When she opened her eyes, she saw Ugly Beast was already devouring one, and Raven reached for another.
The chicken was good. By the time they finished one pile, Ugly Beast went to grab another.
He also brought fries with the second order, and they were covered in melted cheese. It all looked so delicious. Ugly Beast even got her a beer as well. He promised to monitor her beer, but she didn’t mind. Just sitting around, enjoying food and listening to the banter between Raven and Ugly Beast was fun.
She knew he cared about her new friend a lot. When others from the Hell’s Bastards joined, she saw they were a real family, a unit, a team. Even though Raven was loud and boisterous, the guys adored her. Whenever someone tried to get close, they would gather around her, keeping the guys at bay. She noticed it, and it made her appreciate the club so much more.
Once all the food was gone, Ugly Beast bought her back another beer. She had taken a few sips when he held his hand out. “Let’s dance.”
There was a loud cheer from the club, and her cheeks heated.
The song was fast-paced, and she had no idea what she was doing. Ugly Beast didn’t seem to care, and she followed him, trying to copy her moves.
By the time the song ended and turned to a slow number, she was relieved. Only they didn’t leave the dance floor. Ugly Beast grabbed her hand and pulled her in close. Their bodies melded together.
Abriana didn’t like how good it felt to be in his arms. Even though this man was her husband, she still felt a real threat from him. He would kill her if it ever came down between her and the club. She knew that, and even as it terrified her, she couldn’t mistake the longing she felt for him to look at her the way some of the men stared at the women.
It wasn’t even love.
It was desire.
They wanted each other, and she wasn’t a fool to believe Ugly Beast didn’t feel desire. She knew he did. She had felt the power of him thrusting inside her, and she wanted it again.
“The wings were pretty good, right?”
She smiled against his chest. “Yes.”
“And the weather we’ve been having.”
“It’s been all right.”
“Do you like Christmas?”
She lifted her head up and looked at him. “Are you trying to find things out about me?”
“Yeah, I’m not exactly being subtle about it.”
“What do you want to know?” No one had ever paid her any attention growing up. They didn’t care what she liked or disliked.
“Everything.”
“That’s a pretty long list.”
“Tell me. I don’t mind.”
She glanced toward the table. Raven was no longer there, but looking past Ugly Beast’s shoulder, Abriana saw she was in the arms of another man.
“I like Christmas. Who doesn’t? I love decorating the tree. I also love Halloween. It can be a lot of fun.”
“Partying is fun around those times. The club is always filled to bursting.”
She started to notice as he stroked the base of her back. It was just a light caress at first, but it gradually started to build. She liked his touch. Her body grew warm, and she wanted nothing more than for him to keep on going. This was the first time she’d really felt like this, especially in a room full of people.
“Would I be able to go to one of these parties?” she asked.
“It’s about time you asked. Yes, your ass is going to be there.”
Abriana couldn’t allow herself to be too happy. Her father would one day be calling. “What do I do about my dad?”
“We’ll deal with him.”
“Killing a Capo will get you all killed, Ugly Beast.”
He smirked. “How about I worry about the killing? We’ve got this handled.”
“But—”
“Tonight is about you and only you. Stop thinking about your dad and about all the bullshit. Just enjoy. It’s what we’re doing.” His hand moved down to her ass, gripping the flesh. He pulled her against him, and she felt the undeniable press of his arousal against her stomach.
“What are you doing?”
“Easy. I’m preparing you for what I want.”
She licked her dry lips. “What do you want?”
“Oh, Abriana, you really don’t know me at all.”
“But I want to.”
“What?”
“I want to get to know you.” It suddenly struck her hard how much she really wanted to know him, and it wasn’t just so he wouldn’t kill her either. She really did want to know who he was and what made him tick.
“I think you’ve had enough dancing with the woman. Give me a turn.” Smokey intervened, taking her away from Ugly Beast.
She couldn’t argue. It wasn’t right for her to say no. Putting her hand on Smokey’s shoulders, she watched Ugly Beast as he walked back to the table.
“Don’t worry about him. He knows I won’t hurt you.”