And then she turned her head, loosening his grip, and pulled away.
“I’d better get going. I’ve got a bike to fix so I can go looking for Jeff and get to work this evening.”
His mind still fuzzed with lust, it took him a moment to process her words. “You won’t be going to work. You’ll stay in the safe house until we’ve dealt with Axle.”
“I thought I was a guest this time, not a prisoner.” She wet her lips, and he felt every stroke of her tongue in his groin.
“And I’ve just shown you I can look after myself. No one will catch me on my bike, and I’ll be safe at work with Banks and the bouncers.”
Tension curled in the space between them, replacing their heat with fire. He was acutely aware of the steady thud of his heart, the rustle of leaves, and the rapid rise and fall of his chest, but even more aware of the fury in her emerald-green eyes. “I promised to protect you. I’m a man of my word. Means I’ll do what it takes to fulfill that promise.”
Arianne glared and Jagger silently willed her not to challenge him further, for the sole reason that he didn’t know what he would do. Her willingness to stand up to him, without hesitation or fear, was even more an aphrodisiac than watching her shoot.
“What if I don’t want your protection anymore?”
Then she would leave. He might never see her again. She could fall prey to Axle or that piece-of-shit Leo. Get hurt. Maybe killed. Unacceptable.
“You made that choice on the side of the road last night,” he said. “You accepted my protection, and you will have it on my terms until you’re no longer in danger.”
Her eyes flashed with annoyance. “So I am a prisoner.”
“You’re mine,” he said simply. “Until I let you go.”
He expected some kind of outburst; a sarcastic comment, or even Arianne walking away. Instead, she snaked her arms around his neck, pulled him close, and ground her hip into the erection still straining against his fly.
“Let me go, Jagger,” she whispered.
“No.”
“I’ll take a guard with me.” She nuzzled his neck, her breasts pressing against his chest, and his body flamed, tightened in response. He could feel his control slipping, giving way to a fierce, primal urge to rip off her clothes and take her against the cold brick wall—to fully possess the woman who challenged him on every level and whom he wanted with every cell in his body. He wanted to hear her scream in passion; he wanted his name on her lips when she lost control; he wanted her body under his when he plunged his cock deep inside her and claimed her as his own.
What if I don’t want your protection anymore? What if she walked away?
“Four.”
She slid her tongue along the seam of his lips, then kissed him when he opened his mouth, her lips soft and sweet, tasting faintly of mint. “Two. And I’ll text you every hour.”
He kissed her hard, bruising her lips, sharing the pain of his desire. “Every half hour.”
“And when I see you again?” She rubbed up against him, a cat in heat, and he groaned, wondering how the hell he would make it through the day with a hard-on that just wouldn’t quit.
“Your sweet body just made me a promise. And I intend to collect.”
NINE
All debts owing to the club will be secured by collateral and can be discharged only by the president.
Out of the frying pan …
Arianne’s lips pursed with suppressed fury as Sparky pulled his bike into the parking lot of a small warehouse at the edge of Conundrum’s commercial district, still seething over Jagger’s words: You’re mine. Until I let you go.
Who did he think he was? Only one person spoke to her like that—claimed her like a piece of property—and only because she was powerless to stop him. In many ways, Jagger and Viper were very much alike.
Too much alike.
Powerful and in control, dominant and unyielding, Viper wanted nothing more than her complete and utter obedience. She had never been able to get under his skin. But Jagger … she’d rattled him with a kiss. Maybe she should rattle him some more. She’d never find Jeff if she had Tank and Wheels flanking her wherever she went. Her brother was clearly in hiding, afraid to face the consequences for the botched raid on the Sinner weapons shed. And likely he’d stay hidden until he could salvage the situation by producing the missing weapons before Viper found him. Weapons that were now locked in the shed behind Sparky’s shop, or so she’d overheard.
She followed Sparky across the gravel and waited as he unlocked the door.
“Here she is.” He stepped to the side to let Arianne enter.
After her eyes adjusted to the light, she inhaled the familiar scents of grease and diesel, then looked over a shining sea of chrome, and smiled. “Nice shop.”
“Yeah, it’s like a second home.” Sparky led her through a row of bikes while Wheels made himself comfortable on a worn couch in the corner. Tank stood guard at the door.