Page 20 of Savage Fire

Where her date was waiting for her.

Motherfuck—he’d never been so nervous before. Then again, he’d never made an effort for a woman before. Not ever in his life had he even considered asking a woman on a date. He wasn’t the dating type. He was the smirk at them, bang them in the bathroom type. Eventually, he became a hybrid of exclusive and non-exclusive with his current arrangement, which had worked out just fucking fine that last five years. The sultans of the ancient world had it right, right? One man, many women. Fang didn’t have a type, per se. He liked women, period, and that reflected in his current Hive. A Hive that had met all his needs—for years. But now, for some reason, it just didn’t fulfill him the way it used to. So, now, he wasdating. The word itself left a bad taste in his mouth. But if the beautiful Tessa wanted the façade of commitment to lure her in, then he’d give her that. At least until he got Tessa to sign on the dotted line, making her one of his Bees. Once she was his Bee, his obsession with her would ease off, and he could fucking think straight again.

Not likely,hijo di puta. She’s in there deep, and there’s no getting her out.

But he could fucking try. He had to try. His planhadto work. Itwouldwork, there was no other outcome he’d accept.

Before he’d created his Hive, his idea of a night with a beautiful woman was all about seducing her, inviting her to sit on his dick. Once he’d begun building his Hive, his nights out usually consisted of him spending time with his Bees or searching for his next Bee. It had been over a year since he’d gone on the hunt for a new Bee. And the last woman he’d brought into his Hive was Lacy, right before he’d seen Tessa that first time. Right before his life flipped the fuck over and turned everything inside out.

And now he was sitting in the clubhouse common room, waiting for his date like a fucking puppy waiting for a treat. As much as he tried, he couldn’t ignore the looks his brothers gave as they glanced over him, smirking. Because Hawk and Grimm were gossipy motherfuckers, it hadn’t taken long for word of his plans with Tessa to spread among the twenty-five active brothers. Ten of which were in the room. He wouldn’t be surprised if all of the nomad brothers knew, too. Five previously active brothers had chosen to hit the road with their colors on the backs and the long road ahead, because they were in need of a little more freedom than a stationary clubhouse could provide. They weren’t active, but they were still loyal, coming when needed and stopping in for check ins every once in a while. That didn’t mean they weren’t part of the text chain that—no doubt—AFK initiated just to give Hawk and Grimm somewhere to blather. At least Hawk’s sudden chattiness could be explained by his close proximity to his old lady, Fae. Grimm didn’t have an excuse. The man hadn’t even had a woman in months, if the whiny club bitches were to be believed.

Shit. He couldn’t sit there with all those motherfuckers laughing at him. He wasn’t some bitch, and he didn’t need their opinionated stares, either. Yeah, he was an arrogant asshole, he’d admit it, which was why their looks and silent—and some not so silent—teasing about hisdatepricked at him. Fuck them.

He jerked his cell from his pocket and sent a quick text before hurrying from the clubhouse. Shit. Yeah, he knew he was being a jackass, but he couldn’t take the silent judging. He wasn’t the dating type, and his brothers knew that, knew about his Hive. Some of the looks he’d been getting inside were angry looks, the brothers who weren’t too happy with him staking claim on Tessa just to bring her into his harem. Some of the brothers had eyes on Tessa, too, wanted her in their beds. But they’d known from the beginning that he was interested. They’d backed off, but that hadn’t stopped them from following her with their eyes whenever she came into the clubhouse. He knew they were watching her, getting her naked with their eyes, fantasizing about her when they were fucking other women. Because he did the same damn thing. Now, though, he’d made his claim clear. Nah, he hadn’t outright claimed her as his old lady, and he never would. He wasn’t the old lady type. His Bees kept him happy and satisfied.

So why do you need Tessa?

Fuck it he knew why, he just knew he did. And he wasn’t going to give her up—not that he had to worry about that. He knew she was attracted to him, and their connection, one built through shared trauma and pain, was stronger than ever. He could use that to get her to agree to his terms. No, she wouldn’t have him the way he knew she wanted him, but they would still be together…in a way. She’d just have to learn to share him with five other women. But she’d still have him. He’d still be hers. And she’d be his. Just like she was meant to be.

No doubt in his mind, Tessa, his Fire, was made for him. He was just taking possession.

Standing just outside the steel door of the clubhouse, Fang stuffed his hands into his pockets and waited. How long did it usually take a woman to finish getting ready?

The women in Buenaventura had spent hours preparing for their clients, dolling themselves up for men who would treat them like shit. Hours and hours a day spent covering up scars and bruises so the next asshole in line would get the appearance of a fresh canvas for his own personal abhorrent masterpiece of pain.

But he hadn’t been like that with them. The ones he’d been raised around had treated him like a prince, and later, the ones who’d made him into a man had treated him like a naughty student, eager for his teachers’ attention. Everything he learned about pleasing women, he’d learned from those six women. And once he’d finally left all the shit with the Cartel behind, he made sure they were set up for life.

Too bad he couldn’t do the same for his mother. A mother who’d given up everything to keep him safe, secure, and as happy as one could be living in a third world brothel.

“You deserve better than this life, mijo…,”his mother had murmured to him one night after a particularly aggressive client had left her weak and battered in her bed. He’d been beside himself, worried for her, angry that he hadn’t been big and strong enough to protect her. His mother had been right…and wrong. No one deserved the life they’d both lived in squalor and fear, but the man he was now deserved nothing good. But that didn’t stop him from taking it whether he’d earned it or not.

And he would take Tessa—all of her—and keep her.

Yeah, but will she have you after tonight, once she learns the truth?

Shehadto. Because he couldn’t imagine his life without Tessa in it.

PENDEJO: MEET ME IN THE PARKING LOT

Oookay. Tessa furrowed her brow at the text, wondering what was up with the sudden change. She’d been looking forward to having a spectacular entrance. You know the type—where the woman walks into the room decked out to the nines and the man looks up, starstruck, speechless, and drooling.

Well, guess that’s not happening.

She ignored the bite of disappointment and decided to bypass the common room where she knew the brothers and club bitches were congregating. The last thing she needed was the annoyance of cat calls and the blistering from angry bitch eyes. Taking the exit door out the back, she walked around the clubhouse toward the front parking lot, thankful that the whole exterior was lit up like daylight. Odin took club security seriously, and that meant never being blind, especially at night.

Finally reaching the front of the building, she stopped dead at what she saw.

Fang was standing, hands in his pockets, staring at the front door, waiting for her to come out. She grinned at having one upped him, then quietly groaned.

Goddamn, the man could rock a pair of jeans. The man’s usual MC uniform of two-day old scruff, worn blue jeans, wallet chain, biker boots, tight ass t-shirt, and his kutte complete with his Road Captain patch was sexy as hell—and he knew it! However, the clean, new black jeans that wrapped around thickly muscled thighs and that deliciously hard ass, the navy Henley that hugged every hard muscle in his arms and chest, and that clean-shaven face…. She’d nearly come in her borrowed pants at the sight of him.

Hell, she was really doing this? Going on a date with a known womanizer with the hope of actually taming him? Her? The brash, socially awkward, tomboy and lover of monogamy was actually willingly putting herself in the path of a predator looking to ravage his prey. Had she lost her ever loving mind? What were the odds that Fang was really interested in taking whatever the hell they had and making it into something permanent, exclusive? Was she just wasting her time and setting herself for heartbreak by even agreeing to a single evening in his company?

Enough with the second guessing. Skathi was right, she just needed to sit down and have an adult conversation with him. She had to be open and honest about what she expected, and if he wasn’t on the same page, that was that. No harm done. And she’d get a free meal out of it.

She must have made a noise before Fang stiffened and turned, the threat in his expression immediately morphing into one of ravenous lust at his first look at her.

Her banging outfit was a masterful blend of sexy and comfort-casual. She was wearing black jeans that were so tight around the thighs and ass, she couldn’t wear underwear because you could see the lines—and no, Tessa would rather go commando than wear ass floss thongs. Her top was a black and silver off the shoulder baby doll chemise that showed her bare shoulders, and a bit more boobage than she was used to. The bottom of the chemise showed just a sliver of her taut midriff, and she was thankful that her busted leg didn’t keep her from maintain her abdominal muscle tone. She had thick thighs, wide hips, and a bubble butt, but her tummy was taut as it could be considering all the carbs she ate—happily.

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