Page 10 of Barker

“Yeah, Vienna drove Barker to pick it up for you, and then they came back to the hospital to wait,” Talon explains.

I’m shocked for a minute. I didn’t expect any of tonight to go like this, but the thing I least expected was Barker Tobin helping me out the way he did. “Thank you,” I tell him, and Barker just shrugs, like it’s no big deal—but it is. For the first time, I take Barker in, truly take him in. His brown hair has a reddish tint to it under the parking lot lights overhead. It’s thick, cut close to the side, and longer on the top, and currently moving in every direction thanks to the light breeze in the air. His skin is slightly tanned. He’s tall and lean but there are still a lot of clearly, well-defined muscles as well. Barker’s stormy gray eyes are some of the most intense eyes I’ve ever seen framed by dark eyelashes and a square jaw always coated in a dark five o’clock shadow. I can see why so many of the girls that are part of the MC world have been taken by him. However, for me it’s different. I see his looks, and yes they are incredibly nice to look at, but it’s the man behind those looks that has started to catch my attention now.

****

When we all finally manage to get home, I’m dead tired and in so much need of sleep that I shower quickly and crawl into bed. The next morning, Augustus and the smell of food wake me up. I sit up in the bed and stretch before scooping up Augustus and placing him in the restroom where the puppy pads have been placed. I head out into the kitchen while trying to figure out how I’m going to ask Mr. Folsom for my job back today. I don’t even consider someone else being in the kitchen with Talon as I round the corner. It isn’t until the other voice hits my ears that I see him.

Barker is sitting at the kitchen island with a coffee mug in his hand. His gray eyes meet mine and a slow, sexy smile lifts the corners of his mouth. The simple white t-shirt he has on hugs every muscle in his arms and makes his skin look tanner. A startled gasp falls from my mouth and Talon looks over his shoulder to smile at me. “Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

“Morning,” I mumble, as I head for the fridge.

Barker chuckles and I shoot him a glare. “I can see someone isn’t a morning person. You want some coffee?” he offers.

I turn around and hold up the bottle ofMountain Dewand shake it for him to see. “This is what I need. What are you doing here anyway?”

Barker bites down on his full bottom lip and it takes everything I have not to stare at that one simple gesture. “Is that any way to talk to your boss?”

Ten

Barker

I can’t help the smirk that appears at the look of shock that comes over Annistyn’s face. It’s pretty damn adorable actually, but it’s gone too quick. I take the silent moment to drink her in. I know for a fact she just rolled out of bed, but she already looks amazing. Her short shorts show off her legs which aren’t normally long, but the shorts give them the illusion of being super long. Her t-shirt has definitely seen better days. It has various holes and the neckline is so stretched out that it actually hangs off one shoulder. Her hair is all over the place and her face is clear of makeup, but she still looks stunning.

Annistyn’s shock fades and she gives me a look like I’m crazy. “What?”

Oh, this is going to be fun. “I am,” I tell her, as I point to myself. “Going to be your,” I tell her, pointing to her. “New boss.”

She scoffs. “Very funny. I mean, I know last night you cost me my job and I got over it, but I have some major begging to do today which I am not looking forward to.”

I stand up and walk to stand in front of her. She barely comes to the middle of my chest. Damn, I never realized how tiny she actually is. I guess it’s because she’s always in heels. “No begging necessary. It’s not my thing, well at least not when I’m at work,” I tell her with a wink.

Annistyn’s mouth falls open and I turn around to refill my coffee mug. It’s my attempt to hide the laughter threatening to come from me thanks to her reaction. Talon just shakes his head at me and I shrug in response. “What the hell are you talking about?” Annistyn asks. Her voice sounds irritated yet slightly hopeful and I like that I was the one that could give her hope.

“Okay, is it because you just rolled out of bed and haven’t injected your body with that green sugary liquid in your hand or are you always this confused when you first wake up?” I tease her.

Annistyn glares at me. “Barker Tobin, I swear if you don’t just spit it out!”

I chuckle and lean back against the counter, crossing one of my ankles over the other. I watch as Annistyn admires the way my t-shirt hugs my muscles and I may or may not have picked this shirt for that exact reason. It’s something I’d like to give her hell about but then again I do the same thing to her. Annistyn is just so easy to banter with because she can give it back as well as she can take it. “Easy. Drink some of that shit so you’re nice, or well, the Annistyn version of nice.” I take another sip of my coffee to keep myself from laughing. “Look, I cost you your job last night, but I have a solution for you that doesn’t require you begging that scumbag for anything.” Annistyn studies me for a moment before she takes a seat, which I take as my cue to tell her my idea. I fill her in without telling her about Talon and me sneaking our tips in with hers. She actually seems to be on board with it.

“Foods ready,” Talon says, as he begins making plates and handing them out to each of us.

As we eat in silence, I study Annistyn every chance I get. I’ve never been so curious about a girl in all of my life, but there is something different about Annistyn and I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. I can’t seem to stay away from her despite the fact that I hate the way my body reacts to her. “So, is there a dress code for the Sinner’s Den?”

I shake my head. “Not really, just don’t come dressed like a grandma. I’m pretty sure you won’t make good tips that way.”

Annistyn smirks. “Little do you know, the whole cougar thing is really taking off.” Annistyn winks at me and her sage green eyes sparkle with humor.

My head falls back and I don’t even try to stop the laughter that comes out of me this time.

There’s no use, because Annistyn has a mouth on her and I like it.

****

I’m notorious for being right on time or late for work—but tonight I’m early. Almost two hours early, so it shouldn’t have shocked me when Wilder started giving me hell the minute I walked through the door. “Wow! Did hell freeze over?”

“Shut the hell up,” I tell him.

A low whistle escapes him as I strip out of my cut and run a hand through my freshly cut hair. “You trying to impress somebody?” he asks, with a shit-eating grin on his face. I throw him the finger and he busts out laughing. “Damn, someone is touchy.” Wilder is shorter than me but he’s got a good thirty pounds of muscle on me. The guy looks like he should be a model and not a mechanic and member of Sons of Sin. His face is square and always clean cut. His sky blue eyes are always bright with mischief. Girls in Sinner’s Den often talk about his lips. The dude has some major lips but somehow he pulls them off and the girls really do love them. Wilder’s dirty-blonde hair is always styled to perfection, slicked back on the sides, longer on top, and swooped over to the left.

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