Chapter 6

"You gonna tell me what two members of Devil's Riot MC are doing here with you?" Rico asks, matted hands up while I throw punches at him.

"Nope," I mutter, doing my best to ignore the two men. It"s more like ignoring the one who slept in my bed last night. The very same one I woke up before, only to find him palming one of my breasts in one hand, the other cupping me between my legs. My panties were damp yet again.

It took me a while to extract myself from his arms and get up. Once I finally managed to do so, I rushed to get changed before he could wake up. I needed to get the gym, and he wasn't keeping me from doing so. The self-defense classes were my baby, and I loved teaching them. Giving those who need it the confidence to protect themselves gives me great pride.

Bruiser tried arguing with me about driving and, of course, won when he threw me over his shoulder and deposited me into the passenger seat. I'd been too stunned to fight back on this. So, I sat there simmering, thinking of ways to make him pay. I was still tossing ideas around when we got to the gym, where I immediately told Rico we were sparring. He's the only one I partner up with.

The first class isn't until ten, and I have time to get a good session in before needing to prepare.

The first good twenty minutes, Rico kept his mouth shut, didn't say anything, just kept looking in the direction of both Bruiser and Dagger.

"All right, then you want to explain why Bruiser is looking ready to commit murder? My murder, to be exact." Rico keeps his voice low.

"Who the hell knows? Just ignore him." I throw another combination of punches and end it with a roundhouse.

"Gwenny, I know you. I also know them. You're either seeing one of them or something's up. Talk to me," Rico states calmly as he motions for me to take a breather.

"It's nothing, and I'm definitely not seeing either of them," I huff and grab my water bottle from the corner of the ring. "I'm dealing with it, and until then, I unfortunately have those two for bodyguards."

"I wouldn't call having the threat of being kidnapped and sold to human traffickers nothing."

I twist around at the sound of Bruiser's harsh words to find him at the edge of the ring and climbing into it. "What are you doing?" I demand, yet my heart starts racing harder than it already was.

"You wanna say that again?" Rico asks. "I'm not sure I heard you correctly."

"You heard me," Bruiser grunts. "You wanna play it off, so be it, but don't lie about the threat and act like it's not a big deal. It's a massive fuckin' big deal."

"Don't you tell me what's a big deal and what's not," I snap, pointing a finger in Bruiser's chest, jabbing him with it. This might not be the smartest thing to do, but he shouldn't have butted into my conversation with Rico. "You don't get to have a say about it, period. You're just around to make sure I don't get taken by a sick bastard who thinks he can take what he wants." I barely realize I'm screaming until the last word leaves my lips.

Okay, so this situation isn't sitting as well with me as I want others to believe. I mean, who finds out their family is in so much debt, they'd get in bed with a bad guy to handle the situation rather than admitting they need help and getting it? Because of them, my life is being threatened. Mine and several other women. Who can blame me for having a weak moment and losing my shit.

Spinning away from Bruiser, I face off with Rico and motion to him I'm ready to go again. "Let's go."

"Babe, you need to talk about this," Rico mutters, turning his attention from Bruiser to me. His head moving in slow motion.

"No, Rico, I don't. I need to be ready if someone comes at me. So, let's do this, damnit, and drop the subject. I don't have much more time before people start showing up for the class." I huff, ignoring the fact Bruiser is still standing not far from where I am.

After feeling his touch, I don't think I could ever be able to ignore his presence, which is something else I don't understand. What is it about this man that gets to me?

"Why didn't you tell me you were in trouble?" Angie demands, storming into my apartment.

I'd only just gotten out of the shower after attempting to relieve myself of some of the arousal still flowing through my veins. My body is still humming with the need for more which simply pisses me off more. Throughout the day, Bruiser has kept close to me, eyes heated with what I hope is just frustration, but if he's feeling what I am, it's more sexual than anything.

During my last class of the day, I kept sneaking a peek at his crotch and saw what I'd felt last night. That hard shaft he's sporting is nothing to joke about. To make matters worse for me, my mouth was all but watering for a taste of him. I even called him up to use him as a demonstration of how to get away from a man his size. Thankfully, he joined without issue.

Well, not any big ones. Every woman in the class had all but swooned at the sight of him. A few even gave him their numbers. He grinned and even flirted a bit, but I saw him toss the numbers in the trashcan on our way out.

"What's there to know?" I shrug and curl into the corner of my couch, aware of Bruiser and Dagger watching my friend stomp the short distance and collapse next to me.

Dagger had been the one to answer the door, and he was staring at my friend like she had two heads because she completely plowed right past him. Bruiser, on the other hand, had been coming out of the kitchen with a glass in his hand.

"Gwenny, you know that bullshit act doesn't work with me," Angie snaps, kicks off her shoes, and turns to sit cross-legged, facing me. "Now, dish. I want to know what's going on and why you have two hunk-a-licious men in your apartment when we both know you never allow any man except for Mick, Dad, Ross, and your brother in here."

"Seriously, Angie, it's nothing," I try again. I'm tired of everyone wanting to know about something I find entirely humiliating.

"Princess, you best tell your friend the truth," Bruiser states using that damn nickname. A part of me hates it, but another loves it. Every time he calls me that, a shiver races down my spine straight to where I crave the feel of him the most.

I swear if I don't do something about this soon, I'm going to end up in bed with him and not just how we were last night. I don't even know the man. I've barely spoken to him in any other way besides frustrated snaps.

"What's the truth?" Angie cocks a brow, eyes on Bruiser, traveling the length of him. "You might as well tell me since my best friend doesn't seem inclined to tell me, Mr. Panty-Wetter." Her gaze comes back to me, and she grins. "Seriously, tell me you've experienced all that is him."

"Um, no," I grumble and shake my head, hoping to keep me from figuring out my thoughts when it comes to Bruiser.

Bruiser chuckles, and out of the corner of my eye, I watch him close the distance between us and him. He sits on the arm of my couch, his leg touching me, the hand not holding his drink brushes over my shoulder. "Not yet, she hasn't, but it'll happen," he says directly to me. I know this especially when I twist around in my seat enough to look up and meet his gaze.

"No, it's not," I mutter and decide the best course of action is to ignore him. Focus on Angie and what she's doing here. "So, who told on me anyway?"

"Rico." She grins. "I called looking for you, and he told me. He also asked me if I wanted to go grab a beer."

Oh boy.

"Don't get your hopes up, chickadee. You know he's only being friendly," I warn her.

"Oh, I know. He told me he wanted to talk about doing a CPR course for the teens in the area."

He did? Rico didn't mention any of this to me.

"Why didn't he ask me while I was there?" I blurt out, furrowing my brow.

"Maybe because you have enough on your plate as it is," Angie suggests. "Anyway, tell me exactly what's going on. I know there's more to it."

I release a sigh and fill Angie in on what's going on, including the two bodyguards. There wouldn't be any hiding it from her tomorrow when we're back on shift and Dagger's there going on calls with us.

I don't know exactly how it's going to work with Bruiser, but he definitely isn't going on calls with me.

"Speaking of shifts," Dagger remarks. "It'll just be me, but that doesn't mean Bruiser won't be around."

"I'll definitely be around," Bruiser states. "Also, you should know we've got somewhere to be once you're off shift again."

"We do? Where?" As far as I'm concerned, the only place I have to be is in my bed again, where I can sleep for hours without worrying about a call-out.

"Dinner at my momma's. There's no getting out of it, so don't even try to argue with me on it. She'll lose her shit on me if I don't come. That means your ass is at her table next to me," Bruiser says, leaving no room for argument. Not that I could as it is.

Dinner with his mother? That's something for couples. We're surely not a couple. I don't even think I've ever had dinner with a man's mother before. It's kind of freaking me out.

"Oh, this is going to be interesting," Angie murmurs.

"Why do you say that?" I ask, clearing my throat.

"Because I know you, Gwenny." She laughs, falls over, and lays her head in my lap. "You're totally freaking out on the inside."

I definitely am doing that, but I'm not sure I can handle it without having a full-on freak out.

Thankfully, Dagger changes the subject and asks questions about how we handle things on shift. It's a topic I can handle. Though, I know something's going to have to give soon with Bruiser because he's driving me insane.

Something about him just screams at me to jump his bones and have my wicked way with him.

Prolonging the need to go to bed as long as I can, I stare into the mirror over my bathroom sink. I've moisturized, taken my vitamins, and even gave myself a mani/pedi. My nails have never looked so good.

I feel completely vulnerable right now when I shouldn't. However, I know when I step out of this bathroom, I'm going to have to face Bruiser. Alone. In my room. A room that has a very big bed in it.

A knock comes through the door, and I nearly jump out of my skin.

Geez, get a grip, I snap to myself. He's only a man. A very large man I want to climb like a tree.

"What do you want?" I demand, throwing the door open, coming face to bare chest . . . a chest I really want to lick all over.

"You about done hiding out in the bathroom?" he asks, sounding amused.

"I wasn't hiding out," I lie. "I was giving myself a mani/pedi, if you must know."

"You were hiding," Bruiser states.

"Was not." It's all I can do to keep from stomping my foot.

Bruiser doesn't bother with a retort. No, his response is to bend, scoop me up over his shoulder, and carry me over to the bed, where he tosses me, and I bounce in the middle.

"What are you . . ."

I don't get to finish before Bruiser's body comes up and over me, spreading my legs to press into me. A gasp leaves my lips, giving him the perfect opportunity to claim my mouth. Bruiser kisses me deeply, thoroughly.

Oh my. I don't think I've ever been kissed so intensely. Passionate doesn't come close to describing the heat of the moment.

A moan leaves my lips as he grinds his hard denim-clad length against me. The ultra-thin boyshorts do nothing to protect me from the sensations shooting through me like a rocket.

Bruiser wraps his fingers in my hair, holding me in place. I'm his for the taking, and I want him to take everything as long as it ends with him inside me.

Sensations lick at my nerve endings, and I want him to give me more. I need more.

Unfortunately, Bruiser doesn't give me what I need. What he does is break his lips from mine. Breathing heavily, he rolls away.

"Now, let's get some sleep. You've got a shift," he says, pulling the covers up over the both of us.

"What was that?" I blurt, unable to stop the question from slipping past my lips. My body is raging with the need to throw myself over him and take what he denied me. But I refuse to let my body overrule my mind. I know better than to do something so foolhardy.

"That, Princess, is me telling you this is happening."

"Happening?" I cock a brow.

"Yeah, Gwyneth." A shiver rushes down my spine at the way he rasps my name and leans in to brush his lips against mine once again. "You and me. We're happening. Get used to the idea, Princess, ‘cause after your shift, we're having dinner at my mom's, then I'm bringing you back here where I'm gonna fuck you until you have to go back to work for the next shift."

Well, okay then.