sex with him.
The thought made her sick.
When she had sex, it was because she had feelings about someone. There was a mutual attraction. She certainly wouldn't give it away for free or as payment for somewhere to stay.
It wasn't as if she was a prude. Far from it. It was the nineties. Women could seek pleasure wherever they wanted and with whomever they wanted. But, she wasn't a skank.
Maybe Whip was used to women like the ones who hung out at the clubhouse and partied, but she wasn't one of them.
She picked up her purse and walked out the door, holding her car keys in her hand. If Whip thought she was a whore, he could find someone else to bang.
Ignoring the men in the room, she headed toward the door. The best thing she could do was move on and find a place of her own. That way, she could remember Whip on a good note.
Lately, she'd started to believe that he could hurt her. She was becoming too close to him. Feelings were developing between them. Deep feelings that changed sex to making love.
She thought it was the same for him.
Maybe it wasn't.
Maybe she was only a convenience for him because she was here.
Well, that was something she could fix. She could leave. Then, she wouldn't have to feel that way.
"Hey, hey, hey..." Whip's voice came to her before he grabbed her elbow, stopping her from leaving. "Where are you going?"
He hadn't checked up on her that morning or given a reason why he hadn't spent the night with her. They had no agreement between them. Circumstances had thrown them together.
"I have some errands I need to do." She swallowed, seeing the bags under his eyes. "I'll be careful."
Since moving to the clubhouse, Big hadn't bothered her. She hadn't seen him or any member of Cusclan Motorcycle Club.
"Wait for a second, and I'll ride behind you." Whip cupped her cheek, thrumming his thumb along her cheek. "Don't you want breakfast or a cup of coffee first?"
"I..." She looked behind her at the door.
Why would he make it harder for her to leave if all she was to him was an easy lay? She bit her lower lip and gazed at him again. Stifling her groan, she couldn't tell what was up or down with him.
"Do you really think I'm a woman who would pay you with sex?" she blurted.
His brows lifted. "Do you think I'm a man who—don't answer that."
He grabbed her hand and took her outside, letting the door shut behind him. Outside, he pulled her around until she stood in front of him.
Whip cupped her face. "There are plenty of women hanging around here I could have sex with."
She pulled back, but he refused to let her go.
"I'm not having sex with them. I want you." He lowered his head. "Sleeping with you has nothing to do with you owing me. If anything, I owe you. If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be staying here, and you'd be free to live your life without looking over your shoulder."
"I don't want you to think I'd sleep with anyone who helps me."
He grunted. "I don't."
She worried about what he thought about her, considering he believed for the longest time that she belonged to Big. It was hard to explain her short time with Big because even to her own ears, it sounded like she was a woman who hung around bikers for sex, shacking up with any of them that would have her.
She swallowed and leaned closer. "I liked Big, at the beginning. Before he asked me to move in. He knew I was struggling to make my car payment—"
"Don't want to hear it." He kissed her forehead. "Whatever it was, it's over. If you want to talk about sex and relationships, my name better come from your lips because I'm not going anywhere."
She studied him. "You want a relationship with me?"
"Yeah, sis. I do."
Her stomach warmed. "What kind of relationship?"
The day hadn't started like she'd thought it would. She'd half convinced herself that everything they had together was nothing, and it was time for her to move on.
She hated to hope.
She wanted to believe.
She needed him to tell her.
"The kind where you're with me. In bed. Out of bed. You're mine." His mouth softened. "While you're mine, I'm not sharing. I don't want any other man touching you."
"What about you?" She blinked. "Are you going to be with other women?"
"Don't need to be. I have you."
She'd