With the MC here, it was time for her to leave. Her parents had always told her never to get muddled up with them.
She finished her water and got to her feet, heading toward the bar about to pay for the few drinks she’d ordered.
A large man stepped in front of her, stopping her from going.
The heavy scent of leather and oil filled her senses. Lifting her head, she came face to face with Bull. His green eyes held a slight glare as he looked at her.
She noticed the scar most people called ugly, but she didn’t think for a single second it lessened his appeal. Some women had said he was ugly. How the scar made them think of some horror movie villain, but they must have seen it when it first happened. Staring at him now, she saw he was a man of substance. Even the way he carried himself, there was an element of power to him no one could detract from.
“Hello, Maddie,” he said.
It didn’t come as a surprise that he knew her name. Bull wasn’t the president of the MC for nothing. She knew he had a very sharp working brain in that skull of his.
“Hello, Bull,” she said.
He glanced behind her. “Where are you going so soon?”
She hiked her bag up her shoulder and forced a smile to her lips. “I’m leaving.”
Maddie went to walk around him, but he grabbed her arm, stopping her. She had no idea what was going on with him. He had never said more than two words to her, and now he was suddenly touching her.
Looking down at his hand on her arm, then up to his face, she waited.
He didn’t let her go.
“Take your hands off me.”
“Most women like it when I touch them.”
She snorted. “I’m not most women.” She pulled her arm away from him. Without another look at him, she made her way toward the counter, where Elizabeth was serving one of the customers.
Normally, she’d leave money on the table, but there had been some kind of theft a few years back so there was a sign that read in large capitals to pay at the counter.
“I’ll be right there,” Elizabeth said.
Bull hadn’t backed off. She felt how close he was.
Seconds passed.
She looked in the mirror overlooking the bar. His biker friends had all taken seats further down, and Bull was leaning against the bar, rather close to her. She had no reason to be gaining this special attention from him.
Elizabeth, fortunately, didn’t take too long. She offered her a smile, and she was glad to have taken it.
“I’m so sorry about that. Your date didn’t show?” Elizabeth asked.
“You were waiting for a date?” Bull asked.
His deep voice carried, and anyone who didn’t know she was waiting for a date would know now.
Maddie forced a smile to her lips. “Yeah, I was. He … didn’t make it.”
“Why?”
She took a deep breath and shrugged. “Don’t have a clue. You’d have to ask him.”
“What’s his name?” Bull asked.
“None of your business.” She wasn’t about to tell Bull anything. He didn’t need any explanation as to why she’d been stood up.
“You haven’t eaten anything,” Elizabeth said.
“It’s fine. I want to get out of here.” There was only so much embarrassment she could handle in one night.
Her bed, a steamy romance book, and chocolate ice cream were all in her future.
“Have dinner with me,” Bull said.
Maddie shook her head. “No thank you.”
“Are you too good to eat dinner with me?” he asked.
She rolled her eyes. “Bull, I don’t know you. I’m not going to eat with a stranger out of pity. I’m not desperate. Besides, your friends are all waiting for you.”
“They can wait.”
Maddie laughed. “Of course they can.” She paid her bill and turned toward him. “Thank you for being … sweet, but this isn’t the first time and I doubt it will be the last time either.” She reached out and put a hand on his arm. She had no clue as to why she did it.
Removing her hand, she kept the smile on her lips as she turned on her heel to leave the bar.
She held on to her bag, took a deep breath, and looked up at the sky. Were her parents wagging their fingers at her, telling her she shouldn’t have been so foolish?
Tears filled her eyes, and she lowered her head, wiping at her eyes so no tear would fall. She refused to cry.
Taking a step away from the bar, she headed across town, going toward her apartment building that was only a twenty-minute walk away. She grabbed her cell phone and drew up her profile on the dating app. Maddie didn’t take time to think over her decision, she went into the settings and straight to the option to delete profiles, followed by removing her account. Once she had clicked her way through each relevant section, she got the email ping to let her know her account was deleted.