Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75406 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 377(@200wpm)___ 302(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
I wrap my arms around him, at least as far as they get, and squeeze him as hard as I can. Tank is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met, but I can just imagine him with his back against the wall and forced to do what he had to.
He puts his arm around me again and pulls me closer. “Anyway, all I've really got to bring to the table is my size, so that's what I used. Started fighting in an underground ring, the rougher the better. You remember the guy who was working the bar the night we first talked? That was Badass. He fought in the same circuit, though he’d been there a while. That’s probably why Eagle-eye started keeping his eye on it. One day after a fight, he asked if I wanted to do anything with my life. Offered me a chance to belong somewhere. Best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
I look at Nitro.
“Wish I had a sob story too so I could have you wrapped around me like that, but nah. You know my history. I’m just another ex-soldier who couldn’t hack it when I came home.” He puts his hand on my arm and slowly strokes the bare skin with his fingertips. It's not directly sexy, but it definitely reminds me of what it's like to have skin on skin contact with him and the others.
“Yeah, but you didn’t tell me how you actually joined. Eagle-eye doesn't hang around recruiting veterans too, does he?”
“Nah, not that I know of. We tend to find him. I had a good time in the Army, mostly blowing shit up, but eventually I knew I needed to either get out or get used to the idea that I was there for good. I wanted a change so I went home and civilian life nearly bored me right back in. The only thing I really enjoyed was riding and fucking up. I was headed down a really shitty path when I met Eagle-eye and a couple of the old timers at a bar. It was like…” Nitro makes everything sound like a joke, but I can tell there’s a lot more behind the words. “He saw me drowning and tossed me a lifeline.”
Nitro leans in to give my ear a little nibble. His voice is seductive. “So now you’ve gotten three truths for the price of one. It's our turn. Dare ya to take a dare.”
“I don't think it's how this works.”
“You broke the rules first,” he says, his voice darkening just a little, adding a hint of smolder. “My throat’s sore from talking. Maybe there's something else we can do. Something more physical.”
There's a tingle in my stomach that's threatening to become something more. So maybe I'll play along. “Okay, I'll do a dare.”
“Been waiting for that,” says Nitro, rubbing his hands together, and suddenly I wonder how much trouble I’m in.
28
KAYLEE
“I dare you to give me a lap dance,” says Nitro in a sexy voice with a twinkle in his eye. “I wanna see exactly how hard you can make me.”
I blink. That escalated quickly. “Lap dance? I've never—I mean, I have no idea how.” That sounds so lame, but it’s the truth. The only thing I know about lap dances is from TV and movies. And not even the really spicy kind.
“First you need music.” Wraith does something on his phone and brings up a song with a steady, thumping beat on the TV, using it as a speaker. Of course the apartment has a fancy sound system too. There must be a bass speaker under the couch, since the whole thing starts vibrating in time with the music. “Just do your best,” he says, already adjusting himself in his jeans. “It’s about having fun, not paying rent. You’re gonna be fucking sexy, no matter what you do.”
I haven’t danced since they made us learn to square dance in middle school gym. They have no idea how freaking unsexy I can look. “I'm going to look dumb.”
“You're gonna look fucking fantastic,” says Tank, with so much sincerity that I almost believe him. “You already do. Anything else you do'll only make it better.”
“There's no touching in a lap dance, right? Hands at your sides.” I’m pretty sure I remember that from the movies.
“You’ll be begging me to use them soon enough,” Nitro says with a cocky smirk, shoving Tank over to make more room around him on the couch.
He’s probably right, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of agreeing. “You wish. Sit back and keep your hands to yourself.” And then I start to move to the music.
Square dancing is out, I’m not that lame. I spin away, putting my back to him. Weaving my butt in time with the music, I pull my hair up to the top of my head and get my shoulders into it. That's sexy right?