Page 109 of Resurfaced Passion

“Are you?”

He watched Paige’s beat-up car she loved so much turn in to the compound and the corner of his lip twitched with a relieved smile. He pushed himself off the wall and started walking forward even before she’d turned into a parking spot. “For the first time in a long time, yeah.” he told his brother he’d call him later and they hung up.

His girl had all of his attention.

* * *

She couldn’t decide if the gray marl sweatpants and hoodie were a good choice to wear as she pulled up outside of the Renegade Souls MC, but it was too late now seeing as how Reaper was waiting and only steps away from her car even before the engine stopped.

She felt a little like Alice in Wonderland coming here, almost as if she was about to be offered a “drink me” bottle before attending a Mad Hatter’s tea party. Nothing about the last twenty-four hours made sense. Not least of all Reaper’s ghosting her.

She made pies and didn’t do anything exciting whereas her boyfriend was a notorious biker who everyone knew about. Talk about a dysfunctional mindfuck, but of all the men in the world, there was no other she would choose, and she was smiling up at him when Reaper pulled the door open.

Paige squealed when he reached in, clicked her seatbelt free and lifted her out as easy as that before plastering her to the side of her car, giving her no choice but to wrap her arms around his waist.

“Well… hello to you too.” She smiled, and found her mouth crushed under soft lips that pried and cajoled hers, demanding entry by licking first the top one and then sucking on the bottom, his tongue charged through with her slightest gasp.

It was no soft kiss. It was aI fucking missed youkiss;I need youkiss.

Oh, god, this man could kiss her into a new undiscovered world, and she’d greet the demons there with a drunken smile.

Several millions eyes …okay, it was slightly less… turned to the sight of Reaper carrying her into the building once her lips were set free. She turned a hot shade of pink feeling their gazes. “Coffee?”

She watched his perfect hard ass when he strode off down a long corridor. Only then did she turn her head back to the crowd.

She smiled nervously and held up a hand. “Hi, guys.”

“Yo, diner girl.” Preacher called out with a smile; she’d always liked the bigger guy.

“Finally roped our boy in.” This from the biker they called Grinder. “Thank fuck for that.”

Some of their intimidation dimmed as others joined in with congratulations for ‘locking the ghost down’ making her giggle.

Banked fires smoldered in Reaper’s eyes on his return, his gait long and powerful, the jeans clung to his legs without being tight and the big silver buckle glinted as the light hit it. He looked so incredibly good that she had to take a reflexive swallow.

His fingers curved around her nape as he leaned over her and placed a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. She’d assumed he’d rush her to that back room again and ravish her … she was only slightly disappointed she still wore clothes but being near Reaper was good enough.

All day she’d worried she’d done something wrong or worse, that he’d gone back into his quiet shell, closing her out.

The hand on her neck was the last time he touched her for the next couple of hours.

They’d joined the men down the other end, two were playing on an old school PlayStation, laying bets down like they were at a Monte Carlo craps table.

Some were day drinking, others just in conversation and while Reaper sat close by, he didn’t put another hand on her, and her skin became increasingly sensitive to his nearness. Begging silently for those rough hands to curl around her nape, to cup her knee.

Paige noted that while the other men whistled or yelled out for one of the younger boys to bring them drinks or food … prospects as she was told their title was… general dogsbody, Reaper explained. Any time she wanted something, Reaper got up and fetched it himself and she even started to test how much he’d tolerate by asking for silly things… and off he went to the kitchen to bring it back for her.

No wonder Paige looked at him with stars in her eyes.

She’d gone from being a woman not used to being touched, to craving his calloused hands on her constantly.

Halfway through the two hour no touching saga he stepped away to take a call and appeared to be displeased with that call.

Then Paige started to notice the glances he sent her way as she talked to Tag about pies, of all things… the biker was a 12-step program away from needing a sweets intervention.

And with each glance she noticed Reaper’s brow furrowing in deep concentration. Was it because she’d leaned in and laughed at Tag’s re-enactment of the summer he stole his granny’s cobbler and made himself sick? She tested out her curious theory by leaning over the table and giggling. Sure enough, she saw Reaper’s face tighten.

Now, Paige wasn’t used to having anyone jealous over her, maybe the power went to her head because she assumed it would bring Reaper over to her, maybe his hands would touch her,finally, but her brilliant plan backfired epically.

---