensive. If anything, he’d looked at me as though he was trying to decide whether I could be trusted. And when he finally spoke, his voice was deep and smooth. The kind that made you want to listen even if you didn’t agree with a word he said.

And then there was the rest of him.

Tall, tan, and broad-shouldered, with dark auburn hair that curled just slightly at the ends. Scruff lined his jaw, and his hazel eyes had an intensity to them that made me feel like I was being studied. And that he saw more than I wanted him to.

The barest hint of black ink peeked out from under the neckline of his shirt. The tattoo on his left arm was more colorful. Deep red roses with green vines wrapped around the petals stopped at his elbow, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had plans for his forearm.

Even though I’d barely been in the clubhouse with him for twenty minutes, I knew one thing with absolute certainty—Beck was dangerous in every sense of the word. Especially to my panties, which were uncomfortably damp after our little chat.

I’d spent too long just trying to keep my head above water to worry about guys. But I’d never met anyone like him. Beck was too much temptation to ignore.

Especially since he hadn’t dismissed my concerns. He’d listened and asked questions. Promised to look into it. And then, with a level of calm confidence that still made my knees feel a little weak, he’d told me to stay away from the center for now.

I hated that I agreed with him. But for some odd reason, I felt safe with him.

* * *

The following morning,I was staring at the ceiling fan spinning slowly above me when I heard Mom's footsteps in the hallway.

She tapped once on my open door before stepping inside with a steaming mug of coffee in one hand. Finding me still in bed, she quirked a brow. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” I sat up, running a hand through my hair. “Why?”

“It’s almost eight, and you’re still in your pajamas. Shouldn’t you be at the center? Or at least getting ready to head over there?”

I shook my head. “I’m not going in today.”

She paused just inside the doorway, her expression softening. “You sick?”

“Nope, I just have an unexpected day off and decided to make the most of it by sleeping in.”

That wasn’t a lie. Just not the whole truth. I wasn’t ready to explain that I’d barged into a biker clubhouse and confronted their treasurer about possible embezzlement. That conversation definitely wasn’t going to go over well before my mom’s first cup of coffee, and she already had enough to worry about.

She handed me the mug. “Sounds like a good plan. You could use the rest. You’ve been running yourself hard since school let out.”

“I will,” I promised, flashing her a grateful smile as I wrapped my fingers around the warm ceramic.

She pressed a kiss to the top of my head before padding into the hallway.

I sank back against the pillows and let out a long breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. It felt strange not to go to the community center. Like skipping a class I knew I couldn’t afford to miss. Beck had been serious when he told me to stay away—and something in his eyes said not to take the warning lightly.

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