I exhale and let my finger linger above the keys for a few seconds before replying.
I miss you too. I’m fine, Lace. Will call soon. Xoxo
Am I fine?
I think I am.
The bikers soon leave, and I enjoy my burger and fries without any distraction.
I’ve just parked my car in the motel lot when I get a phone call from Jessica, a manager at one of the salons I visited today. When she asks if I can come in tomorrow for a trial, I tell her of course, hang up, and then do my happy dance.
Yes! Finally, things are starting to work out in my favor.
“Nice to have another redhead in the salon,” Jessica jokes when I walk into the place the next day. Her hair is straight, and more orange than my deep curly red. She’s a beautiful woman and seems very confident in herself.
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” I tell her sincerely, glancing around the salon. “I can’t wait to get started.”
She smiles and gives me a small tour, showing me where everything is kept and the products that she chooses to use for her clients.
“We have four girls working here—five, including you,” she explains, sitting down in one of the chairs. “It’s getting a little busier, which is why I wanted to hire someone else. The job is full-time, five days a week. We take turns doing Saturdays.”
“Sounds good.”
She grins and raises an eyebrow. “As for your test . . . I want you to cut my hair, so I can see how good of a job you do.”
“No pressure, then?” I joke, studying her hair, already coming up with ideas.
“Not too much off,” she says, cutting into my thoughts. “My man likes my hair a little on the long side.”
“Noted,” I say. “How about an inch off the back and more layers framing your face?”
“Perfect,” she says, spinning the chair around and looking at herself in the mirror. “This is my natural color; I always keep it like this.”
“It’s pretty,” I say, grabbing my bag and pulling out my favorite pair of scissors.
“You remind me of the girl from Brave,” she says, smiling. “All that wild red curly hair.”
“I get that a lot,” I admit good-naturedly. “I take it as a compliment.”
“You should. You’re a beautiful girl.”
“Thank you,” I say a little shyly, running my fingers through her hair. “Now let me impress you.”
“I love it,” Jessica says, running her fingers through her new cut. “You’re very talented, Valentina.”
“Thank you,” I say, beaming as she looks at herself in the mirror. The door opens and two ladies walk in.
“Paula and Lin, meet Valentina,” Jessica says to them.
“Just Tina,” I tell them, smiling. Paula looks to be in her forties, with dark hair and eyes, while Lin looks younger than me, and is of Asian descent.
“Tina,” Jessica corrects herself, putting a hand on my shoulder. “Be nice to her. Help her out if she needs it, or needs to know where anything is. Tina, I’ll show you how to work the cash register now.”
“She cut your hair? It looks good,” Paula says, nodding her head and pursing her lips as she checks it out. “Welcome to the madness, Tina.”
I grin at that. “Happy to be here.”
“Molly is my other employee, but today’s her day off, so you’ll meet her tomorrow,” Jessica says, leading me over to the register. “This is pretty simple. Most people pay with cards nowadays anyway, but if they do pay cash, you just type in the amount and press ENTER to open the cash drawer.”
I look over all the buttons and nod. “No problem.”
She pulls out a piece of laminated paper. “This is the price chart you can refer to if you need to. Lin is usually at reception, so you probably won’t have to do any of this, but I’d rather you know it just in case she’s on her break or it’s her day off or whatever.”
“Okay,” I say, taking it all in.
“You’ll be doing any walk-ins today,” she continues. “Or if some of the clients don’t mind trying someone new, I’ll send them to you. I’ll just show them my hair as proof that you know what you’re doing. Store opens in ten minutes, so I hope you’re ready for this.”
I look around the salon and smile.
Eight mirrors with chairs, two sinks, and a small beauty room for waxing and facials.
Perfect. This is me in my element.
Yeah, I’m ready.
THREE
“SHIT,” I mutter as I empty my purse out on the table for the second time. “Where is it?”
I pick up each card, but it’s not there.
When was the last time I saw my driver’s license?
Racking my brain, I realize it was when I was at that bar, Knox’s Tavern. My cards had fallen out of my purse, but I’d picked them all up, hadn’t I?
I google the number for the bar, then call them.
“Knox’s Tavern, Ryan speaking.”
“Hey,” I say into the phone, crossing my fingers. “I was wondering if I left my driver’s license at your bar the other day.”
“What’s your name, sweetheart?”
“Valentina Sullivan.”
There’s a pause on the other end. “Valentina. Yeah, your license is here. Come pick it up anytime.”
Why did his voice sound suddenly . . . amused?
“Umm, okay, thanks. I’ll be in later today.”
“Perfect, see you then,” he says cheerfully, then hangs up.
I stare at my phone, feeling puzzled about the exchange, but then I shake my head. I don’t have time to wonder about it, because my lunch break is almost over and I have to go back to work. At least I hadn’t lost my license—that would have been a pain in the ass. Not only that, but replacing it would have been a sure way for me to be tracked, having to document my new address and city.
Knowing my luck, a cop will probably pull me over on the way to the bar.
I cross the road and head back into the salon, coffee in my hand.
“Tina,” Jessica says, smiling widely, before I can even take a sip. “Frieda loved the hair color you did on her today. You did well.”
“Thanks,” I reply, looking down at my coffee. “I think being blond suits her.”
“It does,” Jessica says, making me look back up at her. “So much so that she wants you to be her regular hairdresser.”
“Really?” I ask, my eyes flaring. “That’s great.”
Jessica raises her eyebrow. “Quite a feat, girl. You should be proud of yourself.”
I smile, feeling the heat hit my cheeks. “I am.”
“Good,” she says warmly. “Now get back to work. Lin, you can go on break now.”
“Okay,” Lin says, grabbing her bag and pulling out a packet of cigarettes. “Anyone want anything?”
“I’m good,” Jessica says, then looks to Molly. “Molls, Paula, you?”
“Nah,” Molly replies, looking up from where she’s sweeping hair off the floor. “I’ll get something on my break.”
“I’m good,” Paula replies, lifting her chin in our direction.
Molly turned out to be a pretty blonde in her midtwenties. She kind of reminds me of a Barbie doll, with big blue eyes and even bigger boobs. She is nice, though. All the women here make me feel welcome, and there is none of the bitchiness I’d sometimes experienced in other salons.
Two clients walk in, and I go straight back into professional mode.
But I can’t stop smiling for the rest of the day.
“Are you Ryan?” I ask the handsome blond bartender.
“Yes,” he says, dragging the word out.
“I spoke to you today about my license,” I say, sitting down on the stool. “Valentina.”
“Right,” he says, lip twitching. “Of course
I watch as he walks to the opposite side of the bar and picks up his phone, pressing keys and ignoring me.
“Ummm,” I say, my brow furrowing. “Are you going to get my license or not?”
He puts down his phone, then comes back over to me. “Yes, of course I will. But first, would you like something to drink? On the house. A beer fan, right?”
I narrow my eyes. “Why are you being weird?”
Ryan’s face goes blank. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Can you please just give it to me?” I say, puffing out a breath. “I’ve had a long day, and I’m tired.”
He gets me a beer and slides it over to me. “Exactly why you need a cold drink to help you relax.”
My gaze darts from the beer, then back to him, as I try to figure out what he’s up to. “Can I speak to your manager?”
His blue eyes flash with amusement. “Sure thing, sweetheart.” He pauses, then yells out, “Reid!” making me jump.
“What?” comes a deep voice from the back.
“Come here!”
I don’t know why Ryan’s grinning, but he is.
A man emerges.
Fuck.
“You have a twin?” I ask with wide eyes. That’s a fuck of a lot of hotness. I pick up the bottle and take a sip. Okay, more like a giant mouthful.
“What’s going on?” Reid asks his brother, barely sparing me a glance.
Ryan nods his head to me. “She wants to speak to the manager.” He pauses, then laughs. “To complain about me.”
Reid smirks, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “What did you do now?”
“Nothing,” Ryan says good-naturedly, sending a wink in my direction. “I was told to keep her here. So I’m doing just that, trying to buy time until Irish arrives.”
Reid now looks me directly in the eye. “This is Irish’s woman?”
I raise my hand. “I don’t know what the two of you are even talking about.”
But in the back of my mind, I kind of do. I spoke to Ardan in this very bar, and the dude has an Irish accent.
Coincidence? I really hope so.
Because why would he go to such measures to see me again? We didn’t even talk for that long. The thought both excites me and scares me. Did I make such an impression on him, like he did on me? Does it matter, considering my plan is to stay away from him?
I hold out my hand and try to use my puppy-dog eyes on Reid, since Ryan clearly isn’t budging. “I have things to do. Can you please just give me my goddamn license?”
When they both look over my shoulder, the hair on the back of my neck suddenly stands on end.
I turn around, and there he is.
Grinning.
His gaze roams over me, slowly, and when he comes back to my eyes, he holds my license up in the air. “I think I’ve got something that’s yours, darlin’.”
I look behind me and scowl at the twins. Reid just shrugs, but Ryan smiles widely, then wiggles his eyebrows.
“I’m never coming into this bar again,” I vow. “Like, ever.”
Ardan stalks toward me and hands me my license at last. “I’m taking you out to dinner.”
“The hell you are.” I glower at him. “I’m getting in my car and going home.”
“You have to eat,” he says, shrugging and looking down at me. “What do you want? Your choice, babe.”
I don’t want to go with him, but at the same time I do. How could I not? He’s confident, attractive, and has something about him that I want to absorb. Just being in his presence makes me feel . . . I don’t know what. Like a different person. A better person than I was. I think it’s all in the way he looks at me, like I’m someone special. It’s almost like he doesn’t like to take his eyes off me. Every time I look at him, he’s already watching me.
He says good-bye to the twins, then takes me by my wrist. His touch instantly makes me flinch, and I pull my arm away from him. He stops and studies me, looking down at my wrist. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he says, scowling before his expression softens, his eyes gentling and his lips settling into position. “I’m just going to take you outside. You’re safe, I promise.”
I rub my wrist, reminding myself that not all men are like Darren. However, some are, and I seem to be a magnet for those types. I need to be careful not to get tangled up in a bad situation again. I nod my head and take a step forward, silently permitting him to continue leading the way. He offers me his hand, this time waiting for me to choose to hold it or not. I slide mine into his, and he squeezes it gently, reassuringly, before leading me outside to his big matte black Harley. I like the way my hand feels enveloped in his. I feel safe and strong at the same time. I don’t know how he makes me feel this way, so comfortable, but he does. Before I even know what’s going on, he puts a helmet on my head, gently tucking my hair inside so it’s not all over my face.
“I’ll bring you back here after and then you can drive your car home,” he says with one hand on my lower back, his other waving to the bike. “Let’s get you on there.”
I feel the warmth of his hand through my clothes and wonder how it would feel on my bare skin. Fuck. It would feel good. So good. It has been too long, and I really shouldn’t be around this man. Where I need to be is at home, probably with a vibrator. I don’t have one, but I think I need to buy one. Maybe I’ll stop at an adult shop on my way home.
“Well?” he asks, eyes still on me, waiting patiently while I think about sex toys.
I purse my lips and consider my options. A free meal sounds good. I don’t like that I like being in Ardan’s presence. He has heartbreaker written all over him, with big red warning signs everywhere.
“One meal,” I find myself saying. “And then you need to leave me alone.”
“We’ll see,” he mutters, not giving in to any of my demands. “What do you want to eat, Tina?”
“Lobster,” I decide on the spot, as it’s the most expensive thing I can think of. Maybe I’ll even order an appetizer, two sides, and dessert too.
He laughs, his dark eyes crinkling in the corners. “Lobster it is. Now get your sexy ass on the back of my bike.”
I hesitate, glancing toward my little red car. Do I want to go to dinner with him? What could come of this?
Ardan sighs and steps to me, picking me up and lifting me onto the bike. “Spread those thighs.”
I roll my eyes but straddle the bike, then hold on to him as he gets on with me. He takes my hands and pulls them around his stomach.
All I can feel is taut muscle. Nothing on this man is soft. The feeling of his warm back pressed against my chest has me wanting to bury my face in the crook of his neck, to touch him all over. I hold on tight and rest my cheek against his shoulder, just enjoying being pressed against him.
He starts the engine, and we’re off. I’ve been on a motorcycle before, but it was nothing like this, and the man I rode with was nothing like Ardan. I find myself enjoying the ride, the sense of freedom. I also enjoy being pressed up against Ardan way too much, my hands on his abs, my breasts pushed against his back.
The bike comes to a stop after what I guess to be about thirty minutes, and he helps me down. As I take off the helmet and hand it to him, I run my fingers through my hair, trying to tame it a little.
“Did you like it?” he asks, drawing my attention to him.
“What?” I ask.
“The ride.”
“Yeah,” I tell him, smiling. “Loved it. I’ve been on a motorcycle before, but it was a piece of shit compared to yours.”
His eyes narrow. “Whose bike were you on the back of?”
“Ummm,” I mutter, not wanting to go into this. “My ex’s.”
“I see,” Ardan murmurs, jaw going tight before he looks away. “Come on, let’s go eat.”<br />
“Okay, then,” I say, walking next to him in silence as we approach the restaurant door. He opens the door for me, and I enter before him. “Thanks.”
“Welcome,” he says, placing his hands on my waist from behind.
“Ardan!”
“Yes, Valentina?” he says, his voice throaty.
For a second I wonder how he knows my full name, but then realize it’s because he read my driver’s license.
I think about pushing his hands away, because I don’t think this is how we should be acting when it’s only the second time we’ve ever seen each other. However, I push my logical side away and let them linger there, because it feels good. I smile at the hostess, who is watching and waiting for us.
“Table for two, please.”
FOUR
“YOU’VE really never tried lobster before?” Ardan asks, looking surprised as he watches me taste it.
“Nope,” I reply, licking my lips. His gaze lowers to my mouth as my tongue peeks out again, licking the butter away.
“And what do you think?” he asks, his voice a little huskier than before.
“It’s good,” I say, nodding slowly and clearing my throat. “I like it.”
“I’m glad you tried something new,” he says, leaning back in his chair, still watching me eat.
“Are you going to stare at me the entire time, or are you going to eat your own food?” I ask, arching an eyebrow. Seriously, the intensity with which he’s studying my every move is making me both nervous and extremely turned on.
His lip twitches. “Stop licking your fuckin’ lips, then; it’s hard to concentrate.”
I pick up my napkin and wipe my mouth, deciding to leave that comment alone. At least I’m not the only one feeling the attraction. I decide to be safe and change the subject. “So what did you do? Find my license and then tell the twins to call you when I came to look for it?”
“Something like that,” he says, grinning as if he knows why I changed the subject but not calling me out on it. “I wanted to see you again. After you left I found your license on the floor, knew you’d be back for it.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal. “I saw an opportunity and I took it.”
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