Page 24 of Possession

He had warm brown skin, a dark gray knit hat pulled down low over his ears, and a fierce scowl on his handsome face. Helooked like he was maybe in his mid to late twenties, with sharp cheekbones and a strong chin.

Tomas pulled his tie off completely and threw it into the seat next to him, unbuttoning the top two buttons on his shirt. He grabbed his leather jacket and stepped out of his truck, pulling it on over his white button-up. He’d worn a suit to the diner so he would look like a well-respected member of the community while the head of the county health department had redone their inspection. Tomas wasn’t so sure it was the tie that had convinced the guy not to fuck around with them again or if it was Tomas staring him down the entire time, arms crossed over his wide chest.

But all he’d dinged them for was a couple of small things instead of the major shit the last person had made up. It wasn’t the first time someone in the community had gone after one of the club’s businesses, though most people didn’t know that his sister’s diner was among those that the club helped and owned a part of. Members frequented it often enough that it probably had been a pretty easy guess, especially if people knew where to dig up the paperwork.

Tomas had been fending off attacks against the club since he’d started the chapter, but things had increased in the last year. A new mayor had been elected last fall, along with a hard-ass sheriff. The two had made no secret of their distaste for the motorcycle club in their midst, the sheriff running on a campaign of cleaning up the county of the degenerates putting their families at risk.

Fearmongering bullshit was what it was, but it had been effective enough to boot the former sheriff out of the job, and the new guy, Keith Winters, had been gunning for them ever since.

Tomas strode toward the car, the hard crust on top of the snow crunching beneath his boots.

The guy lifted his eyes to Tomas’s face, a frown tugging at his lips. “I’m fine. I’m just waiting for a tow.”

Nodding, Tomas eyed the flat. “You don’t have a spare?”

The guy shook his head. “Would I be just sitting here if I did?”

Snorting, Tomas studied the car for another second. “Can you pop the trunk for me?”

“No,” the guy said, looking at Tomas like he was insane. “Listen, man, I don’t know if this is some sort of Good Samaritan complex or if you plan on shoving me in that trunk and taking me back to your lair to murder me, but I said I’m fine. You don’t have to stick around.”

Tomas laughed—like, honest to god laughed. The mouth on this boy. “I just wanted to check and see if you had a spare in the trunk.”

“Don’t you think I would have noticed?” he said as he reached down and yanked on the lever to pop open the trunk. He shoved the door open so fast it nearly clipped Tomas as he jumped out of the way, and then he slammed it shut and stalked to the back of the car. “Do you think I’m some sort of idiot that I can’t see what’s in my own trunk?”

He was wearing the knit hat, but he hadn’t grabbed his coat when he jumped out of his car in a huff, and Tomas got lost for a second, staring at those well-built shoulders perfectly encased in a thin, long-sleeved shirt, long legs, and an ass that filled out his jeans like it was a gift from god. While Tomas was busy drooling over the angry man, he gripped the edge of the trunk and threw it open.

He disappeared behind it, and as Tomas reached the back of the car, the guy shoved a heavy suitcase into Tomas’s chest. He grabbed at it, making sure it didn’t hit the ground and get covered in dirty snow, and then the boy waved at the trunk. Itstill had some stuff in it, but without the huge suitcase, it was mostly empty.

“Do you see a damn tire? Or a jack? Because a spare tire in and of itself wouldn’t be that useful, would it? I might not be an expert on changing them, but even I know I can’t hold a car up with one hand and change the flat out with my other.”

Tomas ran his tongue over his top teeth, letting his gaze roam over the grumpy boy once more, this time from the front, which meant the guy actually saw it. He didn’t look flattered though. If anything, it pissed him off even more.

Why was that so hot to Tomas?

“Do you mind if I take a look?” Tomas said slowly, unable to stop his filthy mind from imagining all the fun ways he could work the aggression out of the young man.

“Oh, please, help yourself,” he said sarcastically, but he’d take it.

Tomas held out the suitcase with one hand, and that got the boy’s attention, his eyes widening briefly and running up the length of Tomas’s arm, seeming to take note of the size of him for the first time.

Clearing his throat, he took the suitcase from Tomas with both hands and stepped out of the way. Tomas carefully shuffled some of the other things—including a pair of running shoes, what was probably a toiletry bag, and a bundle of reusable grocery bags—out of his way, and then he popped open the bottom of the trunk to reveal the compartment beneath, finding a spare tire and a jack.

The suitcase smashed to the ground behind him, and the guy stumbled forward, meeting Tomas next to the open truck. “Son of a fucking bitch,” he breathed out, shaking his head. “How in the hell did you know that was there? I’ve owned this car for seven years, and I had no idea.”

Tomas smiled at him and shrugged. “I know a thing or two about cars. It’s no big deal. Why don’t you get back inside your car where it’s warm, and I’ll get it changed out for you out in no time.”

Shaking off his shock, he turned to Tomas and planted his hands on his hips. “What makes you think I can’t change it myself?”

“I didn’t say that,” Tomas said, holding his eyes. They were dark, almost black, but full of life. This boy wasn’t playing at being annoyed. He was, but he wasn’t just annoyed at Tomas’s insistence on helping. The quick glances to his shoulders and thighs let him know he was also annoyed that he was attracted to Tomas.

“Well, you implied it.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” he said, his own temper flaring. “You’re standing out here without a jacket in the middle of February. You want do it? That’s fine. But you’re gonna grab a coat and gloves, and I’m going to help you so we can both get out of the cold faster.”

He swallowed thickly, staring up at Tomas with an expression he couldn’t read. Finally, he said, “You shouldn’t just boss people around. It’s rude.”

It was not at all what he was expecting the guy to say, and it gave him pause. “My sister would agree with you,” he said slowly, “but it’s a hazard of my occupation. You get used to being the boss.”

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