Bad For You - Sherilee Gray Page 0,50

in his hand, and the look on his face as he stared down the men who had been watching me sent a shiver down my spine. It was cold, flat, full of warning. There was no sign of my Jesse in his green eyes.

The men quickly looked away and Jesse strode up to me and gripped my chin. “Ignore them. They’re just jealous you’re getting on the back of my bike and not theirs.”

My face heated.

A slow smile curled his lips. “FYI, my dick gets hard every time you blush like that.”

He held up the jacket and I slid my arms in the sleeves and huffed out a laugh. “You must be in pain a lot.”

“You have no idea,” he said, a growl in his voice that made my nipples tingle.

I glanced down at myself, at the leather jacket I was wearing. It was a woman’s and, though a bit snug over my boobs when Jesse zipped it up, it was worn and soft and fit pretty good. “Who does this belong to?”

“Sofia.”

Her husband was a biker, and it was obvious that she’d worn this jacket a lot, probably daily, doing what I was about to: climb on the back of a bike. She was still spending time with the club despite getting away from Jesse’s brother. Like these people were her family. Like it wasn’t just about riding bikes and parties but a way of life.

Did I want this to be my life, like it was hers?

Jesse was messing around with his bike when a car with several women pulled up. When they climbed out, their chatter, their laughter, carried across the lot. I couldn’t take my eyes off them as they strode full of confidence toward the warehouse. They each wore leather vests, smaller versions of what the guys wore.

I read the back of one and flinched.

The woman at the back of the pack had a patch that read “Property of Stones” across it. The others had the same patch, declaring they each belonged to a different biker.

My stomach turned over.

Jesse started his bike and glanced back at me. “Let’s go, babe. We’ll stop at my place and get you some pants before we leave town or you’ll freeze. Soph still has some shit there. She said to grab whatever you needed.”

Wordlessly, I hitched up my skirt, there was no other choice. Jesse seemed to enjoy this, and I climbed on behind him. I wrapped my arms around his waist, an unsettling feeling uncurling behind my ribs as we pulled out onto the road.

Is that what Jesse wanted? To be with a woman who would wear a leather jacket, worn from riding like Sofia’s, who would fit in with his club, his family?

Who would wear a vest like those women, proudly telling the world that they were nothing but some man’s property?

I’d just gotten away from parents who’d thought I was theirs to manipulate, to control.

Jesse’s not like that.

I held him tighter. If that’s what he wanted from me—we had no future.

I wouldn’t go back to living that way, not for him.

Not for anyone.

Chapter Sixteen

Lila

The morning had been pretty steady. The fact that I was only putting the returns away now, just before lunch, said a lot. Our little library was popular. We also had story time on Monday mornings, so moms could leave their little ones in good hands while they picked out new books.

Pauline, the woman who used to work here, had offered to read. She loved the library, but due to a few health issues had retired. This brought her back to the place she loved. She told me it made her feel useful. It worked well for both of us.

I’d also had a chance for a quick catch-up with Kate. She’d brought in coffee right after I opened and we’d gabbed for a little while. I hadn’t seen her as much lately and I loved hanging out with my sister.

Now the library was empty, and I carried a stack of books to the Romance section and got busy putting them away.

“Don’t move. Stay tight there, just like that,” a rough, extremely sexy voice said behind me.

I stilled instantly, shivering when Jesse moved up behind me and pressed his body against my back.

“I think I just walked into one of my fantasies,” he said against my ear. “I also remember you promising to make this particular one a reality.”

“I don’t remember promising anything of the sort,” I said, heart pounding faster. It had been a