“Hi Ash.” Penny smiles, extending her hand.

I take it, hesitantly. “Hi.”

“Ash is a friend of the club’s. She’s not a whore, so you don’t need to hesitate in talkin’ to her,” Krypt adds.

I scrunch my nose in disgust at his introduction, but I squash it down.

“How refreshing. It’s usually just Santana and I.”

I swallow and smile again. “Well, now you have me.”

She beams and turns to Krypt. “Take me outside for a walk. I want to catch up with you.”

He turns his gaze back to me. “You good?”

No, but I’m not about to tell you that.

“Of course,” I rasp. “Go.”

He turns to Penny. “Hang on a minute.”

He walks around the bar and over to me. His hand curls around the back of my neck in that dominating way again, and he leans into my ear. “We’re not done with this, you hear me?”

I swallow.

“You will tell me what made you cry, and you will be honest about it.”

Another swallow.

“And if you even try to escape me, I’ll put you over my knee and spank your beautiful ass.”

Oh, God.

He pulls back, not looking at me as he turns to Penny. “Let’s go.”

She stares at me curiously, but smiles and hooks her arm through Krypt’s. When they’re gone, I close my eyes, and let out a whoosh of breath.

Well that didn’t go very well, now did it?

Santana fills me in on Penny while Krypt is outside with her. It turns out Penny and Krypt were together for about four years from the time she was eighteen until twenty-two. They only split about two years ago, so that must make Penny around twenty-four, as predicted. They grew up together, and were close for a long time. She is four or five years younger than Krypt, but their families were close.

From what Santana tells me, Penny didn’t want the biker life and made the choice to go into the city and study, leaving Krypt behind. He was devastated, but knew it was for the best. They were never going to work. He was a biker; she was a soft, gentle woman who wanted a white picket fence and two-point-five children.

They’re good friends now, and have been since the break-up.

It kind of makes sense to me now why Krypt didn’t like me saying I wasn’t going to be an old lady. I’m the second woman who has rejected him for his lifestyle. I feel bad about that. Really bad. But it won’t change my mind. I barely know Krypt, and I certainly don’t know much about the biker life.

Obviously, Penny did.

“I overheard that she wants to reconsider things with Krypt,” I overhear as I’m walking back to my room that night.

“Me too. I hear them talking outside. She said she wanted him back, and he was hesitant.”

I stop, listening to the voices coming out of the kitchen.

“I bet that Ash girl won’t like that.”

“Fuck her. She’s a bitch anyway.”

I roll my eyes and walk off, wondering if what they’re talking about is true. Is Penny here to get Krypt back? I slip into my room and shut the door behind me. I walk over to the bed and flop down, exhaling loudly. It shouldn’t matter to me if she wants him back, I won’t even be here long. I have a job and a life to go back to.

I’m staring at my hands when my door opens. I look up to see Krypt. He flashes me a smile before shutting the door behind him and walking in. I don’t say anything as he shrugs his jacket off, and crawls onto the bed beside me. Why is he even here? I don’t understand.

“You’re brooding,” he mumbles, taking my body and pulling it underneath his.

I don’t bother to protest. Krypt gets what he wants, protests or not.

“I am not,” I scoff.

“Baby.” He smirks. “You so are.”

“Fuck off, biker.”

“I like you mad,” he murmurs, dropping his head into my shoulder.

“Can you get off me?”

“No.”

“Now!” I snap.

“Ah . . . no.”

I growl and drive my fist into his ribs. He chuckles.

“I thought you were tougher than that, darlin’.”

I hook my legs through his and lean up to bite his chest. He barks a curse and flips us over so I’m on top of him. He captures my hands and smirks up at me. “Cheater.”

“You want to dance, biker? I’m in the mood to dance.”

He chuckles, throwing me off him. He rolls off the bed and stands, wiggling his fingers in that come and get me kind of way. I smirk and leap off the bed too, looming towards him.

“We can dance, baby. But make it count, because if I beat you, I’m fucking you, and I’m not going to be nice about it.”

“And if I beat you, then you have to put me in the bath and wash me from head to toe. Then you’re going to lick my pussy and get nothing in return.”

His chest rumbles at my words and a slow, sexy smile appears on his face.

“It’s a deal.”

I grin.

I take a step towards him, and he dances off to the side. Oh, Krypt likes to play. I swing at him, missing his belly by mere millimeters.

He’s fast. He jumps towards me but I duck quickly out of his way, popping up behind him and throwing myself onto his back. I press a smacking kiss to his cheek. “One for me.”

“That was just the beginning, honey.” He chuckles, taking my arms and bending forward, flipping me over his back.