Page 7 of Tamed By A Knight

“Then by all means, go on,” I say.

“Why do you think I call you every time I go out?” She slides her hand across the table until her fingertips brush against my hairy wrist.

My breathing quickens, and I gulp hastily, searching for an answer I’ll never find. “You want someone to protect you.”

She shakes her head. “Yes, I usually need a ride, but I don’t want it to be just anyone. I want it to be you, silly. We’ve been doing this song and dance for months. Think I’d still be going out every other night if you just asked me on a date?”

“A … date?” My eyes widen to the point of hurting. It all makes sense now. The teasing and taunting attempts to get me upstairs. Each tactic, another way for Tara to get closer until I found the nerve to pop the question. “Fucking idiot,” I say under my breath, and she giggles ferociously.

“I wouldn’t go that far.” She rolls her eyes.

“Then let me right the wrongs.” My spirits pick up immediately, almost to the verge of giddiness. Twisting my wrist, my hand snaps over hers, and I close it in a loose fist to make my decree.“You, me, right here. A date. And if you still want anything to do with me after?—”

“None of that.” Tara waggles a finger on her free hand. “No putting yourself down. But I accept. You, me, right here. A date.”

I’m so excited, I swear I’m about to have a heart attack.

4

TARA

Goddammit. It was staring me in the face the whole time, and I was too blind to see it. The direct approach. Who’d have thought?

By the time we’ve finished eating, Hush has opened up completely. He shed his fears surrounding my want shortly after announcing this is our date, and settled firmly into comfort. I really do love seeing him like this. Smiling and happy, without a care in the world, when the rest of the time it looks like he’s carrying the weight of it on his shoulders.

“Can I get you a menu for desserts?” our waitress asks.

“Not for me,” Hush says, rubbing his belly. “I’m stuffed.”

“Same here.” I smirk, staring directly into his eyes and praying he can read my thoughts. Just this once. Because if the rest of the night goes as I planned it, he’ll be doingthe stuffing before it’s over.

“Then I’ll let you finish your drinks,” the waitress adds.

“And the check. Shouldn’t drink too much more if I wanna get this pretty lady home safe.”

I wait for the waitress to leave before I lean over the table and take one of his hands in mine. Half to see how he’ll accept it, the other because I want to feel those rough fingers against my skin. “So, what’s it like being a big, scary biker man?”

Hush smiles, leaning in to give me easier access to his hand. “Isn’t all that scary. Most of it’s riding around with the crew, stopping along our road for grub, and talking shit with the boys.”

I believe him, but it also seems like the diplomatic response. The answer you’d give when you don’t want someone to know the dirt that comes with the territory.

“And you like it?” My eyes drift from his to our hands.

“Love it.” He brushes his thumb over my knuckles. “Apart from the usual, we also help the folks of Boulder. Those who can’t help themselves. Means a lot to me.”

Smiling profusely, I nod at his comment. Not that long ago, I was one of them.

“And what about you?” he asks. “Apart from knowing how to pull a man away from the edge of insanity, what do you get up to?”

“I spend my days with puppies and kittens. A shelter just outside Boulder, giving them a healthy home to thrive and grow in.” I sip the last of my drink through the straw. “Might not be as heroic as helping vulnerable folks who need a firm hand to help them out, but it’s fulfilling.”

“You say it like it’s a bad thing.” Hush’s features stiffen as he raises a brow. “Doesn’t matter who or what it is, easing any suffering is admirable.”

My heart melts into a puddle hearing him praise what seems like such a simple thing in comparison.

While I lose myself further to just how perfect this man is, our waitress returns with the bill. Hush pays with cash, and he pulls me up to my feet before she’s even made it back to the cash register.

“So, ready to go home?” We’re already walking, and I wonder if it’s because his eagerness has reached new heights after our successful night together.

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