Page 25 of City of Salvation

Dex drew closer the farther into the clubhouse we moved, his arm brushing against mine, sending unwanted tingles down my spine. “I was actually getting a lap dance when you texted me,” he said nonchalantly, his deep voice easily cutting through the noise.

Suddenly, I had no coordination, and my face was headed straight for the floor. Strong, calloused fingers closed around my biceps, hauling me back to an upright position. A deep chuckle rumbled against my back.

What the hell was I supposed to say to that? Sorry?

Part of me wanted to say I’d make it up to him, to make him feel as unsteady as I did at that moment, but those were dangerous fucking waters. I was painfully aware of how much I liked the guy, and not only on a physical level. That was the whole fucking problem—I didn’tdomen I liked more than on the physical level.

It turned out no response was needed because a woman with fire hydrant red hair chose that moment to storm on over. She was zeroed in on Dex, and the pinch of her eyebrows told me she was not happy. It took me all of twoseconds to figure outshewas the one who’d been giving the dance I’d interrupted.

“Dex, you fucking asshole,” she spat, her lips twisted up. “You literally knocked me over and didn’t say shit. Just ran out of here while I was dancing for you.” Her attention cut over to me, nostrils flaring as she flung an arm in my direction. Clearly, I was about to be brought into this shit. “Oh, and then you come back with another bi?—”

“Hey,” Dex barked out so loud it caused her to jump, stopping her mid-rant. He’d been silent while she’d berated him. Even sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck when she’d mentioned knocking her over, but now a pissed-off scowl replaced his bashful demeanor. “Finish that sentence, Jazzy, and your ass will be out of here. Got it? Nikki’s had a shit night, and she doesn’t need to become your damn verbal punching bag because you’re pissed at me.”

Her mouth fell open at the scolding. Clearly, she hadn’t anticipated being the one in trouble.

Everyone was looking over because the two were practically shouting at one another while I awkwardly stood there wringing my hands. It’s not that I wasn’t good with confrontation. Quite the opposite, I was verygood with confrontation. But technically Iwasthe reason he’d left, so tearing into her didn’t feel right.

Alright, we’ll go the chicks before dicks route here.

I flashed the room a smile, the one I used on stage all the time when I was trying to get the crowd to loosen up. “Nothing to see here, folks. Just Dex’s dick game leaving women disappointed.”

The guy next to me, who looked too old to even get on a motorcycle, laughed so hard I was concerned he’d keel over.

“Ha. Ha. Ha,” Dex bellowed, his cheeky grin back inplace. “So funny. Now everyone, get back to whatever the fuck you were doing and stay out of my shit.”

Within a matter of seconds, the whole clubhouse acted like nothing had happened. Jazzy had dipped out at some point. My guess was she decided it wasn’t looking good for her to make it into Dex’s bed tonight.

Warm breath caressed the shell of my ear. “She was only disappointed because she never got my dick. If she had, she would’ve come over here begging for another ride.” In an instant, Dex was back standing, pressing a hand to my lower back, propelling me toward a metal staircase. “Come on, Nikki, we’re going up to my room. I think you’ve had enough excitement for tonight.”

CHAPTER 11

NIKKI

“AND I WANTED A BLOW JOB TONIGHT. WE DON’T ALWAYS GET WHAT WE WANT, NIKKI.”

His room wasn’tanything like I’d been expecting.

I’d pictured chaos. Maybe a keg in the corner, definitely a navy comforter with no bed frame. Oh, and women’s panties hanging from every possible surface. That’s what I’d anticipated from what I’d witnessed tonight. Women watched his every move with looks of longing on their faces before the looks morphed into something closer to jealousy or rage when they spotted me.

But instead of a shrine to his conquests, it was neat and tidy. Sparse, almost.

“How long have you been here?” I asked, taking in the lack of anything personal as he pushed past me toward the wooden dresser tucked into a corner.

“Um. I’ve been with the club for like four years now.”

I trailed my fingertips over the stark white bedding, noting the way the corners were folded under with precision. The sight triggered a memory of Ryan mentioning that Gunner was in the Marines. Gingerly, I rested my butt on the edge of the bed, keeping the majority of my weight off soI didn’t mess it up.

“And you’ve lived here the whole time?”

Dex glanced over his shoulder. His brows pulled together slightly. “Yeah. Why?”

For some reason, his response made me sad. He didn’t even realize how depressing his room was.

“Here.” He shoved a shirt my way. “There’s a shower and toilet in there. Extra toothbrushes are under the sink. I don’t have any girly wash shit, so you’ll have to settle for smelling like Old Spice.” He rubbed the back of his head, shifting from side to side like he was nervous.

The reaction was weirdly endearing, but I swallowed those emotions down. “Dex.” I waited for him to make eye contact again. “I know I’m not the first woman you’ve had in your room, so stop acting weird about it,” I teased, clutching his shirt to my chest, trying my damnedest to resist sniffing it to see if it smelled like him.

A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips, but there was still a touch of uncertainty in his expression. “You’re the first woman who’s going to besleepingin my bed. I dunno what the proper etiquette for that shit is.”

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