Page 7 of My Wild Mountain Man

Damn, I had it bad for her. The problem was, I didn’t know what to do about it.Liar, a little voice in the back of my headpiped up.You know what to do. You just don’t know how Onyx will take it.

“Hey, you going to Clover with Austin?” Onyx asked the moment I got to the bar. I grunted, and the asshole had the nerve to grin at me. “Thank fuck. Keep an eye on Rave for me, yeah?”

“What?” I asked. My brows bunched as something in my gut twisted.Keep an eye on her?It was impossible not to when she was around.

“Heard she’s going there tonight with some people from work.” I swallowed hard at the information.

“You know she’s an adult, right? She can make her own decisions.”

“She thinks life is like some kinda romance novel. You know the bikers there are okay guys, but can you imagine one of the young ones trying to sweep her off her feet? She would fall for it hook, line, and sinker.” I had to shove my hands into the front pockets of my jeans. I didn’t like the idea of some other guy hitting on her. Or looking at her. Or breathing the same air as her.

“She’s smarter than you give her credit for,” I muttered, and he stared at me. For a second, I worried I had shown how I felt about her, or that he had some kind of inkling about it.

“It’s your night off. I get it.” He sighed, and I looked closer. Something was up with him by the dark circles under his eyes. “Look, I’m not asking you to babysit. I’m just saying––“ I didn’t need him to spell it out.

“Yeah, I get it. Keep an eye on her.” Though, an eye wasn’t exactly all I wanted to keep on her.

“Thanks, man, I owe you.”

“Sure,” I mumbled, feeling like a shit friend. I waved goodbye to him and hurried out. Knowing she was there or heading to the biker bar lit a fire under my ass. I didn’t even head home to change. I walked into the bar just as I got a text from Austin.

Austin: Sorry, change in plans. Can’t go tonight.

Fuck. This was the last thing I needed.

Austin cancelling and knowing I was going to have to keep an eye on her was going to make keeping my hands off her even harder. I ran my fingers through my overgrown hair. I hadn’t cut it because the idea of anyone but Raven taking care of it felt wrong. Like cheating.

It was crazy. She wasn’t mine. She was off limits.

Raven Trejo was the sweetest forbidden fruit.

I looked around and spotted her right away. Like a beacon of light, she shone brightly in the old, dimly lit, dingy bar. Sure enough, she was with some girls I recognized from the salon. Raven was the youngest of the group. While she laughed and smiled at something one of her coworkers said, I slid onto a barstool far enough from her that she wouldn’t spot me right away yet close enough that I could keep an eye on her.

“Look what the cat dragged in.” Hillary, the bartender, grinned at me, leaning in close. “What can I get you, Bash?”

“Whatever your special is tonight and a Bud Light.”

“That I can do.” She winked and went to put my order into the kitchen after handing me a bottle of Bud.

I sipped my beer slowly, trying to avoid the temptation that was kitty corner from me. I could hear the girls laughing and having a good time. Before I knew it, Hillary brought me a brisket burger with a side of coleslaw and fries. I dug in while I pretended to care about the baseball game happening on the TV above the bar.

Before I knew it, I was finished eating, and a group of bikers walked in. A couple of them made a beeline for the girls from the salon, and I felt like every nerve ending in my body went on high alert.

That’s when I felt it.

The air changed in the bar as she walked closer.

“Hey, darlin’, what can I do you for?” Hillary asked.

“Can I close out my tab?” Her sweet voice was like a balm over my soul.

“Sure thing, hun!” I turned, and when our eyes connected, I could see her thinking about ignoring me, avoiding me again. I wasn’t sure if it was half the beer I’d drunk or the fact I was so damn tired of staying away from her, but I smiled.

“Didn’t see you there, pretty girl. You having a good time?” I forced her to acknowledge me.

“Hey, Bash. You’re away from the brewery.”

“Hmm,” I grunted. “Having fun?” I asked, pointing at the group. Some of the girls were being led out to the small makeshift dance floor just as a slow country song started to play from the old jukebox.

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