Unexpected Marriage (14 page)

The two months I had worked here I had never heard Jace say one nice thing about a female shifter. He might screw them at leisure but he sure as shit didn’t treat them equal. I’d heard him on several occasions telling his shifter buddies that they were the strong ones who had to defend the home and care for the little women because my sex obviously weren’t capable of defending ourselves. It had never really bothered me that much. Until this evening when a bar fight had broken out. I worked in a bar that was visited by mostly shifters so it wasn’t exactly a rare occurrence. What was rare was the fact that Jace tried to protect me. It was probably because he was closer to me than anyone else and he had been taught to protect the women of Red Rock. All it did was piss me off though. I had never been some weak-ass girl who needed a big, strong man to save her. When he jumped in front of me and punched some guy in his effort to protect me it just made me mad. When he turned around and gave me his hero smile I just lost it and before I knew what I was doing my fist had broken his nose.

“I don’t need saving, asshole,” I informed him before turning with my tray in hand to head back to the bar. It was only then that I realized that the fight had stopped quicker than it had started and every eye was on me. Shit!

I had completely forgotten my promise to myself that I would stay under the radar. I was here to observe and fit in, not to cause trouble. Instead here I was attacking the town’s golden boy like a crazed woman.

“Um, hormones?” I tried to explain and the shifter male closest to me snorted out a laugh. That seemed to be some sort of sign because all of a sudden everyone began talking again as though nothing had happened and I breathed a sigh of relief. Last thing I needed was for people to actually take notice of me. I had too many secrets for them to go digging in to my past.

I kept myself busy by delivering the beers to each table and avoiding the curious glances my way. Maybe if I just lay low from now on then they would forget my little mishap. Or maybe not I was forced to acknowledge moments later when I went back to the bar and found Jace leaning against it waiting for me.

“You’ve got a hell of a right hook,” he said with that sexy grin of his that I’m sure had melted more than one girls panties right off. His nose had already healed and he looked as though nothing had even happened. If only I could remove his memory as easily as he fixed his damn nose.

“Thanks,” I said as I tried to squeeze past him but he moved so that I was pinned against the bar with his arms either side of me. I should have felt intimidated in this position but Jace managed to make it feel completely natural.

“Don’t you think you owe me a beer or something?” he asked and I frowned at that.

“Why?” I asked bluntly. He looked stunned for a second but recovered in no time.

“Because you broke my nose,” he reminded me and I placed my finger against my mouth thoughtfully as I observed him.

“Hmm. Problem with that idea is that your nose doesn’t look broken to me,” I said and once again he looked stunned. Before he could recover I ducked under his arm and behind the bar where I made myself busy making some weird-ass cocktail for one of the biker sluts who hung around the bar waiting for some manly biker to take them home and shag their brains out. Always amazed me that some girls actually thought that one night would somehow become forever. Men aren’t wired that way. To them a night in their bed is just them getting laid but I have known several biker sluts who have come in to the bar crying the next day because it wasn’t forever. As if anyone in a bar like this really believed in forever anyway.

“You’re really not gonna get me a beer, babe?” Jace asked and I spun round to find him behind the bar with me.

“I’m really not gonna get you a beer, darlin’,” I said with heavy emphasis on the drawl. It was supposed to drive that stupid grin off his face but instead it only deepened and god help me but the man had dimples. Honest to goodness dimples. How the hell is a girl supposed to resist so much sexy in one gorgeous manly package?

“Your cocktail,” I told the biker slut as I placed the revoltingly sweet concoction before her.

“Actually I asked for a beer,” she said with a flip of her hair and a smile in Jace’s direction. I gritted my teeth together as I fought the urge to break her nose too. I could smell from here that she wasn’t a shifter so I doubted that she would be able to fix it quite as easily.

“You asked for a cocktail. But if this one isn’t to your liking then maybe it’s a screaming orgasm you should have asked for. I guarantee you babe, mine will not have you crying in to your cereal in the morning,” I offered and the girl glared at me even as Jace and a couple of his buddies laughed. It wasn’t meant to amuse them. I was just so sick of Barbie the biker slut and her friends making my job so much more difficult with their froufrou cocktails and easy lay attitude. It wasn’t like I didn’t want to get laid too but unlike them I wasn’t searching for ‘the one’. I would settle for a hot guy with a big cock who knows how to use it. Instead I got pretty boys, drunks and jerks hitting on me. I really didn’t see what was wrong with me. I was pretty enough with my shoulder length dark hair, caramel colored eyes, honey toned skin and slender frame. I wasn’t fat but neither was I so skinny that ribs were showing. I was of the mind-set that a little bit of meat on the bones only heightened the pleasure. Who wanted to be able to feel every rib while in the throes of passion? It was just gross and not at all attractive. My breasts weren’t plentiful but they also weren’t small. I was happy with my humble girls. My skin might not have been flawless but it wasn’t exactly teenage pimples either. I was passably attractive yet apparently that doesn’t compete with caked on makeup and skirts shorter than my belts.

“You’re a bitch,” biker slut said and I grinned back at her making to sure to show all of my pearly whites.

“Right back at you, babe,” I said and quick as a flash she threw the cocktail straight at me. Lucky for me shifter reflexes kicked in and I moved out the way. Unluckily for golden boy Jace he didn’t see the oncoming threat until it was all over the front of his black shirt. He also didn’t seem impressed that biker slut’s drink was all over him.

“I am so sorry. Let me make it up to you,” biker slut said in the breathiest tone she could manage.

“It’ll make it easier for her to lick it off you,” I suggested and he sent me a dark look that was apparently meant to make me quiver in my fake Gucci heels. Unfortunately I didn’t do quivering in fear. If he wanted that kind of reaction then he needed to be looking across the bar to where biker slut was still apologizing profusely. I’d bet she’d quiver on demand.

“You really don’t like me, do you?” Jace said as he leaned in close and I gave him my best confused look.

“I don’t know you as anything other than the golden boy of Red Rock so I don’t really have a reason to dislike you,” I said and he leaned even closer so that he was invading my personal space.

“Apparently you don’t need a reason,” he said as in mock surprise and I almost laughed at that. It was mostly true, I guess. I didn’t have the best track record of liking people though. I was a bitch it had to be said. Sad, but completely one hundred percent true.

“Shouldn’t you be either changing your shirt or punishing Barbie the biker chick?” I asked in the same low tone as him. A flash of a smile crossed his face and vanished.

“Maybe I’d rather be punishing you?” he suggested and I laughed at that.

“Harassing me behind the bar isn’t a punishment. All it means is that I can do this,” I said as I turned to scope out my boss across the bar. “Yo, Eddie. I’m taking my break,” I called and then I flashed Jace a smile and strode right on past him. The one good thing about a shifter bar is the fact that if the staff want a break any of the guys will generally look after the bar. Not like they’re gonna steal their own shit on their doorstep. It was usually the closest to the bar got stuck barsitting until I got back. Which unfortunately meant that golden boy was stuck behind the bar serving the biker babes. I was almost certain that there was about to be a rush on beers from those girls.

I slipped outside and took the pack of cigs from my pocket. I needed one in the worst way. Luckily for me shifters didn’t have to worry about cigarettes destroying our bodies. We normally had to worry about being attacked by other shifters and dying young but we didn’t have to worry about cancer.

I leant against the wall and took a long drag and I slowly exhaled in relief, as my tension just seemed to melt away. The problem with working at a shifter bar was that it was crazy busy. It took a lot to get a shifter drunk so the drinks were ordered in bulk and downed almost as quick as you could serve them. The buzz barely lasted more than ten minutes so there were constant demands for more drinks. Unlike most bars a shifter bar didn’t close when it got late. We could be open all night and in to the next one if we wanted. It all depended on the boss, the shifters and the bar staff. I could go home now if I wanted or stay until all the shifters went home. Either way the bar would get covered, the drinks would carry on flowing and all kinds of debauchery would be going on in the back rooms.

“Can I bum a cig?” asked a petite blonde and I automatically held out the pack. She accepted with a smile and we smoked in companionable silence for a few seconds.

“Pretty cool the way you put Barbie in her place back there,” the girl said and I flashed her a smile.

“I was being a bitch I guess,” I admitted.

“No way. Barbie totally had that coming,” the girl said with a laugh.

“Her names not actually Barbie is it?” I asked suspiciously and the girl snorted on a laugh and ended up practically inhaling the cigarette.

“Her name is totally Barbie. I thought you knew that,” the girl said when she had finally gotten over her coughing fit and it was my turn to snort a laugh.

“Huh. Barbie the biker slut actually is Barbie and probably is a slut. The truth hurts,” I said with a laugh.

“I’m Lacey,” the girl said sticking out her hand and I obediently shook it.

“Izzy,” I said and she grinned.

“I really like you Izzy,” she said and an unfamiliar warm glow started inside me. I’d had never had someone like me before. I’d never had a friend before.

“I think I like you too Lacey,” I said.

“I really hope you’re not corrupting my baby sister,” said a voice and I swiveled my head to find Jace coming our way. Aw shit. The one girl I actually could be friends with and she had to be related to that jackass. Life is obviously one big twisted joke.

“Ignore him. He’s an ass and he’s only mad cos you handed him his on a plate,” Lacey said and then she gave me a little finger wave as she sauntered back to the bar. “See you round Iz,” she said and I noticed that her finger was doing a very different symbol to her big brother.

The silence was stifling once Lacey had gone and I did by best to ignore Jace as I stubbed out my cig and breathed in the cool night air. I tried to ignore the faint scents of pine forest, leather and all male that was exclusive to Jace.

“You look fucking gorgeous,” Jace said out of the blue and I turned to frown at him at the same time that he moved so that he was leaning in to me with my back against the wall.

“You’re an arrogant prick from what I’ve heard,” I told him which was my way of letting him know that I wasn’t interested.

“You’re a stone cold bitch from what I’ve heard,” he countered and I shrugged. The claim was true so why deny it?

I was unnerved when he put his hands on my hips and moved even closer so that I was forced to tip my head back in order to see him. It only took that small move to apparently offer him an invitation, which he took complete advantage of. His mouth slammed down on mine and suddenly we were wrapped up in our own private world. His mouth was firm but sensual against mine and when I felt his tongue demanding entry I immediately opened up to him. He was a helluva kisser and I couldn’t get enough of him. Before I’d even really thought about it I let him grab my ass and lift me up against him as I automatically wrapped my legs around his firm body so that his seriously large and seriously hard cock was pressed right against my happy place. I moaned low in my throat and rubbed myself against him. God but that felt good. It had been so long since I’d last had sex that I was practically at the combustible stage already. Need was burning through me and all I wanted right then was for him to be inside me and riding me to my climax.

A small cough next to us had me realizing what I was doing and with whom. I abruptly pulled back with a gasp. I was no bloody better than those sluts in the bar. There I was passing judgment on them when I was about to give in to the same temptation.

“Fucking gorgeous,” Jace reiterated with a grin and I pushed against him until he let me down. Then I straightened my skirt and strode off without a backward glance though I could hear his laughter following me all the way backs to the damn bar.