Broken Ride (Men of Valor MC)

“What are you doing here, Sky?” I asked her. I grabbed her by the hand and marched her quickly across the room.

“Wait, Dex. It looks like fun in here,” she said as she scanned the place. I opened the rear door and pulled her into the more significantly quiet hallway. “I just brought you some dinner because I felt bad you didn’t come in and Claire made lasagna and she knocks it out of the park with Italian most times. You seemed sad when you left and—”

She looked so freakin’ adorable I wanted to eat her instead of the dinner.

“And what?” I asked. I loved how Sky watched me so intently when she spoke, almost like she was ready to read my lips.

“I just thought that if the worst thing that happens to us this week is that you slammed my shrink up against a wall, well then it’s not a terrible week. Could be worse is all I’m saying. It’s no reason to miss out on lasagna.

She was right. I took the plate and her hand, pulling her toward my room.

“It’s not the Taj in here Sky, fair warning. I can clean, but most of the time I don’t.”

“It’s fine, Malcolm has brought me here before.”

“Right, Skylar, I know. And if I remember correctly, it was a Monday before noon and not a soul was here. Would you believe it if I told you the clubhouse was not a place for young ladies on a Friday night? And if Rough knew you were here, he’d have me in hot water.”

She pouted a little and I guided her into my room. Once inside, I locked the door behind us. Sky flopped down on my bed like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like we were two kids getting ready to gossip about school or watch a movie.

“Dad wouldn’t care, as long as I’m with you,” she said. Then she patted the bed next to her. I stood there with the plate of food and felt myself getting an erection. Sky with her lithe frame, long legs, and hypnotic eyes lying demurely on my covers.

I set the plate on my dresser and sat down beside her. I grabbed two pillows and reclined against the wall.

“So do you live here all the time?” she asked me. Her eye contact was piercing. Usually reading lips was second nature to me, not a big deal, but staring at Skylar Miller’s lips was beginning to drive me out of my mind.

I nodded and signed, “yes.”

“I can’t stop thinking about how you kissed me in the lobby. Was that part of the ruse or were you really kissing me because you wanted to?” she asked me. My heart went into overdrive again. I’d be lucky if I made it through the night with how much Skylar could affect my vital signs with the things that fell from her mouth casually. I’d kissed her because the pull was so strong, it was either submit to it or kill something inside of me by turning it off forever.

“I kissed you, Sky because it’s all I can think about doing when I look at your face.”

“I feel the same way,” she told me. Here, alone with her, without the world watching, Sky seemed neither shy or delicate. She was a totally capable woman who would forge her own path.

“I almost don’t understand why the universe would tempt me so ruthlessly. Hover desire and perfection right in front of me knowing I can never have it,” I said. A loud crash sounded against my wall, like someone was throwing someone else into it. Not an unusual occurrence for a Friday night at the club.

“What makes you so sure you can’t have it?” Skylar asked. She held my hand in hers.

“You’re Miller’s daughter, Sky. There are rules, there’s protocol. I would never presume Rough would let you date someone from the club.”

“Are you crazy? Claire and Malcolm love you like a son. They wanted you to move in with us for crying out loud,” Sky protested.

“Everybody loves a hitman when he gets the job done. It’s the three hundred and some odd other days that no one wants him around. I’ve got a past and unlike you, I can’t just toss it off and try on a new life like it’s a new coat.”

“Oh and I can?” I could see the heat spread in her face as her temper flared.

“Skylar, you were a victim. I’ve been a victim, too, but that hasn’t always been the case. Sometimes, when you’re deep into it, right and wrong aren’t always so clear cut. I’ve done very bad things, Skylar. I am no saint.” I stared her down as I said it and she didn’t flinch. Instead her expression challenged me to push even harder. “Far from it, in fact.”