They cleared his bed from all of his old blankets and put them on the floor by the doorway.

“I’ll sleep here,” he said. “If you still don’t want me to leave?”

“I don’t want you to leave,” Shelby confirmed.

She never wanted him to leave her again.

Hammer smiled and walked back across the room, he looked out the window and Shelby watched as his eyes made tracks around the entire landscape. He was always on high alert, constantly checking and scoping out his surroundings. He had both a hunter’s and a protector’s eye. He was clearly a man of many talents.

He turned back and looked at her and Shelby felt as if she must look like a rabbit caught in the headlights. She wanted to speak but she didn’t know what to say, her hands were fidgeting nervously by her side and she couldn’t break his gaze. Ever since they had really started speaking, she couldn’t get him out of her head. And now, they were going to have to spend twenty-four hours a day together, hidden away in a room in his club house… It was going to be hell.

She wanted him so badly, but she couldn’t…

It was a line both of them clearly knew they shouldn’t cross.

She could see the way he looked at her too. He touched her protectively and then pulled away the moment he realized what he was doing. He had gradually gotten closer to her, he’d let his own barriers down and, she hoped, had changed his opinion of her. After spending time together, he had even told her she wasn’t the spoiled little rich girl he had assumed her to be, and she had realized he wasn’t so arrogant, after all.

They still hadn’t torn their eyes away from each other and Shelby’s heart rate was picking up by the second. He looked so goddam good. His tanned muscles were heaving, his tattoos were dark and menacing, his furrowed brow was brooding and sexy, and his incredible eyes were so penetrating and engulfing that they were on the verge of driving her insane.

He took a step toward her and her heart leapt. She could see the look in his eye too. She knew he wanted her. She could feel it from across the room.

He took another step forward and as he came closer and she could feel his energy and heat, her whole body trembled. Hammer reached out and took hold of her hand and held it in his. The contrast between them was so stark it was incredible. Shelby’s hand was so small and delicate wrapped up in his, and Hammer’s was so big and brutish, so well-worn and masculine, it felt right that they should be held by one another.

“Hammer,” she whispered as she looked into his eyes.

He stared down at her and she actually felt intimidated by him. This man was a beast and she had felt his power and seen what he could do. He was dangerous and untamed. He was a criminal, an outlaw, and no doubt, he had killed… And yet, she was drawn to him in ways she couldn’t explain.

The heat between them was rising and she took another step closer so that their bodies were almost touching. She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck, for him to lift her up and hold her close to him, for their lips to touch and for him to throw her back on the bed and to do things to her she barely dared to even imagine.

But she looked away and dropped his hand.

She stepped back and he took another step forward and she shook her head.

“You’re right,” she whispered. “This isn’t a good idea…”

She didn’t dare look back up to him, but she could feel him staring at her. She knew that if she looked back up, she would never be able to tear herself away.

“I’ve been hired to protect you, Shelby,” Hammer finally broke the silence. “I have to put that before everything else. Even if…” he faltered and then sighed and turned around.

Shelby sat down on the bed and watched him begin to pace from left to right. He was so big he seemed to take up the majority of the room, and his footsteps sent shockwaves through the entire house.

“Even if what?” she asked him bravely.

He stopped and looked up at her with the softest expression she had ever seen from him.

“Even if I was completely wrong about you,” he said finally. “I know I’ve told you before, about how much you’ve surprised me… But I feel like I need to say it again. Spending time with you this past week… It’s changed me.”

Shelby’s heart felt like it was going to explode with love and she opened her mouth to speak but she couldn’t find the words.

“You’ve changed me too,” she finally managed as she blinked back a tear.

It wasn’t just that he had been there for her and looked after her, he had awoken something in her that she didn’t even know was there. She had always felt as if a part of her was missing, but since Hammer had come into her life, that feeling had slowly but surely disappeared.

He smiled and so did she, and then the silence between them didn’t feel as intimidating anymore.

Hammer turned and broke the moment by continuing to pull fresh blankets out of a cupboard in the corner and pass them to Shelby who in turn started to put them on the bed.

She could feel the change between them. The bond that was growing. It had always been there, even when she couldn’t stand the sight of him, but now, it was strong and important, and evolving with each passing second. They had barely been apart, and yet, this was truly going to be the first real time they were going to spend together.

And Shelby was both nervous and excited.

The day passed by in a blur, almost too fast for it to be real. Hammer had taken her down into the club house and introduced her to some of the bikers that were milling around and working there and it was interesting to see their dynamics.

She could tell they were looking at her in the same way he had originally. She could see the suspicion in their eyes, the way they almost didn’t take her seriously. They eyeballed her and smirked to each other, it was clear they were intrigued by the legendary Petrov’s daughter, but they also assumed they knew it all.

Spoiled little rich girl needing protection.

A cliché, if ever they had seen one.

But she didn’t care about impressing them. The only person she cared about, when it came to their opinion, was Hammer. And she knew she had proven herself to be so much more.

They all sat in a room toward the back of the house and the bikers were smoking and drinking beer. Hammer did neither, he was on constant alert and protection mode as always, even though he tried to hide it. It was strange for Shelby to be in such a charged environment, even after witnessing her father, his goons and his business associates over the years and even seeing some of the Iron Riders. Being there in the midst of the Forsaken Riders’ club house was a completely different game.

They were all so fierce and wild, and they had such interesting edges to them that it was apparent, immediately, which roles they all filled. King and Bull, two of the biggest in the room were also the heads of the club. Shelby could tell the moment Hammer introduced her to them and saw how they commanded the room. They were on good terms with each other, but she could tell that running beneath the surface there was clearly some unresolved issues when it came to questions of power and control, and it was interesting to see how they tried to hide their disagreements.

Hammer brought Shelby a glass of water and she curled up on a chair in the corner of the room, sipping it slowly. She barely dared speak even though sitting silently was torture. There were so many questions swimming around in her head and she desperately wanted to know the ins and outs of life as a biker, but she was a guest there and she had to respect that. They were doing her a favor by keeping her safe, and now she had return that favor by respecting their privacy.

“So, your old man’s been a pretty good ally to the bikers over the years,” one of them finally spoke to her. He was slightly shorter than the others but still just as intimidating, rugged and good looking.

“So I’ve heard,” Shelby replied.

Hammer half-laughed and walked around and sat on the other side of Shelby.

“She’s got a smart mouth,” Hammer told him. “I wouldn’t try and outwit her too much.”

Shelby smiled smugly and the other biker snorted.

“Don’t worry, I wouldn’t dare try,” he winked.

“This is Ranger,” Hammer offered. “Another brother from another mother.”

Shelby reached out and shook his hand.

“It’s a pleasure,” Ranger smiled.

Shelby smiled with half embarrassment. She didn’t know what to say or whether it would be better for her just to stay completely silent.

“How long is she here with us for?” Ranger spoke across Shelby and directly to Hammer.

Hammer shrugged and opened his arms wide.

Shelby couldn’t help but stare at him and his incredible physique. With it being displayed like that right in front of her, it was making her hot and bothered.

“As long as she needs to be,” Hammer finally replied.

Shelby felt a flicker of lust sparking right in the depths of her soul.

“I’m tired,” she said, breaking their conversation, suddenly unable to take it anymore.

Hammer got to his feet and walked to the door of the room. The other bikers were all smirking and making jokes amongst themselves.

“Protect her good,” one of them shouted and Hammer shot them a death stare tinged with a smile of his own.

“Oh don’t worry, he will,” Shelby said bravely as they walked out into the hallway and began to climb the stairs.

The roars of laughter that came from behind them only made her start to giggle too, and luckily, Hammer could also see the funny side.

“Strange, isn’t it,” he said as he looked down at her. “Doesn’t seem to matter how old men get, as soon as you get them in a group together, they revert back to joking around like boys.”

Shelby smiled at him warmly.

“I’m sure it’s the same with women too,” she said. “Although, maybe not as filthy.”

Hammer threw his head back and laughed as they reached the doorway to the bedroom and he pushed it opened and stood back while Shelby walked ahead of him and went inside.

He loitered in the doorway and looked around.

“I can leave you for a while,” he said. “Let you get undressed, ready for bed. I’ll wait out by the door, just let me know when you’re done.”

Before she had a chance to protest, he was out the door and had closed it behind him and she bit her lip in turmoil.

She knew what she wanted and she knew how to get it, but she knew it was wrong. Her giving herself to him was only going to cause a whole host of problems. What if it made it worse for everyone involved?

“But how?” she whispered to herself. “How could it really be so bad?”

She walked over to the door in the corner of the room and opened it, ducking inside. The tiny adjoining bathroom had a shower and a sink and she looked in the mirror and at how glowing she looked. Even though she had been traumatized and been through hell, Hammer had pulled her out the other side and she could never forget that. He had touched something in her, brought her back to life, he had shown her that life could be exciting and worth living.

She ran her fingers through her hair and slowly started to pull her tank top off over her head. Her breasts were pert and her nipples hard with excitement. She couldn’t let this moment pass her by.

She peeled off her shorts and stood there wearing nothing but her tiny lacey panties and when she walked slowly back into the bedroom, she took a deep breath to calm herself before she did the bravest thing she had ever done.

“You can come in,” she called and then she closed her eyes and breathed deeply again.

As the handle of the door started to turn, she opened her eyes again and her heart pounded so loudly in her chest she thought it was going to burst free.

The door began to open slowly and for a split second, she debated grabbing the blanket that was lying next to her on the bed and pulling it around herself, but she knew she would only regret it. There was something about this moment that just felt right. And she was going to pursue it.

Hammer stopped in his tracks with his mouth dropping open and he looked at her with wide eyes. He glanced back quickly over his shoulder and then stepped inside and closed the door before he turned the key in the lock.

Shelby’s heart was racing but she could see it in him too.

He wanted this.

He wanted her.

She swallowed hard and waited for him to come to her. He looked tortured and conflicted.

“This is wrong,” he whispered as he took another step toward her.

His words said one thing, but his body said another. And she knew what was between them was so powerful it would overcome everything.

He reached her and she had never felt so exposed or vulnerable. He looked down at her with his incredible eyes and reached up, stroking her face.

“You’re so incredibly beautiful,” he said as he took hold of her waist with his other hand and pulled her close to him.

Their lips were only millimeters apart and she could feel his breath on her face and neck. He grunted as he lifted her and wrapped her legs around his waist so they could stare into each other’s eyes and then he pushed her back against the wall and she gasped and bit her lip.

“I’ve been trying not to do this,” he panted as his eyes seemed to catch fire. “I’ve been trying to deny it.”

“So have I,” Shelby whispered as she let her lips graze his. “But I can’t… Not anymore.”

Hammer pushed himself against her and she could already feel he was rock hard and throbbing for her. He kissed her hard on the lips and it was so powerful it took her breath away. She moaned as she writhed against him, squeezing him as tight as she could with her legs and pulling him to her. She felt tiny in his arms, and he was so strong she felt as if any moment he could break her. The sensations of having a man so close to her and so wrapped up in her were incredible and she panted as she held on to him. They kissed each other feverishly and hungrily and when Hammer spun her around and threw her down on the bed, she was already soaking wet and begging for him.

“This is such a bad idea,” he said again but with a wicked grin on his face.

“I like bad ideas,” Shelby giggled as she lay back naked beneath him apart from her tiny panties.

She looked up at him and of how perfect he was. His body was so big and strong compared to her and she couldn’t tear her eyes away when it came to watching him undress. Hammer pulled his t-shirt off over his head and exposed his incredible muscles. She had been waiting for so long to see them, that when the moment actually came, she was completely lost for words. He was like a Greek god looming above her. He was so perfectly defined and chiseled, so big and strong and intimidating it made her gush even more.

When he began to kiss the full length of her body and nibble at her soft skin, she gasped and moaned with pleasure. His touch was exquisite and rough at the same time and it was sending her into a frenzy. When he got to her panties, he latched onto them and began to pull them down with his teeth and Shelby threw her head back and gasped.

He was an expert lover, she could tell that already, and it was making her quiver before him.

He ripped the panties off and threw them back behind him and then he reached down for his belt buckle as he held her gaze. She watched as he flicked it open and pulled it free before he began to unbutton his jeans and pull them down.

When he exposed his cock, she couldn’t have been prepared for how perfect it was. It was big, fat and hard, and she wanted it inside her so badly she was aching for him. Hammer came down on top of her and kissed her again. His body was so big and brutish she felt completely wiped out by him, and she had no idea how she was going to take him inside her.

She opened her legs wide and wrapped them around him and kissed him as she could feel his desire growing even more. His cock poked into the side of her thigh and he grunted and groaned as he had to stop himself from plunging into her straight away.

He grabbed her and rolled with her to the side and pulled her on top of him and Shelby gasped as she looked down at the man beneath her. He held her there so effortlessly and she knew he could do anything he wanted with her, he was so strong.

When he began to lift her and open her legs wide, she braced herself for him. He held her there for a moment, teasing her with the top of his sword before he pulled her down and plunged inside of her.

As he opened her up, she gasped with ecstasy and felt herself already unravelling around him. He lifted her back and forth and fucked her smoothly and slowly. Shelby rode him and threw her head back and he sat up and took her nipple into his mouth before he bit her gently and began to trail kisses up her neck. When he flipped her onto her back and powered back into her, she was already cumming and she gripped him tightly with her thighs as he reached places inside her she hadn’t even known existed.

She was a quivering mess beneath him and with each thrust, he only began to send her over the edge again. Seeing her in such a state was only making him even more hard and turned on, and when Shelby began to unravel for the second time, this time, Hammer joined her as they both came together.

He grunted and gasped as he exploded and pinned her down hard into the mattress beneath them. Shelby ran her hands through his hair and kissed him, never wanting to let him go.

They looked into each other’s eyes and Hammer really had done things to her she had never thought possible. He was an absolute god. He was the one she had always been waiting for, the one she had longed for but never knew she needed.

He cradled her in his arms as they lay together in the aftermath of their love and Shelby felt so safe and secure that she never wanted the moment to end.

“That was the best bad idea I think you’ve ever had,” she whispered as she trailed her fingertips over his chest and Hammer laughed as he pulled her closer.

“I don’t know how I managed to resist for so long,” he kissed her delicately on the top of her head.

“You were being honorable,” she smiled. “Unfortunately for you, it looks as if I led you astray.”

“Trust me, I didn’t need much leading.”

Shelby smiled and felt warm inside. Nothing between them ever felt forced or difficult. Now that they knew each other fully, they were so at ease and content around each other she couldn’t imagine it any other way.

“I tried so hard to hate you,” she admitted. “That day when I saw you in the hospital, I knew then that you were going to be important to me and I was going to struggle to keep you out of my thoughts. But I was just so angry at my father for taking my life away and it was like you were some jailer and enabler.”

Hammer laughed and kissed her again.

“A jailer, talk about dramatic,” he shook his head.

“You know what I mean, though,” she jabbed him playfully in the ribs. “It was like you were going to be controlling my every movement from then on. I had to ask your permission if I wanted to leave my own house!”

“It was all just to keep you safe,” he said. “Imagine if I hadn’t been there.”

“I know,” she agreed. “I think about it often and you will never know how grateful I am for everything you’ve done. You’ve saved my life. You truly have.”

She looked up into his stunning blue eyes and for once, his brow wasn’t furrowed, he was smiling and he looked sexier than ever.

“I think you’ve saved mine too,” he admitted sincerely. “Before I was hired to come and work for your father, I had been struggling over here. I’m not used to being controlled, not that the club controls me, but honor has always made me give my all. Do you understand?”

Shelby nodded.

“I had become disillusioned and withdrawn, but now, I feel as if I have purpose again. You’ve changed everything for me, Shelby, you really have. You proved me wrong with my opinions, you’ve shown me how to have fun again and more than anything, you’ve shown me to care and how to love…”

He stopped and Shelby found herself gasping.

Love…

He cupped her face in his hands and their lips grazed against one another’s. He kissed her deeply and she felt as if she were melting into his arms all over again.

“You’ve changed so much for me too,” she smiled as she looked into his eyes. “And I never want to lose this feeling.”

They lay together in bed and talked until the early morning, the whole world was waiting for them and they had so much to look forward to. Now, they only had to decide how to tell Shelby’s father and throw another dilemma into the mix when it came to the ongoing feud and saga between the Iron Riders, The Forsaken Riders and now, the Russian Mob.

“Life would be boring if we didn’t have all these outside factors,” Shelby laughed. “I mean, imagine being a regular couple who had just met on Tinder…”

Hammer threw his head back and laughed and kissed her again.

For a sassy gangster’s daughter who had been nothing but a pain in his ass and a constant distraction, she sure had a good sense of humor.