Into the Storm (Signal Bend #3)(18)

Bart, the youngest patch and the club hacker, was grinning like a moron. He’d been excited about this movie thing from day one. Across the table, though, was C.J., the oldest patch. He’d been the only one to vote against signing a deal, and he was glowering at Isaac now. He could be a problem. Show turned to Isaac.

Meeting his eyes, Isaac nodded and then turned to C.J. “You have a problem, Ceej?”

“You know I do, Prez. You know what I think.”

“Fair enough. We have a problem?”

“Nope. Bullshit of you to ask. You know I ain’t gonna hurt the club. Or the town. Vote didn’t go my way. I’ll toe the line.”

“Sorry, brother. Thanks.” Isaac leaned back in his seat at the head of the table. “Okay, last piece of business. Badger’s been prospecting a little more’n a year. Been a good addition, I’d say. Loyal. Tenacious.

He took a bullet for us and came right back. I know he’s young, but he’s old enough. I’d like to put him to a vote. Thoughts?”

Victor, who’d narrowly avoided a vote to take his patch last year, spoke up now. “We’re thin, thinner than we’ve been for a long while. He’s a good kid. Quiet, but tough. I think he’s ready.”

C.J. nodded. “I thought he was a * when he came in, but he ain’t. Don’t seem like he’s ever gonna be at the front of the line, but he don’t back down. I want to hear from his sponsor, though.”

Isaac turned to his Sergeant at Arms. “Len? Your boy ready?”

Len nodded, his face serious. “He’s ready. He’s not soft. Stronger than he looks. Like an ant. Damn, that would’ve been a great name. Could’ve tormented him with that forever.”

At that, Show added his voice. “Badger’s not bad enough?” The kid’s given name was Justin. Len had started calling him Badger because acne had made his face look striped. That acne was clearing up, though.

“What? Badgers are fierce!” The table laughed.

Isaac called the vote. Unanimous. Justin “Badger” Ness would sit in the eighth chair at the Horde’s table.

CHAPTER SIX



Shannon smiled as Keith came up onto the porch, carrying his overnight suitcase. He was really handsome, in the salon-styled, thousand-dollar-suit way. The way she’d preferred her men, so it was odd to think of his looks with that kind of qualifier. It was also odd to think of her preference for men like him in the past tense. But she shoved all that aside and just appreciated the picture coming to her.

He was fit and tall—Shannon herself was tall, five-ten, and wouldn’t date men shorter than she was; it made her feel ungainly—with a golfer’s tan and a thick, perfectly styled sweep of dark blond hair. He was wearing a pair of khakis and a crisp white shirt, open at the throat. He looked good. Out of place, but good.

“Hey, beautiful.” He grinned, his brown eyes crinkly and his teeth perfectly straight and white, and took her into his arms.

“Hi. Missed you.” She turned her face up as he bent down to kiss her. He was a great kisser. Just the right amount of tongue, his lips soft, his face smooth.

Pulling away a little, he murmured, “I’m glad you called.”

So was Shannon. She took Keith’s hand and led him back to her apartment. Might as well start the weekend off with a bang.

He pulled up short when she led him through the door into her sitting room. “This is it? You’re on call almost around the clock, and this is the extent of your residence? Shan! I hope you’re getting paid very well.”

Shannon liked this little space. It was quiet and peaceful. She felt defensive, but she let it slide. Keith was a good guy. A really good guy. She didn’t love him, but she liked him a lot. In fact, there had been a time when she’d felt vexed by her inability to want more with him, and so had he. He was the complete package—good-looking, a successful attorney, a good person, with a decent sense of humor, who treated her well and wanted to commit. But there hadn’t been the spark she felt she needed before she’d take that step.

He was also the only person outside of family who knew the story of her past, and he hadn’t judged her at all. He’d helped her, in fact. And when she needed to leave Tulsa because of it, he’d understood. This man was a catch. And she’d thrown him back.

She needed to stop all this mental account-taking and enjoy the damn weekend. Sliding her arms around his trim waist, she said, “It’s good, Keith. I like it here. I like this little apartment a lot. And I’m being paid what I’m worth. I’m not on call this weekend, by the way. I’m all yours. They know not to call me, under penalty of death.” She’d hired a part-time desk manager to cover her days off. For the most part, she didn’t mind being on call around the clock, but every now and then she needed a weekend like this.

“All mine, huh? I wonder what I’ll do with you, then?”

“Bedroom’s that way.”

He took her hand and pulled her in the direction she’d indicated. In her room, he kissed her again, and then stepped back and began to undress. Keith took care of his clothes and wanted to make sure they didn’t end up wadded on the floor. So they undressed themselves. Shannon got into bed while he was draping his shirt over the back of her armchair.

He really had a nice body. Good definition, nice shoulders. He wasn’t massive, but he was strong and decently cut. Except for a closely trimmed area around his cock, he was hairless, too. He waxed—arms, legs, back, chest. One thing she had never liked was the stubbly, sandpaper feel of his skin right before a waxing appointment. Like being hugged by a giant piece of Velcro. She hoped he’d been recently.