Blood & Bones: Whip (Blood Fury MC 11)

“Never dated anyone like that?”

She lifted one shoulder. “Sure. But as you see, I’m single and sitting on this stool right now in an MC’s clubhouse, so that should tell you how those dates ended.” Unlike the time she’d spent with Whip so far. Besides him going to work on Friday and the time between when he left her room earlier this morning until dinner, they’d spent a lot of time together.

So far, every minute had been worthwhile.

Traveling alone, even though it was her choice, sometimes got lonely. So, she appreciated his companionship and conversation.

And of course, the sex.

After the last few days, though, she was starting to worry that she was falling for him.

But that couldn’t be right. They were so wrong for each other, weren’t they?

He was younger, living his life the way he wanted to live it and right now, she was living as a nomad, doing what she wanted when she wanted it.

“Weren’t into any of them.” Instead of a question, he made it a statement.

“I don’t like fake. I don’t like slick. I don’t like people who don’t say what they mean. I also don’t like liars.” She had been surrounded by people like that for years.

“You like people who speak their mind.”

“Yes, as long as it’s appropriate, of course. I mean, I don’t want to hear people screaming racial or ethnic slurs. I don’t want someone to insult others because they’re being an asshole.”

He grinned, lifted his pint glass and also his chin.

She understood the gesture, raised her drink and tapped her glass with his.

“Agree with you on the slurs, but as for the rest… just a warnin’ there ain’t a lotta ‘appropriate’ around here. And there are plenty of assholes.”

She finally took a sip of her drink and did her best not to cough as the drink hit the back of her throat. He’d made it strong. Luckily, she wasn’t driving. “We all have a little bit of asshole in us. We wouldn’t survive if we didn’t.”

His grin widened and he stared at her for a few heartbeats with his bottom lip caught in this teeth. He might not have meant that gesture to be a thirst trap, but, to her, it damn well was and made her heartbeat quicken. She wanted to grab his face and plant a kiss on those skilled lips.

She wondered if she had the sweet butt Billie to thank for that skill. She looked like she had no problem teaching someone a lesson.

“You ready to go?”

“Now?” She didn’t even have to look around to know the ‘party’ was only getting started. Behind her, she could hear the conversation, the laughter, the good-natured joking, the clack of the pool balls and, of course, the rock music playing from hidden speakers throughout their clubhouse. Loud enough to hear it, but not loud enough to drown out the socializing. “Things are only getting into full swing. And we haven’t finished our drinks yet.”

“No reason to rush out of here, Junior,” Ozzy said, stepping behind the bar and whacking Whip on the back.

She was tempted to tell the motel manager to stop calling Whip Junior, but it seemed that they all busted on each other similar to siblings. Or best friends. If it bothered Whip, he was quite capable of telling the older biker himself.

Fallon wasn’t Whip’s sister, girlfriend or wife. She needed to stay out of it. If she said anything, Ozzy might bust on Whip even more and, in turn, that might cause some tension between the two. She didn’t want to be the cause of that.

Even so, it was difficult to keep her mouth shut. She could make her feelings known in a roundabout way, instead. “I’ve been wanting to thank you for the bowl of condoms,” she told Ozzy instead. “They’ve come in handy. We might need you to refill it soon. You know, since it’s clear you like being generous.”

While Ozzy filled his glass under the beer tap, he glanced up at her. “You’ve been teachin’ him a thing or two?”

“Well, actually, he’s been teaching me a thing or two.”

Ozzy stopped filling his glass and cocked an eyebrow at her. “Yeah?”

“I’m always up for learning something new. Nothing wrong with expanding my horizons. That’s what this whole cross-country trip is about.”

Ozzy shot a quick glance at Whip before turning back to Fallon.

She shot him a smile.

That earned her a stare before deep laughter burst from him. “Damn, Junior, she fits right in.” He finished filling his glass and pounded him on the back again. “Maybe she should stick around a little longer.”

Fallon answered before Whip could since she wasn’t done with the salt-and-pepper bearded man. “I’m not going anywhere until Whip repairs Agnes.”

“Women around here don’t ride their own sleds.”

“Well then, it’s a good thing I’m only passing through.”