Possession(Sons of Odin MC)(2)
Feeling under the microscope, why deny it? People said stupid shit after drinking too much. “Would it bother you if I said yes?”
“No.” He took a step forward.
“Then, yes. I want to fuck you.”
He licked his lips. “I’m not the relationship kind of man.”
“What makes you think I want one?” Where did he get that impression? In her experience, men were the ones guilty of begging for commitment after she slept with them.
He rubbed the back of his neck like he didn’t know what to do next. Hunger flashed in his eyes as he corralled her against the closest wall. Desperate for contact, Tina’s lips parted in anticipation.
She’d agree to anything at this point…
Chapter 1
FIVE MONTHS LATER…
Tina killed the ignition on her Escalade, staring across the street at the entrance to Tito’s, her favorite downtown club. Unaccustomed to partying alone, she’d already visited two other hotspots before finding herself here. Fall vacations were encouraged in her law office; for some reason caseloads eased up between October and December. Blame it on the holiday season. Even her favorite coworkers, Alicia and Max, were in the Bahamas together. In the mood for a girl’s night out, she ventured out alone.
Truth be told, she missed Lily, who had disappeared on a belated honeymoon. Three weeks—that’s how long it had been since they’d talked on the phone. Oh, she received the occasional text message or caught updates on Facebook. But it would be another month before Lily returned from Paris. To be fair, Tina had been invited to France. Not wanting to be the third wheel, she declined, using work as an excuse.
Get over it, Tina thought as she slid out of her SUV, her five-inch stilettos hitting gravel. Change made Tina uncomfortable—blame it on her upbringing. She clicked across the street, her mid-thigh-length skirt blowing up in the fall wind. She smoothed it down as she approached the entrance, where a doorman perched on a barstool just outside the glass doors waited to card whoever wanted to go inside.
“Tina,” Chris said. “Alone tonight?”
Pleased to see a familiar face, she smiled. “I’m bored.”
“You alone on a Friday?” He didn’t sound convinced. “Guess you should have given me another try,” he said nonchalantly, stamping her hand so she could buy alcoholic drinks.
Not into second chances, after a few dates she’d lost interest in him. “Thought the owner was going to drop the under-twenty-one crowd.”
“He decided to keep them on Thursday and Friday nights only—he makes too much money when live bands are playing. And they don’t mind paying five dollars for juice and sodas.”
“Understandable.” She opened the door. “Talk soon?” she called over her shoulder, focusing on the throng of drinkers gathered nearby.
“Lunch?”
She caught Chris’s last words as the heavy door shut behind her. The bass from the large speakers hanging overhead reverberated through her chest. The marquee listed No Trust, a Scottish rock band that frequented the Texas nightclub circuit. The strange blend of bold guitar riffs and electronic bagpipes surprisingly appealed to her.
Finding an empty spot at the bar, she ordered a whiskey sour and turned to check out the band. Through the sea of swaying bodies and seizure-triggering strobe lights, she found a focal point on the stage. After nursing her drink for half an hour, she decided to head to the booths in the back.
“Tina?”
She didn’t recognize the voice and kept walking.
“Valentina Bethel?”
She stopped dead in her tracks—no one used her full name, except her mother when she was pissed off.
Dark, kaleidoscopic eyes met hers. Oh God, the douchebag from three weeks ago. A client she helped get probation instead of a jail sentence. First-time offender or not, she didn’t socialize with clients. And the sooner she made it abundantly clear, the better.
“Hello, Mr. Barnes,” she said.
“Please.” He edged closer. “Call me Kline.”
She eyed his designer suit with distaste. The wealthy bastard had assaulted his ex-fiancée for getting an abortion. “I can’t do that, Mr. Barnes. Please respect my privacy; I’m here to enjoy myself. If you need to discuss your case, feel free to call my office on Tuesday.” She turned to go, but he touched her arm.
“One drink.”
“No.” She backed away, wanting to put distance between them. “I don’t fraternize with clients.” Without giving him a second look, she continued on her path and found an empty booth.
A server placed a napkin on the table in front of her. “Can I get you anything?”