Monroe, Marla - Her Biker Boyfriends [The Dirty Dozen 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) (13 page)

They pulled into the club parking lot fifteen minutes later. Despite her rejection of his help to get on the bike, Ranger was there to help her off. As soon as she was standing steady on solid ground, he backed away. Drew took Carly’s hand and led her toward the door. Ranger followed behind them. He hoped like hell the other man wasn’t going to be a surly bastard all night. It wasn’t fair to Carly, and it was pissing him off.

Once inside, the crowd threatened to pull Carly from his side. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and was grateful that Ranger was man enough to help forge a way through the throng toward an empty booth in the back. The other man further surprised him when he slid around the circular booth to sit next to Carly within touching distance. Maybe he was giving in, or maybe he was only providing support in keeping her safe from the crowd. Either way, Drew felt a spark of hope inside.

* * * *

Carly sighed once they were settled in the booth. She was surprised when Ranger slid around to sit next to her close enough she could feel his body heat. What was going on with him? First he acted like he didn’t want anything to do with her, then he was helping her on and off the bike, and now he was sitting next to her. Did he like her or not? What had she done to deserve the cold shoulder?

She had been trying to figure that out ever since the last weekend. He’d acted like he didn’t want to be around her on Sunday, but insisted on taking her home. He’d acted cool toward her, but he kissed her as if he needed her, then turned and walked away. Did he think she was going to hurt Drew? Why would he think that? She thought they had a good thing going.

“What do you want to drink?” Drew asked.

“Corona, please.”

“I’ll get the beer,” Ranger said as he scooted out of the booth. “Be right back.”

When he was gone, Carly turned to Drew intent on asking him what was going on. Instead, she found herself in his arms with his mouth pressing against hers. His kiss was magical. It stirred her senses and left her sated and comfortable. His tongue teased hers as he ran it around her mouth. She chased after it with hers then nipped his lower lip.

“Carly, I’m crazy about you. You mean the world to me.”

“I feel the same way about you.” She hesitated then continued. “What’s going on with Ranger? Why doesn’t he like me anymore?”

“He still likes you, baby. He’s uncomfortable caring about you, though. Give him time. He’ll come around.”

“I hope you’re right. I don’t want to cause a problem between you.”

“You’re not, baby. This isn’t about you. It’s about him and what he wants. Don’t let him ruin your night. Ignore him. That’s what I’m doing.” He gave her a rueful smile.

Ranger returned with three beers and slid in next to Carly. He still didn’t touch her, but he didn’t seem quite as tense as before.

“Come on, Carly. Let’s dance.” Drew pulled her out of the booth and toward the dance floor.

She laughed as they squeezed their way into the crowd. She loved to dance. It was so freeing to be able to move to the music however she wanted to. Drew was an excellent dancer and she was thoroughly enjoying herself. When the music was over, they slipped through the crowd back to where Ranger was calmly saving their booth and keeping an eye on their beer. Just as she slid back into the seat, Lisa and her fiancé walked up.

“Carly! I knew I would find you. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends?”

“Hey, Lisa, Bob. This is Drew, and this is Ranger.” She indicated each man by touching his arm. She tried not to notice how Ranger’s arm stiffened beneath her hand.

“Great to finally meet you,” Lisa said. “Carly has told us all about the two of you.”

“Good to meet you, Lisa,” Drew said.

Ranger nodded his head but didn’t say anything. He was watching, though. Carly realized he was analyzing everything Lisa said. Was he attracted to her?

“Bob is Lisa’s fiancé.” She felt the need to set Ranger straight in case he was attracted to the other woman.

She told herself it was to protect Lisa, but she knew deep down it was because she was jealous of the attention Ranger seemed to be paying her friend. She had never been jealous of Lisa before. It didn’t sit well with her.

“Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” began playing. Lisa squealed and made a grab for Carly.

“Come on. We have to dance to this!”

Drew laughed and slid out of the booth to let Carly out. Bob shook his head and smiled indulgently at the other woman.

Carly followed Lisa out on the dance floor where they gyrated with the rest of the crazy women. When the song was over, they made their way back across the room toward the booth when someone grabbed Carly by the arm and swung her around.

“What are you doing with those two men?” Jim, her ex-boyfriend, squeezed her arm.

“Let me go, Jim. It’s none of your business.” Carly tried to get her arm loose, but he wasn’t letting go.

She looked around for Lisa, but she was nowhere to be seen. Had she even noticed that Jim had grabbed her?

“Which one are you with? Huh? He can’t take care of you like I can. Does he know how you like it rough sometimes? I wasn’t all into that before, but I’ve been learning, Carly. I can give you what you want.”

“Let. Go. Jim! I don’t belong to you.” She tried to twist her arm out of his grip, but he was too strong.

Suddenly, Ranger was in the man’s face, a fierce glint in his eyes. He put a hand around the other man’s throat.

“Let go of her before I break your fucking neck.”

Jim let go of her and grabbed at Ranger’s fingers.

“Who are you? I thought she was with the other man,” he managed to get out in a strained voice.

“Don’t go anywhere close to her again. Do you understand?”

Carly watched as Ranger shoved Jim away with a disgusted look. Then he turned to her. Drew already had her and was rubbing up and down her arms. Ranger gently touched where Jim had squeezed hard enough to leave a bruise.

“I should have broken his neck for hurting you.” Ranger’s voice sounded so far away.

“I’m okay, Ranger. Thank you for helping me.”

“I won’t stand by and let anyone hurt you, Carly.”

“Come on, Lisa. We need to get back to our table. The others are going to think we left without saying good-bye.” Bob wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Who are you sitting with?” Carly asked.

“Sarah, Tim, Laura, and Matt.”

“Tell them I said hi.”

Lisa and Bob said good-bye and plunged into the crowd. Carly was glad she had seen Lisa. The other girl had been about to drive her crazy about her two men. She hadn’t said anything to Lisa about Ranger’s pulling away from her. She didn’t want it to be real, and somehow, by not saying anything to the other woman, Carly could pretend it wasn’t.

A few minutes later, Ranger grabbed her hand and pulled on her.

“Let’s dance.”

“Um, okay.” She glanced at Drew.

The other man shrugged as if to say he didn’t have a clue what was going on.

She allowed Ranger to lead her out on the floor, where he promptly pulled her into his arms close enough that she could feel the evidence of his arousal brushing against her belly. Just the thought of his long, hard cock had her creaming in her panties. Did this mean he still wanted her, or was he just toying with her?

“What’s going on, Ranger?” she finally asked.

“How do you feel about Drew?”

“What has that got to do with anything?”

“Answer the damn question, Carly.”

“I care deeply about him.” She didn’t understand where he was going with this.

“Are you screwing around with us because you’ve always wanted to try a ménage, or do you want more?”

“Are you asking me if I’m just fucking you both for giggles and kicks? I don’t screw around, Ranger. I’m not that kind of girl. I guess you would think so since I fell into bed with you the first night, but you mean more to me than that.” Carly wasn’t sure how to feel about Ranger’s interrogation.

“So if Drew were to ask you to move in with us, you’d do it?”

“What is this all about, Ranger? Drew hasn’t asked me to. For that matter, neither have you.”

“I’m asking you now. Move in with us.”

Chapter Eleven

Carly’s mouth fell open. She shut it and continued to stare at Ranger without moving. Neither of them was paying any attention to the music anymore. He stood standing there like a dark god with thunderclouds in his gaze and his mouth in a tight line. She wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not.

“Are you serious?”

“As a heart attack,” he said.

“I need to think. We haven’t known each other that long. Why isn’t Drew asking me?”

“Does it really matter who it comes from?”

“No, but somehow after how you’ve treated me lately, I didn’t expect it from you.”

“I’m an asshole, Carly. If you move in with us, you’ll find that out.” Ranger stood there in front of her with everyone dancing around them, and it didn’t seem to matter to him.

“Are you sure Drew wants me to?”

“He’d be asking you if it wasn’t for me. I don’t think you’re going to stick around very long. Drew thinks otherwise.”

“Yet you’ll ask me to move in believing that.” Carly shook her head. “I’ll think about it, but you need to know if you’re going to treat me like you’ve been treating me, the answer is no.”

“I promise to behave.”

“I don’t believe you. You couldn’t behave if your life depended on it,” Carly said with a wry smile.

He returned her smile and led her back to where Drew sat waiting on them. When Drew stood up to allow her to slide in, she caught him frowning at Ranger. They were at odds right now, too. She hated that she was the cause of it. Would it be worse or better if she moved in with them? If it got worse, she’d have to move out again. She wouldn’t come between them. They had been friends for a long time.

She had a lot to think about. She was almost tempted to tell Drew to take her home so she could do that, but knew it would hurt his feelings. Should she tell him what Ranger had asked, or did he already know about it? Somehow she didn’t think Drew would have let the other man do his asking for him. As it was, Ranger spilled the beans himself.

“I asked Carly to move in with us.”

Drew nearly spewed out the beer he’d just drunk. A look of incredulity crossed his face before anger, then worry. He turned to Carly and lifted his brows.

“What did you say?”

“I told him that I needed to think about it. We haven’t known each other all that long to think about moving in.”

“I feel like I’ve known you forever, Carly. I want to wake up with you in my arms every morning.”

“Give me some time to think about it, okay? I wasn’t expecting this.”

“Neither was I,” Drew muttered under his breath.

They danced several more dances, then Drew led her outside to climb on the back of the bike with Ranger. How she’d managed to end up on his bike, she didn’t have a clue. He stiffened up when she wrapped her arms around his middle. After a few minutes of riding, though, he relaxed and the ride became much more enjoyable to her.