Hooked (Viking Bastards MC #1)(7)

“Or something.” He gives another of those smiles, and I have a hard time not melting all over the floor.

I take a deep breath. Sex has never interfered with my brain function before, but I’m sure making up for it now. “I can’t wait until the morning. I need my car fixed tonight.”

Or at least taken somewhere reputable to be fixed and then delivered to my sister’s. I can’t see this guy wanting to do a special delivery, and in any case the concierge would throw a fit if he turned up at the apartment block.

“No, you don’t.” He sounds so sure of himself. It should irritate me, but for some reason it doesn’t.

“I still need to call a cab.” I can figure out what to do with my car when I’m away from here. When my sexed up brain has had a chance to cool off.

“Forget the cab.” He moves toward me like a panther stalking its prey. I grip my purse like a shield between us, but I can’t tear my mesmerized gaze from him. “You’re staying with me tonight.”

…

Zach

She stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. The words were out before I could stop them, but I don’t regret them. I want this chick in my bed tonight, and the fact she wasn’t feeding me a line with the whole car and phone bullshit just makes me want her more.

“I—that is…”

Her confusion is kind of cute. I grab her wrist and tug her toward me. She doesn’t resist. “You got a problem with that?”

She doesn’t answer right away. I rarely invite women back to my place, and the few I have are only too eager to agree. The fact that she’s not tripping over her six-inch heels to spend the night with me kind of burns.

“Well…” She hesitates and her gaze roves over my face. “I guess not.”

Satisfaction and renewed lust roll through me. “Let’s go.”

She pulls back. “I need to use the bathroom. I mean, I need to fix my hair.”

“Your hair looks great.” Her hair is f*cking amazing. I’m getting hard just thinking about wrapping those red curls around my fist again. Except next time we’ll be face-to-face.

She slings her purse over her shoulder and ducks down for her umbrella. Then she glances at the door and bites her lip. Is she worried about walking back through the bar? A weird kind of protectiveness grips my chest, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders and pin her against my side. No one out there will as much as look at her wrong when they know she’s still with me, but there’s no way she’d know that.

She’s holding her umbrella as though it’s a machete. Is she really that nervous? How did she manage to walk in the bar in the first place? I can’t figure out why I’m suddenly so obsessed by her attitude, which is so different than what I assumed when I first saw her.

I shove the weird thoughts aside. “What’s your name, princess?”

At least that makes her smile, although I have no idea why. “I’m Grace.”

“Nice to meet you, Grace.” I grin at the craziness of my comment, and her smile widens, lighting up her whole face. Damn, she’s beautiful. “You can call me Zach.”

“That’s good of you. What does everyone else call you?”

“You don’t want to know.”

“Okay.” She doesn’t push it, which surprises me. Chicks usually hate it when I give them that line. Then again, I don’t normally exchange names with one-night stands. “Well, it’s been an education meeting you, Zach.”

“Is that right?” I move toward the door, and although she doesn’t pull back, her fingers tighten around her makeshift weapon. “Educational in what way?”

I smirk, because I know exactly what she’s going to say. I’ve been an education in dirty back-room sex.

She halts and turns to face me. I loop my other arm around her. Hell, there’s no rush, except for the fact I can’t wait to get her back home and f*ck her senseless.

And then she answers me. “In not judging a book by its cover.”





Chapter Four


Zach


Now, that I didn’t expect. In fact, I have no idea how to respond, since I’m not even sure what she means. Is it an insult? The way she’s still smiling up at me makes me discard that idea.

“That’s where you’re wrong.” I pull her close, and she winds her arms around me, which makes me almost forget what I was about to say. “What you see is what you get with me.”

“Hmm,” she says as though she doesn’t believe a word. “Big, bad, tough guy on the outside. That’s okay, your secret’s safe with me.”

I snort with laughter. “No secret, Grace.” I like saying her name. “That’s me, inside and out.”

“If you say so.”

“When I get you home, I’ll prove it to you.”

“Do you live far from here?”

With my arm still wrapped around her, I once again make for the door. “Nah. Just a couple of blocks. Won’t take long.”

“Can we pick my luggage up first?”

I pause, hand on doorknob. “Luggage?”

“Yes. From my car. You know, toothbrush and…stuff.” Her cheeks are pink and she gives a little shrug. “If I’m staying the night I need my things.”