Page 2 of Protected By the Bikers Next Door (Never Just One #4)
Shaking myself free of the spell he’s put on me, I remind myself that, while he’s hot, he’s still an asshole who throws loud sex parties without a care for his neighbors. I stamp over to him.
“Are you Wolf?” I demand, hands on hips.
“I am. Who are you?” he replies, his voice commanding and clear.
“Harper, your new neighbor.”
“Let me guess, you’ve come to ask me to keep the noise down?”
His bored, mildly amused tone tells me I’m not the first neighbor to ask this, and that he thinks I won’t be the last. If I’d had any say in where I lived, then this would be the last place I’d have picked. I wonder how many people have been driven out of their home because of this man?
“Yes. My daughter’s sick, and I don’t think it’s too much to ask for you to keep the music down and not allow people to have sex in your backyard!” My voice trails off to a squeak of embarrassment at the end, and my cheeks flush.
He smiles slowly. “And you enjoyed watching a little too much for your liking? Or perhaps you came over to join?”
His gaze explores my body, and for the first time, I realize that, in my rage, I’ve come over here wearing only my pajamas, which just so happen to be the least sexy pair I own—a big baggy t-shirt from some cringey boy band I loved when I was younger, I got it at the first concert I ever went to back when I was a teen, and a hundred pounds heavier, and a pair of faded, too tight shorts.
I shouldn’t care how I look; it’s not like I’m trying to impress this asshole, I try to tell myself, but it’s of little comfort.
I’m still mortified. I’d rather Wolf and his pals think I’m the super-hot new neighbor than the crazy one.
Perhaps I’m just imagining it, but his offer sure seems flirty.
Almost as if he’s inviting me to do it with him.
I stop my thoughts from going down that road.
He might be hot, but he’s still an asshole. I’m supposed to be done with assholes.
“This isn’t a fucking porno, asshole,” I snap.
He chuckles, as if he finds my anger amusing.
He rises from his chair, and I try not to ogle as I get a good look at his toned physique through the tight shirt he’s wearing.
He towers over me, a giant of a man, at least six-three.
“This is our territory, sweetheart. Has been for over twenty years. So why should I do a thing you ask, when you’ve been here all of five minutes? ”
“I don’t care if you’ve been here since the fucking Stone Age; it doesn’t mean you can’t show some common respect and decency!” I square up to him, refusing to let him intimidate me. I had enough of that shit with my ex, and I’m tired of being a pushover and treated like I’m weak.
Those smoldering gray eyes search mine with naked curiosity before he nods, almost imperceptibly. “Bear, Hawk, go tell the randy fuckers in the tub to take their party someplace else,” he commands.
Two men, presumably Bear and Hawk, step forward. They’re equally as hot, but in totally different ways to their leader. I can’t believe I didn’t notice them before.
The one who has to be Bear is even taller than Wolf, six-five, and at least two hundred and fifty pounds of pure muscle.
He has a big bushy beard and a shaved head.
His arm is tattooed with a full sleeve of what appear to be Norse symbols.
You’d expect that, given his appearance, he’d be terrifying, yet somehow, he reminds me more of a cuddly bear than a wild one.
Perhaps it’s his kind brown eyes that meet mine as he offers me a slight, apologetic shrug, the trace of a smile dancing across his face.
Hawk is the total opposite of his companion.
He’s the shortest of the three but still stands over six feet.
He has a tattoo of his namesake on his chest. I know this because he’s wearing his leather vest with nothing underneath, revealing washboard abs.
His lean, broad-shouldered physique reminds me of a swimmer.
He has inky black hair that falls just above his shoulders, looking so shiny that one could almost describe it as feminine.
That’s if he didn’t radiate a kind of lethal energy that makes me suspect he’s the most deadly of the group.
He surveys me with intense green eyes before turning his attention to Wolf, the clear leader.
“Got it, Prez,” Bear agrees, his voice deep and booming, yet friendly at the same time. “Nice to meet you, neighbor,” he adds cheerfully, grinning at me before leaving the room with Hawk wordlessly following. I’m not sure if he’s being genuine or sarcastic.
I turn my attention back to Wolf. He might have conceded to my one demand, but I’m not giving in that easily. “I’m not leaving until you turn down the music,” I say, folding my arms across my chest.
“Tempting,” he purrs, and my cheeks flush all over again. “Though, of course, you have a sick kid to get home to,” he reminds me.
He’s got a point. I’ve already been gone too long. What if Jenny wakes and finds me gone?
The worry must be written across my face as he takes pity on me and stops taunting me. “Alright, everyone, party’s over.”
To my surprise, almost immediately, everyone does as they’re told and leaves. The only remaining stragglers are a few scantily dressed women, no doubt hoping to hang around and try to hook up with the guys.
“Thank you,” I say through gritted teeth. I shouldn’t have to thank him for doing the bare minimum most neighbors manage, but I don’t want a feud.
He shrugs. “Party was getting boring anyway, until you walked in,” he says, fixing me with that intense gaze, and my legs feel weak.
But then he adds, “Don’t expect us to start acting like Boy Scouts just because you didn’t do your research before you moved in.
” And I’m reminded of why I don’t like him.
“Don’t expect me not to call the police next time if you can’t follow the law,” I reply, smiling sweetly as I turn on my heel and, with all the integrity I can muster in my ratty pajamas, storm out.
To my relief, Jenny is still fast asleep when I return.
I peek out the window at the now quiet house, and I feel a strange sense of triumph and relief when I notice the women who were lingering at the end are finally leaving, too.
With the room now silent, sleep should come easily, and yet it doesn’t.
My turbulent thoughts are now filled with the three handsome strangers who live next door.