Page 47 of Dirty Salvation

“You hidin’ inside my club stops right now. Talkin’ to my brothers isn’t a requirement if you don’t want to, but you quit fuckin’ hidin' out like you’re in prison. And if you accuse me of wantin’ to fuck rent out of you once more I’ma put you over my knee and show you just what I can do for free. And I guarantee you’ll like it. Tell me you’re gettin’ me, Icy.”

Hm.Wasn't it maddening when a man-made sense?

Like really,reallyfucking maddening.

She’d always hated being wrong when It was an impotent anger going nowhere and she succumbed to what she was feeling and that was insecurity.

So much anger for the crap she couldn’t control.

What could Zara do other than lash out at the one person who didn't deserve it.

Wrong place wrong time wrong person.

The towel looped over her shoulder she used the white ends to dab sweat and shame from her cheeks, one was easier than the other.

Avoiding all contact with Rider's eyes, though she felt them boring into her.

“Fine. I get you. I'm not saying sorry." Her chin went up and she sent him a quick side defiant glance.

He advanced, stepping around a weight bench. Nothing separated them now. "Didn't ask you to, baby."

"Hm. What else was I to assume?"

"Let me take a stab in the dark and say something shockin’ ... that I want to help you.Fuck. That I like you, Zara, for all your crazy-as-fuck ways of thinkin’ I like you. I always liked you. There's never gonna be a right time, so why not just say it and put it out there, not askin' you for anythin' right now, but you need to know that's what I'm thinkin' when I look at you. Is it too soon? probably. Still sayin' it." His rough voice teased. “You’re insulting yourself when you say shit like that. Don’t do it again. You think I’d take payment out on your pussy for letting you stay here? Baby, you’re probably the smartest chick we ever had at theSoulsMC, that includes the other chapters, but you just said the dumbest shit I ever heard. Believe when I get my mouth on that sweet pussy of yours again, it ain’t got nothing to do with owing me a debt. And when you climb me to get at my mouth ‘cause you’re so fuckin’ hungry for it, cravin' my taste on your tongue you won’t be feelin’ like you’re payin’ a tab.”

Zara’s head reared up so fast she nearly gave herself a concussion, the blood raced to her face and neck, no gentle blush this time, it was a full-blown wildfire situation.

Frantic butterflies went nuts in her belly.

His eyes had gone from wild to smokey, heated even, trained on her profile.

No amount of rubbing could eradicate the flush on her neck crawling up to her cheeks, deep cherry red, it had nothing to do with her work out.

And all to do with Rider's dirty unfiltered tongue.

Oh, shit.

Who said that? Who just spoke what they were thinking?

Jesus. She wanted to pant.

“You can’t say things like that.”

“Just did. What you see is what you get with me.”

He affected her in ways she didn't want to probe. Part of her wanted to scream for him to leave her alone, she was damaged, to find someone else, and then another part of her, the needy clingy part wanted to curl into all that chest for a minute and allow him to protect her. “I gotta say, lovin' that blush of yours, Icy. I’ma make you blush again and again.” Amusement laced through Rider’s silky deep voice. One more step and he'd moved closer, filling her space enough that she had to crank her neck to see his face.

Tell him okay. Say it.He painted the most evocative picture, drawing memories of them back into her mind.

Only those same thoughts scared the crap out of Zara, it felt too normal somehow.

That same defensive tongue reared its ugly head. "Sounds a little like wishful thinking. You want to fuck me, Prez. It has nothing to do with liking me from my way of calculating it."

Shut upShut up. If she’d been normal she could have flirted with him, to bat her lashes and smile prettily and reply with her own attempt at dirty talk, though she would have failed miserably at that.

Instead, all his candor had done was render her a tiny bit dumb.

Head and body contradicting each other.