Page 33 of Broken

My dick throbs at the collar tight around her neck. A buckle angles downwards toward her armpit, leaving one shoulder completely bare, the other is a sleeveless piece of leather attached to the corset leather bodice. An open space between the buckle and the cups shows her smooth skin and the swells of her breasts.

My gaze goes down further to a leather skirt that hugs her hips, down to her knees, molded to her legs. She’s wearing black shoes with small buckles across her instep that are so high, she towers over Jericho.

Her lips are painted a deep pink that matches the pattern on the lower part of the corset. My eyes lock on that smile.

Guilt pours through me at the bitter truth she may never look at me the way she is looking at the others. My fault. I made her dislike me being my stupid cranky self.

“You still gonna tell me you’re not interested?”

There is no point in arguing with Phoenix. I can’t pull my eyes away from her. He’s given me shit over the way I speak to her, and the way I look at her. One of my usual glares never works on Phoenix but he dropped it all the same.

I’ll never hear the end of it now. Calli has knocked me off my fucking feet. I don’t hear another word Phoenix says, especially when Calli turns her head and our eyes lock.

Even from across the room, with people passing between us, I can’t drag my eyes from her. It’s like some kind of magnetic pull has taken over. To look away would ruin everything.

Calli’s lips part and I almost hear the intake of breath. Which is fucking impossible. I could never hear over the noise and distance.

Jesus, she’s beautiful. As beautiful as she looked the first time I saw her. Or when she was sitting on the table in the back room with her knees and hands bleeding.

Especially when she was furious with me and walking away before she said something she’d regret. Truth is, I like her riled up.

That thought hits me square in the chest. Am I picking fights with her because I like her? Like some fucking kid in the playground pulling a girl’s pigtails.

Sweet girls don’t do shit for me. Beneath Calli’s sweet exterior, I can tell there is the heart of a lioness. It’s written in those dark blue eyes of hers. A history, pain she is hiding. This woman could take me on, give me a run for my money. I want to find out what that feels like.

Our stare is broken by Shane walking in the door and a huge cheer going up and yells of ‘happy birthday’.

Calli turns away as people gather to get close to Shane. Her ass looks phenomenal in that skirt, smooth all the way. Either she has a thong on, or… The alternative makes me groan.

“Keep that boner to yourself,” Phoenix laughs as he moves past me, too fast for me punch him in the dick.

He’s not wrong. I tug my T-shirt down to cover the obvious bulge. Then get angry at my body for reacting in a way I would rather it didn’t.

I’m distracted by the sound of everyone singing happy birthday to Shane.

My focus goes to my apprentice. I’ve never seen anyone as happy as Shane is right now. He’s a smiler, a cheery little shit that gets on my last nerve half the time.

Seeing that smile thaws even my stony heart. This kid deserves everything he has tonight. All the hugs and kisses from the hot girls, the drinks his friends are getting for him, the pile of gifts.

If there was some way to let his asshole family see what they are missing out on, I would do it. Shane doesn’t talk about them, but he is affected by them shunning him.

After a while, when all the excitement has died down, I head over and pat Shane on the shoulder.

“Boss,” he grins.

“What have I told you about calling me that?”

He runs a hand through his thick blond hair and looks embarrassed, but he grins. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, dumb ass,” I lift my beer and clink it against his glass. “Happy birthday, man.”

“Thanks bo… uh, Garrett. This is wild,” he looks around with another big grin, quickly getting over the awkwardness. When his eyes meet mine again, there is something missing from his expression.

I’m not sure what he’s told the others, but no one talks about Shane’s family. Anyone who can cut off their child because ofwhat he wants to do for a living, doesn’t deserve him. It’s not my place. All I can do is make sure he knows he’s got family here.

In my own way.

“You’ll be cleaning up tomorrow.”

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