Page 28 of Riding Dirty

I want those fingers on my body again… immediately, if not sooner.

His lips twitch into a smirk, his gaze never leaving mine, and I know he can read my expression, my wants, my desires. I should be embarrassed, and I probably will be later, but right now, I want him too badly to care.

“I didn’t take any pictures,” Alex announces before he continues, “but the layout wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Big room, big kitchen, a couple of smaller rooms, bathrooms, and a storage closet. Do I even want to know why you need this?”

My eyes widen, and my head swings to the side, staring at his profile and willing him to shut up. But he doesn’t. He continues speaking, and all I want to do is tackle him and cover his mouth with my hands. I’d probably need both because apparently, he’s got a big-ass mouth.

“No, you don’t, and we won’t be telling you,” Wrath states without even looking up from my phone.

I watch as his thumb glides across the screen, checking each picture. He stops here and there, using his index finger and thumb to zoom in on an image, then switches to the next one. I have no idea what he’s looking for, but I find myself completely and totally focused on him, that is, until Dare clears his throat.

Shifting my attention over to Dare, I tilt my head back slightly so I can look up at his face. His lips are twitching, and I swear his eyes sparkle a little as he watches me. He watches me for only a few seconds before he pushes off the desk and walks over to a window. Alex and I watch him. I’m wondering what in the actual hell is going on here.

“We appreciate you helping us out with this, and Wrath has your two grand in cash to give to you. We also appreciate your confidentiality in this matter.”

He turns his head, then shifts his body so he’s facing us again. I can’t look away from him. He’s the president of the club, at least that’s what the patch on his leather vest indicates.

There’s a lot going on with their vests, including a badass motorcycle on the back with the flames coming out of the back wheel like it’s burning out or something. Everything on the vest is patches that are sewn on. They’re actually pretty nice, and I’m surprised. For a badass biker gang, they seriously care about their vests and patches.

Wrath pushes off the desk, causing my attention to shift from Dare to him, and he reaches out, handing my phone back to me.

“I went ahead and forwarded what I needed to my phone. ’Preciate your help in all of this,” he says.

It feels like a business transaction and nothing like our time in his bedroom, which leaves me feeling beyond confused. Taking the phone back, I place it between my legs and try to keep from bursting into tears. I have never had so many emotions in such a short period of time in my entire life.

My teeth find the skin on the inside of my cheek again. It’s already tender from me anxiously biting it until it bled earlier, but I do it again. I’m not sure what to do here, what to say. So, instead of doing anything, I stand.

Wrath reaches behind him and picks up an envelope. He thrusts it forward, and I wrap my fingers around the edge. My eyes lift to meet his, searching for a sign of something… anything remotely near want, desire… but there’s nothing.

“Thanks,” I exhale. “We’ll be back on Monday to clean.”

Wrath jerks his chin slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. “Thanks, babe. See you soon.”

What an asshole. But that’s not what I’m really mad at. He never claimed to be or want anything from me other than what we could give one another in bed. But my foolish heart wants more, so much damn more.

CHAPTER

TWENTY-TWO

WRATH

“You are a fucking idiot.”

I can’t tear my eyes away from the bitch walking away in my sweats. Alex is beside her, no doubt talking mad shit about me. I know I’m a fucking idiot, but it’s not because I’m trying to be a dick. It’s more because I don’t want to completely ruin her fucking life.

“She’s too young for me. I’ve lived a whole life before she was even a thought.”

Dare clears his throat as he leans against the wall, and his gaze shifts from the parking lot to meet mine. It searches mine, his lips pressing together before he begins to speak.

“Maybe, but then again, if I had any woman who looked at me like I was the only man in the whole fucking world, like I could be her everything, her world and her hero all in one, I might not give a fuck that she wasn’t even thirty yet.”

He’s right. I know he is. I can’t deny that it seriously boosted my ego, the way she looked at me. “It was because I gave her a few orgasms, nothing else.”

That’s a lie. Dare knows it is just as much as I do. There are plenty of clubwhores who have orgasms and don’t look at me like that. This is different, the way she looked at me, the way she made me feel. I know it’s different, even if I don’t want to admit it.

“Imagine another man giving her that orgasm and nothing else,” Dare says.

My fingers ball into fists at the thought, and I take a step backward. Turning my back to him, I take one step away from him, and then another, stopping before I turn my head and look over my shoulder.