Hooked (Viking Bastards MC #1)(32)
It’s still too personal. I don’t do this kind of shit. But before I can figure out why the hell I keep breaking all my rules when it comes to Grace, she’s on the sidewalk next to me.
“Hi.” She puts her hand on my arm, and her smile reminds me of all the reasons why my rules go to hell around her. “You can use the underground parking lot. We have a spare space.”
Once I’ve parked, and the guy on guard duty has given me a filthy look that anywhere else would cost him the use of his legs, we take an elevator to her floor. The hallway is wider than my living room, with a large window at one end and works of art on the walls. And we aren’t even in her apartment yet.
Her front door swings open, and a blond chick’s standing there, one hand on her hip, watching us make our way toward her.
“Charity, this is Zach. Zach, my sister, Charity.”
It’s obvious by the way her gaze rakes over me that her sister doesn’t approve, and while I don’t give a f*ck what she thinks about me, I don’t want Grace getting all flustered over nothing.
“Hey.” It’s a reasonable greeting given the chilly reception, and usually I’d leave it at that. But somehow, this time, I don’t. “How you doing?” I even manage to give her what I hope’s a non-threatening smile.
“Hi.” Inexplicably Charity gives me a far warmer smile than I expected. “It’s great to finally meet you.”
“Charity.” My girl’s voice is strained, although I don’t know why, since her sister seems okay after all, and my tense muscles relax. Shit, maybe I was more wired about meeting her sister than I realized.
“Same.” Feels kinda weird saying that, but I’ve never been in this situation before. Obviously Charity is off-limits, so I guess the only way to handle it is to treat her the way I do Ty’s kid sister Savannah.
I follow them into the apartment. It’s all open plan, and with furniture that looks like it came off a movie set.
“Do you want to put your things in the bedroom?” Grace glances at my empty hands, and a strange expression flickers over her face.
“Sure.”
“Oh. Right.” She sounds surprised, which doesn’t make any sense, and takes my hand and leads me into a hallway with three doors. “That’s the bathroom.” She nods to the middle door. “And this is my room.”
She opens the door, and although her bedroom isn’t much bigger than mine, it’s the most girly room I’ve ever seen, with a dozen cushions piled up on the queen-size bed, white furniture, and long, lacy drapes at the glass doors, which I assume lead onto a balcony.
“So, you are still staying the night?”
I drag my attention back to her. “Yeah. Why? Changed your mind?” I tug her closer and loop my arms around her waist. All I want to do right now is pull her down onto that bed, but I’m guessing she has other plans.
“No. But you haven’t got an overnight bag or anything, so I wondered…” Her voice trails away.
“I’ve got condoms and a toothbrush. What more do I need?” I grin at the look on her face. “I travel light, princess.”
“I’m impressed.” She goes onto her toes and gives me a soft kiss. If she does that again there’s no way we’re leaving this room until I’ve had her. “I thought we could go to a local bar for an hour or so. Is that okay with you?”
“You think they’d let me through the door?” I doubt I’m the type they’re used to around here, and I’m not taking off my cut just to fit in.
“Of course they will.” She strokes my leather, as though she guessed my thoughts. “I never thought you were the insecure type.”
I tighten my grip around her waist and pull her hard against my body. “Do you know what I’d do if anyone else said that to me?”
She tilts her head and pouts her lips. She’s pushing all my buttons tonight and she knows it. Any more of her sass and I’ll throw her on the bed and screw her until she forgets how to talk at all. “Cut out their tongue?”
She doesn’t know how close to the truth that is. “Something like that.”
“No, you wouldn’t.” She sounds so sure of herself that I laugh.
“Keep telling yourself that.” It’s a novelty having a girl think I’m not a total badass, and I’m not sure why I like it. Not that it’s something I’d ever admit. My life as I know it would be shot to hell.
“I don’t need to.” She winds her arms around my neck. “I know you’re tough, but you’re not a jerk.”
“You sure about that?” I grin down at her. There are plenty of chicks in my past who’d disagree with her on that point, but I don’t care about any of them.
“Yes. I was engaged to one for two years, remember?”
It’s the first time she’s mentioned her ex in weeks, and it manages to kill the moment. “You see much of him at work?”
“Not really. We’re in different departments.”
I know it’s over between them, and she’d never go back to him, but it burns that they’re still working together.
Is she dating other guys? It hits me from nowhere. When we first hooked up it didn’t matter, and then I never thought about it, but now the image of her with other men is clawing through my brain like rusty spikes.