things like you in here every day.” He winked, and Tammy suddenly didn’t feel so intimidated by him anymore.
“Well, what’s in it for me if I stay?” Tammy challenged as she popped her hip and looked up at him with a grin. She had never been so brave before and didn’t know where her nerve had come from, but there was something about Lynx that appealed to her wild side, and she was eager to let him coax more out of her.
“How about I get you something to drink?” he suggested as he pulled the door to the room behind him closed and reached into his pocket for a set of keys to lock it.
Down the end of the corridor, Lexi and King appeared from a closet and called to them.
“I’m taking Lex over to the clubhouse,” King said. “Let Sasha know she won’t be on the bar tonight.”
Lynx nodded and Lexi called down to Tammy, “Will you be okay?”
Even though she didn’t want her friend to leave her there, there was no way she was going to pass up on the opportunity to have a drink with a good-looking man.
She smiled and giggled, “I’m sure Lynx will look after me.”
Lynx looked down at her with a wide smile on his face and hooked an arm around her shoulder.
“She’ll be safe with me,” he called down to King and Lexi.
When Lexi and King left, Tammy felt her pulse quicken again. Now she really was alone there, and even though it was the last thing she’d been expecting, she was determined to enjoy it.
“So,” she smiled shyly at Lynx, “how about that drink?”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and led her through the bustling crowd. The men and women who were in The Bleeding Bullet all seemed to have a dark edge, and she moved between them all cautiously, not wanting to make eye contact in case she angered any of them. Tammy had lived such a quiet life, and she had been so innocent and sheltered that stepping into this kind of world was completely alien and nerve-racking.
Lynx pushed his way through the crowd and pulled Tammy in front of him so she was wedged up against the bar. He slammed his huge hands down on the counter top in front of her, and it was like she was in a cage. He had her pinned there, and although it felt strange to be so dominated by someone she had just met, it also made her feel unbelievably safe. She felt a rush of desire roll through her, and she bit her lip as Lynx leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Tammy… Tammy… Tammy…”
She couldn’t help but smile. Just hearing him say her name was driving her wild, and she had to squeeze her legs together to stop herself from being overcome with lust.
“Whiskey?” he whispered. “It’s pretty much the only thing we drink around here.”
“I’ll trust your judgement,” she replied without turning her head.
He was sniffing the side of her neck, and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. She was desperate to turn to look at him properly, but she knew the second they locked eyes, something would change between them. It was such a strange feeling for her to feel so instantly connected to another person. Especially a man. Tammy had spent most of her life avoiding the opposite sex, but it seemed that the second she had opened her heart up to the possibility, she walked into the most unlikely place and met someone like Lynx.
“So,” he said as he motioned to the girl behind the bar and ordered their drinks, “where have you been hiding? And what made you come down here tonight?”
She felt herself blushing again and knew she couldn’t avoid his eyes for much longer.
“I guess I’ve never really had a reason to come over here before,” she whispered.
“Well, sweetheart,” Lynx said as he took hold of her chin lightly with the tips of his fingers and urged her face up gently to his, “you sure as hell do now.”
4.
As she stared into his eyes, she realized she wanted him more than she had ever wanted anyone. That scared her, but even if she had wanted to run away, there was no