Reaper's Stand (Reapers Motorcycle Club Book 4)(46)

“Let’s put together a schedule,” I suggested, studying the expiration date on a container of yogurt as if my life depended on it. “So I won’t run into you here at the house.”

“Scared?” he asked, and his voice was right behind me. He reached around and shut the fridge, resting one hand on either side of my body, trapping me. Every instinct I had said I should create a diversion and run like hell, but I turned to face him instead.

I didn’t want to let him think he was right, no matter how hard that might be.

Professional. You are a professional and you don’t play games.

I offered a bland smile and focused on a cabinet handle across the room, exactly two inches above his broad right shoulder.

Perfect.

“I just don’t want to get in your way,” I said evenly. “I know things are awkward between us after the other night. But I want you to know how much I appreciate your support. It was a bad weekend for me. I’m fine now.”

He cocked his head and his lip curled in a sneer.

“Deputy Dick kiss it all better?”

“My personal relationships have nothing to do with my work here.”

“No, I guess they’re only relevant when you crawl all over me, rub your tits on my chest, and then kick me out the door after I take care of your drunk ass all night. You started it, sweetheart. I was just following through.”

I closed my eyes, praying I wasn’t flushing bright red.

“Let’s forget that happened, okay? I was emotional and had too much wine. I almost made a horrible mistake, and I’m sorry if I used you. But that doesn’t mean sleeping together would’ve been a good idea.”

“Sounds like a damned fine idea to me,” he whispered, leaning down and sniffing my neck. “I’d make it good for you.”

I caught a whiff of perfume on him.

“Miss Miata is still in the bedroom,” I said tightly. “Better back off or she’ll see you. Then you’ll be in trouble.”

He laughed without pulling back.

“Miss Miata?” he asked. “Now that’s a new name for her. At the clubhouse, we call her—”

“If you say something nasty, I’m going to kick you,” I snapped. “Is it really worth it?”

“Define ‘nasty.’”

“Anything less than complimentary about the woman you just had sex with,” I told him. “Because it sounded like you were going to insult her. Just remember, anything she did, you participated in. You’re equally guilty.”

He gave a low laugh.

“At the clubhouse we call her Sharon,” he said softly. “Which I’ve never considered an insult, especially given that she’s named after her grandmother. But you feel free to interpret it any way you like.”

I closed my eyes and counted to five.

“Just go away.”

“Pic, you know where my shoes are?” Sharon said. She walked into the kitchen and I expected him to pull away, to turn to her with an explanation. He stayed put.

“Think they’re in the living room, babe,” he said, reaching up to run his fingers through my hair, tugging my head just enough to force me to meet his eyes.

“Thanks,” Sharon said, passing by us to hunt for her footwear.

“Isn’t she pissed off that you’re talking to me instead of her?”

“Apparently not,” he said, shrugging. “Think she already got what she wanted.”

“Let me guess, this is where you tell me how many times you made her come?”

He smirked.

“No, although if you want details, I guess I could give you some,” he said. “I like how you think. Dirty. But what she wanted was cash. She’s a nice girl and she’s in a bit of trouble. I’m helping her out, so she decided to help me out.”

That took me off guard.

“Is she a . . . prostitute?”

He shook his head. “She’s a person. Try not to be so judgmental—it’s not nice to objectify women like that, London. Don’t you know better?”

His tone mocked me, and I snorted.

“Let me go.”

“Give me a kiss.”

“We already covered this,” I said, feeling my chest tighten because I wanted him to touch me. How did he do that? Here he was trying to kiss me right after having sex with another woman, and for some reason I hadn’t kicked him in the balls yet. What was up with that? Probably the vodka, I decided. Definitely the vodka. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”