Page 37 of Cross To Bear

“I don’t mind waiting for you, Maddie,” he said, then pushed the bags closer. “Now, they must have a changing room in a place this fancy. Try this stuff on and see how it fits.”

“Um… why?” I poked at the bags, just catching a glimpse of black denim and leather.

“Because if you walk into the bar like that”—he looked my clothes up and down— “we’ll have a fight on our hands. The one percenters will think you’re a cop, and the rabble will think you’re easy pickings.” He cracked his knuckles. “I’d rather not have to smash some heads, not unless I have to.”

“Which bar are we going to?” I asked, with growing trepidation.

I’d stopped going out with Jesse early on, because of the places he used to frequent. Drinking beers and looking at other women’s tits didn’t really make me feel comfortable. Crash smiled slowly.

“Our bar, of course. You wanted to broaden your horizons? Nothing better than an old school biker bar if you wanna walk on the wild side.”

Chapter 22

Crash

I fidgeted as I waited in Maddie’s office, the sterile space, the airless feel of it setting me on edge.

Nothing to do with the fact I’d just handed my girl a bunch of clothes I thought she’d look fucking hot in. I’d roped Roxy in on a shopping trip, having no idea how women’s sizes worked, especially as she explained there were something called straight sizes and plus sizes.

“Then there’s the variations from label to label,” she said, shaking her head when I just stared blankly. “Like fancy designers only have clothes for super skinny girls.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Yeah, not that. So what the fuck am I supposed to do in the shop. Say her tits are about this size?” I caressed the air in a way that I felt approximated Maddie’s form.

“Not unless you want to be pulled up on sexual harassment charges by the female shop assistant.” She ruffled my hair like I was five or something. “C’mon, hopeless, I’ve chosen to take pity on you and help.”

“Because we’re paying you good money to,” I reminded her.

“Because you’re paying me good money to.”

But just because Roxy had talked way too long and in depth about how each piece of clothing would suit Maddie’s form best, didn’t mean my girl would like them. Or put them on. I’d ridden my motorcycle over, because fuck, who wouldn’t want their fated mate’s thighs wrapped around them. Bjorn might’ve had her riding his hand, but I’d put her on a beast I’d restored myself, the vibrations from the engine rumbling all the way through…

I had a thought. I hadn’t finished it, I was aware of that, and not much else, because Office Maddie had gone to the ladies’ room and this creature had replaced her.

“Fuuuck…”

I barely whispered the word as I took in the way the black stretch jeans clung to her thighs, outlining every curve. Then there was that black baby doll top with the crossover thing happening at the bodice, the material lovingly cupping each breast. Her long hair looked even darker against the black leather of the jacket, falling over her shoulders in a messy sweep. She looked just like the girl I suspected lurked beneath the professional facade. But it was the deep V of her cleavage that had me stepping forward, doing up the zipper of the jacket, then covering her up.

“Yeah, you’re gonna need to wear the jacket zipped up or I am absolutely gonna have to punch the next bloke that takes a look at you. Many, many guys.”

She laughed at that, pushing my hands away and pulling the zipper down a little so she could actually breathe.

“I’ve been to your bar, back when I first got together with Jesse. No one’s going to be looking at me.”

Maddie didn’t get it. If all she had going for her was that she was new blood, that’d get a few second looks. But that arse. I bit my bottom lip as she bent over the desk to shut down her laptop and tried really hard to not think about holding her in just that position, right as I worked those jeans right back down again. Then those tits, a peek of them visible from the collar of the leather jacket as she turned around to face me. She caught me mid stare, one eyebrow rising, forcing me to grin sheepishly, though I was unrepentant.

My girl was smoking fucking hot and I wasn’t afraid to make that clear.

I handed her a helmet then. “So you used to ride with Jesse sometimes, right?”

“Yeah…” She eyed the helmet like it was a big hairy spider, not a fucking skid lid. “Until he scared the hell out of me doing tricks while I was on the back.”

Not for the first time, I cursed the little shit.

“That won’t happen with me.” I put the helmet in her hands. “If you jump on the bike, I’ll make sure to take it easy, not go too fast.” Even though I wanted her gripping me tight. “And definitely no fucking around popping monos or whatever bullshit he was doing. Just when I lean, you lean with me, yeah?”

She was going to say no. I saw it in the way her teeth worried her bottom lip, but I remembered what Razor had told us last night. Our girl wanted to lay her burdens down, let someone else take control and for that person, or persons, not to abuse that privilege. I was all over that. I wrapped her hands around the helmet, then covered them with mine.

“If you feel scared or unsafe, you just tap my chest. That means tapping out. As soon as it’s safe, I’ll pull over and ring one of the guys to come and grab us.” I stepped closer, breathing her in, not the stale office air. “You can do that for me, can’t you, baby?”

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