Page 8 of Rebel

“You’re rambling, Nikki.”

Her mouth snapped shut but her eyes sparkled with amusement. “This is weird, and this day has been… a lot.” I found her honesty refreshing.

“Is that why you changed?” Instead of the black dress and ankle boots she had on earlier, Nikki had changed into a pair of skintight black pants, a plain black t-shirt, and a denim jacket, but her legs still looked a mile long in those damn ankle boots with the four inch heel.

My question shocked her as she took the booth seat across from me. “In part, yeah.” Her chin notched high in the air, her expression almost a dare.

“Trying to look hot for me?”

“No,” she answered a little too quickly. “After everything that happened, I felt better in pants. And I needed a shower after twelve hours in the desert.”

It wasn’t a complete answer, but I didn’t push because there were other things I needed answers for. “Well you look beautiful.” She looked even more beautiful than she had the night we met.

“Thank you.” She studied me but she was uneasy, eyes darting around the bar as if she was worried that she was being followed. “Your hair is longer.”

“That happens over the years. You like it?”

She shrugged. “It works for you.”

Yeah, she liked it. “So what do you want to talk about first? Our night together, or why you were messing with the Blood Fangs?” There was no point beating around the bush.

“No,” she answered easily and with a teasing smile. She ordered a shot and a beer before she turned to me, relaxing into the booth seat.

“As pretty as you are Nikki, I didn’t come here just to look at ya.” Even though I could look at her all night long.

When the drinks arrived, she knocked the shot back immediately and took several healthy pulls from her beer before she leaned back, sighed and folded her hands on top of the table. “I was hurt that you didn’t leave a number or wake me up beforeyou left. I realize now that was foolish, maybe a little naïve. It was a one night stand.”

“It was more than that to me, that’s why I left a note with my number on the nightstand.”

Nikki looked away as if she couldn’t handle that particular truth. “I don’t know what happened, but it wasn’t there.”

I sighed and took another sip to give myself time to think. To process. Whatever happened it had cost us a chance to explore the chemistry between us, but it was done. It happened. “So, what do we do about it?”

She shrugged. “I’m not sure. I was, maybe I still am, so angry. And hurt. I know if what you’re saying is true then I have no reason to be angry at you, but still…”

“I get it, believe me.” My anger had been a hot flash compared to how long the hurt had unexpectedly lingered.

Nikki stared at me for a long time, tilting her head to the side as if she was studying me and taking note of the differences she mentioned earlier. She licked her lips slowly and there was a flash of arousal in her eyes, but it disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. “You get it,” she whispered, her tone held a hint of disbelief. “That oddly makes me feel better,” she said and let out a heavy sigh before she picked up her beer.

“Good.” It was so good to see her again. Like, really fucking good and I almost couldn’t believe it.

“You called into my show.” Her lips curled into a smile. “Rebel.” She nodded towards the patch right over my heart.

Her smile was contagious, and I found myself with a big-ass grin on my face too. “I did. I heard your voice, and it was instantly familiar. So fucking familiar, and before I knew what I was doing, your voice was in my ear.”

“And you were spilling your guts. Was any of it true?” Those big brown eyes were filled with hope as she looked at me.

“Yeah, almost all of it was true, though some might have been sanitized for public broadcast. We were heading to Chicago for business, not just a road trip and the trouble on the road followed us.”

“Is the Steel Demons thing a new development, or were you a biker back when we met?”

“Been in the MC for more than a decade.”

“And the reason you didn’t tell me?”

I shrugged. “Because when a woman finds out I’m just a conquest, and I liked how you were just interested in me.” It wasn’t an admission I made lightly but I knew the only shot I had with Nikki was honesty.

“All right, I accept that answer.” She flagged down the lone waitress in the bar and offered a friendly smile. “Another shot and a beer, please.”

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