Page 453 of The Tempted

“Showers going to have to wait,” Pipe said, tipping his chin across the lot to where Lauren was parked in her mother’s car.

“She been here long?” I asked, hanging my helmet on one of the handlebars.

“About ten minutes or so,” he replied. “Asked her if she wanted to come in but she said she’d wait out here for you,” he added.

“She alone?”

“Afraid mommy dearest is with her?” Pipe smiled before he howled with a hearty laugh. “Relax, Riggs, she’s all by her lonesome,” he assured.

I was relieved to know that Lauren was on her own. I watched as she opened the driver’s door and stepped out. At the same time the rusty gates opened and the prospect guarding the gate hollered over his shoulder.

“Incoming!”

I slapped Pipe’s back and grinned. “Looks like your shipment is here. You guys can handle this can’t you?” I laughed.

“Fuck you,” Pipe said, turning to Wolf. “And where do you think you’re going?”

“To take a fucking piss. Your goddamn parts can wait, my dick can’t,” Wolf snickered.

I laughed to myself as the two of them exchanged insults. In that moment, I lifted my head and locked eyes with Lauren. I raised my hand to my chest rubbing that ache that instantly came every time I looked into those eyes, the familiar sense of longing washed over me as it always did when she was around.

Around.

But just out of my reach.

She was my goddamn unicorn.

A mystical creature I could never capture.

But that was only because I didn’t allow myself to.

Because in my head I thought loving her from afar was better for the both of us.

Loving her.

I loved Lauren.

That was the ache in my chest knowing I was in love with her and not being with her, not telling her how I felt, how she took a reckless biker and made him a man.

She gave me purpose and my purpose was to love her.

She brought me back to a place where I believed in dreams.

Because fuck me, she was a dream come true.

She was my Kitten.

My Kitten that was giving me a little Pea.

Dreams.

They were real and they were wrapped in the blue-eyed girl who came charging into my life. I thought she was a detour, that we were a detour, but we weren’t, we were one another’s path. The only path that existed.

We were Kitten and Tiger.

I smiled at her, watching as she pushed her glasses further up her nose and stared back at me.

Smile at me.

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