Page 20 of Undone

My tummy clenched as his eyes took me in, drowning me in his desire.

He held out a hand and I took it, never wanting to let go.

I led my lady through the dark and back towards camp. My thoughts consumed by all that happened today. She had a hold on me, and it grew every second I spent in her company. The men were drunk off their asses. Everyone was letting shit go—forgetting all the bad that sometimes come when tied to an MC. Some were fucking under the stars. An occasional grunt followed by high-pitched keening came from the woods every now and then. I texted Mac to get the damn band on the stage before Luce heard. I also wanted to keep her glued to my side in case under the glaze of alcohol and a starry night—one of my men decides to make a move on her. With the vibes, I’m throwing down; no one would dare. Drunk off their asses or not—the Prez of Creed’s girl is untouchable.

We ain’t a classy bunch of guys but I felt the need to tone it down a notch because of her. Dev was curled up with Rog but kept gazing at me and Luce while giving me the stink eye. My brushy beard kept her from seeing my shit-eating grin that said, “Oh yeah? She’s mine. Deal with it.” But I had no choice to let her go to the bathroom with Dev. If I followed like a puppy dog, I had no doubt hoots of barking would follow. We’re a rowdy bunch, often ribbing the shit out of one another. Feeling comfortable enough to make digs at even me, their Prez. So, when Luce was gone in the dark longer than I felt comfortable, you bet your ass I went looking for her.

The rest of the night was uneventful. I kept her close to me; never letting her leave my side. I ignored the side-long glances from disappointed women who hoped they would have a shot of spending the night in my bed. Some were bolder than others. Beckoning me with their eyes and hands as they danced with each other, touching themselves. Other were drunker, coming straight up to me, ignored the woman I held in my arms. I shot them all down because what I was holding was something I’d never felt before. Luce didn’t question this strange pull between us either; sensing her presence soothed the beast inside.

I felt less restless with her soft body curled up by my side. But when the stars came out to dance, I wanted to feel her in my arms under the moonlight as the band the club hired played soft ballads.

I wanted her.

She started out as a chore but became so much more and it had only been hours since I first saw her face.

“Dance with me, babe?”

She hesitated but stood; letting me take the hand that had been in mine all day. I pulled her close, nuzzled her hair. She sighed, pressing against me as our bodies barely swayed.

“This is just like I dreamed it would be.”

“What’s that, sweetheart?”

“Today… tonight. When Dev first told me about Springdale and Oregon… I dreamed it would be like this.”

“Like what?” I asked, genuinely wanting to know, while hoping she might let something slip.

“A sexy man, holding me close under stars so thick—that the sky is choking on them.”

“I knew you thought I was sexy. I caught you staring.”

She pursed those sweet lips while she stared deep into my eyes, “I was checking your beard for gnats. I don’t know how you don’t get food stuck in it.”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

“How? I can’t even see your lips. It would be like kissing a furball.”

Despite our teasing banter, desire slammed through me. It coursed through my veins like wildfire. Being near her all day had me worked up. I wasn’t used to spending time with a sweet woman who smelled like innocence and sunshine, with wit and humor that matched mine.

Growling, I grabbed the back of her head, angling it towards mine as my hips shifted close, cradling hers. She gasped as my tongue swept through the seam of her lips, plunging inside her mouth to parry with hers. My lips did indeed find hers as I played with her bottom one, nipping, biting—tugging. I needed another taste of that sweet mouth.

Her small hands went to the back of my head and under the nape of my neck to release my wild hair from its tether.

“Let’s go,” I growled, angry at her and myself for giving a show. When I’m into a woman—I want to keep what happens between us private. I don’t want to share the stain of desire on her cheeks with another pair of eyes.

I put that color in her skin.

It’s mine.

And before tonight is over and the first rays of dawn match the color on her flushed cheeks, I’ll have the answers to every question I want to know about Luce and Devon. But more importantly, why in the hell all I can think about is making this woman mine.

I took her hand as we walked through the couples straining against one another. The silence was thick between us as we walked farther into the darkness, down the path toward my log cabin nestled under the pines.

We finally reached the heavy door and it swung open at my touch. “I’m not sure about this. I think I’ll bunk somewhere else.” Her wide eyes took in the large room where a huge bed stood in the middle of wide pine-plank floors. A fireplace and sitting area were off to the side and there was only one door on the inside leading to a bathroom.

“Are you nervous to be alone with me?”

“I just…,” she trailed off and I lifted her chin with my finger trying to read her in the moonlight. “It’s just that… I think I might’ve given you the wrong impression. I’m not ready for this. I lied to Dev about everything that happened between us earlier… it felt right but I’ve never acted that way before—never with someone I just met.”

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