He closes the door and I bury my head into the mattress. I can’t believe I just did that and with a man I don’t even know! Except it doesn’t feel like we’re strangers. I roll over on my back, dragging the comforter over me and stare up at the ceiling. What am I doing here?

My father is an evangelical preacher. An extremely devout one. He used to beat me until I couldn’t sit down or lie on my back from the punishment I received. There are thin spiderweb-like scars on my lower back and side from the belt he used. Sabre either didn’t take time to notice them, or he didn’t really care about them. I’m hoping it’s the latter. Having Sabre and the men here would send my father into a rage. If he knew what I did with Sabre, he would kill us both. In my father’s eyes, what Sabre and I did would be sinning and reveling in our fall from grace. It would be in direct violation of God’s commandments.

My stomach lurches at the reminder of my father. He is in Illinois, and his teachings have never been my beliefs. What kind of God would find it okay for a father to use a belt on his eight-year-old daughter because the boy next door held her hand on the way home from school? What kind of God would condone a man who cut all his daughter’s hair off because he thought she was using it to lure boys into her bed?

I tap down those memories. I got away. I moved to Kentucky. I no longer have to live in fear. Admittedly, it only happened because I got a job offer here and my father’s brother lives in the same town so he can report back to my father. Carl can never know about Sabre. Ever.

I hear laughing from the other room and sigh. I need to get up and go out there before Sabre comes and finds me. Maybe it’s because I’m just now getting my first taste of freedom as a woman, I just don’t know, but I know I want more time with Sabre. I like him, or rather I like what I know of him, and the rest of the men seem nice, too. So I’m going to throw caution to the wind and enjoy this for however long it lasts.

With my mind made up, I go into the adjoining bathroom, clean up, search out some comfortable clothes, and return to the kitchen. My face flames with embarrassment as everyone stops talking when I enter the room. I’m having trouble looking any of them in the eye.

“Over here, Peaches.”

Sabre is standing in the kitchen on the opposite side of the others and he looks very pleased with himself. It annoys me, but I had a lot to do with putting that look on his face. I walk to him and when I get there, he takes me in his arms. I return his hug and then let him curl me into his side. I like it. I like how it feels to be with him.

“Hey, Peaches. We were starting to think you weren’t going to join us,” Keys speaks up and I give him a small smile without looking him directly in the eye.

“Have you eaten?” I ask Sabre.

“Nah, sweetheart. I’ll get something in a bit,” he answers, and I grasp at it. I need something to keep busy.

“I’ll get it. Just pull up that seat over there. We all should have eaten at the table. There’s more room there. I never use the darn thing personally, so it didn’t occur to me. Next time, well if there is one, I will set it up…”

“Peaches?” Sabre interrupts my sad rambling and I’m glad. I look up at him in mid-sentence.

“Stop being nervous.”

I huff in response, “Sabre, you can’t just order someone to not be nervous.”

“I just did,” he says all cocky.

“Well okay, you can order someone to do it. That, however, doesn’t mean they will do it.”

“Did you do as I ordered in the bedroom?” He asks as if he’s talking about the weather. It doesn’t escape my notice that everyone has gone quiet again.

“Sabre!”

“Answer me.”

“That isn’t something you just talk about in mixed company,” I chastise getting a plate down and filling it up with what is left of the meatloaf and side items.

“What’s she calling us? Does she not like other races?” Shaft asks, and he is clearly Latino.

“No dumbass, she’s just saying she doesn’t want to talk about how her and Sabre had sex in front of a bunch of men,” Beast growls and I probably glows in the dark. I put the plate down without looking at any of them and go back to the fridge to get Sabre something to drink. I think at this point, I’d rather pour it on him.

“We weren’t in front of a bunch of men,” I grumble, but I don’t think they are listening to me.

“For god’s sake, why? We all sat here and listened to her scream like a banshee as he laid the pipe to her,” Shaft asks and my head jerks up with an unspoken oh on my lips. I can’t believe he said that. I’m rewarded when Torch slaps him on the back of the head.

“Ow! What the fuck is that for?”

“You’re embarrassing, Peaches,” he says looking up at me with a wink and licking some of the chocolate off his spoon.

I guess the boys found the chocolate lasagna. I can’t help but watch the way Torch works his tongue around the spoon and sucks it into his mouth. He’s a really good looking man and, apparently, I’ve just recently found my hormones.

“Peaches!” Sabre snarls and stops my crazy thoughts. I go to him immediately and he pulls me back against his body. “You’ll pay for that later, sweetheart,” he whispers into my ear.

I don’t have to ask what he means—I know. It’s not like I would trade him for Torch, anyway. I was just looking. I reach up and kiss him on the side of his jaw. His five o’clock shadow prickles against my lips. It’s a good feeling. I start to pull away but he keeps me close, anchoring me against him.

“Why does she care if we talk about her having sex? I mean why else would she be screaming ketchup at the top of her lungs? By the way, brother, you really need better safe words. That one is kind of freaky. That’s worse than the time you guys had that red-head screaming cheeseburger and Skull thought…”

This time Sabre slaps Shaft up the side of the head. I don’t mind. I kind of want to join in. His words leave me feeling dirty, wrong even.

“Okay, it’s time for everyone to get out,” Sabre yells and he’s mad; he won’t let go of me. Maybe he can tell that if he let me go, there is a very big possibility that I would go get in my car and drive back to Illinois. Okay, maybe not that drastic but away just the same.

“C’mon Sabre, we haven’t even had any cookies yet,” Keys joins in and they all look at me, and if you could spontaneously combust, well, I’d be doing it right now.

“Get out you fucking assholes. Beast? Have these prospects cleaning out the bathrooms at The Rock.”

“With pleasure. Great food, Peaches. Look forward to seeing you around,” Beast grumbles. I don’t think he can talk any other way. He grabs Shaft and Keys by their collars at the back of their neck and pretty much pulls them out of the room. They’re too busy whining over having to clean bathrooms to do much else. Beast is so big that he handles the large men rather easily.

Torch comes over and picks up my hand and kisses the back of it, despite Sabre pushing him away. “Until next time, love,” he says with another wink.

“Keep your motherfucking hands away from her,” Sabre warns him, but it doesn’t seem to bother Torch at all.

And just like that—we’re alone.

“Sabre, I think maybe you should go, too.”

“Did you mind me?” he asks and I blanch at the words. Does he think I’m a mindless child who will do everything he commands?

“I have no idea what you…”

“Are you wearing panties, Peaches?”

“I…uh…well, no.”

“Good girl. Now let’s finish eating, I’m starved.”

“It’s kind of cold now,” I answer him, wondering exactly what twilight zone I’ve slipped into.

“So we’ll zap it in the microwave. C’mon Peaches, feed your man,” he says walking into the kitchen.

My man? Maybe I have fallen off the deep end. I follow him into the kitchen and help nuke his food. I get a little bit for myself and sit beside him. We don’t really talk, but it doesn’t feel awkward. Something is bothering me, though, so instead of pushing my mashed potatoes around in the plate, I decide to ask him.

“Shaft made it sound, like well…”

“Spit it out, Peaches.”

“He made it sound like you guys, shared…like well…he mentioned a red-head and it sounded like…well…”

“We share women from time to time.”

“Share? Like once you date one, sometimes they go out with Torch, too?”

“You need to get that motherfucker, Torch, out of your head right now,” he growls and his voice is full of anger.

“I wasn’t, I mean I wasn’t thinking that I would, you know…”

“Damn, Peaches, can you say any actual words?”

“I think you should go now. I can say those words,” I retort carrying our plates into the kitchen. Sabre gives a loud sigh in the background.

“The brothers and I don’t date, Peaches. He’s talking about a club girl. They hang around the club, live the life. They help us release steam, take care of our needs, and we do the same for them.”

“I thought you ran a garage…”

“You thought wrong,” he says mysteriously.

“What is it you do?” I ask, clenching my hands into a fist.

“I’m a member of the Devil’s Blaze Motorcycle Club.”

“But what do you do?” I ask, looking at him in shock. I’m such a fool. I let this man touch me and I know nothing about him. Maybe my parents are right, I’m not ready for the real world.

“That is what I do,” he answers and I don’t question him further. Something in his stance tells me that asking would only annoy him.

“I’m not the kind of girl who dates bikers,” I say before I can stop the words.

“The way I look at it Peaches, you don’t know what kind of girl you are yet. I’m going to help you figure that out.”

Maybe he does have me pegged.

“I don’t want to be shared with other men, Sabre. If that’s what you want, then you should leave.”

“We’ll never do anything you don’t want to do, Peaches.”

I’m pretty sure Sabre is the king of cryptic answers.

“You’re not staying the night. We need to slow this down.”

“We’ll see,” he says taking a bite of his food.

Crap.