Page 43 of Down & Dirty: Rage

“Carl must have fuckin’ brain damage, then, cause he was goddamn clueless when I asked where you were.”

“Well…” She sighed. Carl was a great tattoo artist but he wasn’t the brightest. “Why didn’t you contact my parents?” That would’ve avoided this whole mess.

His jaw shifted. “Didn’t want the OGs involved.”

“Why?”

“‘Cause…” His lips flattened out and shook his tattooed head. “Don’t matter. You’re safe now. That’s all that fuckin ‘matters.”

“I can’t speak for any of the other women, but I’m sorry you were worried.”

“Pretty fuckin’ sure some of them don’t give a fuck. Prolly think it’s funny.”

“You know how they are.” They liked to serve the men shit sandwiches whenever possible. That was because the men acted like they kneweverythingand thought they were always right.

Their level of cockiness was always high and that annoyed the women.

“Didn’t know where you were, baby. Didn’t even know where to fuckin’ look cause we didn’t know who took you. Didn’t know if you were being tortured…” He pulled in a breath, held it for a few seconds before releasing in a rush. “Or worse.”

“Like what happened to my mother,” she said softly.

“Yeah,” he breathed, dropping his head for a moment. When he lifted it again, he whispered fiercely, “Don’t ever want youto be hurt.”

The intensity of his words caused a flutter in her stomach and her heart to swell.

Ash cupping her cheek and brushing his thumb back and forth over her cheekbone made her forget whatever she’d been about to say.

It had always been obvious that Ashton cared about her. She just hadn’t realized how much.

Or that it went beyond being a club sister.

Because that was why he was reacting like this, right? Why he pulledherinto a private room and not any of the other women who planned the birthday celebration, like his own cousins?

“Sorry we worried you,” she reiterated in a whisper, holding his eyes with her own.

“Sorry your birthday’s ruined,” he whispered back.

She shook her head, but not enough to dislodge his hand. She liked it there. She liked the warmth of his touch. While his hands could be considered dangerous, he’d always been gentle with her. “It’s not. We had a good day so far and the day’s not over yet.”

Her heart fluttered when he stared intensely at her mouth. Did she have something stuck between her teeth?

The flutter turned into a violent thumping in her chest as he dropped his head until his mouth hovered above hers and his warm breath slid across her parted lips.

“Didn’t get you shit, but can give you this…”

Holy shit!Was he going to kiss her? Was something she never thought would happen finally about to happen?

She held her breath and waited. When he hesitated for too long, as if he was unsure on whether to follow through, she took the initiative by grabbing the back of his shaved head and pulling him down until their mouths met.

Her lips tentatively moved over his for a few seconds. Only, he didn’t move his at all.

Was she wrong? Did he not want to kiss her?

Blood rushed to her cheeks.

But before she could pull back, his hands gripped the side of her head and he tilted his own, taking over the kiss, sealing their lips even tighter. She opened her mouth wider to give him more access as his tongue swept through it.

She had only kissed a few boys when she was younger, and more recently, one man she secretly went on a date with. But never…neverhad a kiss been like this. Or made her react the way she was.