Page 13 of Bear

“That’s never fuckin’ gonna happen.”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. She’s okay.”

“She’s one goddamn step away from being a bunny boiler. Never gonna happen.”

“Yeah, I guess she’s not really your type, is she?”

“What the fuck’s that supposed to mean? The fuck you know about my type?”

“Well, for a start, you seem to like them a little crazier with fuckin’ candy-colored hair and a big-ass chip on their shoulder.”

I stop walking and shove my finger at his chest. “I am not spending all goddamn night talking about her. In fact, you’re not gonna say a word about that crazy fuckin’ bitch at the garage or her ridiculous fuckin’ hair.”

Crow holds up his hands in a placating position. “Okay, okay. I get it. No talking about her hair.”

“Thank you. Now get in the goddamn van.”

“Yes sir.” He salutes, and he’s lucky I don’t fucking knock him out. I don’t take that kind of disrespect lightly.

Jesus.Get a goddamn grip, Bear.

I climb in the driver’s seat and jam the key in the ignition, kicking over the engine.

“You know,” Crow says as he rests his elbow on the window frame, “you never said anything about her tight little a—”

I smack him upside the head and peel out of the clubhouse lot in a cloud of burning rubber and screeching tires.

***

WE’VE SCOURED EVERYfucking inch of this town, and there’s been no sign of the Bayou Bastards. It’s ten a.m. and other than a quick coffee stop at the all-night diner, we’ve been cooped up in this van for too goddamn long. Time to head back to the clubhouse and check in.

“Pull in up here,” I tell Crow as we approach Jupiter’s.

“Oh, you mean at the garage of the woman we can’t talk about?”

“Shut up, fuck face. I need to see a woman about my ride.”

“Aboutyourride, or about riding her?”

I grit my teeth and climb out once he comes to a stop in the lot. The shop door is open, and all of the boys are already hard at work. I bypass them on the way to the office, but Liam calls after me, “She ain’t in there.”

I turn and glare at the cockiest of Jupiter’s brothers. “Where the fuck is she?”

Liam points to the back, where there’s a shiny Dodge Charger and a pair of Chuck Taylors peeking out from under the hood. I follow them up to find her shapely little legs encased in coveralls. My boots thud against the concrete as I cut a path across the shop floor toward her. I stop before her feet and bend at the waist. Grabbing hold of her ankles, I yank her toward me.

“What the fuck?” She comes sliding out on a mechanic’s creeper, wielding a wrench, with murder in her baby blues. Tink shoots to her feet and pokes me in the chest with her wrench. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

“You.” I growl, yanking the weapon from her hands and tossing it to the floor. It clatters obnoxiously, ringing in my ears. “Because of you dragging ass on my bike, I had to sit in a van with this fucker all night.” I point to Crow behind me. “I told you I was gonna come back every day until that shit was fixed, and I’ve been comin’, but still no bike. Now, I’m gonna give you one more chance to make this right.”

She tilts her chin defiantly. “Or what?”

“Or I’m going to sit here day and night until you get your fucking shit together and fix the goddamn bike that I’m paying you to fix.”

“That’s it? Jeez, Tennessee. I was hoping at least for a little rough love. Isn’t that what you big scary bikers do to insubordinate women?”

“Well, I can’t speak for all bikers, but I have zero problem putting you over my knee, princess. You just try pushin’ me a little further and I’ll give you all therough loveyou can handle.” I lean into her space. We’re standing so close that all I need is one touch, one glance, one breath, and I could take her mouth with mine. She searches my gaze, her lips parting on a soft inhalation. I grasp the back of her neck and lean in, ready to take that hot little mouth again.

Bang, bang, bang!

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