Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57726 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57726 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
“I should talk nicely to others? I’ll get right on that.” He looked down at her hand wrapped around his forearm.
“Oh! Sorry.” Winnie snatched her hand from him, trying not to dwell on how hard his muscles were.
“Why are you looking for Lucien?” he repeated. His tone had not improved.
It was the man who’d scanned her ID at the door. Now that the stress of getting inside had faded slightly, Winnie realized how drool-worthy this biker was. Even in the dim light, she could see his shiny chestnut-brown hair and handsome face. She wanted to lean forward to check if his eyes were blue or green, but controlled herself. His chest and arms bulged with strength. When he cleared his throat, she realized she was staring.
“Sorry. I’d like to show him a collection I think he’ll find interesting.” She told him the truth.
“He won’t. Enjoy yourself at Inferno or go home. Lucien doesn’t meet with anyone.”
The massive biker turned and stalked away. Jerk! Winnie noted the name written on his leather vest. Scythe. An image of the grim reaper popped into her head. The representation of death carried a scythe, right? That was a terrifying thought.
Pulling herself together, Winnie promised herself she would collapse into a melting ball of anxiety when she got to her car—maybe better, at home. Someone might still see her in the parking lot. She glanced around the bar, searching for any familiar faces. Not spotting any, she found the courage to continue.
Scythe was a handsome, leather-clad, muscular bad boy. Winnie surreptitiously wiped the corners of her mouth in case she was actually drooling. Of course she wasn’t. She shook off her anxiety and vowed to show him.
Winnie returned to scanning the bar. She shook her hand when she realized she was rubbing her fingers together as if she were caressing his arm. Forcing herself to concentrate, she zeroed in on a staircase with another biker standing at the bottom. That had to be the way to Lucien.
Striding as purposefully as she could on those precarious heels, Winnie made a beeline for the biker. Winnie cursed her former middle school teacher’s withering assessment of her acting skills that always rebounded into her mind at a time like this and gathered her bravado. She shook the self-doubt from her mind and stopped in front of the guard in what she hoped was a vampish pose.
“Hi, there, tall, dark, and handsome.”
The man bristled, and Winnie realized she towered over him in the four-inch heels. “I have an appointment with Lucien.”
“No, you don’t,” he said, staring her down with even more vehemence now.
She was the worst liar ever. Winnie floundered for something to say before admitting, “You’re right. I don’t, but I need to talk to him. I don’t suppose I could sneak past you for a couple of minutes?”
Winnie bit her lip as she exuded positive vibes to get him to agree. He had to let her see Lucien.
“Not happening.”
“You didn’t even think about it,” she protested. Maybe he wanted a bribe. She fumbled with her phone wallet, opening section after section to find her money.
“You are really bad at this,” he growled.
She darted a glance at his face, hoping his attitude was softening at her incompetence. Nope. Winnie tried the truth. “I am. Look. I have a collection of rare guns I need to unload, and everyone says Lucien is the one who would buy them.”
“Give me names,” a familiar voice demanded behind her, making Winnie whirl around to face the biker she’d talked to previously.
Crap! Him again? Winnie swallowed hard.
“I’ll take care of this, Gamble.”
“Thanks, Scythe.” Gamble looked past her to monitor the crowd.
“Hi, Scythe. Thanks for coming to help.” Winnie tried to be positive.
Scythe wrapped his fingers around her biceps and headed for the door, towing her with him.
“Wait, I can’t walk that fast,” Winnie protested, teetering desperately on the stilettos.
“Why are you wearing those things?” Scythe demanded before sweeping her off her feet and carrying her.
“Ooh!” While embarrassed by the crowd who watched their progress toward the door with interest, Winnie couldn’t help but enjoy being in his powerful arms. Heaven knew no one had ever carried her books, much less her! She sniffed his chest, savoring his manly cologne. Were bikers supposed to smell this good?
“Stop that,” Scythe growled.
To distract him from noticing her heated cheeks, Winnie fumbled with her wallet again.
“If you try to bribe me….”
“Oh, no. I wouldn’t do that. Here, look!”
Winnie lifted her phone into his line of sight, displaying one of the photos she’d taken of her stepfather’s collection. Scythe stopped in his tracks. “That’s just the first picture. I have hundreds to show Lucien,” she assured him.
Scythe pivoted 180 degrees and headed for the staircase. Gamble stepped out of the way without a word.
Feeling like a princess, Winnie noticed his breathing didn’t change as he climbed the steps, carrying her easily in his arms. He really was in great shape. “You’re not a fireman, are you?”