Total pages in book: 39
Estimated words: 36564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36564 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Annie -- I’m seriously starting to question my life choices. The truth is, even though I was practically homeless and living on a meal a day most of the time, I’m vastly better off now than I had been. Unfortunately, stubbornness doesn’t pay for shelter. Or even food, if you can believe it. I have a job at a local diner, but it’s still hard to survive. Which is how I find myself in a bikini contest. If I make it out of this situation, I’m never doing this again. Yet somehow I end up in bed with the most wicked, dangerous man I’ve ever met. And why does he call to me like nothing else ever has in my life?
Dominic -- The things I let my vice president push me into… I’m not a people person on the best of days, but somehow Lemon talked me into being a judge at a the local bikini contest. She says it’s to give the club some positive community exposure, but I’m pretty sure she’s just trying to get me laid. Too bad every woman here’s young enough to be my daughter. I’m a protective guy by nature and have a bit of a soft spot for vulnerable women. It’s one of many reasons Rocket made me sergeant at arms for Grim Road MC. Unfortunately, my protective instincts kick in when my co-judge gropes one of the contestants. The shock on the young woman’s face and the panicked way she flees the stage prompts me to act without considering the consequences… and that’s how the fight starts…
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*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Chapter One
Dominic
“I’m too old for this fuckin’ shit.” It was true too. At forty-eight years old I was definitely too old to be judging a bikini contest. Especially after as much beer as I’d consumed. Though I knew better than to touch without invitation, I was just as likely to say something equally offensive. But at least, maybe I wouldn’t get myself arrested.
“Me too.” The guy beside me was every bit my age and then some. He looked like the standard West Palm Beach retiree. Too much on the spray tan, too much on the hair transplants, and a little soft around the middle. He was also probably wealthy enough not to care about the going to jail part when he groped a young woman. Guy likely had a couple of the city’s finest in his pocket in the case of something so trivial as touching a woman inappropriately without permission. Like in the middle of a bikini contest. Fucking bastard. “Don’t mean I’m not enjoying every fucking second.”
A huge smile on his face, the guy reached out -- just as I knew he would the second he’d sat down next to me at the judges’ table -- and ran his hand up the inner thigh of one of the contestants. The girl sidestepped her way deftly out of reach and gave the guy a mock reproving look. Like it was all a big joke when I knew she’d reacted the way she had by pretending it hadn’t bothered her that a strange man had been headed to the promised land without her permission. I’d always thought it was disgusting what women put up with sometimes. This was a prime example.
“No touching,” I snapped at the guy. I was only here because I’d let Lemon bully me into participating. Something about acting as security near the stage and looking good for the club in the community… Oh. And about me needing to get laid. Which, while I didn’t disagree with her, I didn’t want a child in my bed. These girls were all supposed to be at least eighteen but were young enough to be my daughters. I thought back to Tina and my own daughter, Calista. Calista was married to my enforcer and was probably about the same age as some of these girls. So, yeah. I knew grandparents who were my age. Tina was probably laughing at this whole situation from heaven. If she thought about me at all. I thought she might and I was determined to not do anything to make her ashamed of me. Which made this a colossal waste of time if Lemon was trying to get me hooked up. But I’d be Goddamned if I wouldn’t put this guy in his place.
“Fuck you, man.” The guy didn’t even look at me. Instead, he reached for another woman walking past our table. This one obviously wasn’t used to being in these sorts of things because she started when his hand slid up the back of her thigh to squeeze her ass before she could get out of his grip. She whipped around with a startled cry and the guy just laughed. “That’s right, baby girl!” he yelled up at the young woman to be heard over the whoops and hollers. “Come to papa!”
The look on her face said she hadn’t expected anything like this when she entered this contest and had no idea how to handle the situation. Which meant she’d probably either been tricked into entering, or she was desperate. I wasn’t sure which to hope for, and I wasn’t sure which made me more angry.
“Touch her again, I’ll rip your arms off. You damn sure won’t touch her after that.” I actually bared my teeth. Which wasn’t something I’d normally do. I prided myself on my cool head. I was methodical and planned each move as carefully as I could. I also listened to my instincts and factored them into my decisions. This time, however, I hadn’t even thought about my move; I’d just acted, practically snarling like a rabid wolf. Also, I meant every single word. If he touched that girl again, I’d follow through with my promise.
“What the fuck, man? Why else would I be here if not to enjoy the show?” He gave me a cocky -- if a bit nervous-looking -- grin. “They all like it or they wouldn’t put themselves in this kinda thing.”
It took all my restraint not to wait until he touched the girl again -- and I knew he’d at least try -- and just beat the fuck outta him right now. “I’m not repeating myself. You’ve been warned.”
“Fuck you.” The guy sneered at me before reaching out to run his hand up the same girl’s calf.
This time she jumped back, a panicked look on her face that sent a spike of fury through my chest. I reached out to the guy, fully intending to knock his hand off her. Instead, I grabbed the back of his head and shoved him face first into the edge of the stage. There was the crunch of bone, a spray of blood, and Mr. Handsy dropped to the ground and didn’t move.