Page 3 of One Night with the Biker

“I will bet you a hundred bucks this food isn’t authentic.” She sipped her drink again. “The minute I taste a Louisiana dish, I know if the chef has ties there.”

“Interesting. What makes you such an expert?”

“My mother was born and raised in New Orleans. My father wasn’t, but they made it work.” Sadness flickered across her face. “They loved each other until the end.”

“How long ago did you lose them?”

“Eleven years ago. In a month. But my brother stepped up to the plate and took care of me like I was his own. He’s about your age. Fifteen years older than me.”

Ouch.

“You’re younger than I expected, though,” she continued. I was coming to realize Ainsley was very chatty. “Lou Lou told me you were his age.”

“That motherfucker! I’m not fucking forty-two. I’m thirty-one.”

She shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.” Her gaze fell on my cut. “You’re a biker,” she reminded me again.

“Tell me about your brother. What’s his name? What does he do? Where does he hangout? I know a lot of motherfuckers, even those not connected to the life, so I might know him.”

“Does it matter?”

“Fuck yeah! I wouldn’t want a bullet in my ass if he sees us together. He sounds quite protective.”

“He is,” she admitted, sighing. “But he’s not here. He’s out of town and I’d like to push him back to the sidelines.”

“Agreed.” Ainsley sounded loyal to her brother, despite her frustration at his overprotectiveness. She knew Louisiana was a part of the Royal Bastards MC – Kansas City, which meant she knew my affiliation, too. Heaven forbid, her brother was somehow associated with the Bloody Scorpions. She wouldn’t knowingly cavort with the club’s enemy because I would be a foe of her brother as well. Assuming, of course, she knew all that much about that fucking club or any of his dealings with them. I returned to the topic of the restaurant. “Where would you like to eat?”

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Her question reminded me of the lie I’d blurted to get her to stay.

“Starving.”

She laughed, a happy, rich sound that touched my soul and lightened the darkness always chasing me. “You’re so full of shit.”

“I felt like an asshole and didn’t want you to leave,” I admitted. “Where do you want to go?”

“We’re here now. Let’s order.”

Once I summoned Mira, I nodded to Ainsley so she could go first.

“Your tip has gone down dramatically because we haven’t gotten our warm French bread and butter,” she started. She tossed her menu aside, leaned back, and folded her arms. “Remedy that, then we’ll order.”

Surprised laughter escaped me. Once Mira stormed away, I shook my head. “You’re going to get our food spat on.”

She picked up her menu and flipped it open. “Nova will bail me out because if that woman spits in my food, I’m beating her ass.”

“The face of an angel with the tongue of a devil.”

She smirked. “My brother would be furious with me if I end up arrested. He has this totally awesome future planned for me. His life’s goal is to see me safely married and far away from KC. Dude has my entire wedding planned. Huge budget. White gown. Veil over my face. The works.”

“Well, Miss 21stCentury Woman, how very old-fashioned. You are aware a white gown and veil implies purity?”

“Who the hell would fuck me with my brother threatening castration?”

Reese Sinclair was the answer to my prayers. I definitely owed Nova and Lou Lou for choosing a man that I could fall hard for if I allowed myself. Unfortunately, Roman would classify ReeseandLou Lou as mortal enemies. My best friend’s man knew the danger he placed himself in—Reese didn’t. But desperate times called for desperate measures. In all fairness, I hadn’t realized my blind date would be one of Lou Lou’s brothers. I thought it was a friend outside of the life.

On the other hand, thiswasLou Lou.

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