“Sure,” she croaked.
Picking up his clothes, he walked into the bedroom and then found the bathroom door. He walked in and then sat on the edge of the bathtub. Shit. What the hell was that? He’d never experienced such groundbreaking sex with another woman before. Sure, it was always good, great even—but this was something else altogether. After he was done, he usually left. However, tonight, he wanted to stay. He wanted to gather her in his arms and snuggle close to her. It would be a delight to wake up next to her and begin a new day.
Something like this never happened to him.
These desires were ridiculous, crazy. He didn’t want anything permanent. Sure, he didn’t mind getting to know a woman, staying with her for a few weeks, months even, but anything beyond that wasn’t on his agenda. He liked the parting to be sweet, and more often than not, he enjoyed being friends with his ex-girlfriends. He already had the nasty feeling that things wouldn’t be so smooth with her. Sure, he wanted to enjoy her a little longer, be with her, get to know her, but beyond that, he also didn’t want anything that stuck. With her, it would all be different.
And yet, he couldn’t let go.
If she could do this to him in one night, what else could she do if he got to know her better? He longed to peel back the layers of secrecy and privacy that she’d erected around her and discover the real Riley. She would sure be magnificent. Befuddled by his own thoughts, he took a cold shower and wore his clothes. When he walked out, she’d already changed and was making coffee.
“Would you like a cup?”
He wanted to run away and never see her again.
He wanted to scoop her in his arms and kiss her senseless.
Chance didn’t betray his thoughts, as he took a seat on the bar stool that lined the counter. “Sure.”
Back to business she was. There was no hint of the flushed, hot Riley who had exploded under him. He missed her already. “Sugar?”
“None, thanks.” She handed him a cup, and he gripped it tight. He had already noticed that she didn’t keep any family mementos around. No pictures of parents or siblings, nieces, nephews, or even friends. Her apartment was bare expect for the basic necessities. If she wanted to move, it wouldn’t take her long to do so, and he had this insane fear that if he pushed her too hard, she might disappear the next day. “Do you like your job?”
She glanced up at him and then took a deliberate sip of her coffee. He had the feeling that she knew exactly what he was doing and didn’t mind that he was making an effort to stick to small talk. “I enjoy it, and it pays well. When you include the tips, well, it’s not bad.”
He was desperate to stay for a while and get to know her better. If he delved into her personal life, she would close off again. “Have you seen much of Boston, except for the harbor, of course?”
She shook her head. “Not much, really. Work keeps me busy. It’s a nice city though. Vibrant and alive.”
“I was born here,” he confessed. Perhaps if he kept the focus on himself, she might relax long enough to share something about her life. Where was she from? Who was she hiding from? Sure, there was a story in her background, and maybe if she trusted him, she might tell. “My parents moved to Chicago when I was five, and then they bought a farm in Minnesota and settled there. It was a big change for us city boys, and naturally, we couldn’t wait to get out. My brother did it his way, by studying hard and getting a scholarship, and I did it my way…by being a hellion. Army was the only option for me, or so said my father.”
“It wasn’t your choice.”
“I didn’t mind it. Sure, the training was brutal, but as my dad said, it would make a man out of me. He was actually quite proud that one of his sons became a doctor and one was in the army.” He took a sip. “Until I got kicked out, of course.”
“It wasn’t your fault.”
“Sure it was. I shouldn’t have allowed anyone to push my buttons. It was important to remain in control, to stay focused, but I lost it.”
“What happened?”
Chance took another fortifying sip of his coffee. It felt good to have the hot liquid go down his throat. “I saw him punch a girl. The guy never saw it coming.”
“Ah! You’ve a hero streak.”
“What the hell is that?”
She finished drinking her still hot coffee and rinsed the cup. “When you see someone in distress, you feel the need to help. Strange though that you’ve joined such hard men. Most bikers I know wouldn’t lift a hand to help someone until they were sure that there was something in it for them.”
“I don’t have a hero streak,” he protested. “And most of these guys are not that bad.”
“Oh, they are worse. The biker’s club is nothing but a clique. If you’re a part of them, you’re their brother. They would die for you, but if you’re an outsider, you could bleed right in front of them and they wouldn’t move their ass to hand over a bandage.”
Was her ex-boyfriend a biker? Did he hit her? Was that why she was so bitter about men? “If you really think that way, I would be happy to change that impression. So how about another date?”
“I don’t think so.”
He grabbed her hand. She stilled, almost as if she expected him to hurt her. His heart pained for what she must have gone through. Who hurt her? Why? “Please, I’m ready to beg.”
“I don’t do complicated.”
“Neither do I. We’ll keep it simple. Come on, a movie and dinner. What’s the harm in that?”
He expected her to say no and braced himself for the rejection, but much to his relief, she nodded. “Ok, sure.”
Chance let go of her hand. He didn’t want to make a big deal of her acquiesce. He finished his coffee and then took the mug to the sink, but she took it out of his hands. “When do you get an evening off?”
“After three days.”
“Great. I’ll pick you up from the bar.” Bending down, he deposited a kiss on her cheek and then walked out. There! He’d done it.
Chance took the first step forward. It was up to her to decide how much she wanted to walk with him. He would be happy if they ended up friends, if he could help her in any way, but more than that, he didn’t want much.
Oh no, he didn’t.
Chapter Five
Riley checked her reflection in the bathroom mirror. It was the best she could do given that she didn’t have time to go home and change. In any case, there wasn’t any need to do so. It was just a date. Well, technically, their second date. How had she gone from no dating to the second date, she still wasn’t sure? Riley didn’t feel guilty over sleeping with a guy, but she had her limits; and one of them was to not get close enough to a man to form a permanent relationship. With Chance, it appeared that she’d decided to step over her limits and to hell with the consequences.
Nothing good ever came out of an emotional entanglement. It was always a loss, mostly for the woman. She didn’t want to be the victim of a broken relationship. She had never cried over a man; she’d never experienced heartbreak; and that was just the way she liked things.
Chance, however, was sure to stir things up. There wasn’t much that she could do now that she’d committed to another date. Sure, the guy was good in bed. Hell, he was fucking unbelievable. The way he’d stirred her juices was just plain dynamic—but anything more than that…she didn’t want.
She wouldn’t see him again. This was obviously, positively, the last time.
A knock on the door alerted her. Picking up her lip gloss, she ran it over her lips and then dropped it back in her purse. “You can do it. There’s nothing to a date. It’s not a big deal.”
Riley opened the door and found Malinda, the waitress who was taking over her shift today. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing. I’m just going out.”
Malinda looked at her from her top to the tips of her toes that peeked out from the two-inch-high heels that she’d worn. “One of your best dresses, heels, fresh lip gloss, open hair…ahh! You’re going
on a date.”
“Be quiet.”
She didn’t want Ryan to hear. Next thing she knew, he would be questioning her also. Generally, she made it a rule not to get too close to people when she worked in a place, but here, her inhibitions were slowly coming down. She was already way too involved with Chance and way too friendly with the rest of the gang that served at the bar.
Malinda followed her to the small store off the kitchen. “Give me the details.”
Riley picked up her jacket and put it on. “There’s nothing to tell.”
“Who’s the guy?”
She rolled her eyes. It was impossible to get away once Malinda set her sights on something, and it appeared that she was determined to know everything about Riley’s date. “Fine. Fine. I’m going out with Chance.”
Her mouth gaped open. “Chance? The big, hunky Chance who has never given anyone the time of the day until now? The Chance who rides that big ass bike?”
“The same, yes.”
Malinda appeared speechless at the revelation. “You really are a dark horse, Riley. Didn’t know you had it in you to pick the best guy around. Our Chance? Wow!”
Jealousy reared its ugly head, and Riley was amazed at the sharp prick of it. “Your Chance?”
Not one to miss the tone of her voice, Malinda smiled. Her blond hair gleamed in the soft lights, as she leaned back against the door to inspect Riley. She was a pretty girl and knew it. Had she gone out with Chance? Were they an item before this? Had he slept with her?
Shit. Why the fuck was she thinking along these lines? Riley didn’t care about a man’s past, and up until now, she hadn’t given a shit as to who the guy dated before her. Sure, she wasn’t a home breaker, and she didn’t like being the third wheel, so she always made sure that the man she took home was single. Before this, she’d never cared beyond this point, but with Chance, she cared.
And damn it, she didn’t like it.
“Oh no, honey. He was never mine, but that’s not due to a lack of trying on my part. But the guy never looked at me like that. He didn’t see anyone that way. For him, this is his workplace, and he doesn’t like to mix business with pleasure. Obviously, he has made an exception for you.”
Had he? Riley bit her bottom lip, as she pondered over Malinda’s words. Was Chance just as taken aback by the wild feelings that bloomed in his heart as she was? Was this new territory for him also? He was so confident, so sure, that she found it hard to believe that he ever got unnerved by something, but maybe, just maybe, they were in the same boat.
The thought made her more nervous. “Maybe I should cancel the date?”
“Don’t be silly.” Malinda grabbed her arm and marched her out. “It’s going to be great fun. Just be sure to tell me every little detail. I haven’t got a man in my life right now, honey, and I would love to live vicariously through you.”
Riley shook her head as she walked out. He was waiting outside. Seeing his big, hulking frame on top of the bike, her heart thundered in her chest. All the old feelings resurfaced; she recalled the way she’d run her hands over his smooth, warm skin, the way he’d bit her shoulders and made her cry out, and the desire that skidded through her heart when he touched her. She was hot once more. Damn it! No way. She’d already gone down that road once, and that was one time too many. Maybe she should just disappear. He would wait for her and then leave. As she remained standing in the same spot, torn between the desire to walk towards him or to leave, he glanced up. The smile that lit his face was genuine, friendly.
“Hey, come on. It’s good to see you.”
She adjusted the strap on her shoulders and forced herself to take a step forward. “Yeah, same here.”
“I was just going through the list of movies that are currently playing, and guess what, we’ve a lot of choices.”
She stopped next to him. The scent of his cologne reached her nostrils, and she inhaled deeply, instinctively. Her hormones sprang to life, and she fought the need to kiss him. Passion was hot in her belly, but this wasn’t the time or place. “What are they?”
“A romantic comedy, an action thriller, and a movie based on the real life of a boxer. What’s your preference?”
She tried to guess as to what he liked. No man worth his salt would prefer to watch a romance. Action, yes. Every biker she knew thrived on testosterone, and he wasn’t bound to be no exception. The real story about a boxer? She wasn’t sure. “How about the romantic comedy?”
“Sure, no problem.”
She gaped at him. “You’ll see it. I mean…I thought you would be dead against seeing romance.”
His smile reached his eyes, and he was laughing at her. “So, you chose it just so you could make me squirm.”
When he put it like that, she felt low. “Not exactly. Well, ok. Yes, I did.”
“I’m as much in touch with my feminine side as a man can be, but personally I would have preferred the story about the boxer. I already know that you don’t like action flicks. The one about the boxer…that’s intriguing. There are always lessons to be learned from other peoples’ success and failures. But it’s your call. Next time, I get to choose. Fair enough.”
She didn’t like the easy way he gave the control over to her. Maybe he was just an easy-going guy, or more likely this was a façade to reel her in so that when she was totally wrapped around his finger, he could do with her as he wished. She wouldn’t give him the opportunity to do so. Riley knew that she was mistrustful of men, and sometimes it got to be too much, but this was for her protection—and she took this job seriously. There wouldn’t be a next time. This time, she was determined to end the relationship tonight. She would break the news after dinner. He would understand that she wasn’t interested any more.
It was her choice, her call.
He handed her the helmet; she slipped it on and smiled. “Sure, why not.”
He drove the bike just like everything else that he did…a little recklessly but within his control. She enjoyed the ride, and soon they reached the mall. After he parked the bike, she handed him back the helmet, and he grabbed her hand. Even though she was a little surprised, she didn’t pull away. Holding hands like a couple of teenagers, they strolled through the crowd and made their way to the cinema at the mall. It had been a while since she had been here. She wasn’t much into shopping, as she liked to keep her life simple. The less possessions she had, the easier it was to walk away from a town and start life elsewhere.
Her life was that of a nomad. A few months here, and she would be gone. It was easier not to leave behind people who tried to find her, but lately she’d been making too many connections. Still, she wouldn’t find it hard to walk away when the time came. Until then, she might as well enjoy it.
He got the tickets and sprang for popcorns. She opted for coffee, and he got a milkshake. They walked in and took their seats. “What was the last movie that you saw?”
She had to dig through her memories. “Blended.”
“Never saw it,” he admitted. “Was it funny?”
“Funny and poignant, yes.”
“Who is your favorite actor?”
“I don’t have a favorite.”
He glanced at her as if she was crazy. “How is that possible? Ok. Let me guess. Adam Sandler? I can see you going for the dorky kind.”
“Maybe that’s why I like you.”
“Low blow, but I like it.”
She smiled and dug into the popcorn. They settled to watch the movie, and she was acutely aware that he still held her hand. Why was he making it about the romance? She didn’t like it. When a man slept with her and walked away, she didn’t mind, but when he held her hand, she became nervous. What did that say about her? Probably that she was paranoid and crazy.
She didn’t mind that fair assessment, and frankly, lying to herself never held much appeal.
The movie was interesting, cute. She quite enjoyed it, and when it finished, they got up and walked out with the rest of the crowd. “That guy had it t
oo easy. He got the girl and won the lottery.”
“That’s a movie.”
“In real life, I would be lucky if I win any of those things.”
She smiled. “True enough, but that’s why we like watching movies, right. It’s nice to see someone win despite the odds. Plus, the greater the win, the more that hope flourishes in our heart.”
“You’re deep, love.”
She shrugged. “It’s not deep. It’s just the truth.”
“Where do you want to eat?” He changed the topic. “I’m famished.”
“I don’t know. Anything is fine.”
“How about a fully-loaded pizza?”
Twisted Scars (Comanche Sons Motorcycle Club Book 1) Page 4