Page 36 of Iron Hearts

“Eh, you fly solo and slick-backed and see if their staff or security recognizes you. They do, you leave with some grace. They don’t…” he shrugged. “I don’t see a problem.”

“I know what her car looks like. Could always leave a note,” I said.

Renegade’s mouth turned down like he was impressed, and he said, “That’s using your head for something other than a hat rack.”

I laughed.

“Man, fuck you,” I said, and he grinned and winked at me.

I felt better about the whole thing having his blessing, you know?

I didn’t need it, but it was nice to have it.

“Thanks, man,” I said, and he gave a little lackadaisical shrug.

“You aren’t one to get sidetracked by pussy,” he said evenly, and he didn’t mean it in any sort of insulting way toward Rarity. It was just a fact.

“She’s got a set of brass ovaries,” I told him. “I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like it. She’s got my attention. It’s been a long time since that’s happened.”

“Yeah, yeah, it has,” he agreed.

I’d carefully avoided getting too involved with anyone over the last, shit, almost twenty years. I’d had flings, sure – but never anything past a few weeks or months of fun while the girl looked for something better… more permanent.

I wasn’t looking tosettle downor anything with Rarity. Hell, I didn’t even know what Iwasafter where she was concerned other than I’d really like to get to know her. Or at least learn more about her.

She was this alluring combination of straightfireand yet held this sort of sweet innocence about her. It had me hooked, and I didn’t know how or in just what way – not yet. I just knew I had this driving need to see her and to see if itcouldgo anywhere. Part of that was feeling like I owed her.

I mean, for fuck’s sake. She’d stood between my ass and gettingshot. That was huge. She had the heart of a lioness, and yet she was just a cub. I wondered if that was part of the appeal for me.

I had a serious need to be a protector, and she’d pushed all the right buttons. By the same token, she was stand-up, could and was taking care of herself and her family. She wasn’t just fling material, and I recognized that. But with the age difference, I didn’t know if it was right to go further than just friends…

I just didn’t know, but I had this serious urge to find out.

I had the impulse to go for a solo ride and decided to take the A1A all the way to the Ponce De Leon Inlet Lighthouse and Museum. If I needed a quick fix to clear my head, I would just climb the St. Augustine Lighthouse. That was a fuckin’ workout. The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse wasn’t nearly as grueling, but I wasn’t in it for the climb when I went out that way. I was in it for the hour-and-forty-five-minute plus ride along some of the most scenic beachfront coastal roadway in North Florida.

I let the bike eat through asphalt, my mind a pleasant hum of replaying every memory I had so far of Rarity. I admit, Ialmostslid into the turn lane when I approached Ormond Beach to head more inland to where the Iron Horse and her place lie – but I resisted the urge.

For real, I couldn’t bank on her feeling anything for me like I had her. I didn’t even know if Ishouldbe this low-key obsessed, but I couldn’t shake her beautiful blue eyes or the feel of her silken, soft blonde hair between my fingers. Idefinitelycouldn’t shake the memory of her soft curves pressed into my body as we’d lay in the dark, the only illumination the blue flickering glow from her softly playing television.

I thought for sure that I’d picked up on the vibe that she’d wanted to see me again at the end there when I’d slipped out and we’d parted ways… but now I was second-guessing everything.

She wastwenty-four,I wasforty-two.When I was enlisted and going through fucking boot camp, she was taking her first few breaths.

I knew the world wouldn’t approve, and as much as I wanted to know her, I didn’t know if I wanted the judgmental bullshit falling on her shoulders. Or mine.

Did I fucking carethatmuch about being accused of being some kind of predator? No. I was a predator. A wolf among sheep. I didn’t give a fuck what anybody thought about me to that end because I knew the truth.

As interested as Rarity had made me, which was a rare thing, I wasn’t interested in her just because she had a bangin’ body. She was beautiful – sure, but this wasFlorida. There were a shit ton of beautiful women here. No, her iron heart, her brass pair, her caring nature, and her total bravery were what had my attention.

…and yeah, maybe even the fact she was, by all appearances, some kind of a daddy’s girl. I had the kink. I wasn’t ashamed to admit that. I know a lot of people thought it was fuckin’ weird, but again, I didn’t much give a fuck what citizens thought. My brothers’ sure – I cared whattheythought of me, but for sure, when it came to things, we were a more… enlightened lot than most. If not downright unbothered about being hedonistic fucks.

Shit, look at Skull & Bones. They werebiological brotherswho liked to fuck the same womanat the same time.

The Ocala chapter had their little porn empire, so they were as open-minded as you got when it came to sexual proclivities. Pud was all for diving into the industry as one of their new stars, so I didn’t see any stones coming from their direction.

No one said shit about any ofthat,so I didn’t think anyone would blink at a Daddy/little girl dynamic.

Renegade…

---