Page 68 of Ravish

His gut tightened. How important was playing in the club to him? Before he met Lara, he would have said very important, but now? He wanted her to be comfortable, and if that meant she couldn’t play in the club, so be it. She didn’t seem to mind coming to the club and waiting and watching as he worked. He could play in the privacy of their home.

Their home? Yes, he was thinking about a permanent relationship with Lara. He’d never enjoyed being with a woman as he did with her.

When Colby parked his bike, a shadow caught his eye. Without thinking, he swung his helmet. He caught the person unaware. The helmet crashed into the person’s face.

“Fuck.”

The voice was male. Colby went into a fighting stance, but he didn’t have to worry. The guy was already running away. He ran to a car idling a few houses down, jumped in, and they took off.

It was too dark to see the make of the car, let alone get the license plate number. With a sigh, Colby climbed the stairs to his apartment. Burglar or something else? Once inside, he checked his apartment. Nothing had been disturbed or was missing. He called the police to report what had happened.

They took a report over the phone since no one was hurt. Well, he wasn’t, but he was pretty sure he heard bones crunch when he hit the other guy. Colby also texted Logan to let him know he’d filed a report.

But Colby couldn’t get it out of his mind that this wasn’t random. It felt like the man had been waiting for him, especially at this time of the morning. Admittedly, his neighborhood wasn’t the safest, but still. No one ever bothered him or his mother.

Mom? Colby sprinted out of his apartment to her house. It was locked up tight and nothing looked disturbed. Using his key, Colby let himself in. He tiptoed to his mother’s room to find she was sound asleep.

He took a breath in relief and left as quietly as he came in. Back in his apartment, he yawned as he walked into the bathroom and stripped. After a shower and drying off, he fell into bed. It had been a busy day. He’d puzzle out his mystery attacker later.

* * * *

Lara made some iced tea for herself and Colby, and she had some cookies. She’d run to the grocery store Sunday morning. Colby said he would cook for her, but he was helping her out. So, she’d picked up everything to make spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread. Since the café was closed, she grabbed a couple pieces of cheesecake for dessert from the store.

The doorbell rang, and she checked to make sure it was Colby before she opened the door.

“Hi,” she said as her pulse kicked up at the sight of him.

Colby pulled her into his arms, and his lips captured hers. Heat flowed through her veins. Lara wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him close.

“Wow,” she said when he lifted his head.

“Sorry. I couldn’t wait to taste you.” He kept his hands on her waist as he walked her backward, pushing her front door closed behind them.

“Nothing to apologize for.” She loved his passion. There was so much to love about Colby. Her thoughts froze. Love? Was she in love with Colby? The truth smacked her upside her head. While she’d thought she’d loved Walter when she married him, it was nothing like what she felt for Colby.

How would he feel if she couldn’t play in the club? Lara’s gut churned. She still didn’t fully understand why she didn’t want to play in the club. She needed to talk with someone about that. Maybe Sierra or Crystal or even Tessa. The club was important to Colby, so if there was any chance for them as a couple, she’d need to find a way to make it work.

“I’ve got some iced tea and cookies in the kitchen so we can talk.”

“All right.” He slowly let her go. “But after our talk, you’re all mine.”

Excitement shot up her spine. “Of course. Plus, I have stuff to fix us a quick meal later.”

“All right,” Colby said after she sat down. “Tell me how much it cost you to cater to the club?”

“I’m embarrassed to say I never really figured it out, since I had everything Max wanted.” She ducked her head. “I guessed at what to charge Max.”

Colby stared at her. “All right. Let’s break this down. How much food do you bring to the club?”

“I’ve been bringing enough appetizers and desserts for people to have two each, the cookies, enough for three per person.”

He scribbled on the paper she’d give him. “How much does each item cost you?”

“Depends, the appetizers about a hundred for a box of two hundred, the desserts run from a dollar per piece to two dollars.”

“What have you been charging Max?”

“Three hundred.”

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