Page 36 of Preacher Man

It wasn’t her first biker gathering, nor was Ruby lacking in confidence when she garnered speculative hungry looks she easily passed over as her eyes searched out the party. She walked tall through the crowd, the sound system playing some old-school tracks she approved of, she liked anything but heavy metal, there was no point to music, in her opinion, if it was screeching loud enough to rupture her spleen from its vibrations.

Smelling weed in the air, she wondered if that was the only drug these men liked to dabble in, from town talk Rider ran a tight ship and didn’t allow anything stronger. The man himself was over by the bar, laughing at something his woman was saying curled into his ribs. She watched them for a minute,fixated on their intense body language, again hit with how much Zara looked out of place and yet right at home at the same time in her maxi dress and ankle sandals, she was gorgeous with it. No one tried to paw her, in fact, several of those bikers stopped to chat and seemed as enamored by the blonde as Rider did.

Moving on, keeping her feet going,her objective; Get Preacher out of her system. It was the only course of action because until she did she’d always wonder, the lust building inside her making her crazy and she didn’t have time to go crazy.

Then she spotted him.

His stare was heat and sex. She caught a very female frisson of warmth coming through the crowd from him that pooled between her legs,knowing he liked what he saw made it all the hotter. Her spine softened.

She hated he affected her ovaries in the fast-flushed way that he did. It was nothing steady. Crazy traitorous glands barking like an excited puppy. If she didn't keep herself in check she'd roll over and beg for belly rubs. Only not on her belly, much, much lower down, the place that was currently wet and slippery. The intensity of his gaze sharpened almost as if he could guess her thoughts but that was impossible thank god, her dirty hormones were still a secret.

He smiled that wicked smile, the half cock of one side of his mouth framed by all the facial hair clipped closely to his chiseled jawline.

Ruby couldn’t say she’d ever been attracted to perfection before. She liked flaws in people, to see their realness, she saw his flaws and her body purred. His giant manwhorish status for obvious starters should have been her stop sign. All too aware she was putting herself on his buffet table of flaws and asking him to eat his fill until he was full.

And her attraction intensified.

He leaned down, his rough cheek brushed hers, prickling in a way that made her shiver from the close contact. It was instinct to want to move back, to break that touch, only his hand rested lightly on her waist. His voice silk and rough. "I'm glad you came, tiny dancer."

He called her stunning and she preened internally, grasping onto his compliment with both greedy hands. Her shoulder rolled up nonchalantly even as she leaned in to drink in his masculine cologne. “I like free beer.” Ruby knew all these men and yet knew none of them. Exchanging vague conversations in the bar while she served did not a real connection make. She was in a room full of recognizable strangers.

The same could be said for Preacher. Besides knowing he was a phenomenal kisser, her body didn’t about details, only that she wanted to climb him. Wanted him more than she'd ever wanted a man before. That emotion was real.

He helped maneuver them through the crowd, using his giant bulk and an outstretched arm to shove the crowd out of the way. How gentlemanly, she thought, a smile curving her lips. Once in a corner over by a table of coolers stuffed to the brim with unopened bottles of every beer she could think of he pulled out two, wiped down the bottle and cracked the lid, handing it to her.

“Catch the manners on you, Preacher. What happened to the filthy biker persona?” the cold beer felt nice slipping down her parched throat. His cologne surrounded her, sending shock waves of desire through her brain. So, damn sexy.

His barrel laugh reached into her belly, tickled her low. “What does that even mean, should I spit on the floor? My ma raised me with manners, beautiful, she’d skin me alive and put my innards out for the crows if she thought I was mistreating a woman and not opening doors. She’s big on door opening.”

“But doesn’t mind so much her son screwing around like a rabbit on Viagra?”

“Well,” he smirked dirtily, downright filthy. “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her soft heart now will it?”

Damn, she melted. Mama’s boy. Big and manly mama’s boy.

Damn. Double all those fucking damns. She was screwed.

“You don’t seem fazed by the shit going on.” Motioning to the crowd. She let her eyes wander. What was a little public display of foreplay between strangers? Ruby’s brow arched as she smiled a little, bringing the bottle to her mouth.

“I’ve been to biker parties before.” Without elaborating.

“Why have you never been to one of ours?”

“I was never invited.”

“Damn. That was an oversight I need to punch someone for. Consider yourself invited for the rest of forever, tiny dancer.”

Her snort got lost in the music, eyes flicking up to find his trained intently on her, that smile of his could set forest fires and what was it about his pointy little beard that made her fingers just want to yank it down to reach his mouth quicker.

“You don’t have to keep calling me that.”

“I like it.”

“Or keeping me company if you’d rather go … join the gang.” She used her bottle to point to what looked like the start of a mini orgy with two women and a faceless guy she couldn’t see because his head was buried in a set of boobs.”

“Babe.” That one word felt like an intimacy rushing over her skin. He followed it up by dipping his head, his voice carried directly to her ear as his hand found her waist, touching the piece of skin there to cause a shiver to roll through her.

Yep, she was getting him out of her system tonight. She gulped a little more beer.