"Nothing happened to me."
"Wrong answer."
"I'm sorry you think so, but that doesn't make it any less true." Lara shrugged, her gaze chilly again, which he basically felt was a straight-up challenge at this point. He figured she had to know that. "Yes, I grew up near some bikers. And yes, I had a regrettable period where I thought they were cool. It's called being eighteen. But I'm not eighteen anymore. I now have to explain to everyone who sees that tattoo that no, I don't have an unhealthy obsession with King Kong. And I learned some valuable lessons about permanently altering my body based on the whims of the moment. The end. I don't know what you wanted to hear, but that's my story. It's not all that fascinating. Just embarrassing."
"So if I start making a few calls about a Ms. Lara Ashburn, no Brothers of Goliath clubs are gonna know your name?"
"Do you know the names of every woman you fuck?" she asked. Chaser discovered that he really didn't like the idea of his prim and dirty teacher as a regular old biker whore. Even though he'd known that's what she had to be. He didn't like it at all, and he had no idea what the hell to do with that. She was still flashing that smile of hers like a weapon. "I'm shocked you remember mine."
Chaser wanted to dig into her and find out what she was hiding, because he knew she was hiding something. But the very fact he had that urge bothered him. Everything about her-and his reaction to her-bothered him. He wasn't a fucking detective. He'd never been possessive of anything in his life except his kid and the bikes he'd built from parts because he liked putting them back together and making them run smooth. He had better shit to do-like try to mend what was broken in his own damned club, not to mention have a little talk with Kaylee about whatever the hell she thought she was doing these days.
And he couldn't figure out why he was standing here prolonging this encounter.
"If I were you," he told her, "I'd find a way to get in a different mind frame about the club. Real fast."
"Or?"
Of course she threw that back at him like yet another challenge. She looked half prim and half freshly fucked and it was messing with his head. Not the point, asshole, he growled at himself.
"You're a hot fuck," he told her, dark and grim to make his point, and part of him liked that she flinched a little. But he liked it even more that she didn't crumple. His own sister got tense and quiet every time he looked at her, but Lara only glared at him. Because she might look fragile, but she wasn't. He imagined her pussy was melting down her legs but still, she stood there straight and a little bit elegant and like she could stare him down all night. Chaser thought he might actually like her. He hardly knew what to do with that. "I'm gonna want to tap that again."
"Be still my heart," she said acidly. "And also, I'll pass."
"But I don't like surprises," he continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I don't like coincidental strangers who show up and are all over my kid, especially when they got another club's shit plastered on their back."
"Maybe your kid needs this kind of attention," Lara replied tartly. "Or any attention at all. Just a guess."
"And that mouth of yours just doesn't make sense when we both know you know better." He shook his head. "If you're gonna stay in this town, babe, you better clean up your act."
"I'm not sure I know how," she threw right back at him. Then managed to look down her nose at him even though she was shorter by almost a foot. "How could I possibly ascend to your exalted level?"
Chaser found he was grinning, which was the biggest mind fuck yet.
"You better watch yourself, Lara," he said quietly. "I'm not messing around."
She didn't actually roll her eyes at him. Not quite. "Or what?"
He let his grin go a little dark and enjoyed the shiver he saw go through her, though she tried to hide it. Tried and failed. Like she was more his already than either one of them wanted to admit.
"Or I will," he told her. "And I'll enjoy it. But I should warn you, baby. You might not."
-
It had seemed like a terrific idea to rent an apartment up above the bakery on what passed for Lagrange's main drag. Lara could walk the five minutes to the high school every day and get a feel for the town while she did it. How convenient, she'd thought when she'd signed the lease. She could really be a part of the fabric of this tucked-away little bayou town, and quickly. How perfect.