“We haven’t done anything wrong, Peter. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It just didn’t work out between us.” I glanced down at my long tan skirt and winced. At least I had tights on underneath. I walked over to Dex, and he offered me his helmet. I took it and put it on, and then slid on the bike, biting down on my bottom lip, aware that I had become quite the spectacle. Tucking my skirt beneath my legs, I was conscious of Peter’s eyes on me.
“Don’t do this,” he growled.
Oh, my goodness. I was doing this…and I wasn’t even sorry.
Carl ran into his garage and returned a few seconds later with another helmet. He offered it to Dex. Once he placed it on his head, I wrapped my arms around his waist and turned away, refusing to look at Peter.
We took off with a roar of the engine while everyone stared after us. Once we were out of sight, I finally let out the breath I’d been holding. I had no idea where we were headed, but it didn’t matter as long as I didn’t have to spend more time with Peter. That part of my life was over, and I never wanted to return to it again.
Dex jumped on the freeway, and the relief I’d felt from getting away from Peter was short-lived because we were weaving in and out of lanes, passing cars that, in my opinion, were already racing beyond the speed limit, the wind blowing against us from all sides. My heart began to pound so hard I could feel my pulse throbbing next to my throat.
We were moving way too fast, and fear replaced whatever liberation I’d had after ditching the man who’d left me in a perilous situation years ago. At one point, I had to squeeze my eyes shut so I wouldn’t see how close we were to the other vehicles.
This was a nightmare.
The first time I’d ridden with Dex on his bike, it had only been for a few minutes. I didn’t remember it being this bad, but it was possible my circumstances at the time distracted me from that specific detail. I scrunched up my face. Slow down. Please slow down. It was as if Dex read my mind because he sped up…the jerk. My stomach lurched, and I dry heaved, feeling sick. I tightened my hold around his waist and rested my head against his expansive back. How much longer would I have to do this? I thought we were staying in Acton.
I stiffened and started to wonder if he was showing off to impress me, or was this how fast he normally went? He didn’t need to act like a crazy man to gain my respect. He had it the day he saved me during that riot, but this…this was too much. It seemed as if my life dangled on a string—a string he held between his fingers and could whip this way and that. Every time he veered in front of a car and we were inches away from crashing, I wanted to smack him, and I had never felt that worked up about anyone before. Not even Peter.
It was probably twenty minutes before he exited the freeway. He began to slow as we veered toward a dirt road with homes and a few small businesses in the distance. Hopefully, we were almost there…wherever there was. Suddenly, Dex swerved to the right, causing dirt to fly overhead. It landed on me—the damp moisture of it clinging to my face, the part that didn’t cover my helmet. He continued until he came to a paved street. We took the street and then turned into the parking lot of a restaurant that had an older, western look to it. A sign said: Roadhouse Café.
When he parked, I slid off his bike, arms and legs trembling, partly from the exertion of keeping my balance, and partly from remaining stiff the entire time.
Or, maybe I was still scared out of my mind.
A wave of dizziness hit me as my stomach tried to catch up with the rest of me. For some reason, it felt like I’d left it behind on the freeway. I got my bearings and pulled off my helmet, taking stock of my appearance. My skirt had dirt splotches all over it, and my blouse was just as bad. As terrible as I appeared, Dex had taken the brunt of it. Dirt covered him from top to bottom, but while it seemed masculine and somewhat natural on him, I looked similar to a washed-up rag doll, thrown in the pile of toys to give away.
Anger flashed through me as quick as lightning. I thought of how many hours I had spent sewing that skirt and blouse, time I would never get back. I lifted folds of fabric on each side of my skirt and grimaced. “This better come out.” I sounded resentful, but I didn’t care. He’d been reckless and irresponsible and I’d nearly died in the process. Or at least it felt that way.
Dex took off his helmet and frowned. “Sorry about that. I had to dodge a pothole.”
“I’m sure you could have dodged it a little slower. If you had, we wouldn’t look like—”
“If I’d slowed down too fast, you would have flown off the back of the bike.” He handed me a rag to wipe the dirt off.
I wiped my face thoroughly but didn’t bother to wipe my clothes. I would only rub it in even more if I tried.
When I gave the rag back to Dex, his eyes met mine, and I melted just a little. He was very striking, in a bad boy kind of way. There was nothing pretty-boyish about him. He was huge with strong arms and a thick neck. I glanced away, not wanting to be distracted by anything about him. I was still upset with him for racing like the dark reaper himself was after us, and no matter how crazy that sounded, it was how I felt. “Maybe you shouldn’t have gone that fast, to begin with,” I said.
He set his jaw, eyes flashing. “I was going the speed limit.”
“I highly doubt that.”
“It feels faster on a bike. You probably—”
“I think I’m going to be sick.” I put a hand over my middle as my stomach slowly unraveled bit by bit. It swished and turned and finally erupted. Bending over, I vomited all over the ground, my chest heaving from the exertion. Lifting up, I coughed into my fist, feeling completely miserable. My eyes landed on Dex as he stared down at… I turned to see what he was looking at and winced. My vomit, along with the dirt from earlier, covered his boots in a most disgusting manner.
“Oh, wow,” I said, staring at his feet. “That is really unfortunate.” Before I had a chance to think about what I was doing, I snickered. Served him right. He wanted to pretend like we were on a roller coaster…well, that was what he got. I tried to hold it in but I couldn’t. It felt like someone was tickling my insides after waving a feather in front of my nose. Laughter bubbled up, and I lost control, unable to keep it together. Before I knew it, I was holding my sides and laughing so hard it hurt. Granted, I was probably slap-silly after being so scared. It was a natural release—no one could blame me for that.
But when the laughter finally slowed, I caught Dex’s expression and stilled. He obviously didn’t find this situation funny in any way, shape, or form.
“Are you done?” he asked in a low voice that warned me to be careful.
I straightened, the smile falling off my face. “I don’t think I like your tone.”
Typically, I would’ve been more deferential, but after Peter told me not to defy him, I refused to put up with that kind of behavior from men. I hadn’t forgotten how my parents raised me, but my patience was slipping fast.
He opened his mouth and closed it. And then opened it once more and closed it a second time. “You know what? I’m sorry. I just need to be the bigger person here and let it go.” He bent down to wipe the vomit off his shoes with a rag and then tossed the rag into a nearby trash can.
“The bigger person?” My mouth fell open, and I gaped at him. “The bigger person? Are you kidding me? You say that like you’re in the right. Like I’m some irritable, prissy woman who doesn’t know what she’s talking about.” I should have stopped there, but my stress level must have shot through the roof because I suddenly didn’t have the power to restrain my lips. “You were the one weaving in and out of lanes like a mad-man. I’m the bigger person here.” I squared my shoulders and brushed past him to the front entrance of the dive he’d taken me to.
Head held high, I walked into the restaurant as if I owned the place, feeling smug that I’d told him off, but then I stopped short. Everyone grew quiet, and all eyes were on me. Whatever pride and confidence I’d had moments ago, petered out like water through a sewage drain.
> Despite the fact that the “restaurant” had walls, this was no “café.” Picnic tables sat on top of a dirt floor, and the small space had multiple television screens, just in case customers wanted to watch three programs at once. The televisions were on silent, though, because hard rock music played over a loudspeaker. Big burly men dressed in biker attire, as well as a few scantily clad women, filled two long tables. They all stared at me as if I were a fish out of water—like I didn’t belong. And I didn’t.
A woman with long, black hair smothered a smile and turned to the woman next to her. “Looks like Mary Poppins took a dive in the mud.” They both snickered and then looked me up and down once more.
I adjusted my headband and straightened my blouse, trying not to show my discomfort. Someone let out a low whistle, and I glanced over to see a man get up out of his seat and head my way.
“Hey there, pretty lady,” he said. “My name is Snake. There’s room at the table if you’d care to join us.” He looked to be in his late thirties, and his brown, unruly hair fell wildly below his shoulders. His shark-like smile held no friendliness to it whatsoever.
There was absolutely no room at the table, not that I would sit with him if there had been.
“She’s with me.” An arm came around me and pulled me back protectively. I glanced up to see Dex eyeing the man warily.
“Better keep up with your woman if you don’t want her snatched up. Guys like me would love the chance to pounce on a sweet little lamb.” Snake’s eyes trailed down my form, triggering my gag reflex.
“Rev.” A man appearing to be in his twenties stood and joined us. He smiled and bumped fists with Dex.
“Eagle, what’s up?” Dex asked. “Good to see you, man.”
“You know this cat?” Snake asked.
Eagle tipped his chin up and folded his arms over his chest. “He’s cool. We served in the Marines together.”
Snake nodded slowly as if unconvinced—or maybe he didn’t want to be convinced. He gave Dex a scrutinizing glance. “What crew are you from?”
“Riders for Christ.”
He threw his head back and laughed. “Christ, huh? That’s rich. You inviting me to church?”
Dex didn’t flinch. He widened his stance and eyed the man with the same scrutiny he’d just received. Shrugging, he cocked his head to the side. “You’re welcome to come this Sunday. Let me know what time to pick you up.”
They both stared at each other for a moment, and then Snake busted out laughing. “You don’t back down. I’ll give you that.”
Eagle scrubbed a hand through his long blond hair and snickered. “FYI, Rev has the training to disarm a man and take him down in less than five seconds. I wouldn’t mess with him if I were you.”
Snake locked eyes with Dex. “Is that right?”
Dex nodded with a solemn expression but remained silent.
Snake slapped him on the back as if they were old pals. “Well, you take care of that woman of yours. I’m done here.”
I opened my mouth to inform him that I wasn’t Dex’s woman, but Dex must have sensed what was going through my head at that moment because he shot me a warning glance. I suddenly realized how stupid that would have been if I’d said that. I didn’t want a “she’s available” sign hanging over my head.
After that, we ordered chicken strips and fries and sat on the other side of the room, taking up a picnic table of our own. The whole exchange earlier seemed like something out of a movie, and I couldn’t get over the fact that Dex had taken me to a place like this. What would be next? A fight? Or did they call it a brawl? It had been a while since I’d seen West Side Story.
Neither of us said much as we chomped down on the food. Normally, it would have felt awkward without conversation, but it didn’t for some reason. I should have let things be, but my curiosity got the best of me. “So, is it true? You were trained to take down a man in five seconds?”
Dex shrugged and went back to eating.
Alrighty, then. He doesn’t want to talk. I dipped a chicken strip into a container of barbeque sauce and brought it to my mouth. After I finished chewing and swallowing, I wiped my lips with a napkin.
“Where were you stationed?” I prodded.
“Afghanistan.”
“You must have seen a lot of action.”
“Some.”
“Was it hard for you?”
He glanced up for the first time. “Yes, but I was fine. I served my country, did what I had to do, and returned to the U.S. It’s as simple as that.”
“I hear about some men and women returning home with PTSD.”
“Yeah, that’s true. I was lucky enough that I managed to cope okay. For the most part.” He nodded towards the table where his buddy, Eagle sat. “He exaggerated for Snake’s benefit—probably sensed he might take it too far. I was never special ops or anything.”
“Outside of the military, how many fights have you been in?”
“I ain’t been in any fights,” he said. “Not for years. Not since I came to Christ.”
“You mean, you haven’t been in any fights.”
Dex brought those gray eyes to meet my gaze. “You correcting my English?”
“Is that a problem?”
“Depends. Why do you feel the need to correct me? Your nose is a little too high in the air, ain’t it?” He emphasized ain’t to make sure I understood he’d talk however he wanted.
I knew correcting him had been petty, but his challenging tone made me feel prickly inside. “I wanted to help you out in case you thought you were trapped in the movie, The Outsiders, and needed a proper English tutor.”
It was a lame thing to say…so lame…but I couldn’t squash the urge to provoke this guy. I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Maybe I wanted him to interact with me.
He leaned back and folded his arms over his thick chest. “If I’m from the movie, The Outsiders, then you’re in the middle of your Rumspringa.”
My jaw dropped. “Are you trying to say I look Amish? Or is it because I’m from Pennsylvania?”
“If the shoe fits.”
“I’m surprised you even know the term, Rumspringa.”
“I’m not completely ignorant.”
“If not completely, then how much?”
A burst of laughter escaped his lips. “You always like this? It’s starting to get on my nerves.”
I opened my mouth to reply, but I didn’t have a comeback, so I stared at him blankly instead.
“Look,” he said. “I shouldn’t have said that. I hate stereotypes and when you said I looked like I was from The Outsiders…well, it just came out. I have nothing but respect for the Amish people.”
“Except you think my clothes are…?”
He pursed his lips together. “They’re fine.”
“Can I ask you one question?”
“I doubt it will just be one but go ahead.”
“Why did you bring me here?”
“I shouldn’t have. It was a mistake.”
I leaned my elbows on the table. “But why did you?”
He met my eyes again, looking more uncertain this time. “Should have stayed local, but that whole scene back at Tank’s got me riled up, and I used to come here occasionally. It’s usually deserted in the early evening, but it was just our luck that…” He shook his head and glanced away. “I should have chosen somewhere more respectable for your tastes. Especially since most of your experience seems to come from movies.” One side of his mouth curled up the slightest bit.
Okay, that did it. “Who do you think you are? I have experience.”
He cocked an eyebrow and pressed his lips together as if measuring that statement for any fragment of truth. “That’s doubtful.”
“I do. I was in the middle of a riot once.”
Chapter 6
Dex
Oh, so she wanted to go there. We could finally address the elephant in the room. The fact that this wasn’t the first time we’d ever met.
The mome
nt I arrived at Tank’s house and saw the blonde beauty standing there with a distressed expression on her face, I remembered that night long ago. It was her. The woman I hadn’t forgotten even though I’d tried to push her out of my thoughts over and over again.
To be completely truthful, she was one of the reasons I hadn’t dated anyone since. There were other reasons, but she was the main one. No one had caught my attention the way she had. It was hard to think straight around her, and I had a feeling my life was about to become a lot more complicated, at least until she went back to Pennsylvania.
“You remember me, don’t you?” she asked.
I narrowed my eyes as if thinking. “Am I supposed to remember something?”
She frowned. “You don’t recall that night? The strike…”
I slapped the table and grinned. “That was you?” I stared at her as if I barely recognized her.
She seemed to deflate right there in her seat, and I instantly felt guilty. I shouldn’t play around with her. She wasn’t like most of the women I knew.
“Guess I wasn’t that memorable,” she said. “It was a long time ago, anyway.”
I leaned across the table and took her hand. “Sweetness, I’m just playing with you. Of course, I remember you. Never forgot.”
Her eyes met and held mine, and a moment of understanding passed between us. It had been three years since I’d last seen her, but, clearly, that night affected us both.
Before either of us could say another word, a woman with long black hair strolled by singing, You’re the one that I want, from the movie, Grease. She caught my eye and winked, flipping her hair and glancing at Tirzah like she was Olivia Newton-John, and I was John Travolta. We definitely had that opposites attract thing going for us.
Well, I was attracted, but I couldn’t speak for Tirzah. I shook my head to clear it. This was Tank’s granddaughter. I shouldn’t think about her in that way. He’d skin me alive if he knew I was even remotely interested in her.
Blind Date with a Billionaire Biker (Blind Date Disasters Book 3) Page 6