Dauntless (Sons of Templar MC) by Anne Malcom Read Free Book Online

of why I like you so fuckin’ much. Caging that, it’d be a crime to humanity.”
    I swallowed at his words. At the fact I felt like a fucking teenager and wanted to dance around the room at hearing he liked me. Me .
    He doesn’t know you, not really , the voice inside my head told me. If he did, no way in hell he’d call you beautiful. Not when he knew the real you. The drug addict fuckup. The tarnished little girl.
    The thought was like ice water on my psyche. I sat up and moved to stand on the other side of the bed, putting furniture between us. “You don’t like me,” I hissed. “You’re just not used to someone not liking you . You think I’m something to be conquered and cast aside once you’ve satisfied your ego that you can claim any girl you like.”
    Lucky’s face hardened. “You’re right. I do want to conquer you.” His voice dripped with erotic promise. “But I don’t suspect it will be easy. Suspect it’ll be worth it, and I sure as fuck won’t want to cast you aside after the fact.”
    I straightened, trying to ignore the way my entire body responded to the pure sex in his voice. I’d just been beaten up by my very ex loser boyfriend, and now I was getting turned on by the biker who’d been borderline stalking me for two weeks? I was so fucked-up.
    I met his eyes and hoped my bitch stare was firmly in place. “Whatever. Dreams are free. Which is all you’ll ever get in regards to me. You’re not getting what you want, for once. Try not to cry into your pillow tonight. Or do. I don’t care either way. Just leave me alone,” I ordered, my voice cold. It may have been an order outwardly, but it was also a plea. A prayer.
    Lucky rounded the bed and stalked towards me. I backed up but had nowhere to go once my hip hit my dresser. He boxed me in. “You think I’m leavin’ you alone?” he asked, his voice little more than a whisper. He brought his hand up to my bruised cheek. I held his eyes and refused to flinch away. “After that fucker did this to you?”
    I jutted my chin out. “I can take care of myself.”
    Lucky nodded. “Yeah, I reckon you can. Reckon that’s been your life. Looking out for yourself. Fighting to protect yourself. Can see it behind your emerald eyes. The glint of a warrior who’s seen too fuckin’ much. Fought against too much.” He paused. “You don’t know what it’s like to have someone step up and do that for you. It’s a fuckin’ shame. But I’m also happy to be the first man to do that.”
    His words hypnotized me, gave me a glimpse at a life I might be able to have in a parallel universe. One similar to what Lily had with Asher. What normal people had.
    Normal. Normal was clean.
    Clean I was not.
    The window to the world shuttered.
    I wasn’t normal. Wasn’t innocent or unpolluted like Lily. I would never have that life.
    Lucky’s mouth was inches from mine. It took all my strength not to cross that small gap and just get a taste of what that life could be like. But even I wasn’t that much of a masochist. Instead of pressing my lips to his, I placed both of my hands on his hard chest and pushed. My strength was laughable and I never would’ve been able to do something like that if Lucky decided to exert his considerable strength over me, but he didn’t. As soon as he realized my intention, he stepped back, though he frowned as he did.
    “You’re not going to be the first man to ‘protect me’ from the big bad world.” I used air quotes to go with the sarcasm in my tone. “This isn’t the macho hot biker show where you have all-consuming powers to shield some whimpering female from the horrors of reality,” I said, eyeing him. I put my finger to my chest. “This female is already well acquainted with those horrors. They’re the fucking backdrop of my childhood. Demons are my goddamn lullaby. So thanks for the offer, but there’s nothing left for you to protect me from. I’ve already lived through it all.”
    Seeing Lucky’s