A black town car carried me even farther outside of the city, to a large estate that housed a huge McMansion with a relatively normal-sized house at the back of the property. I’d never seen anything like it and I wasn’t shy about my gawking.

Even before I got involved with the Rage MC, I’d lived with my Mom in a shack just outside of the clubhouse. She’d been obsessed with being an old lady and that meant staying somewhere close. I’d never seen anything like the property we were approaching, outside of reading about places like it in magazines and books at the library.

Jack’s house was beautiful. It was three stories of deep red brick, black shutters, and green ivy that seemed like it was trying to consume the house. Each floor had French balconies with black metalwork that screamed that just one of those balconies had cost more than I had ever made, or probably would ever make, in my life. The yard was stunningly manicured with a couple of large weeping willows at the edge of the property.

I immediately made plans to sit under one of those trees and read a book. If I could. I didn’t know what my boundaries would be. I didn’t want to step on Jack’s toes, especially not when he was willing to house me for free.

The driver took me beyond the main house and stopped in front of the guesthouse, which was a miniature version of the larger home. The front doors alone amazed me. I wanted to ask the driver if there’d been some kind of mistake. I was pretty sure that I didn’t belong in a place that nice.

The driver got out and came around the car to open the door for me. “Mr. Stone mentioned that the spare key would be under the flowerpot.”

I grabbed my bag and walked up to the house. Unease bubbled up in me and I couldn’t help but look back at the driver. “This can’t be right.”

He had already climbed into the car. “It’s right.”

I just stood there and blinked as he drove away and left me staring like an idiot. I knew what I should’ve done. I should’ve found the key and let myself into the house. Jack had told me to. I just couldn’t help but feel out of place and uncomfortable.

For whatever reason, I hadn’t expected Jack to be quite so…Jack after meeting him the first time. I’d expected a cop. I didn’t know a ton about cops, but I knew they didn’t live in giant houses with large guesthouses and wear high-dollar suits. Jack was loaded, and I hadn’t been ready for that.

It’d been easier to ignore at the office, when I was panicking and distracted. I couldn’t miss it while standing on his property, though. It was slapping me right in the face.

I sat on the steps of the house with my bag in my lap and just looked around. My world had changed drastically. I wasn’t even sure it was the same world. I wanted to be strong and forge on, as I knew I had to do, but in that moment, all I wanted to do was cry. Nothing felt right. I felt alone and scared and like the little girl I’d never been.

I was sitting on Jack’s expensive steps, with the French balconies looming above me, in training clothes and wedge heels, holding the only things I had left in the world. And it wasn’t much. I didn’t belong.

*

“I’d originally planned for you to sleep inside the house.”

I sat up with a scream and tried to scramble away from the voice. I’d been dreaming about Snake and had a moment where I couldn’t get back to reality fully.

“Hey, it’s me. It’s Jack.” He easily pulled me to my feet and grabbed my shoulders. “Look at me, Red.”

My vision cleared, and I saw it was Jack. Still not one hundred percent myself, I threw myself into his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I thought you were him.”

He stood there, tense for a few seconds, and then wrapped his arms around me. He was warm and strong against my body and I needed it. “You’re safe. Although, I’m not sure why you’re asleep on the porch.”

I allowed myself a few more moments to feel weak before pulling away and straightening the T-shirt I wore. I ran my hand over my hair, realizing I’d lost my hat at some point.

“Red?”

I looked up at him and noticed he’d changed out of his suit. He was wearing another outfit like the one he’d worn when I first saw him: cargo pants, T-shirt, boots. Simple and convenient, but I couldn’t help but see him in his suit. “I can’t stay here, Jack. Look at this place. Look at you. I made a mistake.”

He cocked his head to the side and crossed his arms over his chest. “Look at me?”

I tried to ignore the way the muscles in his arms stretched at his sleeves. “Yes. At you. I…  God, I just don’t belong here. This place is too nice, too clean.”

“Too clean?” He seemed astonished.

I’d thought about it before I’d taken my impromptu nap earlier. I couldn’t stay. “I’m just going to find a women’s shelter. I’ll stay there and find a job. Then, I’ll stay in the motel I was at my first night in town. I can’t live in your guesthouse. I just don’t belong here. I’m not comfortable.”

He stared at me as if I’d actually lost my mind. Then, he walked over to the flowerpot and grabbed the key. Then, he casually stepped around me and opened the door. “Come on in. I’ll show you around.”

“Did you not hear me?”

“Yes, I heard you. I’m just choosing not to listen. Come inside.”

I put my hands on my hips and shook my head. “No. I’m not staying here, Jack.”

He gripped the door and nodded his head. “Yes, you are.”

“Stop it, Jack. I’m not staying here and that’s final. You can’t make me stay here. It was a really great and nice offer, but I—” I stumbled as he marched toward me. “Jack, what are you doing?!”

He bent slightly and caught my stomach with his shoulder before lifting me into a fireman’s carry. Even while I screamed and flopped around like some sort of fish, he just walked into the house and acted as if he was giving a perfectly normal tour. Jack, the real estate man.

“Put me down!”

“This is the kitchen. It’s fully furnished, so anything you need should be here. I think the last person who stayed here left a couple of bottles of wine in the fridge, too. I can take you to buy some food to keep on hand later if you’d like.”

I grew even more embarrassed. “No! I don’t want your money.”

“How do you plan on surviving here, Red?”

“I’ll get a job.”

“You’ll get a job? You’ll apply for a job, go through the interview process, wait two weeks for your first check? And in the meantime?”

I wiggled against his broad shoulders and sighed. “Not that kind of job, Jack.”

He stilled and turned his head so he could look at me. “You’re still dancing?”

“Stripping. I strip. And yes. Turns out that it’s one of my only skills. It’s easy to find work. I just need a ride into town and I’m sure I can be working by tonight. I’ll find somewhere willing to pay under the table and I’ll have money by early tomorrow morning. Then I can get a motel room and buy my own food.”

He looked pissed. Instead of putting me down, he walked me into a beautifully decorated living room. “This is your living room. There’s a TV and a DVD player. DVDs are in the bookshelf in the corner. There are some books in there, too. Also, there’s satellite TV, so pretty much anything you’d like to watch, it’s there.”

“Are you just choosing to ignore me completely? I just said I’m not staying here and I gave you my plan. Just listen to me, dammit.”

“That isn’t a plan. You don’t have to strip anymore, Red. You can just relax while we figure out how to handle Snake.”

I struggled even harder to get away from him. He was actually really starting to push me too far. “I don’t need saving from my career choices, Jack.”

“Are you sure about that? You’re still stripping, six years later. Have you really gotten that far away from where you were?”

I saw red and thrashed so hard that he pulled me down, into his arms, and held me firmly to his chest. I ended up head butting him and still he didn’t let me go. It took the wind right out of my sails, though. I groaned and rested my head on his shoulder as a throbbing pain shot through my forehead.

“Jesus. Your head is a rock.”

Jack grunted and shook me. “You’re starting to piss me off.”

“Well, good! Welcome to the club. You assume that because I’m stripping that I’m still in the same position I was in all that time ago. I’m not. I’m not stripping because if I don’t someone will beat the shit out of me. I’m not stripping because it gets me away from my old man for a few minutes and those few minutes are the best part of every day. I’m stripping because I need money. That’s all. I’m just stripping to pay bills and to get out of the shelter. That feels worlds away from where I was.”

When he still didn’t say anything, I sighed. “Jack, when my Mom was alive, I barely got to go to school. After she died, Snake took me out of school completely. I can’t have a normal job. A friend gave me a job at the local library in Jackson, but it didn’t pay enough. I have to do what I can to make sure I can support myself. It’s not a big deal.”

He stared into my eyes, and I saw the frustration and concern playing in his. It’d been a long time since anyone looked at me with concern in their eyes. “I’ll give you a job at the office.”

I shook my head. “I can’t do anything. I have virtually no education. No diploma. No GED.”

“You worked at the library. What did you do there?”

I shrugged as best as I could, still in his arms. “Everything.”

“Then I’m sure you can do the same at my office. I’ll loan you some money to buy work clothes and food. Then, if you feel it absolutely necessary, you can pay me back when you get paid.”

I hesitated. “I’m not sure that it’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Your office is very nice, Jack. I saw the women that worked there. They’re used to being around men in suits all day long. I’m not going to fit in. I’m more used to being around men in leather.”

He shifted and lowered his arms. One of them hooked under my ass and my legs naturally went around his waist. With my arms free, I crossed them over my chest to keep from touching him anymore than I already was. My body was aching for him in ways that I couldn’t remember ever aching for another man.

Jack cleared his throat. “You’ll fit in fine. Bo liked you. He never likes anyone.”

“Bo liked me because I embarrassed all of his recruits.”

“I’m not putting you down until you agree to work for me.”

I wanted to refuse to ever work for him. I could feel his hard body pressed against mine and all I wanted to do was take my clothes off for him. Ironic, since he was fighting to keep me from stripping. “Fine. I’m only agreeing to work for a couple of days, though. If it doesn’t work, I’m not chained to it. And I’m not staying here. This place is too nice.”

“The house comes with the job. Either you stay here or you stay in a guest room in my house. Your choice.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “This house it is, then.”

He released me and I slid down his body until my feet touched the floor. “Perfect.”

I couldn’t miss the huskiness to his voice or the straining erection pressing against my stomach. I sucked in a big breath and spun away from him. No matter how much my body said that it wanted him, I didn’t trust it. I moved even farther away and nodded. “When do I start?”

“Tomorrow morning. There’s a laundry room at the back of the house. Do you have anything to wear tomorrow? You can go during your break tomorrow to buy more clothes. If not, I’ll take you tonight.”

I shook my head. I didn’t need more time alone with him. “I have something I can wear tomorrow. Thank you.”

He backed away, looking just as uncomfortable as I felt. “I’ll have someone bring you dinner tonight. Steak okay?”

I nodded. “Yep.”

“Great. I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock in the morning.”

“Great.” I winced at how instantly awkward it had become. My skin wanted to crawl away from me, if the feelings were an accurate representation.

“Great. See you then.” He turned and left.

A few seconds later I heard the door shut and sighed. Thank God that was over.