Page 22 of Barker

Once Talon and Barker announce the last call, the girls and I pack up and head outside to the limo waiting for us. I haven’t had anything to drink besides water since my encounter with Barker in the hallway. His words and Vienna’s question keep running through my head. My stomach rolls with nerves and emotions that I don’t really want to deal with. When the humid air from outside hits me, I take a deep breath.

Most people hate humidity and I don’t blame them. A lot of the time it can be miserable, but I love the comfort of it. It’s something I’m used to and I like the familiar. I love the smells that come along with living in Los Angeles. The salty sea smell that hangs in the air is my favorite thing in the world. I walk out into the parking lot in front of Sinner’s Den. Sinner’s Den sits on a lot just off the highway. Next to it is a two-story, industrial-looking building that the Sons of Sin call their clubhouse. It’s where they all hang out and sometimes live. Sinner’s Den has always been on this lot, but in the beginning, it was just for members of the motorcycle club and after the fire, it closed. No one was sure if they’d reopen it because the Sons of Sin had a new leader… Barker. He seemed to want to take the Sons of Sin in a better direction than the previous leader. A few months after he took over, Sinner’s Den was under construction. Drake’s construction company got it rebuilt in no time. When it reopened everyone was welcome to come in. It’s so peaceful this time of night. In the distance, you can hear the thunder as another storm rolls in.

I wrap my arms around myself and just try to be in the moment. Vienna comes up behind me. She wraps her arms around my waist and rests her chin on my shoulder. “You okay, bestie?” I just nod, because I’m afraid I can’t get the lie out and I’m not sure if I am okay or not. “Talk to me, Annistyn.”

I sigh and stare up at the starry night sky. “You’re not wrong. I like Barker… a lot. More than I ever should.”

“Says who?” she asks.

“My history. I don’t exactly have a good history with biker guys,” I admit quietly.

Vienna sighs. “You can’t base every biker guy on Jerick and Cam. They suck as people in general.”

I turn around and look at her. “Jerick didn’t used to suck. The motorcycle club changed him.”

“Only because he allowed himself to be changed. Look, I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you this… you’ll never know if you don’t try. The thing is that not every biker guy is bad. Talon isn’t bad at all. You love him and trust him, so why not give Barker a chance?” she asks. We stand there and I let her words sink in. As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right. She must read my face before I even make a decision. “Are you riding with us?” I shake my head no, and Vienna’s smile gets cheek achingly huge. “Good. I’ll see you later.”

I watch Vienna walk away, but call after her. “Vienna.” She turns around and I rush toward her. I grab her and hug her. “Thank you. I love you and happy birthday.”

She smiles as she pulls away. “I love you too and you just gave me the best birthday present ever.”

Talon steps up with his helmet in hand. “Everything good?”

“Yeah,” Vienna and I reply as she turns around and heads to the limo. Talon makes his way to the motorcycle. He doesn’t say anything else, but I can see it in his eyes. It’s his good luck look.

I stand outside the front door. Now that my cheering section has left, I’m not sure that I can do this. Barker was so mad and hurt when he turned away from me earlier. What if he doesn’t want to see or talk to me now? I pace back and forth for a minute. I contemplate just walking home, but when I look up the sky has darkened, and the thunder is rolling. Besides, what I want is just beyond that door. It’s time for me to face this fear.

I take a deep breath and square my shoulders before opening the door and stepping through. Sinner’s Den is different; empty. The music blares through the space now that there’s no chatter to drown it out. I stand there for a second before my eyes fall on Barker as he sweeps the wood floor. For the crowd that was in Sinner’s Den tonight, it’s pretty clean. The tables filling the area and the bar along the left side wall are all cleaned. The pool tables and dartboards in the back of the bar have all been neatly arranged. It’s the wood floor now and that’s nearly spotless. I watch as his back muscles contract with the movement. “Sorry, we’re closed,” he calls over the music, before turning around and seeing it’s me. His eyes hold mine. I can’t decipher the emotion I see within them and that makes me nervous. “Did you forget something?” he asks coldly. I hate it. I hate his tone and the disconnect I feel right now.

I nod my head as I start to walk his way. “I did,” I finally manage to say. Once I’m close enough, I reach out and pull him toward me and wrap my arms around his neck before rising to my tiptoes to meet his lips. At first, his body is stiff, but his mouth is surprised and I use it to my advantage. Soon enough, his body relaxes into mine and his hands begin to explore my body.Girl Like YoubyJason Aldeancomes on and fills the room.

Barker pulls back and smirks. “I thought you forgot something.”

I roll my eyes. “I did… you.”

Barker bites down on his bottom lip before shaking his head and stepping away from me. He leans back against the table and crosses his arms over his chest, creating space between us. “I don’t know what you want, Annistyn. You’re hot and cold. I don’t like games, which is why I don’t do relationships.”

As I watch him right now, I realize that he’s been hurt. He’s got that scared look in his eyes, that I never noticed before. I guess I was so busy running from my own fears I never stopped to realize he had the same ones. “Relationships aren’t meant to be games.”

He shrugs. “Maybe not, but a lot of the time they turn into one.”

“I don’t disagree with you, but I’m honestly not trying to play a game. I have… trust issues. So, I try to ignore or fight whatever I’m feeling, but then you just get under my skin and I get lost in you,” I admit. I didn’t even realize I was walking toward him until I’m standing in front of him and he reaches out and rests his hands on my hips.

“Now that I can understand. There’s not another girl like you,” he says with a wink before he pulls me into him and captures my mouth in a kiss that would make any girl senseless.

Twenty-One

Barker

My ego was bruised, but it was quickly forgotten when she stepped back into Sinner’s Den. I had assumed that it was just some straggler that I’d have to make sure got home. So, when I saw Annistyn standing there, to say I was shocked would be an understatement. I tried to stay mad and be distant for a few minutes, but I should have known I’d fail. There’s something about her I can’t deny. It was the way her sage green eyes pleaded with me. Her lips slightly pouting, not in a way to get what she wanted but because she was genuinely disappointed and sorry for earlier. I couldn’t deny her. I didn’t want to.

As she closed the distance between us, my heart thundered in my chest. I was too afraid to let myself think that maybe she was finally going to give us a chance. It had taken me five days to figure out I was willing to give us one, so I could wait while she decided. I just didn’t want to play the games in the meantime. However, I don’t think I expected her to decide this quickly. Especially with our earlier conversation running through my head.

When she reached out and pulled me into her, I had wanted to resist for a moment, but of course, that didn’t last either. She knows I can’t resist her and I don’t even want to try anymore. Or at least, that’s what I was telling myself until I remembered that we had been here before. Everything between us was hot and cold. One moment she wanted me and the next she wanted me as far away as possible. It was like a game and I didn’t want to play it anymore. I just wanted her.

When she admitted that she had feelings for me, and that I got under her skin, I understood that completely. She did the same things to me, and I was fighting it before, but now… now I didn’t want to. So, I pulled her back into me and claimed that smart mouth of hers, and kissed her until neither of us could breathe normally.

At some point, we had switched spots and she was sitting on the table with me standing between her legs. My hands were tangled into her hair. When we break away from one another, she releases an airy laugh and rests her head against my chest. “Now, that is how a kiss should be.”

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