Page 31 of Beg for You

“What? A guy can try, can’t he?” Dane said to the hulking bear of a man now standing at the counter.

“You’re fuckin’ trying, all right,” the guy rumbled.

I was surprised the ground didn’t shake beneath my feet when he spoke.

Another man emerged from the back room then, this one also covered in tattoos, but he was wearing a leather vest with a one percent patch on the front. I might have been from Springhaven, but I knew there was a motorcycle club a few towns over. They passed through often enough.

I watched as the huge bearded guy took his hand. They thumped each other’s backs, muttered a few words, then the biker sauntered out and across the street to the bar where there were several bikes lined up.

Dane smirked, his gaze sliding to me over at the couch, then his head tilted to the big man still standing there. “This handsome devil is my brother-cousin, Bull. We like to keep it all in the family here in Rocktown. As you can see, that shit hasn’t been kind to the guy.” He lifted his hand to his mouth and stage-whispered, “The genes mutated. Such a shame.”

Bull. Of course, this was Bull.

Bull snorted, the sound a mix between a laugh and a Lord, give me strength. He lifted one of his huge paws…um, hands, and pointed a long thick finger at Dane. “You’re barred.”

“Oh, come on! I was just yanking your chain,” Dane said, still looking highly amused with himself.

Bull flipped him the bird and walked out. We both watched him head to the bar across the street and go inside.

I looked back at Dane and his brows lifted before he tilted his head to the bar Bull had just walked into. “So that drink?”

“I think you just got barred.”

He waved a hand. “Leave my surly cousin to me. He loves me really, plus we’re roomies. He can’t escape me.” Dane winked. “I can be really annoying when I don’t get what I want.”

I laughed and shook my head. “I think you’d be better off asking out girls your own age.”

He barked a laugh. “How old do you think I am?”

I moved to join him at the counter, giving him a once-over. “Late teens, early twenties? Past puberty anyway.”

“I’m twenty-two. But thanks. Every man loves to be told he’s just past wet dreams and breakouts.”

I leaned against the counter, and this close, I could see it. With his dark, thick lashes and full lips, he was almost beautiful, but the strong jaw and nose, the dusting of scruff on his chin gave him the same kind of brutal masculinity that Cal had.

“I’m still too old for you. Besides, I’m sure with those big brown eyes of yours you can woo any girl you want,” I said, enjoying teasing him.

He chuckled. “Woo?”

“Wooing works. You should try it.”

“What if I wooed you? Would it work?” he said.

My grin got wider, and I opened my mouth to carry on teasing, because for the first time in a long time I was having fun.

“No,” a deep voice said from across the room. “It won’t fucking work.”

We both turned. Cal was standing at the curtained door, frowning at his brother, then his eyes slid to me and my belly flipped.

My face heated, again thinking about the last time I was there. I didn’t know what to do under that intense stare, so I waved, like a goof. “Hey.”

His lips twitched. An almost smile? I nearly swooned right there and then.

“Ahhh,” Dane said. “Now I know why you’re unaffected by my charm and good looks.”

I turned back to Dane. “Pardon?”

“Cal.” He tilted his head to his brother. “He has you under his manly spell. Why am I so damn pretty?” he said to the ceiling, then shouted again, “Why?”