Page 4 of Marked by the Protective Biker (Heat & Ink)

EMILY

WHAT DID I JUST DO?

I open my mouth and then close it again.

I’m not even sure what I should say right now. He taps the desk. “Talk to me, Emily.”

I sit up a little taller and say the first thing that comes to mind. “What are your plans when you get out?”

He searches my face. “I’ll work for the club.”

Confused, I ask, “The club?”

He nods. “Yeah, I’ll probably work at Heat & Ink.”

“The tattoo shop?”

He nods. “Yeah.” His voice softens. “Do you have one? A tattoo, I mean?”

I shake my head. I’ve thought about it, but I’ve just never done it. Mostly because I don’t know what I would get. “No, I don’t.”

He juts his thumb at his chest. “You ever get one, I’ll give it to you.”

I shrug. “Okay, so you’re going to work at Heat & Ink. Where are you going to live?”

“The club.”

I nod and try not to let the jealousy take over.

I’ve heard about parties at the Exiled Guardians clubhouse and I’ve heard about the cherries there.

I never understood the concept until someone explained it to me that the cherries are there to take care of its members.

Before I can ask him about them, I clear my throat and whisper, “I’ve never done this before. I’ve never crossed this line before.”

He nods. “I know that.”

What else is he going to say, though? I feel like I need to explain. “No, seriously. I have never?—”

He cuts me off. “Emily, stop, I wanted this. I wasn’t leaving here without touching you, so this is on me.”

I let out a low, slow breath. “Okay… so what about you? Is this a normal thing for you?”

He tilts his head. “You mean do I go around touching women in prison?”

I shrug. I’ve heard some stories about some of the administrators here, and there are nurses and other women in and out. I’ve seen the way some of them look at Jack.

He shakes his head. “No, honey. I haven’t wanted to touch anyone but you.”

I roll my eyes. I don’t even know who I am right now. This is not me. I don’t break the rules. Heck, I don’t even bend them. I’ve never looked at an inmate twice in a romantic way, but when I get around Jack, it’s like I’m a cat in heat.

He grips the chair, turns me to face him, and then locks his hands on each side of my chair. “You’re quitting.”

I lift my chin in denial. “I’m not quitting my job. I can do good things here, Jack.”

He growls, and it’s obvious he’s not happy with me. I’m sure he’s used to getting his way and hates to be told no.

“Bradley.” I call toward the door.

He’s quick to turn. His eyes raised, he walks into the room. “What is it, Ms. Riles? You okay?”

I smile to reassure him. “Yes, Bradley. I’m fine.”

I feel Jack tense next to me, but I ignore him. “I was wondering if you can grab something from my office for me?”

Bradley is already shaking his head. I knew he wouldn’t like me asking him to leave me here with Jack, but I’m determined. “I have a packet on my desk. It’s a manila folder with a sticker on the front that says Jack Felon.”

Bradley looks at Jack and glares. “I don’t think?—”

I cut him off. “It’s okay, Bradley. You know Jack is not going to hurt me.”

Bradley glares at Jack but finally nods his head. “Fine. I’ll be right back.”

He gives Jack a stern look and then turns on his heel and walks out the door. I can feel Jack’s gaze centered on me, and now that we’re alone, my confidence is shaken.

Jack’s voice drops. “Okay honey, you got us alone. Now what?”

I lift my eyes to his, suck in a breath, and say the one thing that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. “I want you to kiss me.”

His eyes darken with arousal, and he leans into me. “Fuck, honey, I’m not going to want to stop.”

I look at the clock on the wall and then back to Jack. “Two minutes.”

He puts his hands on each side of my face, tilts my head back, and looks at me. “You sure?” he asks huskily.

I try to nod, but he’s holding me so tightly I can barely move my head.

“Words, Emily. I need to hear the words.”

“Yes, I’m sure. I want you to kiss me,” I tell him without hesitation.

He leans down and presses his lips to mine.

Instantly, I know I’m never going to be the same.

A warmth flows through my whole body. He pulls me from my chair and settles me on his lap.

His hard manhood presses against my hip, and I grind into him.

His arms are wrapped around me, and he holds me so tightly I can barely breathe.

His mouth fits over my lips, and when his tongue slides along mine, I whimper.

He pulls back and leans his forehead against mine.

We’re both breathing heavily, and when he leans back to look at me, his eyes are dilated, his nostrils are flared, and he looks like a man on the edge.

His voice is husky. “Baby, if we don’t stop now, I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here. ”

Bradley’s voice carries in the hall as he talks to another guard, letting us know he’s almost back. I pull from Jack’s arms and move back over to my chair. I lean over my desk, speechless.

“Breathe, honey. He’s coming in.”

I nod and start reading from the file again. I don’t even know what I’m reading, but I keep talking until Bradley stops in front of us. He sets the folder down on the desk, and I look up him. “Thank you, Bradley.”

“Sure thing, honey.”

Jack growls next to me, and I tense. Surely he’s not jealous of Bradley. I force a smile to my face. “We will just be a few more minutes.”

Bradley looks between me and Jack. “Okay, I’ll be right outside the door.”

He waits for my nod and then walks out of the room. It’s not until he’s gone that I let out the breath I’ve been holding. Jack puts his hand on my thigh and squeezes. “Em… how am I supposed to walk out of here and leave you?”

I turn in my seat to look at him. “Don’t do anything stupid, Jack. This is your chance to get out of here. I know you’re trying to figure out how to stay, but you can’t do that.”

He looks at me intently. “Then quit. Or I’m going to do what I have to do to stay in here with you, Emily.”

I slap my hand on the desk. “You can’t ruin your future?—”

He cuts me off and blurts, “I was sentenced to twenty years for killing a man. I’d say I’ve already ruined my future.”

I steel my voice. There’s no way I’m letting him throw away his second chance on me. I’m not sure who is more surprised when I blurt out, “You’re getting out of here, Jack. Don’t you dare fuck it up!”

He stands up and taps the desk. “Then quit.”

I stand up and put a hand on his arm. “I can’t just quit.”

He grits his teeth. “And I can’t just walk away and leave you here.”

Wanting to buy time, I nod my head. “Fine. I’ll talk to the warden this week about beefing up security.”

He growls, and I hold my hand up. I’m not sure what I’m thinking letting this man, this inmate, try to tell me what to do, but the truth is I am feeling uneasy about being here without him. “Jack, I’m not just quitting on these people.”

He nods. “Okay.”

He gave in too easily. I may have only known him for six months, but I know that he gave in too easily. I tilt my head to the side. “Jack, you can’t…”

He cups my chin in his hand. I should be worried about someone seeing us, but I’m not. He presses his thumb to my lip and gently strokes it side to side. “You want to stay working here, I’ll make sure you’re protected, but you call me if you need me. See you soon, Emily Riles.”

He drops his hand and walks away without another glance. I almost call out to him, but I stop myself. No matter how much I want him, we’re too different. Nothing can ever come of us, and that’s the only reason I let him go.

I fall back into my seat and shake my head. Jack Felon is a murderer, a member of a motorcycle club, a tattoo artist… and the most dangerous man I’ve ever wanted.