Page 19 of Rattlin' Bones
He stepped aside as Skel nearly dragged me out the front, ordering me onto his bike as he watched the door for trouble. “Hold on tight, Lacey.”
I snuggled closer, wrapping my arms around his waist as the Harley’s deep base rumble awakened like a slumbering beast beneath us. My entire body vibrated with its cadence, and I knew I’d never felt anything sexier or more alive than this bike and its rider.
“We’re headin’ to my place.”
Skel’s house? I hadn’t gone back there since the night I was attacked. For thesecondtime. He saved my life twice, and maybe I couldn’t see beyond the gratitude I felt or the safety he evoked whenever he was around. But that wasn’t quite true. When I was near Skel, everything inside me sparked to life. He made me feel beautiful, sexy, desired and wanted. Things every woman needed.
The ride to his place took fifteen minutes. When we arrived, Skel pushed the button for his garage door, gliding up the driveway to park inside. He didn’t waste time closing it, staring out into the night like he wondered if we’d been followed.
“Everything okay?”
He shook his head. “No.”
I didn’t know what to say to that, so I let him lead, allowing Skel to curl his fingers around mine and pull me into his house. The décor hadn’t changed much in three years. All the furniture was the same, but I spotted a new abstract painting in the room he used for an office since he’d left the door open.
Once inside, he released my hand to walk into the kitchen, leaving me alone in the living room. Without his warmth, I began to shiver. The wind had been cold, and I didn’t have a jacket. I wore only a tight tank top and jean shorts.
A blanket draped my shoulders as Skel returned and wrapped the soft material around me. “You’re cold.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“Come on.” He steered me toward one of his dark gray couches since the two faced one another, separated by only a coffee table. “Sit. Get warm.”
I obeyed, taking a spot on the end of the closest one and burrowing into the blanket.
“I’m going to build a fire.”
I didn’t protest. The room was chilly. Skel threw a few logs in his fireplace and lit a starter, crouching to coax the embers into flames. Heat began to fill the room as he stood, brushing his hands on his thighs.
“Tell me why you’re working at that strip club, Lacey. And no bullshit.”
I couldn’t help sighing at his brisk tone. “I’m working with the police.”
Yeah, he didn’t expect that answer. His shoulders rolled before he cracked his neck, striding toward me with a thunderous frown. “The fuck? Why?”
“Because Luis Deigo and Angel Mackenzie traffic girls through Las Vegas, and I’m trying to help stop them.”
Skel dropped beside me on the couch. His jaw clenched before he answered me. I could see the tick in the muscle. “Baby, you’re done with this. No fucking way are you going back there and ending up a fucking statistic.”
I flinched. One, because he didn’t have a right to order me to do a damn thing. Two, because he’d have to care about me to react this way. And three, he never sold his house or moved out, and I just realized what that meant.
“Let me clarify,” I began, narrowing my eyes as I dropped the blanket and held up my hand, ticking off each of the things I figured out. “You’re ordering me to stop the case I’m working on even though you left without offering help when I needed you the most. You act like I didn’t mean anything to you after we fucked, but your controlling behavior is a contradiction.” I gestured to the room, glaring at Skel. “And you haven’t moved or sold your place but said you were leaving Vegas for good. Now you show back up, invade my life, and pretend you don’t have any motive for doing it. So who is acting shady as fuck, huh?”
The timing for this argument was awful. Skel’s cum had dried on my skin. I could feel it on my inner thighs as I sat on hiscushion, feeling stupid and far too exposed. It always happened this way with him, giving in to my body’s desires and needs instead of being rational.
“Lacey.”
I refused to look at him.
“Baby, give me those pretty eyes.”
I lifted my gaze, noting how he no longer appeared angry.
“I fucked up. It’s not an excuse. I know I hurt you, and I never wanted that.”
Swallowing hard, I nodded.
“For that, I’m sorry. It’s the reason I walked away. I thought you were better off without my interference.” He reached for my hand and held it. “Your father made it clear that he didn’t want a murderer around his daughter. I’ve got blood on my hands. It’s not fair to you.”