Dangerous to Know (2 page)

Zoe laughed at her friend. “You're not normally the ‘toy' type. Sure your modern woman can handle the hit to your pride? That man isn't going to let you walk him on a leash.”

“Never let it be said I backed down from a challenge,” she declared in a husky whisper. “Besides, I fully intend to play as good as I get played with.”

“Matching collars, is it?”

Roni made a low sound in the back of her throat. “If I'm lucky.”

With a wink her friend made her way across the worn planks of the barroom floor, drawing stares from the shadowy booths lining the walls of the place with the sultry sway of her hips. It was really a whole-body thing, one that Zoe admired as much as she detested. Her friend's ability to mesmerize the male population fit nicely with her flirtatious persona but tonight, Roni was focused on the man leaning back against the bar. He'd bought a longneck beer of some sort but had only taken a single sip of it. It sat next to him, forgotten as he scanned the room.

Another prickle of sensation went down Zoe's back. The beer remained on the bar while those dark eyes landed on every single soul in the place. He looked like he was assessing them, cataloging them; like nothing was more important than sizing up the occupants of the room.

He sure wasn't interested in the beer.

He reminded her of her brother, every motion controlled and his position selected for the best angle of defense. He was military-trained. No doubt about it, the guy had served time in something more than general ranks, if she was any good at judging body language.

Nosy …

The word floated through her mind, but she shrugged it off. Hell, if she was going to read anyone's body, his was infinitely top-grade. Besides, she wasn't up for a quick hookup. The main point of the evening was to ride shotgun for Roni and indulge in girlfriend time.

She wasn't being nosy. He'd come into the bar, and bars were places to be seen.

Right … Now I'm justifying my spying.

True. But that didn't make her thinking wrong. Zoe took a slow sip from her drink and peered over the rim of the glass at the subject of her thoughts. Her lips curved as she took another sip.

This guy's body language said a lot more, too. Her eyes narrowed, the lids feeling heavy as she watched the way his hips worked when he moved. The sight set off something deeply sexual inside her. Heat was spreading gently across her skin and it was just too enjoyable to resist a few more moments of indulgence.

So what if he caught her staring?

It was a bar after all. Everyone in the place was there with sex on their minds. Maybe that was a blunt way to put it, but it was still true. Really, really true. One look at the tight jeans and short skirts was all you needed to confirm that fact. The groups of people crowded around the tables were there to connect with someone else, the drinks in their hands nothing but liquid courage. Even Military Man, animal that he was, had to be looking for companionship in some form. He'd be off on his own if he wasn't in the mood for company. Loneliness had a way of reducing everyone to pitiful piles of need. Of course a man like him wouldn't have to work very hard to gain a little company.

I wouldn't mind being your choice tonight …

Her inner animal wanted loose. She felt her cheeks heat because normally she had better control over her impulses. Knowing that everyone else had the same urges didn't keep her blush from deepening, either. She felt like he could read her thoughts. He had a demeanor that suggested he was more perceptive than the average guy. Definitely in more control than most. A ripple of sensation moved across her skin and she smiled, enjoying the response because it was so intense. There was something about the guy that just made her want to fling the rule book aside. No worrying about repercussions or anything lurking in his past.

He glanced at her, sending a jolt of awareness down her spine before Roni reached him, angling his head to look down from his six-and-a-half-foot frame. A bare half inch of black hair covered his head, the lights above him shining off the neatly sheared surface.

Yup … military. She'd bet on it. Lust teased her again, so she decided to bask in the glow of the heat. Window-shopping did need to be enjoyed, after all, especially if she wasn't willing to lay down the price of making a try at touching the merchandise.

Why not? Why let Roni have all the fun?

Her inner voice was becoming more daring by the second, the heat gripping her body and urging her to abandon her common sense.

Yeah, well, impulsive sex came with too many risks for her peace of mind. It was a fun idea to toy with but that was as far as she was going. She needed to stick to her ideals because the leather-clad god across the room wouldn't be the staying kind.

Oh, but the things I could enjoy while he was around …

Which would be followed by a guilt trip that would cost her too much self-confidence for her comfort. Besides, she wanted more than just hot sex.

Ha! Not at the moment I don't …

Zoe lifted her margarita and took a long drink, but the fruity taste didn't mix with the sight of Mr. Untamed Temptation. She set her glass down, craving the hard bite of whiskey.

Yeah, I want hard … that's for sure.

Roni did her best to get him onto the dance floor. He shook his head and reached for his beer instead. Roni propped one hand on her hip and pouted at him but he only tipped the bottle up, using the beverage like a shield. Roni didn't give up; she continued to talk to him in a tone that was too low for Zoe to hear over the band.

Zoe reached for the bowl of peanuts sitting on the table and broke one open. She was bored. The music was good but the bar scene just wasn't her thing. Roni thrived on the fishbowl experience. Her friend was turned out in a miniskirt and loose tank top, looking like she belonged up on the stage. She fit next to the brawn king, looking relaxed as she flirted with him. Another man leaned over and a moment later Roni was on her way to the dance floor with him.

Zoe grinned. Roni began dancing with a flair that made Zoe envious. Her body curved and moved with the skill of a belly dancer, only with a much more modern rhythm. Roni turned around and shot Biker Boy a look that made it clear she was performing for his enjoyment.

“Looks like you've been abandoned.”

Zoe got a glimpse of blue eyes and short-cut blond hair before the stool next to her was occupied. The guy set his whiskey tumbler down and considered her.

“I'm a big girl,” she responded while fighting the urge to look back at Mr. Untamed. The guy sitting across from her wasn't second-class by any means. In fact, he was clean-cut, wearing a buttondown shirt with the collar unbuttoned and the cuffs rolled up.

“I noticed,” he said as he contemplated her. He reached for his whiskey and took a sip but almost as an afterthought, because his blue eyes were fixed on her.

“Saxon.” He offered her his hand across the small pub-style table.

“Zoe.” She was shaking his hand out of reflex.

Mr. Untamed wouldn't shake my hand.

It was a majorly unfair thought and really bitchy of her but there it was. Gut response. Honest and brutal. Saxon didn't deserve it but she doubted he needed to be jerked around, either. He was looking for company and she wasn't interested. Not a bit. All she wanted to do was turn back around and stare at the leather-clad animal stuck in her brain.

Another peanut crackled between her fingertips before Zoe's cell phone buzzed to rescue her. She didn't bother to check the caller ID; it was better not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Even if it was a telemarketer, she was taking the call. It beat throwing a pity party.

“Excuse me.” She slid off the bar stool.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sis.”

Zoe pushed the front door open and hurried outside where she could hear her brother's voice better. “Bram? It's been bloody forever since you called.”

Her brother snorted on the other end. “Been working. I assume you recall just how often we servicemen get separated from our loved ones while we're deployed? After all, you grew up with the same active-duty dad I did.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know the drill. How are
you
?” There were rules when she talked to her brother, “no serious questions allowed” sort of rules. Keep it light and friendly because it just might be the last conversation they had. Guilt could be a razor-sharp bitch.

“How are you?” Her brother's voice was firm and serious.

Zoe frowned and leaned against the exterior of the bar. “Fine. Why are you asking in that tone of voice? As well as redirecting the conversation?”

There was silence on the other end of the line. Static crackled while she waited for her brother to respond. He finally offered her a dry laugh that drew every muscle she had tight with tension.

“I'm just thinking about you,” he muttered. “Keep your guard up, sis.”

“Why?” The word was out of her mouth before she remembered who she was talking to. “All right, forget I asked that.”

There was a deeper chuckle on the other end of the line, one that almost put her at ease, but not quite.

“You know me a little too well, sis. Keep that intuition sharp and make sure you watch your back. Call me if there's anything suspicious happening, even something small. Leave a message.”

“Is that all the information I'm getting?” she said, her voice filled with frustration.

“For the moment.” Bram laid down his decision with every bit of arrogance she'd just decided Biker Boy had. “If you don't notice anything, there is nothing to worry about. Don't hesitate to call.”

“I won't,” she groused, far from satisfied with the lack of details.

“That sounds like my brat sister, nosy to the core,” Bram accused her with amusement in his tone, enough to make her throat tighten because it had been too damn long since she'd heard it.

“Got to go.” Bram's voice had chilled and hardened, tightening her neck muscles once again. “Remember, leave a message. If all I see is a hang-up, it will concern me.”

The line went dead and she worried her lower lip. Her brother was on another continent. If there was some kind of trouble, there wouldn't be much he could do to help her. But she sure as hell wasn't going to do anything to distract him while he was crawling around God knew where.

“Bad news?”

She jumped, fumbling the phone, and ended up with it pressed to her cleavage to keep it from falling to the ground. Mr. Untamed was watching her with eyes as black as his hair. This close, the term
Biker Boy
didn't fit.

He was all man.

Still a few paces away, he managed to strike her as huge. She wasn't used to feeling delicate, but the wide expanse of muscle-coated chest sent a shiver down her spine. He put her on edge, for no other reason than she knew he was stronger. It was a primitive idea, one that rose above every bit of faith she had in equal rights. She was staring and he was watching her do it.

“Ah … not really,” she forced out before tearing her gaze off him. He was too distracting.

I mean too tempting …

Behind him, on the other side of the front doors, was a motorcycle. It was coal black but clean enough to pass a white-glove inspection.

“I guess it's a good thing you didn't finish your beer. It doesn't look like you brought a designated driver.”

His lips twitched and she regretted making the joke because the guy was even sexier when he was grinning. Still arrogant but it looked good on him. Just a hint of playfulness.

That could be so much fun …

Crap, she must look desperate. She felt like it sure enough. Her breath was caught in her throat, anticipation sharpening her senses.

“You're perceptive.” He shrugged, the motion looking impossibly sexy. Behind her loose top, her nipples contracted. His gaze dropped to the hard points and his lips thinned. “I didn't come for the liquor.”

He closed the gap between them and leaned against the building with one shoulder while watching her. Sensation shot through her, tingling and filling her with an intense awareness of him. She had to fight the urge to allow her gaze to slip down past his six-pack to see what his leather pants offered her to admire.

“Why did you come?” His voice was husky but his gaze sharp. He was still leaning against the building as if he didn't have a care in the world, but the look in his eyes didn't match his lazy posture. He was intimidating but it struck her as a challenge. At last she was able to grasp her wilting self-control and master the surge of lust flooding her. She wasn't going to simper in the face of his brawn.

“I came with a friend, who's off dancing now. Nosy.”

He studied her, looking like he was gauging just how solid her resolve was. Another jolt of awareness hit her but it annoyed her as much as it thrilled. She would not melt at his feet.

“Maybe I got the impression you wouldn't mind me being nosy.” His gaze slipped back down her chest to where her nipples still raised the silk of her top. When he made eye contact with her again, heat simmered in those dark orbs.

Maybe … I should just let my impulses rule …

“Yeah, well, maybe I should recall the pepper spray my dad gave me for my twenty-first birthday.” She was poking him with a stick now but at least she sounded confident.

One dark eyebrow rose in response to her threat. “Pepper spray works better when you don't warn your target.”

“You've got a point,” she agreed, trying to sound amused. Unconcerned. It was a lie, though. She was rattled. Her belly queasy with nerves. The guy was setting her on her ear without even trying.

Pathetic. Yet really interesting because it's never happened before.

He studied her for a long moment. “I've always preferred to experience those boundaries instead of just being told where they are.”