Miki turned to Casey, “Are these men men or chicks dressed as men?” Sara closed her eyes and Angelina sighed. Miki broke into a grin, “I’m just askin’.”

What walked through the shop door three minutes later, though, were clearly “men men.”

Chapter Three

TOC

“You know,” Angelina was quietly stating under her breath to her two friends, “I was just thinking I need to stop by the butcher. Pick up some steak.”

“I could use some sausage,” Sara added. Then she and Angelina began giggling.

“Aren’t you two freaked out by these people just a little bit?” Miki quietly asked.

Sara watched the group interaction. She had to admit, they didn’t act like any motorcycle club she’d ever met before.

A tall, amazing looking man walked over to Casey. His hair was grayer than the woman’s, but it looked premature. There were only a few lines on his face. As soon as Casey saw him she broke out into a huge smile. A smile he returned. But he didn’t kiss her hello. Instead, he brushed his head gently against hers. Nuzzled her under the chin, pulled her hair aside, and licked the wound on the back of her neck.

Angelina missed the moment. She was staring at her hands and muttering about her chipped nail polish. But Miki saw it.

“Okay. Does that freak you out?”

Sara shrugged and answered honestly. “I think it was kinda sweet. Weird, but sweet.” She was used to bikers grabbing their women’s crotches and shoving their tongues down their throats right in the middle of the shop. It always seemed like they were about to take them right there on the show floor. But what she just witnessed, that was affection. Something that she herself had never really experienced with the men she had gone out with over the years. They were nice, but she’d only ever let them get so close. There was never a time that she didn’t have walls up, or as her friends called it “The Armor.” She felt safer with it. But it also kept every well-meaning man at arm’s length.

Another male came in. This one blond and he seemed to be closer to her age. He was as big as a house. Like a blond bear. All muscle and strength. He greeted a few of the females but mostly with a pat on the shoulder or a nod. But when he saw Miki it was like someone hit him over the head with a rock. He looked stunned. He walked into the wall.

Sara looked over at Marrec in an attempt to hide her smile. He had gone over to greet the older biker as Casey spoke quietly to him. When she was done, the two men stared at each other and, finally, shook hands. “Name’s Yates. And I really appreciate this.” Yates said with genuine warmth.

Marrec nodded, “No problem. Just remember whose territory this is.”

Yates smiled at that. “I don’t think that’s a problem.”

Saraand Miki glanced at each other. Sara had never known Marrec to be so territorial before. Bikers came in to his shop all the time, but he never seemed concerned about any of them as he did this group. And these people looked positively kittenish compared to some of the hardcore criminals who’d walked through the doors of Marrec’s business over the years.

Of course, all this had Miki’s major brain power working on hyper drive. And she knew her friend was on the verge of saying something completely inappropriate…again.

Angelina, however, was putting on lip gloss using a mirror customers used to try on sunglasses. Sara had to admit, Angelina didn’t let herself get worked up over stuff she couldn’t control. Although that rather Zen philosophy did take years of court-ordered therapy to obtain.

Sara was thinking it may be time to take Miki out for a coffee or something. Anything to keep her from getting them all killed. Especially when the blond bear started wandering toward her, with the possible intent of trying to talk to her. Miki turned to Sara with a look of pure panic. “Tell me he’s not coming over here.”

“Not everyone is loved by Thor. God of Thunder.”

Miki glared but still couldn’t stifle at laugh, “I hate you.”

Sara grinned and would have helped her friend escape true love, but he walked in.

He had been outside checking out the damaged bike. He was tall. Taller than Yates. Taller than any of them, except for the big blond guy who just kept silently staring at Miki. And he was big. Sara actually wondered how he possibly got those shoulders through the door. And at 6 feet, there were not a lot of men who made her feel small.

Dark brown hair that reached just to his shoulders and swept across his face, practically covering hazel-colored eyes. He had several days’ growth on his chin, and a thick muscular neck that she could spend all day chewing and licking. He was dressed in black jeans, black T-shirt, and a black leather jacket.

He was, simply, the most beautiful man Sara had ever seen in her life. And she wanted him so bad she couldn’t breathe.

He didn’t notice her when he walked in, but everyone else did. The rest of the members stopped talking, stopped shopping, stopped moving. As one, they all lifted their heads and sniffed the air. Then they all turned and looked at Sara.

She couldn’t understand it. She hadn’t done anything. Hadn’t moved. And she’d also stared at Yates when he walked in. Exactly what cued them in to her sudden need to be naked and straddling this guy, she had no idea.

As she pondered this, Angelina leaned over to her, “Um…hon, are we going to need to peel you off that seat?”

Sara, distracted from suddenly being the center of attention, turned to Angelina, “Shut up.”