He raised an eyebrow. “A gang?”
“Please,I will admit that I’m somewhat sheltered, but I know enough to know that motorcycle clubs are pretty much glorified gangs, Austin.”
He laughed. “Fuck me, you’re adorable.”
I shoved at his shoulder and slid off his lap, rising to my feet.
“What did I say?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Babe. I don’t play that game. Somethin’ crawled up your ass. Tell me what it was.”
“If you must know, you hit a nerve,” I snapped.
“No shit.” He leaned forward, settling his arms on his knees. “How’d I do that?”
I bit my lip and set my wine on one of the side tables. I took a minute to study him and then I decided if he wanted to get to know me, he was gonna get to frickin’ know me. I knew when he did, he’d run as far as he could and never look back. “I’m the baby of the family. I was what could only be described as a surprise. Elliot was ten when my mom found herself pregnant with me, Emily was twelve. They thought they were done.”
“Okay,” he said.
“I have always been ‘adorable’ and ‘cute’ and ‘naïve,’” I used air quotes after each description, “and until a few years ago, I was even ‘lucky’ enough to be a virgin. Because my sister is an ADA, my brother is a detective, and my father is the chief of police, I have always lived in a bubble of over-protectiveness. If I liked a guy and he liked me back, either my brother threatened death if he touched me, or it would never get past a kiss when they found out who they’d be up against.” I took a deep breath. “And you know what? They were right, because the one guy who pushed past them is the one who stole all my money! I have worked really hard to forget about all of that, but when you speak to me like I’m nothing more than a cute face, it hits a nerve and reminds me just how incredibly stupid I am.”
“Let me make sure I’m hearing you.” Austin stood and closed the distance between us. “Because I think you’re beautiful and sexy as hell, that led us to you feeling stupid?”
I snorted. “I’m not sexy.”
“Babe.” He frowned. “You are.”
“I’m fat.”
“Fuck me, you arenot.” He scowled. “You’ve got a real body, babe. Not a runway model, eat a fuckin’ sandwich, kind of boney ass one. And by the way, most men like something soft to hold onto. I do.”
“Austin,” I admonished, and looked at my feet. “Stop it.”
“Hey.” He slid his hand to my neck, his thumb stroking my pulse before lifting my chin. “I get that that asshole did a number on you, and I plan to deal with that, but you need to know something. I don’t lie. So, when I say you’re adorable, it means you’re fucking adorable, but it also means I think you’re funny and, from what I’ve seen so far, quick. Shit, baby, your observations and sense of humor are not those of someone stupid. Then, pile on the fact I want to fuck you... that means you’re sexy as hell.”
I couldn’t breathe. No one had ever made me feel the way he did and I’d known him for a little over twenty-four hours. “Wow,” I rasped. He grinned, leaning down to kiss me, but I laid my fingers over his mouth before he reached me. “What did you mean by you were going to deal with that?”
“See?” he said against my hand. “Quick.”
I lowered my hand and leaned back to meet his eyes. “Are you going to tell me?”
“I’m not.”
“Seriously?”
He cocked his head. “I thought you wanted to know about my genius status and why I joined my ‘gang.’”
“First, why do you wear a vestanda jacket?”
“This is a cut, babe. It tells the world who I am. The jacket’s for warmth or for when I ride.”
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I sound stupid when I ask these questions, don’t I?”
He frowned. “Not at all. You sound curious. I love that you want to know about me.”
I smiled. I liked that answer. “Okay, you can tell me about your genius status now.”
