Page 4 of Bandit’s Bounty (Iron Howlers MC #3)

Chapter Three

Sloane

I wasn’t really sure what to expect the first time that Bandit and I went out, but a picnic at the waterfall outside of Redwich certainly wasn’t on my radar at all! Since Dane had pretty much only ever really taken me out to eat, or to an occasional club party, I was definitely impressed by Bandit. Granted, they belonged to two different clubs, but since my only exposure to bikers before had been Dane, I wasn’t really sure what to expect.

But what has really sold me on him as a man I can see a future with is how solicitous he’s been toward me. The attraction I feel for him is like nothing I’ve ever experienced before and as I get ready to mix up some more balms and scrubs, I find myself humming.

The bell over the door jingles and since I’m the only one covering the shop right now, I hurry through the curtain to the front only to stop short when I see the man himself, grinning at me.

“Hey, Bandit,” I say, my voice a bit breathy.

I may or may not have been thinking about his kiss the night before, nearly two weeks after he first took me out. We’ve gone out to dinner, to the movies, to a local amusement park, and to the local ice cream parlor, but up until last night, the most he’d done was friend-like than ‘interested suitor’. He’d given me pecks on the forehead and held my hand, but I was to the point of worrying whether or not he was ever going to kiss me. My mind goes back to last night as I wait for him to tell me why he’s here.

“Thank you for dinner, Bandit,” I tell him as we walk up the steps to my front porch. I still want to pinch myself that I found my home, a cozy farmhouse with a wraparound porch that has mature trees lining the driveway. A detached garage was added at some point in the house’s history, with a covered walkway to a side entrance that opens into my mudroom and laundry room.

“The pleasure’s all mine, Sloane,” he replies, taking my keys in his hand and unlocking the door. “Let me check out the house before I leave, okay?”

Part of me wants to swoon; it’s been so long since anyone worried about me, yet his simple command for me to wait lets me know that I mean more than a piece of ass. I deliberately push thoughts of how Dane treated me to the back of my mind, unwilling to allow that experience to taint what it feels like Bandit and I are beginning to build. A relationship whose foundation is based on mutual attraction, respect, and friendship. Because in just a few short weeks, he’s become a good friend, willing to help me package up internet orders after he gets done working when I get backed up, or to haul them off to be shipped. Our times together are spent doing a lot of laughing, and nothing’s off limits as to what we have talked about. While I haven’t told him who it was I dated, I have let him know that it shook me to my core; I lost all sense of self-worth and any confidence I once had was shattered. It’s taken me several years to rebuild myself into this version of myself, but I still expect the other shoe to drop. Still, he’s been patient with me, and if the times I’ve seen him discreetly adjusting himself are any indicator, he is attracted to me. He’s just letting me set the pace and that has me appreciating who he is even more.

I also notice that he turns on a few lights as he moves through my space and I smile, because the only two I left on were the outside porch light, and the one over the stove. Yet now, there’s one on in the living room, and I can see the upstairs light as well.

“Everything okay?” I ask once he makes his way back to me, his strides steady and sure.

“Yeah, sweetheart, everything’s good,” he says, drawing me into his arms.

As I look up at his handsome face, I feel the unmistakable flutters deep in my belly when I see the expression in his eyes. He cups my face in his hands and leans down to touch his lips to mine… and I’m lost in a whirlwind of sensations I have never experienced before. There are no thoughts of the boys I kissed in high school, or of the last man I spent time with at all. With one simple kiss that is anything but, he has obliterated those memories from my mind, to be replaced with the sensation of his lips on mine, his body heat and scent surrounding me, and his sheer strength which I can feel emanating from him. When he deepens the kiss, I curl closer to his body, drawn to him as if by a magnetic force.

Long, blissful moments pass until we finally separate, and I know my expression is one of awe with a little bit of ‘oh my’ thrown in for good measure.

“Better than I anticipated, babe,” he rasps out, his deep voice even huskier, which has my nipples pebbling and my lady bits throbbing. I watch his eyes widen slightly and I blush, because somehow, he knows how aroused I am right now. “I’m gonna get out of here before I can’t,” he murmurs, kissing me lightly. “Be sure to lock up behind me, Sloane.”

“I will, Bandit, I promise,” I reply.

I come back to the present when he clears his throat, a smirk on his face, which causes my own to flush in embarrassment. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you,” I stammer.

“Didn’t say anything, sweetheart, but I’m wondering what has you so distracted,” he says.

“Um… nothing?” I squeak out. I can feel the heat on my face and know I’m blushing.

He chuckles then winks at me, before holding up a bag. “Remembered you said you were trying out some new recipes or something, so I thought I’d bring you a breakfast sandwich, because I know you forget to eat when you’re working.”

I’m not the type of woman who acts like she’s not hungry so she doesn’t eat in front of a man; to me, that’s just plain silly. It’s like those stupid ninnies who won’t use the bathroom around their guy either. I mean, hello, we all gotta go, right? That doesn’t mean I’m one of those who won’t insist on keeping some of the mystery alive in a relationship, but it won’t be over normal bodily functions.

“Well, you’re right about that one because I was so excited to try this one that I pretty much got ready and headed in so I could work on it,” I admit, causing him to laugh long and loud.

“Then let me hit the lock so we can go back to your work area, you can eat, then dazzle me,” he says, walking over to the door, turning the open sign to closed and locking the door. “You really should consider either hiring someone to work the front when you’re creating, or maybe keeping the door locked, Sloane. Something could happen to you, and no one would know.”

“I have the cameras in the workroom, Bandit.”

He shakes his head as he reaches my side. Instead of answering, he leans down and thoroughly kisses me until I’m not one hundred percent sure I remember my name, then says, “And if someone comes through that opened door and you’re pulling stock down from the storage room, you’re a sitting duck, sweetheart.”

“You’re right,” I reply. “Maybe I should reconsider my open hours again. Or come in earlier and keep everything locked so I can work in the back,” I muse. “I did get my packages ready for shipping since the internet sales are going somewhat crazy right now.”

“Well, babe, from what Harmony has said, some of the things you make are helpful from a healing standpoint,” he says.

“She and Karsyn are quickly becoming some of my best customers,” I state, walking ahead of him into the back room. Off to the side is a little break area, complete with a table, sink, refrigerator, and microwave, so I head there and wash my hands before sitting down.

He chuckles as he sets the bag down and washes his own hands, then joins me at the table. “Not surprising at all. They’re good people for sure, even if Karsyn does belong to the Spiked Raiders MC’s president.”

I sense a story there but decide not to say anything. I watch him open the bag and quickly sort out the food he’s bought, including two bottles of orange juice. “I wasn’t sure if you preferred coffee or not,” he says once the bag is empty, “so I got juice.”

“I don’t usually drink it, but I do have a Keurig if you’d like some,” I reply, standing to go to the counter where my stuff is set up.

“Naw, I drank enough this morning already. Juice is fine, sweetheart.”

I can’t deny that hearing him use that endearment sends a thrill through me. While I never thought I’d get involved with another biker, I’m beginning to see that Bandit and Dane are as different as night is to day. I sit back down and find myself enjoying sharing such a simple meal with Bandit. He shares funny anecdotes about what some of his MC brothers get up to, which have me laughing as I picture the people I’ve met in each scenario. Once we’re finished eating and have cleaned up the minimal mess we made, I wash my hands once again and head to my worktable.

“Peppermint, huh?” he asks as I open up a bottle of essential oils.

“Yes, it has a lot of curative benefits, especially for those with digestive issues. Pregnant women and those who are undergoing treatments that cause nausea also find it helps settle their stomachs,” I reply. “You’ve got a really good nose, it’s quite subtle.” Plus, he’s not exactly sitting right next to me, since I have various potions ready to add the essential oil set up around me.

“Yeah, about that,” he starts, then seems to catch himself as though he’s at a loss as to what to say.

“Whatever it is, you can tell me, Bandit.”

I had noticed some things when Dane was around that didn’t always make sense, like how he knew when one of his brothers was around, even if they hadn’t spoken a word. He’d call them by name no less, and my fanciful imagination, such as it is, thought that maybe he was a real-life shifter or something. I mean, isn’t there always a bit of truth in everything, even fiction?

“The thing is, I’m not exactly sure where to start,” he admits, his hand gripping the back of his neck. He takes a deep breath then what he says next nearly drops me to my knees. “I’m a shifter, Sloane. Yeah, I see the disbelief in your eyes, but I promise you, I’m definitely speaking the truth.”

“Th-th-that’s not possible,” I whisper, now gripping my worktable so hard my knuckles are turning white. “I mean, I read a lot, and have enjoyed my fair share of paranormal stories, but they’re fiction , Bandit!”

He reaches my side and gently grasps my arm, leading me back over to the table, then helps me sit down. He then gets a bottled water out of the refrigerator, opens it then hands it to me. As I take a sip, I notice my hand is shaking, and my heart is racing. His fantastical statement is almost too much to comprehend.

“They’re not, sweetheart. We just don’t tell humans is all,” he says.

“Then why are you telling me? I don’t understand,” I question, my eyes finding his to see his gaze locked on mine. It’s full of compassion and something else I can’t quite decipher.

He proceeds to blow my mind again when he states, “Because you’re my mate.”

“What?” I screech. “That’s not possible, Bandit! I mean, going off of books I’ve read, shifters aren’t normally mated to humans.”

Or are they? Hell, I thought shifters were a figment of an author’s imagination, yet here he is, crouched in front of me, his hands on my knees, telling me he’s a shifter.

He shrugs and says, “Not got a clue, Sloane. Honestly, I didn't think I’d ever be fortunate enough to find my mate, so honestly, the fact that you’re human really doesn’t matter to me.”

He might say that now, but don’t shifters live a long time? I don’t remember why that is, but it has something to do with aging slower or something. So, if he’s correct, I’ll eventually grow old and gray, while he’ll still look like he’s in the prime of his life. That doesn’t sound fair to me at all!

Shaking my head, I tell him, “Is… is there any way you can prove it to me?”