“It’s called a cold shoulder top.”
It was white and flowy with large cutouts that left her shoulders uncovered. Zach liked it. Most women they would encounter throughout the night flaunted significantly more skin. Left very little to the imagination. The thing Toni wore dipped low in the front and back, showing some skin, but it didn’t cling to her body. It left a man dying to get a peek at what lay beneath the fabric.
Shit, there wouldn’t be a soft cock in the house once his brothers got a look at her in that shirt and the tight black jeans with heeled black boots. Funny thing was, she probably wore the blouse thinking it wouldn’t be overtly sexy.
She was dead wrong.
“And are your shoulders cold?” he asked, stroking the soft skin one last time.
“No,” she whispered. “Nothing is cold right now.” She held herself stiff, but her eyes showed the internal struggle. The strong desire to let herself take what Zach offered fighting against whatever demons held her back.
Suddenly, Zach had the intense need to know what those demons were. To not just get past her defenses, but to learn why they were in place. What had happened to make her hold back sexually? Why did she settle for a relationship with a man who didn’t spend all his time rocking her world? And why did she fight so damn hard against a man who was more than capable of making her every fantasy come to life?
Never before had he given a shit what made a woman tick. It didn’t matter when sex was all he wanted from them. But he and Toni had struck up some kind of friendship along with the attraction and that had him wanting to discover all her secrets. It was unnerving, but he supposed he could deal with it, being friends with someone he fucked. But it couldn’t go any further than that. He didn’t need or want the distraction and responsibility of a committed relationship.
“If it isn’t my favorite diner lady and some asshole.” Maverick’s voice cut through the spell that seemed to have woven itself around Zach and Toni.
She jumped and stepped back, making Zach’s hand fall to his side. “Fuck off.” He slapped Mav on the back in greeting.
“Hey, beautiful.” Mav made like he was going to kiss Toni, and this time Zach was ready for him. He grabbed the collar of his friend’s cut and yanked him back. Mav’s mouth on Toni was something that was never going to happen again.
“Lips to yourself, dickwad.”
Both Maverick and Toni laughed while Mav held his hands up in surrender. “I was just gonna peck her cheek, man. I know when I’m beat.”
The girl standing next to Mav frowned and stared at the ground. Poor thing probably thought she was working toward something with him. Little did she know she was just another set of tits in a long, long line.
Toni cleared her throat. “Hi, I’m Toni.” She held a hand out to Mav’s date and shot a shitty look at Mav. Zach swallowed his laughter. He definitely needed to bring her around more often. She’d knock Mav off his pedestal and it would be wonderful to witness.
“Missy,” Mav’s date said.
“Sorry, doll,” Mav broke in, circling his arm around her waist. “That’s Toni and this is Zach. My best friend and enforcer for the club. And he’s an asshole.”
The flare of Toni’s eyes at the word enforcer wasn’t lost on Zach. He’d failed to mention that tidbit. Hopefully it wouldn’t scare her off. He wasn’t violent by nature and would die before laying his hands on a woman in anger, but that didn’t matter to some. Just the thought of being with a man who beat others for a living turned some women off. Turned some others way the fuck on, but Toni probably wasn’t one of those women.
“Well, are you gentlemen gonna take us in and show us a good time or what?” Toni asked. She linked her arm with Zach’s and started to tug him toward the door. It was the first time she’d initiated any contact, and while Zach knew it was more for Missy’s benefit than some overwhelming desire to get her hands on him, he’d take it.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said, pulling her close and dropping a kiss on her shoulder.
She shot him an evil glare. “Behave.”
He laughed and held the door for her. “Ladies first.” Joking around and teasing a woman was a new experience for him. And one he found himself trying to replicate often. Making Toni laugh was quickly becoming a highlight of his day.
After letting both woman pass, Zach slipped through the door, cutting off Maverick.
“Asshole,” Mav muttered wrapping an arm around Zach’s neck in a chokehold. “Now that I know you’re such a jealous beast, I may just put my lips on your woman every chance I get. It’s fun to watch you lose your shit.”