Page 7 of Chains
“They’re really sweet.”I smiled up at Chains.Lucifer hissed.“Except Lucifer.There’s a reason Lucifer is his name.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Like I said.If you don’t like them, stay away.”
“Nope.They need watchin’.I can see it in their eyes.”He seemed to be trying to stare down Lucifer.Not only did he not intimidate Lucifer one bit, I was pretty sure the cat’s unblinking gaze as he stared up at Chains unnerved the big biker.
“They are getting watched.I’m watching them.”
“Uh-huh.You need watchin’, too.”Chains met my gaze and held it.And, oh, my God, the man had some seriously beautiful eyes.And the crinkles at the edges said he wasn’t always cranky.I could imagine those steel-blue eyes sparkling with laughter.Or hardening in anger.Right now, I thought they were… shadowed?Confused maybe.Like he had no idea how he got here and wasn’t altogether sure he wanted to know.“I’ll do that better if I’m closer.”Without another word, Chains turned and stomped back down the hall.
“Okay.”Carrie looked from me to Chains’ retreating form.“Things just got interesting.”
Chapter Two
Chains
For the first time in my life, I knew without a doubt I’d bitten offwaythe fuck more than I could handle.I kept to the shadows of the common room, leaning against the wall as I watched the women decorating for the upcoming party.The clubhouse buzzed with activity as Ellie -- not Elvira, I reminded myself firmly -- stood in the center of it all, directing the Halloween decoration efforts like some kind of gothic general.Something about her made my skin prickle, and it really had nothing at all to do with the fucking cats.The woman simply… mesmerized me.
Her hair hung in a loose braid down her back, strands of midnight black escaping to frame her face while the end of her braid lovingly brushed her ass.The muted light of the clubhouse caught on her pale skin, giving her an almost ethereal glow.I wanted to touch all that white skin.To see what she hid under that black tank top and black skintight ripped jeans.
“Pass me that ladder, would you?”she called to Carrie, her voice carrying across the room with an enthusiasm that seemed to infect everyone around her.Everyone except me.I was immune.Had to be.
Fuck.
I watched as she climbed the ladder, stringing orange and black lights across the ceiling beams.The worn denim of her jeans stretched across her ass as she reached up, and I immediately averted my gaze, feeling like some kind of pervert.Christ, I’d done nine years in prison.There was no way this girl could see me as anything other than a fucking dirty old man.What the hell was wrong with me?
“Chains!”Hawk’s voice jarred me from my thoughts.“You gonna stand there like a statue all day or help with something?”
I grunted, pushing off from the wall with feigned nonchalance.“Just making sure nobody breaks their fool neck on those rickety ladders.”
Hawk’s knowing smirk made me want to punch him, but I restrained myself.“Right.That’s why you’ve been staring at our newest resident for the past fifteen minutes without blinking.”
“Fuck off.”
Ellie’s laugh rang out, clear and bright, as she and Pippa untangled a string of plastic bats.The sound hit me right in the chest, worming its way under my skin.I shifted my weight from one foot to another, uncomfortable with the warmth spreading through me.
“Why don’t you introduce yourself properly?”Hawk suggested, his voice low enough that only I could hear.“Instead of lurking in the corners like some kind of fuckin’ creeper.”
I shot him a glare.“I met her yesterday.She’s got three black cats, Hawk.Three.You know how hard it would be to walk through a room with three black cats and not have one cross your path.Do you know what would happen then?”
He rolled his eyes.“You’d trip and hit your fool head?”
“Shut up.”
Ellie bent down to pick up a fallen decoration, and I found myself tracking the movement, watching the fluid grace with which she moved.I tilted my head as I viewed that pert, rounded ass and my mouth went dry.I was really going to hell because I knelt where I was to pick up… something… and pretended to be busy so I could continue to look my fill.I glanced around, not wanting to get caught, staring and noticed Hannah grinning at me.Yeah.I wasn’t fooling anyone.
“The plastic spiders go on that web over there,” Ellie directed, pointing toward the corner near where I stood.Her eyes met mine for a brief moment, and I felt rooted to the spot, unable to look away.A shy smile tugged at the corner of her mouth before she turned back to her task.
This was ridiculous.I was a grown man, for fuck’s sake.A patched member of the Kiss of Death MC.I’d survived prison, countless brawls, and a childhood that would make most people curl into the fetal position.I wasn’t about to be undone by one small woman with a penchant for black cats and Halloween decorations.
The common room transformed around me as I stood there, caught between wanting to leave and being unable to tear myself away.Fake cobwebs draped across the corners, plastic pumpkins lined the bar, and spooky garlands hung from every available surface.The place looked like Halloween had puked all over it, and somehow, it worked.
“What do you think?”Ellie’s voice startled me.I’d looked away, not wanting her to catch me staring.I hadn’t realized she’d moved so close.“Too much?”
I stared down at her, at the flecks of gold in her dark eyes, at the smudge of glitter on her cheek.Words failed me.
“It’s fine,” I managed, my voice rougher than I intended.
