Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

P aige had no idea what had come over her. When she’d seen ‘Ron Snyder’ on her schedule that morning, she had no idea who he was. The few people from town she was on a first name basis with were mostly women and none of the few men she knew were named Ron. Actually, since moving to Mount Grove, the only ‘Ron’ she knew was her father-in-law, who, like her husband, did not go by common nickname versions of their names. They were Richard and Ronald, not Rick or Ron.

She’d seen Demo at a distance several times while on club property. Many of the members she knew by their name but not their face; or she would recognize their face but would have to cheat and look at their cut to know their name. There were just too many of them when she didn’t know them personally. If she didn’t trust Lucky as much as she did, she never would have accepted Abby’s invitation to have the club men take her boys on their outings with the other club kids while she socialized with the ladies.

But the truth was, even at a distance, she knew Demo. The first time she’d seen him, at Harper and Lucky’s wedding last May, her entire body had reacted on a molecular level. Since hanging out with the club women, Paige had heard some things about the men’s reputations. Prior to Angel domesticating him last year, Cage had been the club’s biggest womanizer. Many of the women had called him an Adonis for his striking Greek looks. And, while Paige could not deny that Cage was ruggedly beautiful, Demo was hot .

If she was twenty years younger, she might even have the nerve to call him h-a-w-t hot . Sadly, though, she was not. While there was no love for Richard still in her heart for his deception and desertion, it did not change the fact that she was still legally married. A status which she couldn’t even afford to change because she was too busy trying to keep her boys fed with a roof over their heads.

Wherever the hell Richard was, she hoped he was miserable. Downright miserable. Like living on the streets with fleas and mice and cockroaches miserable. Living in squalor and having to sell his body for mere scraps of food miserable. Following the first pictures she’d taken to be posted on the foot fetish website, she’d even prayed for Richard to contract genital warts, chlamydia, and gonorrhea all at the same time. Just to even out their suffering.

If she was free of Richard, though, she might have pursued Demo. Or at least, introduced herself. Learned his legal name. Made sure he knew she existed.

But she wasn’t free…

Based on the information he provided when he had made his appointment online, she knew he was two years younger than she was. Two years wasn’t that big of a deal. It wasn’t like she was a cougar. Hell, Lucky and Harper had a fourteen year age difference and they seemed to make it work. More than work. Lucky looked at Harper like she was his entire universe.

Richard had never done that. Paige had been an ornament, a prize to be won. Hell, if one of her stepbrother’s nastier messages could be believed, she’d been a bet . Clifton claimed that he’d bet Richard a hundred grand that he couldn’t fuck his stepsister by the end of the summer before her last year of college.

“…who knew my little sister was so big a slut that she kept on fucking him for free…”

Paige internally winced at the memory of listening to that message, drawing her shared laughter with Demo up short.

She was aware enough of herself to admit she’d been flirting with him. As soon as she realized he was here for her—or rather, for her services—she hadn’t been able to help herself. To finally be able to talk to him…

But it couldn’t go anywhere. She was still married.

She had to get her head on straight. Ring or no ring, hot guy or no hot guy, she was still married. Richard might not take that seriously, but she did. Her inability to even consider becoming intimate with another man had nothing to do with loyalty to Richard but her own personal morals. She’d made a promise, a vow, and she would not be the one to break that vow. Despite her suspicions, she had no proof of Richard’s affairs. When he returned— if he returned—she would not give him any fuel to potentially take her children away from her.

Everything she did was for her sons. She would not do anything that could risk them or their future.

Paige found herself blushing as she recalled her comment about his hand. Covering her mouth with her fingers to hide her smile, she shrugged, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

He thankfully did not seem offended. Even with the laughter, he could have taken her comment very differently. “You should have seen the other guy.”

“Is that what you’re here for?” Paige asked, wanting to steer the conversation to a more professional level. “Is your hand causing you pain?”

Normally she wouldn’t speak about a patient’s private reasons for seeking her experience out in the main room, but it wasn’t like she had a receptionist or other patients around to overhear. A swell of depression at her empty clinic tried to take hold of her heart until she pushed it away.

She’d actually gotten to eat the day before and she had plans to go grocery shopping after she was done at the clinic—which, unfortunately, was whenever Demo’s appointment ended. In an effort to cut back utility costs, she’d only been coming in for scheduled appointment times. If she had a higher walk-in clientele, she might have stayed open. There were only so many times she could clean the clinic from top to bottom before the reality that no one else was coming in would come crashing down on her.

Demo shook his head. “That’s an old injury. Other than the occasional phantom pains, the only issue with missing my fingers is my inability to count higher than seven.” He held up his right hand with all five fingers and his left hand with his two remaining fingers, wiggling the digits individually like a child learning to count.

Paige stifled a laugh.

Demo’s good mood soured as he admitted, “It’s my shoulder. I have nerve damage from an injury about six months ago.”

Paige came around the reception counter, her eyes fixed on his shoulder. She knew immediately which one he meant from how stiff he was holding the arm. Even with his cut and jacket on, she could tell.

“Can you remove your jacket for me please?” Paige indicated to the coat tree by the front door as she reached into the pocket of her lab coat for a pair of latex gloves. Some acupuncturists looked down on her for using them, claiming that they took away from the transference of energy, but Paige was too conscious of illnesses and diseases she could potentially bring around her sons to not wear the gloves. Additionally, the shower in the back was why she had chosen this building for her lease even though it was bigger than her requirements. She always made sure to sanitize and shower before returning home to her sons.

When Demo returned to her without his jacket but still wearing his cut, she fought to roll her eyes. Even Lucky treated the garment like it was sewn with pure gold thread. There was even a rule about the cuts not being able to touch the ground, like there were for American Flags. A part of her wanted to ask if they had to burn the cuts too if they touched the floor.

“What happened?” she inquired, putting on one glove.

“Bullet,” he said shortly.

Paige froze with her second glove only halfway on her hand. She looked up at him. He was about six inches taller than her five-foot-six frame. Richard was only two inches taller at five-eight. It had always been a point of contention for him that he hadn’t been taller like his father and was the same height as his little sister.

Is , she corrected herself. Richard might be in her past, but until she was able to serve him divorce papers, he was still a part of her life.

The moment Demo said ‘bullet’, though, Paige knew exactly how he’d gotten injured. “You’re the one who got shot protecting Jasmine.”

“Poorly protecting Jasmine,” he amended. There was definitely self-contempt in his voice. Like he hadn’t done enough when he’d gotten shot.

Paige knew the story. Jasmine and Sophia had been kidnapped after stumbling across an illegal dog-fighting ring just outside of town. Harper had told her that one of the club brothers had been shot protecting Jasmine, but she hadn’t said who. Paige wasn’t close enough to any of the brothers other than Lucky and Bulldog for ‘who’ to have mattered. It would have been nothing more than a faceless name. However , what had stuck with her was the sacrifice of that member. He could have died protecting Jasmine. Who does that? Besides the Secret Service?

Apparently, Demo did. Paige recalled Harper saying he had taken two bullets, but Demo had used the singular definition.

“I wouldn’t call taking a bullet for someone ‘poor protection’,” Paige told him sternly, making sure her voice portrayed her disagreement with his word choice.

“Taking a bullet also didn’t stop her from being taken,” he asserted.

Paige finished putting on the second glove. Her hesitation at her next question wasn’t as a practitioner but as a woman. She needed to know the answer, but she didn’t want to know either. “Harper told me about it. If I recall correctly, she’d said you were shot with…two bullets.” Her voice cracked on the word ‘two’.

He nodded. Demo untucked his shirt from his belted pants to reveal his right abdomen. A few inches to the right of his belly button was a vertical scar, about an inch and a half long.

Paige swallowed hard. Wow . Every female part of her body woke up and took notice of his firmly muscled stomach. Richard had paid an ungodly amount of money over the years for gym memberships and personal trainers to not even get a single pack, let alone six of them. Demo’s middle was firm and cut. The hard ridges of his body were as defined as a marble sculpture.

Paige had to bite the interior of her bottom lip to keep from licking her lips—or worse: asking if she could lick him . Her nipples sharpened to tight peaks against her bra and there was an embarrassing damp spot forming on her panties that reminded her she hadn’t had sex since before her three-year-old son was born. In fact, the last time she’d had sex might have been when she’d conceived him.

Richard had not been a generous lover. Nor had he been an understanding one. Her period had been ‘gross’ and he refused to even sleep in the same bed as her when she was menstruating. Her cramps had been a figment of her imagination. Pregnancy had been a means to an end, one that he did not partake in. Despite her assurances that it was safe to have pregnancy sex, Richard had refused. Something about the baby being able to see his penis from inside the womb. To this day, Paige still did not know if he was joking.

Even though she was a mother of two, she probably had only had sex with her husband a dozen or so times over the course of their seven-year marriage. He’d refused to touch her after Mikey had been born due to the baby weight she’d gained.

When they’d been dating, they’d been unable to keep their hands off of each other. It was one of the reasons Paige had suspected him of having an affair or multiple affairs, because she knew he wasn’t satisfying himself with her. It was like putting a ring on her finger had turned her unattractive and unappealing to him.

Needing to hide her reaction to Demo’s body, Paige bent forward as if she was examining the healed wound closer. Her heart was beating like a drum line in her chest, she was surprised her boobs weren’t visibly dancing to the tune. She felt flushed and a little lightheaded.

Unfortunately, getting closer to him was a mistake. His scent enveloped her like a cloud, seeping into her pores. The perfect mixture of Old Spice , leather, and manly musk.

Paige rose slowly, knowing she couldn’t remain bent over and staring at his abs for too long without drawing suspicion. After all, his abs were not his problem area.

Their eyes met. His sea green to her chocolate brown. Demo had a unique shade of caramel brown hair that made her wonder if he dyed it to achieve that color. The sides of his head were shorn close to his skin with a burst fade mohawk, the longer strands falling backward versus standing straight up in the air. The look did not appear juvenile or unprofessional on him. If anything, it gave him an aura of confidence and masculine strength.

There was nothing youthful about him, despite being two years her junior.

His pupils dilated and his nostrils flared. There was something powerful, almost possessive in his gaze on her. For a moment, Paige thought he might kiss her. God, she wanted him to.

Paige forced herself to step back. It had been a long time since she’d been this attracted to a man. Beyond that, he was her patient. It was entirely unprofessional and unethical to even consider kissing him.

“Um,” she cleared her throat, “follow me back to the therapy room please. Let me take a look at your shoulder.”

She turned her back on him, needing to put distance between them but also clear him out of her vision. He was about to take off his shirt and pants. It was going to be hard enough when he did so—God, she hoped that statement did not turn into a pun.

This is not a porno! Get your head out of the gutter! He’s a patient, not a porn star you can ravage!

As Demo followed her back into the room, though, she caught a whiff of his scent again and, damn, she was screwed. And definitely not in the fun way.

“Please remove your shirt, boots, socks, and pants. I’ll step out a moment to give you some privacy. I don’t know if you’re familiar with acupuncture or acupressure practices but I will need access to your entire body.”

The air in the small therapy room practically crackled at her words. Demo was not a shy man, but he did not have the sort of control over his body that he needed to remove his pants in front of her and not embarrass either one of them.

The room housed a sheeted massage bed, a heat lamp with a bendable arm, a rolling stand with cotton balls, needles, lotions, a flat looking green rock, glass bowls, and a lounge chair. Though there was a step stool to aid patients up and down from the bed, Demo would not be requiring such assistance.

Despite her offer of privacy, Demo stripped off his shirt and started to toe off his boots while her back was still to him. Thankfully his boots were loose enough that he didn’t need to struggle with the laces. How fucked up that he couldn’t even wear boots without needing to make accommodations for his shoulder?

Paige turned from what she was doing at the rolling tray, saw his naked chest, flushed a bright red, and spun back around.

Demo immediately regretted starting to undress already. He hadn’t meant to make her uncomfortable. Sometimes getting his shirt on and off was a challenge. It just made sense to have her here in case he needed assistance. He did not want to be Winnie the Pooh-ing it when she walked back into the room because he was unable to get his shirt off on his own.

“Sorry.” His voice came out a bit deeper than normal. He was aware of the effect he had on her. What she didn’t seem to be grasping was that she had just as much, if not more, of an effect on him.

“It’s fine.” Her words came out quickly. “I, uh, I usually just step out to give my patients privacy.”

“Never understood that.” Demo was desperate to make her smile again. He did not like seeing her flushed and anxious—even if it derived from arousal. “Why do doctors step outside to give us privacy to undress when they see us naked when they come back into the room anyway?”

There was a heavy second before he saw her shoulders start to shake. “Honestly,” she giggled, “I have no idea. I guess it’s just something that’s expected or it signifies privacy…” Paige shrugged and slowly turned back around. “Some people would feel uncomfortable undressing in front of their doctor, even if that doctor isn’t watching.”

Demo held her gaze as he flicked open the button of his dark blue jeans. His shirt and cut were lying on the massage table at his hip. “I take it you don’t watch then?”

Her cheeks blushed but she held her head up high this time. “Not generally, no.”

That didn’t mean she didn’t plan on watching now.

Demo lowered the zipper of his jeans. “What if a patient needed assistance out of his or her clothes? Would you help them undress?”

Her chocolate eyes seemed to darken and her breath hitched. “So far that hasn’t happened yet. Most of my patients know to wear loose clothing so they don’t have to disrobe. Because you’re wearing jeans, I need you to remove them completely.”

“Not sure I own any loose clothing.”

“I’ll buy you a pair of gray sweatpants,” she offered with a twitch of her lips that said the sweats were for her as much as they were for him. Her eyes trailed down his naked torso to his hand still on his fly.

Demo tipped his head to the side. There was no way she couldn’t see his erection, even with his hand where it was. He was a shower, not a grower. He didn’t need to be fully erect for his long cock to be noticeable. Like his body, his cock lacked width, but he was long. Very long. With her eyes on him, there was little chance of him not getting an erection regardless.

“I’ll take you up on that.”

His voice seemed to snap her out of her staring. Paige’s head rose so fast, he was surprised she didn’t lose her balance.

“What? Oh, um, just…” She looked around, her eyes landing on his shirt and cut. “I’ll just bring these over to the chair while you remove your pants.”

Still amused by her fluster, Demo dropped his pants down his long legs. His boxer briefs did nothing to hide his own arousal.

As Paige bent over to grab his boots, his eyes landed on her ass. Fuck. His cock was not going to behave during this session. Even the throbbing in his shoulder couldn’t seem to quell his libido.

“Sit up on the table please.” Demo did as instructed. Moving forward, Paige removed his white crew socks from his feet.

She paused at the sight before her. Glancing up, Demo shrugged his right shoulder unapologetically. “Lila likes to paint our nails.” He wiggled his painted toes for emphasis. “According to her, yellow is my color.”

He saw Paige bite her lips between her teeth in an effort to not laugh as she folded his socks together and then placed them on top of his other folded clothing.

Approaching the table, she came just short of touching her hips to his knees. “Stick out your tongue please.”

Demo blinked in confusion. Despite the tension in the room, he did not think Paige meant that request sexually. “Excuse me?”

“I need to look at your tongue,” she told him, her eyes sparkling with amusement. There was no doubt she knew exactly what had caused his confusion. “Your tongue can tell me a lot about you and your lifestyle. From the coloring and coating to the cracks along it.”

That did not clear up his confusion at all. But he silently stuck out his tongue at her. Why did it feel like he was in third grade again, sticking his tongue out at the girl he liked across the classroom?

Paige leaned in to study his tongue. She even put a hand on his scruff-covered chin to adjust his face to the angle of her choosing. Demo sat still with his hands laced on his lap to help cover his erection.

“You’re slightly QI deficient,” Paige said as she dropped her gloved hand and took a step back. “Fatigue, poor appetite, shortness of breath, and I’m guessing spontaneous sweating. I can attribute most of that to the pain in your shoulder, but some of it is coming from your liver. We’ll take care of that today too.”

Demo stared at her in amazement. “Are you a witch?”

She laughed. “No.”

“Mutant?”

“No.”

“Alien?”

She shook her head. “ No! ” she laughed. “I can tell all of that from the shading of your tongue and the thin white coating on it. You have a couple of red spots too.”

Demo stuck out his tongue and nearly went cross eyed trying to look down his face at it. He knew damn well that he wasn’t going to be able to see his tongue, but he loved hearing her laugh. Even if it meant making a fool of himself.

Paige reached into her lab coat and pulled out a compact mirror. “Here.”

Demo accepted the mirror. She didn’t seem like a vain person to be carrying around a compact mirror so readily.

“You’re not the first person to question the tongue exam,” she explained without him having to ask. “I learned a long time ago to carry the mirror in my pocket for the skeptics.”

That did make more sense. Demo looked at his tongue in the mirror and, sure enough, everything she said was true. His pale tongue did have a thin, white coating over it and very small red spots.

Demo closed the mirror and handed it back to her. “You know, when they say ‘don’t tongue on the first date’, I don’t think this is what they meant.”

That delightful blush reappeared on her cheeks. “It’s a good thing we’re not on a date then.” Demo was very tempted to take the opening and ask her out on one for that afternoon, but she instructed, “Lie back please. I want to take a look at your shoulder before we get started. I know you’re nervous about the needles, but rest assured, I’ll be gentle and talk you through your first time.”

“You mean you’re not going to tell me to just lie back and take it? I do appreciate your tenderness as you pop my cherry, Doc.” Demo was fairly certain he was going to hell—but it would be worth it.

Holy fuck. Was there something in the air in this place? Demo could not remember the last time he’d felt such a pull towards a woman. Paige was girl-next-door beautiful, but it was her sense of humor and tenacity that caught and held his heart.

There were a lot of men who did not see the appeal in strong women. They thought it lessened their masculinity. Demo had never been one of those men. For him, strength had less to do with what you could offer someone and more to do with what you would do for someone.

Paige was trying to do it all. Her struggles weren’t attributed to her failing but to her resilience.

As he laid back on the exam table, Demo knew several things were about to happen. First, he was going to order her some damn lunch to be delivered from the diner down the street. It might be too early for traditional lunch, but he’d bet every dollar that he owned that she hadn’t eaten yet today. Second, he was ordering her a damn computer and paying off the lease on this place for the next several months. She did not need to be working in a low light environment to save on electricity bills. Third, he was getting her some clientele. She hadn’t even worked on him yet and he knew she was good at what she did. The amount of pride she took in this clinic when she barely had any paying patients made that obvious.

And finally, he was taking Paige Hannigan on a fucking date. It was time for her to catch a fucking break in life. Demo had every intention of being the provider of that break.

Relax , she said… Find your inner peace, she said.

Not exactly an easy feat, that. Paige had left Demo in the dimmed room with a variety of needles sticking out of his body and soothing harp music playing low in the background. It should have been relaxing, but his damn dick would not behave.

The fun part about having a long dick was that he could enter or remain inside a woman while still partly or fully flaccid. The downfall was the fact that there was no hiding his dick while laying back just in his underwear, despite his efforts to think only of the erotic furry magazine one of his fellow EOD specialists had given him for a gag gift for his twentieth birthday instead of the luscious single mom rubbing her hands all over him. On a dare, Demo had once tried tucking, but he hadn’t even lasted ten minutes with his balls hidden and his dick pulled back between his legs. There was a possibility that Demo had done it wrong, but he also had no desire to try it again until Paige had her face inches from his groin while putting needles in his thigh to help increase blood circulation.

“Generally, this point is used on women to help with PMS or menstrual cramps, but I’m doing it for you now because we need to stimulate your blood flow to help your shoulder pain.”

Demo really wanted to tell her that lack of blood flow was not a current problem for him but did not want to draw further attention to his dilemma. If she was anyone else, he would have, but this was Paige . Lucky would castrate him if he did anything to disrespect or upset her. Hell, Demo would sit back and let him if he did too.

Paige was refreshing and funny. He’d never met a woman like her before and wondered how she could have been under his nose for so long without him knowing about her.

True to her word, Paige was very gentle with him. She talked him through the different points and why she was placing needles in his feet to help his headaches and his calves to help his liver spots. He was still pretty sure she practiced witchcraft. There was no way she could know based on feeling the energy of his body that he was sleep deprived due to pain.

And why were there needles in his ears? Demo couldn’t remember her reasoning.

Demo was definitely going to do some research once he was out of here. He truly didn’t doubt Paige or her profession, but it was a bit freaky to watch her work her magic after being subjected to thirty-one years of modern ‘Big Pharma’ medicine. He found acupuncture and her practice of it utterly fascinating. He’d heard of acupuncture before, seen it in movies and such, but he’d never experienced it himself. It was in his nature to learn everything he could about something that caught his attention like Paige had. Acupuncture was a big part of her life, so it was about to become a big part of his.

That knowledge still didn’t help him relax though. By the time Paige came back into the room, he was trying to think of the time he’d accidentally walked in on his grandparents doing it to get his libido under control. Fuck. Watching her approach him in the low light, seeing her stand over him, her loose shirt gaping just enough for him to see she was wearing a lavender bra beneath…

Fuck! Demo slammed his eyes closed. Careful of the needles, he slid his fingertips beneath his ass to force his hands to behave when they wanted nothing more than to pull her down on top of him. Christ, the things he wanted to do to her body… Nope. Fuck. Demo wondered if one of her magic needles could divert blood flow. That ’s the needle he needed right then.

“How are you feeling?” Her voice was slow, soothing. Like she didn’t want to wake him. Jesus, he wanted to hear what she sounded like first thing in the morning just before he plunged inside her…

“Fine,” he forced out. His own voice sounded tight and restrained. Demo cleared his throat and retried, “Fine.” At least that time he didn’t sound like he had swallowed a dog’s squeaker toy.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, like she didn’t believe him. She journeyed down towards his feet. “I’m going to remove the needles and then we’ll get started on your shoulder.”

Demo couldn’t take his eyes off of her. Looking longways down his body, his eyes tracked every minute movement. He pictured taking all of those pens out of her hair, one by one, and then grabbing her elastic hairband that must have the strength of Superman and easing it out of her curly locks… Letting her mass of curls fall down to her shoulders, brushing them out of her face, holding them bunched on top of her head as she sank to her knees before him…

“Demo?”

He jumped. Blinked. Paige was standing by his left hip now. Fuck, when had she moved up from his feet? So much for watching her every move. “Yes?”

He didn’t bother to hide the heat in his eyes or his body’s obvious desire for her. It wouldn’t have mattered anyway. Nothing was working to quash his need and he had every intention of making her just as hot as he was later on.

“You know I’m married, right?”

And just like that, a bucket of ice water was thrown on top of him. The fire extinguished, sizzled down to burnt embers.

He’d forgotten. It was his only excuse. He certainly hadn’t forgotten who her husband was or what he had done or how his decisions were still affecting Paige now, but he’d forgotten she didn’t know Richard was dead.

Two years ago in April. Two years since the club had secured Richard Hannigan naked to their cellar ceiling and tortured him for abducting women for Mateo Castillo’s human trafficking ring. Two years since Lucky had burned the man’s feet like they were rotisserie chickens as payback for Richard throwing several Molotov cocktails through Lucky’s living room window while Lucky, Harper, Scotty, Steel, and Jenna slept peacefully inside. Two years since Steel had ordered Scar to remove Richard’s cock and balls as punishment for raping a woman to prove his loyalty to the cartel. Two years since Scar had delivered his broken, dead body to Mateo Castillo as proof that he was no longer alive to pay back his debt of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars and as an example of what would happen to Castillo if he came to Mount Grove seeking that money from Richard’s widow or sister.

Four months later, Bulldog had shot Castillo in the head as he hung from the same chains Richard once had.

Paige knew none of it. As far as she knew, her husband was a missing person. Did she think he’d been kidnapped or joined the ranks of deadbeat dads who ran off with their secretaries? What did Paige think of her husband? Had she known about the depths of his sins? Even if she didn’t know everything, did she know anything?

Did she still love him?

Demo’s stomach soured at the thought. Clearly, she was still loyal to him at the very least. She didn’t wear her wedding rings, but that might have been because she was at work and wore gloves.

He had the strongest urge to tell her the truth, that she was a widow and free of any obligations she might feel towards her husband. But what the hell was he supposed to say? Why would he know her husband’s fate when the police didn’t? Demo knew from Carlos’s last report that Paige was still making inquiries with the sheriff’s department about her husband’s disappearance.

Didn’t that show she was still concerned about him? How fast does one fall out of love? Especially if she didn’t think Richard did anything wrong? What if she thought he was the victim? Her money troubles meant she knew at least some of his gambling habits. Was she still praying and hoping he would return home? To her ?

Paige was a single mom. She had two young sons who were also missing their father.

Demo needed to talk to Lucky. He needed to know how much Paige knew and what she believed. At the very least, he needed to know if she still loved her husband. The argument could be presented that she did. After all, if she didn’t, she wouldn’t have reminded Demo of her marriage when he was so openly aroused by her.

“I know,” he told her solemnly. “Ignore me. My body’s a total flirt when it comes to beautiful women. Curse of being a good-looking bachelor.”

Her cheeks flushed again—but this time it wasn’t from her own arousal. She was close enough to the club to know about the Honeys. Even if they were no longer a filled position within the club, it was a known fact around town that two of them now worked as waitresses for the club’s bar, Demon on the Rocks , and that many of the single club members still frequently visited them after work hours. Ghost would not hear of anything happening during business hours, refusing to allow his bar to become a brothel.

Was it wrong of Demo to remind Paige that he was single and that women found him attractive? Probably. The words tasted like acid coming out of his mouth. But what could he say? That he wanted to flirt with her because she was enticing and she was free to flirt back because her husband was actually dead? That she deserved to have a stress-free life filled with nothing but love, happiness, and more babies?

Demo’s brain faltered at those words. More babies? What the fuck? He was not in the breeding or fatherhood business. He was not like his club brothers who had taken children under their wings so readily, regardless of biology. He was around SJ recently because he and Pumpkin were friends and SJ was wherever Pumpkin was. There’d been a few floundering moments and first-time panics, but Pumpkin had taken to fatherhood like a fish to water. Additionally, the club had bombarded Pumpkin with pumpkin baby toys, clothing, and accessories. A few weeks ago, when Pumpkin had been out with the ol’ ladies shopping at Costco , the brothers, Scotty, and Lila had completely redecorated SJ’s nursery with pumpkin-themed bedding, pillows, and a tummy time rug. If they had the time, Demo was sure they would have painted the nursery to look like a pumpkin patch. One drunken mistake over six years ago and Pumpkin was still paying the price.

Despite his love for his son, Demo wondered if Pumpkin also considered his time with Cheryl a mistake. Demo didn’t think so. Lord knows, Cheryl had spent time with a lot of brothers, including Demo.

Even with the sudden depression and guilt swarming inside him at the reminder that Paige did not know she was a widow, Demo couldn’t shake the fantasy of Paige, the desire for her. God forbid—the need to claim her.

The only adult female who had ever ridden on the back of his hog with him was Sissy. As Lucky’s daughter, she was welcome to all club events, including the runs. She had a club kid denim cut, even though she was an adult. She was also very much off-limits. Recently, she’d come out as bisexual and was dating the club’s female prospect, Sara. Her sexuality aside, Demo had never looked at Sissy as anything more than his niece. He’d spent a lot of time with her in her late teenage years to help her prepare financially for college. There’d been nothing extra about their time together, and not just because she’d been jailbait age. Sissy had always been family , like a little sister. Having her ride as his backpack had been fun and pleasurable, but in a completely platonic way.

Besides, until Sissy had told the club at Christmas that she was dating Sara, most of them had been under the impression something had been going on between her and Scar. That idea had taken some brainpower to process. Scar was… Well, he was Scar . There was nothing normal or typical about him. Since everyone knew that Scar did not like to be touched, it hadn’t been that far of a stretch to assume Sissy would need to ride with another club member on the club runs, even if there was something romantic between the two. No matter how many times Sissy insisted they were ‘just friends’, there was no getting past the fact that, for years, Sissy was the only person Scar would hang out with at gatherings or have a conversation—though silent on his part—with.

Demo saw it though. He saw Paige on the back of his hog, her thighs spread around his hips, her breasts flush against his back. The clearest part of the vision, though, was the cut on her back.

The one that said Property of Demo .

It floored him. Completely threw him for a loop. Was this some aftereffect of nearly dying? Of the regret he’d felt at never having had a permanent woman in his life? Or was this something more profound, more life altering?

Was this how it had been for Lucky when he’d met Harper? Bear and Tessa? Bulldog had once described meeting Abby as shifting his life’s focus. Mind, he was six years old, but it had been intense enough for a six-year-old to notice. Demo knew little about Steel and Jenna’s history, though recently it had become known that Jenna’s father had hated Steel and tried to pay him to break up with Jenna. Steel had taken her father’s check—but then he used it to pay for his and Jenna’s wedding.

Demo knew very little about Paige’s life. He didn’t even know which of her sons was Nelson and which was Michael. But there was something… possessive about his desire for her.

Her cheeks were flushed and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. It was like her confidence had been sifted from her. “It’s a perfectly normal reaction for men,” she explained in a very demure voice. Professional. There was nothing familial or sassy about it or her expression. Demo found his jaw tightening in dislike at the sight. “It’s common and you are not my first patient to react so.”

The fuck , went through Demo’s mind. He did not like the idea of other men sprouting erections during her treatment. Not at all.

“Acupuncture and massage therapy increase blood flow and release toxins from your system. It is normal for male genitalia to react to that and the stimulation. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about,” she added quickly, though the color in her cheeks darkened. “I just need you to know that nothing can come of it. I’m sure you know about my marriage from Lucky or Bulldog, but please know that I am not…” Her voice trailed off. Still staring down, she continued in a sterner voice, “I am still married. I hope you will respect that.”

Demo stared at her for a long, silent moment. Lying on his back on the massage table, he had a good view of her, despite her shy posture. In one regard, she did have a point. Despite his apprehensions about being pinpricked by hundreds of needles—yes, he was aware of the exaggeration—the treatment had felt good. He probably wasn’t as relaxed as she’d been hoping when she left him alone for twenty minutes, but he couldn’t argue the fact that his muscles felt less stiff and the pain in his shoulder seemed less intense. It wasn’t gone, not like an instant cure or anything, but more spread out with less sharpness to the pain. He felt like he could at least move his shoulder without the risk of agony.

But his ‘bodily reaction’ as she put it? That was all her and not the treatment. He’d been fighting with his dick against ‘reacting’ since before they’d walked into the therapy room. That reaction was all Paige’s fault.

However, he didn’t think she’d be happy knowing that fact.

Which brought him to his second realization: Paige did not love her husband. There was no longing or desire in her voice when she spoke of her marriage. It was more like a fact of life that she couldn’t change, like saying she had curly hair. She was married. Period.

“I apologize for making you uncomfortable.” That was entirely true and not a line. Regardless of her reasons to claim her marriage, he was sorry he’d caused her embarrassment by his obvious arousal and flirting. “That was never my intention. In all honesty, yes, I know about your husband. I assumed with your ring gone that you were legally separated or divorcing him.”—Fuck, he hated to lie to her. But what else could he say?—“You’re a beautiful woman, Paige. Flirting aside, I do wish to get to know you better. Even if it is only as friends. You’re a part of my club, even if only by marriage. The very last thing I want to do is disrespect you or cause you anxiety.”

Slowly, her chocolate brown eyes lifted to meet his. In the low light of the room, they shone with unshed tears. “Thank you,” her voice was moist, like she was holding back a sob. “That means a lot to me.”

Conscious of the needles still protruding from his body, Demo sat up. His shoulder let out a protest, which he dutifully ignored.

“What are you doing?” she gasped out, putting her hands up as if to stop him.

Demo swung his long legs over the side of the massage table. When she stepped up closer, either to help him or stop him, Demo snagged her hips with his hands and drew her between his knees. He kept a distance between them. Christ, he wanted to drag her flush against his body, to grind their hips together.

Her breath hitched but she did not protest. “You shouldn’t be moving with the needles still?—”

“Look at me, Paige.”

“Demo, I?—”

“ Please look at me.” His tone was gentle and coaxing. She swallowed hard and then met his eyes. Demo lowered his hands from her hips. His grip on her only proved what he already suspected; she was too thin. He could feel her hip bones protruding under her dress pants. Regardless of how this conversation ended, he was ordering her a large lunch from the diner, enough for her and the boys to have the leftovers tonight for dinner. “While I hold no respect for your husband who ran out on you, I do respect you and your marriage. If you are not emotionally available to date, that’s perfectly fine. I’m not mad or angry. Did I have the intention of asking you out once you finished trying to pop me like a balloon? Fuck. Yes,” he said with emphasis. “But I’m not going to force you.”

He gave her a half smile, to which he saw her lips twitch in response. “I like you, Paige. You’re funny and sweet and drop-dead gorgeous.” He lifted a needle-pricked hand to touch the corkscrewed curls at the side of her face. He gently pulled one straight and then watched it bounce back into place upon releasing it. Fuck, he could spend hours playing with her hair. “You could use a solid meal but needing some meat on your bones doesn’t take away from your beauty.”

Her eyes widened and her cheeks reddened again. When she opened her mouth to say something, Demo put a finger over her lips. “I’m not saying that to embarrass you or make you feel less. I would bet my last dollar that, while you haven’t eaten a full meal in some time, your boys are well-fed and not wanting for anything.” He lowered his hand. “I understand that times are hard. Moving to a new town is challenging enough, and then dealing with your husband walking out on you? It only complicates matters. How about instead of asking you out on a date, I ask you for friendship. We can start off slow, get to know each other. When you feel comfortable, you can introduce me to your sons.” Then he added, “Or re-introduce me. I’ve already met the older one. What’s his name?”

“Michael,” she answered automatically. “We call him ‘Mikey’.”

“Mikey,” he repeated with a grin. “I knew they were Michael and Nelson but wasn’t sure which was which.”

“Mikey’s five and a half. Nelly Bean’s my baby and almost four.”

“They’re good boys. I’ve seen them with Lucky and Scotty. You’ve done really well with them, even on your own for the last two years.”

Her cheeks flushed. “They’re everything to me. Which is why, as flattered as I am, Demo, I can’t go on a date with you. I can’t risk giving Richard any ammunition to potentially take away my boys in the divorce.”

Demo had to school his features. Fuck. There would be no divorce, but she didn’t know that. What the hell was he supposed to say in response to that?

“If you recall, I never actually asked you on a date,” he pointed out. “It’s actually a bit presumptuous of you to decline when I haven’t asked you.”

Paige blinked at him and then let out a long giggle. She rubbed her fingers against her forehead. “You are such a flirt.”

He couldn’t deny that. With his knee, he gently bumped her right hip. “I want to get to know you, Paige. Even if nothing comes of it, I’d like to be your friend. Lucky can vouch for me, if needed.”

He didn’t offer to financially help her. Her pride would automatically decline and he didn’t want her to make the assumption he was trying to help her in return for sexual favors. He had every intention of helping her, regardless of her accepting his hand of friendship or not.

Paige licked her lips. Fuck, she had no idea how enticing that action was. He wanted to pull her closer and taste those lips but forced himself to refrain. “Steel wouldn’t have allowed you into the club if you weren’t trustworthy.”

Demo cocked his head to the side. Her relationship with Lucky was obvious, she was Harper’s sister-in-law, and she saw Bulldog weekly for Abby’s appointments. For some reason, though, it hadn’t occurred to him that she would know Steel too. “You know Steel?”

Paige nodded. “The boys are growing like I’m adding Miracle Gro to their milk. Jenna suggested stopping by her consignment shop a few months ago. Both Steel and Jenna have been a godsend, even putting clothing or shoes aside for me that they knew were my boys’ sizes until I could get there. I’m pretty sure they don’t charge me for half of it,” she said with a trace of shame. “My bill never seems high enough for the amount of clothes and toys I take home.” Her statement didn’t surprise Demo in the least. Half the town’s kids were provided clothing at discounted rates or no charge by Jenna’s good heart. “Steel’s often at the store with her and I’ve gotten to know him well too. They’re both exceptionally good people.”

They were. Even with Steel’s outward hardness, his moral compass always pointed north. It was what made him such a good leader. He saw the entire picture, not just the individual aspects. His first and last priority was the protection and safety of his family, which included the club he ruled over with an iron fist. Or, rather, a steel fist.

“But even knowing what a good man you are, Demo, I’m not ready or able to date anyone. Pennsylvania’s separation laws are stricter than Michigan’s. Until my divorce is finalized, meaning Richard agrees to the divorce and signs his rights away, my priority has to be my boys.”

Demo had to bite his tongue. “I respect that. So, no dating. Everything we do is in public or with your boys. That way no one can claim you were the one being unfaithful.”

God, he was such a bastard. He was dirt. He was lower than dirt. He was the sludge worms pooped out that mixed with dirt. He could so easily set her free of her worries and stress, but he couldn’t. Telling her the truth would endanger not only himself but his club. Regardless of Richard’s crimes, his club had murdered him. Scar might have been the one to do the physical deed, but the rest of them were complicit. Even Carlos could be connected to Richard’s death. Former Sheriff Hannigan too—not that Demo was holding back his tongue to protect him . He would just be collateral damage.

The law saw what the club had done as wrong. They had not killed Richard in self-defense. In fact, they’d tortured him before they’d killed him.

Paige could not know the truth. Harper couldn’t either. If they knew, they could be implicated too. He wasn’t just protecting his club brothers, but the women too. What was the saying? Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead.

Paige was struggling enough in her life. She didn’t need the burden of her husband’s crimes and murder weighing her down too.

Demo had never looked into the marital laws of Pennsylvania before. It wasn’t something that had ever come up before. “Do you have a lawyer?”

She let out a dry chuckle. “Lawyers cost money. No, I don’t have a lawyer. Everything I know has been from Google searches. I have grounds to seek a divorce but not the ability to. Every penny I have goes towards keeping the lights on and food.” Demo knew that statement to be false but did not call her out on it. “What I do know, though, is that I have to find Richard to serve him papers.”

Which she couldn’t do because his body was wherever Mateo Castillo had dumped it. Which was unfortunate. If there was a way to find his body, Paige would know she wouldn’t have to seek a divorce without Demo or the club admitting to anything.

“It’s been two years. You haven’t heard anything?”

Paige opened her mouth to answer, closed it, and then put her hand over her mouth to stop her giggles. “I’m sorry, it’s hard to take you seriously when you have a needle sticking out of your E-12 point.”

Demo had honestly forgotten he was littered with needles. “Probably not the most appropriate questions to be asking my doctor either.”

She nodded. “Another reason for me to turn down your not-asked question of a date. It wouldn’t be ethical of me to.”

Demo let out a long sigh. She stepped back and he once more positioned himself on the massage bed. “Just for the sake of my curiosity, if I had asked, and you were divorced and not my doctor, would you have said ‘yes’?”

Paige leaned over him and started to remove the needles from his forehead, nose, and ears. She clicked her tongue against her front teeth. “Probably.”

He smiled widely up at her. Masculine pride swelled in his chest. “It’s because I’m naked, right? No woman can resist this body.”

Paige let out a loud laugh. “I’ve seen many naked men, good sir. Yours, while remarkable, is nothing extraordinary.”

Demo clutched his chest as if he was suffering from a heart attack. “Oh, the pain! Doc, the pain! It hurts.”

Her laugh was soon becoming one of his favorite sounds in the world. “Stop, you’re going to knock out your needles.” She moved down his arms and hands, removing needles as she went. He continued to fake the heart pain until she conceded, “Fine! You have an amazing body. I would go out with you because of it.”

Then she leaned close to his face and added in a sultry voice, “But just know that after I’ve had my hands all over it today, you’re going to be the one chasing after me . I know erogenous zones western culture doesn’t know about.”

Demo swallowed hard. His goddamn cock twitched as if trying to stand up to be her first volunteer. They both glanced down his body at what was concealed in his boxer briefs. Paige slowly turned back up to face him. She smiled wickedly at him—and Demo was pretty sure that was the moment he fell for Paige Hannigan.