Page 53 of Tangled Threats on the Nomad Highway
Scruff prickled delicately against her chinand scraped lightly at her cheeks, stinging tiny arcs ofelectricity on her lips as he moved across and over. Something wetand persistent relentlessly swiped across her bottom lip, drawingher tongue out to taste. What had to be his tongue touched hers inresponse to the needy sound that escaped with his gentleexploration. He tasted of coffee and something wild. Then there wasa return to the sweet pecks, only now his mouth was hot and wet,feeling like sodden silk as it dragged across her lips to her cheekand then up beside her ear. “So good.” The whisper didn’t makesense until Einstein pulled back and she opened her eyes to stareup at him. His pupils were dark, edging the color of his irises toa narrow band. “God, Marian.”
“That’s…” She huffed out a sigh. “That’s nothow Horse did it.” Head lolling against his shoulder, she grinned.“I like your way a lot better.”
Einstein’s frown made her want to reach upand smooth it away. “How did Horse do it?”
Marian lifted her hand and made a fist,angling her thumb across the edge of her index finger. “Like this.”Lazily lifting her hand to her mouth, she made a smacking sound asshe touched her lips to it. “But I like your way better.”
***
Einstein
“Jesus God.” Einstein breathed out, havingtrouble regulating his heartbeat, head busy tamping down things thekiss had stirred inside him.
Marian blinked up at him as her hand fellback to her lap. Her plush bottom lip caught between her teeth. Hereyes searched his face, gaze flickering from one eye to theother.
Einstein reeled. Every emotion he’d beenfighting came roaring to the forefront, arousal not the least ofthem. “When you said he taught you to kiss, I thought—”ClearlyI was wrong.Did it make him a bastard that he liked the facthe’d been her first real kiss?Probably. But do I give a fatfuck? Nope.
In that instant, he knew he wouldn’t have topretend with her. Nothing would be pretense, everything real, butshe couldn’t know that. Him developing feelings wasn’t what she’dsigned up for, and there was no way Einstein would saddle her withsomeone as fucked-up as he was. Not even as a short-term thing, andespecially not when Marian deserved the longest commitment a mancould make.
“We should eat. You’ve got to get back towork.” He changed the subject as he slipped his arm free of hershoulders, but couldn’t stand to lose contact with her totally, sodraped a hand over her thigh. “Then tonight, we can talk more.Hammer out our strategy.” A thought struck him, and he winced.“We’ll have to pretend in front of everyone, Marian. That meansMyrt and the boys, Bane and his men. You sure you’re up forthat?”
Sometime during his epiphany, she’dwithdrawn as well, now sitting straight and staring down at herplate of half-eaten food. “Yeap.” She didn’t look at him. “Don’tlike lyin’ to folks, but already told you I’d do whatever youneeded.”
“Marian, what’s wrong?”Asshole, you knowwhat’s wrong. You kissed her stupid and then pulled back like itdidn’t mean anything. Like she doesn’t mean the world to you.“Are you mad?”
“No, just thinking.” The smile she aimed hisdirection didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m okay.” She tossed hisfrequently stated words back at him. “No big deal.”
“Hey.” He crowded closer and tightened hisfingers around the muscle of her thigh. “That was a good kiss. Realgood kiss for me. I liked it.” She didn’t look at him, and hewrapped his hand around the back of her neck, pulling her tightagainst his side. “You’re the first woman I’ve kissed since I lostLauren, Marian. I’m sorry if I’m out of practice.”
“It was my first kiss ever, so trust me Iwouldn’t know good from bad at this point.” Stiffness in hermuscles was a reminder that he’d hurt her. “Guess we’ll get topractice more, huh?” There was a clear lack of enthusiasm in hertone. “I’m not hungry anymore, so I’m ready to go whenever youare.”
“Marian.” Just her name, because his brainhad stuttered and was in the process of shutting down, not willingto reengage while he tried not to unpack his own emotions. “Ireally do like you.”
“I know. I like you too.” Her fingerstwisted together in her lap. “We’re buds. I’m everybody’s littlesister, right?” The corner of her mouth moved, lifting into anexpression he couldn’t quite see, turned away as she was. “I won’tforget.” Using the surface of the big window next to her as amirror, he studied her reflected image. The twist of her mouthwasn’t a smile, not by a long shot. “Can we go now?”
Einstein shoved away his plate, the burgerlargely uneaten. He glanced at the window again and turned awayfrom his own expression, one of utter devastation, and caught theattention of the waitress with a lifted finger. She was bustlingover as he pulled his wallet out, not bothering to look at theticket before he handed her a couple of bills. “We’ve got to go.Food was fine.” He lifted his gaze to find hers locked on Marian.“Keep the change.”
As he slid out of the booth, he slipped hishand around Marian’s and helped her to her feet. “Thanks,” shewhispered, still not meeting his gaze. “I need the bathroom beforewe get back on the bike.”
Briefly, he contemplated what he could seeof her face. “Sure, baby. I’ll be outside. Take your time.” Shepulled free from his grip and turned to walk towards the back ofthe restaurant. He looked at the waitress again, seeing her gazehad followed Marian. “Check on her for me?” She glanced up at him,and he saw tension lines in her features had eased at his obviousconcern. “We didn’t have a fight or anything, just a hardconversation for her. I’m in no rush.” She pushed past him withoutspeaking.
Outside, he strolled to the bike and leanedagainst the seat, maintaining a clear line of sight with the frontdoor. He pulled out his phone and checked messages to find he’dmissed two calls. Both were from Birmingham numbers but unfamiliarto him. Only one had left a voicemail. Einstein punched buttons andlifted the device to his ear.
“Einstein.Friend.” The hard emphasison the second word was unmistakable, and he tensed. “This isPopova, Greg Popova. Been a minute, man. I got a strange message alittle bit ago, thought you’d like to hear about it. Gimme acall.”
If Greg thought the Bama Bastards would needto be in the loop, he would have called Retro, not the club’s onlynomad. The fact he’d dialed Einstein’s number meant this had to bepersonal. Russian mob versus Italian was an ongoing struggleeverywhere the two groups tried to coexist, and through thedecades, their clashes had been historic.
He saved the voicemail to the files folderon his phone, an action that would trigger the club’s backuproutine to pick it up and push to the main servers, making iteasier for him to call Mudd’s attention to it. Einstein looked upin time to see Marian swing through the front door, head held highas she walked his direction. An intense examination of her featuresdidn’t give him any indication as to her emotions. Her expressionwas blank and bland, and something curled tight in his chest.Idon’t like that. My Marian—Einstein cut off that thought. Shewasn’t his anything, except friend. He deliberately pulled onmemories of Lauren to burn any ideas out of his head but found themharder than ever to surface.
Marian was at his side before he refocusedon her.Nope. Don’t like that look on her.“Ready?” Insteadof reaching out to her, he stood upright and swung a leg over thebike. Lifting it off the kickstand, he balanced the heavy machinebetween his thighs. She hadn’t answered him, so he glanced at heragain. “Need a few minutes more, Marian?”
“No.” The single syllable didn’t give himany indication of where she’d gone in her head, and he narrowed hiseyes, surveying her body language instead. Shoulders back, chin up,she looked ready to take on the world. But he knew her well enoughto pick out the tension in her neck, cords standing out as her jawclenched. Fingers morphed into tight fists under his scrutiny, andher face angled away. “As you pointed out, I’ve got to get back towork.”
“Baby.” Lines on her face deepened at theword. He heeled the kickstand back into place and dismounted thebike, standing in front of her. “Talk to me.” Cradling the hingesof her jaw in his hands, he lifted her face, so she stared up athim. Bending close, Einstein pressed his forehead to hers. “If it’stoo much to ask, all you have to do is say so. I’ll get Gunny andTruck involved, Bane, too, and we’ll protect you. I promise I won’tlet anything happen to you, Marian. Scar won’t get close to you oranyone you love. We’ll keep everyone safe. The guys already knowmost of this. They know the history, so we’re all on high alert asit is.” He decided then. “We’re not going to go through with it.It’s too much, and I should have known it. Shouldn’t have saidanything.Dammit. I’m so sorry I hurt you.”
Her palms landed on his wrists, fingersdigging deep as she stared into his eyes. “It’s not too much. If itweren’t the best way of flushing him out, you wouldn’t havesuggested it. I can do this, Jim.” The muscles of her throat movedunder his palms. “I’m doing this—” She faltered, and he waited,giving her time to find her words. “I’m not worried about beingsafe. I told you. Itrustyou. Trust you with everythinginside me. You and me, right? We’re a team?” She pressed againsthis hold and he relaxed slightly, surprised when she lifted to hertoes and touched her lips to his. “You and me, Jim. We’re doingthis…babe, so get used to it.”
There’d been only the slightest hesitationbefore the word “babe,” but it was enough to tell him thatregardless of her declarations, she wasn’t completely comfortablewith the ruse. Then she rolled onto her toes again, mouth openedslightly as she kissed him again. He groaned at the feel of herheated breath against his lips and closed his eyes, wanting to etchthe moment into his memory.
