Thunder (Hell's Handlers MC 10)

And a man she didn’t even know, at that. The reaction was so unlike her. Perhaps watching the couple going at it earlier had scrambled her brain or unleashed a torrent of rogue hormones.

She’d only ever seen bodies like Thunder’s in movies and read about in books. Muscles galore. Vivid tattoos. Metal bars through his nipples. Dazzling smile. And the way he moved? My God, it was the stuff fantasies were born of. One glance made her crave to know what all that smooth, firm skin would feel like under her fingertips. Or even more arousing, how would it feel to have his hands on her. Maybe even his mouth?

She’d always assumed there had to be more to sex than what she’d experienced. There had to be, right? Otherwise, why would people write all those steamy books where women screamed their man’s name as they lost control of their bodies? Hell, why would Stephanie let Maverick finger her against the wall in public if it didn’t feel incredible?

Her experiences with sex were less than pleasant, to put it in mild terms. Sex with her husband had been bland at best, painful at worst, but never, not even once, pleasurable. The act was committed for two purposes: to get her pregnant and to get her husband off the handful of times he’d come to her for that reason. She knew she was a little screwed in the head when it came to physical intimacy. Probably came with the territory.

If she were honest with herself, she did want to know what put that look of ecstasy on Stephanie’s face. She ignored those thoughts because of her situation, but who wouldn’t be curious?

She lingered behind the clubhouse in the mild evening, with the thrum of music in the background, and inhaled the fresh mountain air.

None of these thoughts of Thunder or her body’s unfamiliar reaction to the man mattered.

Her family mattered.

Keeping a roof over their heads and food in their bellies mattered.

Their safety mattered.

Their freedom mattered.

Her freedom mattered as her siblings’ freedom depended on it.

So whatever happened, however many times Thunder flashed that potent grin her way, however curious her body grew, and however tempted her mind became, she couldn’t let him divert her from her path. Her life wasn’t about fun, frivolity, or games. It wasn’t about drunk dancing on a bar or hooking up. Hell, that was a world she couldn’t even comprehend. And it had to be the reason she felt drawn to Thunder. The way he lived fascinated her. The carefree attitude. The ease with which he connected to people, women especially. The free and blatant sexuality. The ability to have fun and behave irresponsibly.

The man was fascinating. All of the Handlers were. An incredible group of people who seemed to embody the phrase work hard, play harder.

The door opened, and as though she’d conjured him with her mind, Thunder stumbled out into the balmy moonlit night.

“Fuck,” he muttered, holding his hands out like a circus performer wavering on a tightrope. Once steady, he took a sip of his beer then stared up at the cloudless night sky with a sigh.

Mak remained quiet, taking a second to observe him in a moment when he wasn’t aware of the attention. The man was gorgeous. Hard, without being huge and bulky like LJ. So many fascinating tattoos without being overdone like Maverick. Capable of everything he did while having a magnetic personality, unlike his brother Rocket, who rarely spoke. He was a combination of so many of the best traits possessed by his brothers. Mak had spent quite a bit of time observing them all over the past few weeks whenever they ate in the diner.

Thunder’s eyes fell closed, and he drew in a long inhale, much as she’d done. Something about the clean mountain air soothed the soul. Or at least, it did for her.

Was it the same for him? Did his soul need peace and serenity as hers did? If so, he hid it damn well, always smiling, laughing, flirting.

After watching him for a time, guilt wormed its way under her skin. He’d come outside for a private moment and didn’t deserve her spying on him. Maybe she could sneak back in without him hearing.

She took one step toward the door. The crunch of leaves under her foot might as well have been a shotgun renting the quiet night.

Shit!

Mak winced and froze in place as Thunder’s spine snapped straight. He turned slowly, and for one second, met her gaze with a startled vulnerability she’d have never expected from a man who oozed as much confidence as he did.

The open expression lasted all of three seconds before his eyes sparkled, and a smile slid onto those lips. “Looks like we ended up all alone after all.” He stalked over to where she rested with her back against the building, still warm from the day’s sun. Before she had a chance to scoot away—or maybe she hadn’t wanted to move—he had his hands landed on either side of her head. “Must be a sign.”