“Thanks for giving me the job, I know he isn’t so thrilled,” I say, nodding my head toward Reid, who is scowling in my direction.
Summer laughs. “Actually the reason he didn’t want to hire you was . . .”
She glances at Reid, then back at me, and lowers her voice.
“Summer,” Reid calls, walking over and kissing her on her brow. “I’m sure Anna has work to do.”
I cross my arms over my chest and stare him in the eye, not backing down. “Why didn’t you want to hire me? Tell me the truth.”
He raises an eyebrow. “A bit bold for a woman who just got hired thirty seconds ago.”
He is right, but I still want to know what the hell is going on. I decide to goad him. “Fine, I guess you’re scared.”
“Of what?” he growls.
I shrug nonchalantly. “Of whatever you won’t tell me.”
He grits his teeth. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”
Is he famous or something? I have no idea who he is except for extremely hot and even more rude.
I bite my bottom lip. “No, but if I had a woman as hot as Summer in my bed I’d be a lot less grumpy.”
Summer bursts out laughing.
Reid, on the other hand, sighs and rubs his chin. “I know who you are, that’s why. You’re trouble.”
“And who am I?” I ask, confused. “I’m not trouble. I’m an upstanding citizen and a well-educated woman.”
I hear Summer’s laughter but ignore it.
“You belong to the Wind Dragons; don’t play dumb,” Reid replies, crossing his arms over his impressive chest.
My mouth drops open. “I don’t belong to anyone, thank you very fucking much.”
He studies me, looking amused. “Babe, you may as well have ‘Property of Wind Dragons MC’ tattooed on your forehead. Anyway, I wanted to ask them if they were cool with you working here, but they haven’t been in in a while.”
“You know them?” I ask, my eyes widening.
Fucking hell.
This city is too small.
“’Course I do,” he says without smugness, just pure fact. Reid obviously knows a lot of people.
“It’s a job, why would they have a problem with it? They don’t own me.”
Assholes.
Reid chuckles deeply. “You don’t know how the club works, do you? It’s a bar. You’re a beautiful woman. Do the math.”
I narrow my eyes, ignoring his compliment. “Summer works here; she’s hot.”
His lip twitches. “No one will touch Summer.”
I roll my eyes and look at Summer, who is grinning. “And no one will touch me either, even if I don’t have a scary fighter for a boyfriend. Let me worry about me.”
I’ve been doing it for so long anyway.
“They’re a possessive bunch, Anna; you know it and I know it. To be honest, I didn’t want the drama, but Summer said she wanted you to work here, which is why you’re standing here right now.”
“But this isn’t fair. I need a job, and just because my brother is a Wind Dragons member doesn’t mean I should be discriminated against.”
Reid shrugs. “Just being honest with you like you asked.”
I sigh. “Yeah, you’re right.”
“Once word gets out who you belong to, I think the men will stay away anyway. I just don’t want anyone trying to get at you to make the club angry.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, frowning.
“Let’s say someone wants to start shit with the club; they know that if they go near you it would accomplish just that,” he explains. “I didn’t want that drama in my bar, because then it becomes my problem.”
I rub my temple, a headache starting to appear. “I’m just going to serve drinks and not worry about things I have nothing to do with.”
Reid smirks. “If you think so.”
“It’ll be fine,” Summer adds, stroking Reid’s impressively muscular arm.
Reid gives me a look and says, “It better be.”
WHEN I see Arrow waiting for me after class, I try to hide my smile.
My day is suddenly looking up.
“Pull the short straw again?” I ask as I walk up to him, grinning.
The look he gives me lets me know he’s not impressed. “Rake’s on a run, wanted me to pick you up.”
“Where did he go?” I ask, wondering why he hadn’t said anything.
“Club business,” Arrow grunts back, then rubs his beard.
Fuck, he’s hot.
His eyes snap to mine and narrow. It’s then I realize that I said that out loud.
Holy shit.
“I mean, fuck, it’s hot,” I blurt, clearing my throat.
It isn’t really that hot, so I sound even more stupid.
I look down so he doesn’t see my flushed cheeks. The last thing I need is for him to know the extent of my attraction to him, so divulging shit like that is not something I need to be doing.
“You’re pretty hot yourself, Anna,” he replies. Was that amusement I can hear in his tone?
I look up and, yes, his eyes are dancing with it. I decide to play it off with a shrug. “What? You’re a good-looking man. Is it a crime to admire the wrapping?”
“Fuck,” he whispers quietly.
“What?”
“Be easier if you weren’t attracted to me.”
My eyebrows raise. “Why is that?”
A muscle tics in his jaw. “I think you’re really something, Anna. But people I care about get hurt. If you’re smart, you will hide what I can so easily see in your eyes because it makes me tempted to take what you’re offering.”
I look down.
I do want him.
I don’t know what he saw in my eyes, but I can only imagine. I wish my eyes weren’t so expressive.
My phone vibrates, so I pull it out of my pocket, glad for something to do.
“Who’s messaging you?” he asks.
My head snaps up. “A friend.”
It was Damien, wanting to meet up to study.
“This friend have a cock? ’Cause then we got a problem,” he rasps, grinning and showing off his straight white teeth.
“So what, I’m not allowed any male friends? Never mind, don’t even answer that because I don’t want to hear what you have to say,” I snap, shaking my head in astonishment. “Give you men an inch, I tell you what.”
“You done?” he asks, obviously sick of me rambling on. “Besides, pretty sure it’s meant to be the man giving you inch by inch.”
Did he just make a sexual innuendo?
“For now,” I say, wanting to have the last word. “And I wouldn’t know about any inches because I’ve been having a dry spell for quite a while now.”
“How long?” he asks, watching me intently.
“Long enough.”
“Hmmmm,” he replies, then clears his throat.
“I’ll be picking you up tonight as well, after your shift,” he says when I don’t speak.
He reaches out his big hand and I pass him my bag. “I don’t remember telling anyone about my job.”
His brown eyes search mine. “Rake is fuckin’ confused as to why you got yourself a job when he gave you a shitload of money that should last you all fuckin’ year.”
“I don’t want his money, I want to make my own money.”
It was as simple as that.
“Stubborn.”
My lips tighten. “I’m not lazy. I can work to support myself. Only a lazy woman is impressed with wealth, while hardworking women can go out there and get money themselves.”
Arrow shakes his head. “Your brother wants to help you; cut him some slack. Christ, you’re a pain in the ass.”
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful to him, and it’s nice knowing the money is there if I ever get in a bad spot.”
“Did you tell Rake that?”
“Of course I did,” I reply, frowning. “It was a generous thing to do.”
“It was very generous. Rake is a good man.”
I nod. “I know; trust me, I know. I’d do anything for him too. I’m just hoping he will give me a little more freedom.”