Still Standing (Wild West MC 1)

“Darlin’—”

I started to sum up.

“So, Tia is smoke, your word, but when it’s used to refer to my best friend in the entire world, it’s not a fun word to hear. No one knows where she is, but as hard as I try to visualize her enjoying copious lattes, I’m guessing she isn’t in Seattle serving coffee drinks. Instead, she’s holed up somewhere, scared out of her brain, not only for herself, but wondering what became of me. I’m meeting your kids looking like Rocky Balboa’s sparring partner. And I’ve got three Professor Higginses who are dedicated to the cause of turning me into the Premier Biker Princess, good enough for the president of the Aces High MC.”

“Toots—”

I leaned in and cut him off yet again.

“So, to end, I have things on my mind, Buck. Weighty things. Important things. So, if my voice is flat and my mind is elsewhere, you are just going to have to deal.”

“Clara—”

Apparently, that wasn’t the end.

Because I kept going.

“And I won’t take it out on your kids. Even though we’ve had sex, a lot of it, we had it all in one night. This does not mean I know you and you know me. But I’ll educate you about me. I’m not the kind of person to take my mood out on kids. You, you’re an adult. I would hope you’d eventually be able to wrap your mind around all the stuff drifting through mine and get it. Kids won’t be able to do that. So, I’ll walk into your house and I’ll do what I can to make your kids like me. In other words, you don’t have to worry.”

“Baby, shut…up.”

I shut up.

Buck studied my face.

Then his lips twitched.

Then he asked, “A librarian with a shoe fetish?”

Argh!

I turned to stare out the windshield and crossed my arms on my chest.

“Babe,” Buck called, and I ignored him. “Toots,” he called again, and I ignored him. “Clara,” he called yet again, and I spoke to the windshield.

“I’m hungry and I want to get this over with. Are we going to stay on the shoulder all night? Because, if so, I have thirty-eight dollars in my purse and I’m walking to the nearest fast food place on the nearest off ramp and getting myself dinner.”

Suddenly, my seatbelt was released. It zipped back, and I jumped, uncrossing my arms to avoid seatbelt injury. Just as suddenly, I was pulled across the cab and found my torso pressed to Buck’s, both his arms were wound around me, and his face was in mine.

“The nearest turnoff is three miles away. You couldn’t make it in those shoes,” he informed me.

“She’s hungry enough, a woman can do a lot in her quest for food,” I replied.

He grinned.

It was close up and his grins close up were the best.

My heart skipped just as I felt pain slice through my belly, and I realized the despair was back. It had disappeared while my life shifted, but it was back.

I was going to have to learn to live with it again.

“I’ll get you home, you’ll meet my kids and I’ll feed you as soon as you kiss me.”

My heart skipped again.

“I’m not in the mood to kiss you,” I stated firmly, because I definitely wasn’t.

“Then we’ll sit just like this as long as it takes for you to get in the mood.”

I glared into his eyes.

Eyes, incidentally, whose laugh lines had deepened.

“I’m learning something about you,” I told him.

“Yeah? What’s that?”

“You’re annoying.”

His arms spasmed around me as he laughed.

I did not laugh.

I kept glaring.

His laughter died to a chuckle and then he said, “Somethin’ else you should know about me, Toots.”

“And that is?”

“I’m stubborn.”

Oh, for goodness sake.

I lifted up and touched my mouth to his then pulled back.

“There, happy?”

His brows went up. “Are you shitting me?”

I tried to push my hands between our bodies, but failed, gave up and answered, “No.”

“Babe, kiss me.”

“I did, and we need to get a move on. I don’t think it’s illegal to hang out on the side of the road embracing, but it is likely something the Arizona Highway Patrol frowns on.”

“Don’t give a shit.”

“Buck—”

“Kiss me.”

“No, I’m—”

“Babe, kiss me.”

“No! I think—”

His arms squeezed. “Clara, stop fuckin’ around.”

“Oh, all right,” I snapped, lifted again, tilted my head to the side and put my lips to his.

I knew that wouldn’t be enough, so I touched the tip of my tongue to his lips, those lips opened, and I slid my tongue inside.

God, I hated that I loved the way he tasted.

And I loved it.

Enough for my body to melt against his, my hands, which were on his shoulders, slid around to his back, and I pressed in, drinking my fill.

He forced my tongue out of his mouth, his tongue invaded mine, his arms tightened, and he took over the kiss.