I rubbed my neck with one hand while I bent forward, clearing the empty beer mugs from the table. The Jar was rowdy tonight. The crowd was full of bikers and the party hadn’t slowed down yet, and it was nearing 1 AM.

The kitchen was still open too.

I was tired but I didn’t slow down for a second. It was worth the extra tips I was getting. And Mason was helping out, running food out to tables when I got slammed.

I bussed the table, then ran back to clear another table. There were people at this one, but they needed room for fresh beer.

They were drinking a hell of a lot of beer.

But they were tipping to match, so I pasted a smile on my face and ignored the stares. I’d never been called ‘honey’ or ‘sweetie’ so much in my life.

“You alright? You can go home, you know.” Mason looked worried. “In fact, I should insist you do. It’s about to tip over to anarchy.”

“It does feel different tonight.”

Mason shook his head.

“There’s been some serious stuff going on with the local MC’s. Just be on your toes, alright?”

“Okay. I’ll just make one more pass with the checks.”

“I’ll get sleeping beauty. Do not go outside without me.”

“Thanks, Mason.”

I gave him a shy smile and returned to my tables, fetching a couple of pitchers of beer and handing out the checks.

That’s when I felt it. A hand closed over my ass, grabbing and squeezing. A big, hot hand. I squealed and jumped a foot in the air.

“Hmmm, you got a great ass sweetheart.”

“Let go of me!”

I turned around to see who was manhandling me just as thunderous footsteps echoed throughout the bar. A man with broad shoulders and a look of pure fury on his face.

Mason was coming.

The biker leered at me for a split second before he noticed the charging bull heading his way.

“Oh, shit.”

The guy looked scared. Not just worried. He looked terrified.

I almost smiled, but I was transfixed by what happened next.

Time seemed to slow down as Mason pushed me behind him with one hand and slugged the guy with the other. The guy tried to fight back, he did. He was big and mean looking. The kind of guy you did not want to fight.

But Mason was a force of nature. He always seemed so mild mannered. Not that he was sweet exactly. He wasn’t. He didn’t embellish or flirt.

He was just… good.

And right now he was good at mopping up the floor with the cretin who’d grabbed my ass. Mason had taken less than two hits. The other guy was bleeding profusely, rocking back and forth on his feet with each hit.

I realized Mason was holding him up while he beat him. The guy would have fallen if not. Finally, Mason stopped, grabbing the guy’s shirt and yanking him in close.

“Which hand?”

“Wha?”

The guy’s mouth was swollen, and I was pretty sure he’d have two black eyes and need some serious dental work. But Mason wasn’t done with him yet. I knew it in my gut something bad was about to happen.

“Which hand did you touch her with?”

The guy looked like he wasn’t going to answer. But then he lifted his right hand. Mason smiled coldly and then did something I knew I would never forget.

He crushed it.

I actually heard the bones snap. The guy started wailing. Tears, mucus, and blood ran freely down his face. But Mason didn’t even flinch.

“Remember this the next time you want to touch a lady without permission. Especially this one. Forget you ever saw her. And don’t come back or I’ll do something worse.”

The guy nodded and his friends dragged him out of the place. Mason stared at them, his face hard and cold. The moment the door closed behind them, he looked at me. His face softened immediately.

“Are you okay?”

I nodded, still staring at him in awe.

“Are you?”

He looked at his bloody fist and grimaced.

“Worth it.”

“Let me clean that up for you.”

He said nothing, staring at me with a dark and hungry look in his eyes. He followed me to the back and into the stock room, where we kept a first aid kit. I looked around, and pointed to a couple of stacked boxes.

“Sit.”

He sat.

I busied myself with the kit, cleaning the cuts on his face first, and then tending to his hands. He didn’t move, or speak the entire time. His eyes never left my face.

“You didn’t have to do that, you know.”

I felt awkward, but it had to be said. He didn’t need to do that sort of thing for me. Not that I hadn’t felt a thrill when he did.

I’d never felt anything like it. Never had someone in my corner. Never had a champion.

He was… protecting me.

“Yeah, I did.”

I glanced up from tending to his hands, our eyes catching and holding. My breath hitched. I couldn’t have looked away if I wanted to.

And I definitely didn’t want to.

“Michelle…”

The raw sound of his voice did something to me. It was like a dam burst inside me. All the feelings I’d been hiding came pouring out. It felt like time stopped as we hovered on the verge of something… big.

He stood and towered over me. His hands were on my face, pulling me closer. I felt like a magnet, drawn towards him without effort. Nothing could have stopped what was happening.

And then he kissed me. His lips were warm and surprisingly soft. His beard tickled my skin in a delicious way. But it wasn’t a gentle kiss. It was the most intense kiss of my life, not that I’d had all that many. I felt like he would swallow me whole.

But, God help me, I wanted him to.

I felt myself melting into him. He felt hard and hot as our chests collided. I had his shoulders in my grip and his arms were around my waist, touching me, stroking my back through the thin fabric of my t-shirt.

And then he pulled away. He wouldn’t even look at me. I reached for him, my hand resting on his thickly muscled forearm. Finally, he looked at me, his eyes full of remorse.

“Christ, Michelle. I’m so sorry.”