Blood & Bones: Deacon (Blood Fury MC 4)

Easy snorted just like Sig had.

Was she that transparent? “Do you know where he is?”

“Fuck no. Check The Barn. But if you can’t find him, I’m available.” He hooked a thumb over his bare shoulder. “My room’s down there on your right. Door will be unlocked.” He jerked his chin at her. “Easy. Don’t forget.”

It wouldn’t be easy to forget his name again.

Reese mentally groaned.

Yes, this was the Twilight Zone. She was now sure of it.

“Which door leads to The Barn?”

“The one at the end of the corridor. Behind me.”

She nodded and walked around him, giving him a wide berth.

“Hey, Reese!” Easy called out, halting her forward progress. “It’s okay if you wanna check out my ass.”

Without turning around, she lamely lifted a hand and let it drop in a silent acknowledgement, but kept her eyes focused on the closed door ahead.

If Deacon wasn’t in The Barn, she would continue walking right out the front door and take the long way around back to his apartment. It was a mistake to come down here and search for him.

Any discussions she needed to have with him could wait until morning.

Yes, this was a mistake. She should just go back upstairs and watch TV until she fell asleep.

As she hit the end of the corridor and was ready to head into The Barn, a woosh came from her left and a hand came out of the dark, grabbing her and yanking her through a swinging door.

A squeak escaped her, and her heart jumped up her throat. She swung her fist to strike whoever it was, and it was caught in a bigger hand than hers. Now both her hands were restrained, and she couldn’t see shit in whatever room she’d been pulled into.

“Let me go!” She jerked up her knee but missed her target.

“Yo! Need my fuckin’ junk in one piece, woman.”

Her breath rushed out of her and every muscle loosened as she recognized the voice. And then his scent.

Pot. Whiskey. Sandalwood. Deacon.

“Gonna let you go. Don’t maim me.”

“Is this your room?”

Suddenly, a bright overhead light turned on and blinded her. This was not a bedroom, but a large, commercial-looking kitchen. A chef’s wonderland of stainless steel between the large appliances, the expansive counter space and variety of cooking implements. Everything looked restaurant quality. And not a dumpy diner type of restaurant, either. More like a four-star establishment.

It was unexpected. Just like the interior of The Barn. These men were not slumming it.

“Wow,” she whispered, looking around. “Do you have a chef among you?”

“Nope. Though, that’d be a good fuckin’ idea. With Trip rebuildin’ this club from scratch, he decided to do it right from the start. But we’re all responsible to make our own shit. Plus, the sweet butts use it to make food for our pig roasts and parties.”

“They can cook, too?”

“Some. Not all. But this discussion ain’t why you’re here, Reese. So, why you here?”

Her wide eyes landed back on him. He wasn’t naked like Easy, but he was pretty damn close. He only wore a pair of snug boxer briefs. She licked her lips and lifted her gaze slowly from his thick thighs, over what she knew was tucked in those navy briefs and up his tattooed and pierced torso. When she reached his face, he had one eyebrow cocked which was barely noticeable under the dark blond waterfall of his long, loose hair.

She expected to see amusement in his expression, but it wasn’t there. His lips were nothing but a thin, angry slash.

Had she interrupted something? He could be grabbing a late-night snack for whoever was spending time with him in his room.

“Why you here?” he grumbled again.

“I...” Good God, even angry, his voice caused a flutter in places it shouldn’t. “I don’t know.”

“Yeah, you do. You walked the fuck away from me without a goddamn word. Left me standin’ there cold, with just my dick in my hand. Bolted like a damn deer hearin’ a gunshot durin’ huntin’ season. Didn’t think you were afraid of anything ‘til I saw it in your eyes.”

“What did you see?” She knew what it was. Had it been that obvious?

“Somethin’ spooked you.” He pulled his chin back and stared down at her. “Was it ‘cause you were jealous?”

Had she been jealous? No. Impossible. “It just hit me while standing there that I don’t belong here.”

He crossed his arms over his bare chest, causing the muscles to bunch. His eyes glittered like brown diamonds. And not in a good way. “Then, good thing it’s only fuckin’ temporary. You don’t gotta like what goes on here. You don’t gotta fuckin’ fit in.” One side of his lip pulled up in a sneer. “Sorry this is all fuckin’ beneath you. Thought you lost your stick. Musta found it again. Hopefully you used lube to shove it back in place.” A muscle popped in his cheek. He dropped his arms and headed toward the exit behind him. “Go to bed, Reese.”