Page 35 of Ridin' True
Assuming Jed would arrive on his Harley, I decided I should dress appropriately. I built my outfit around my cropped, black, faux leather jacket. I told myself when I bought it I’d splurge and buy a real one, one day. For now, this one would definitely do the trick.
I swapped my pencil skirt for high-waisted, tight black jeans. After changing into a strapless bra, I paired them with my silk, cowl neck, pale pink, camisole top. I wore it tucked in, and the kiss of the cool fabric upon first donning it felt nice against my still tender stomach. I finished the look with my black, suede ankle booties, and a simple gold pendant necklace.
After my outfit was handled, I had an hour left to get lost in my head, and the extra time made way for nerves to set in.
I had a lot on my plate that day, not to mention the memory of that elevator kiss to distract me, but I couldn’t forget all the questions I still had about the night before. Then, of course, there was the not-so-insignificant debt of ten thousand dollars I owed Jed. I had no idea how I was going to pay him back. In truth, it was Alejandro who owed him that money, but I couldn’t count on him.
I’d have been a fool to think otherwise.
Jed hadn’t mentioned the money at all. Not the previous night or that morning. It hadn’t yet become an awkward issue between us, but it was like a cut. If we didn’t address it, it would get infected, and I didn’t want what was developing between us to be the thing that got amputated as a result.
If he didn’t bring it up, I would. Like a band-aid, I would simply rip it off.
At ten ‘til seven, I took out my curling rod. I managed to get a couple big, lazy curls around my face. I ran my fingers through my hair, letting it fall naturally, and decided it wasn’t so bad. I was slipping into my jacket when a knock sounded at my door.
I hesitated for a moment, allowing my insides to recover from the excitement of knowing Jed had arrived. Then I pulled my hair free of my collar, grabbed my purse, and hurried to greet my date.
When I opened the door, I noticed he hadn’t changed since I last saw him. Only, rather than hooked on his tee, his sunglasses were pushed up into his hair, holding the long strands away from his face.
“Hey,” he greeted.
“Hi,” I managed.
He smiled, and it was brilliant.
“You ready?”
“Mmhmm.”
I stepped out, locked my door, and dropped my keys in my purse. When I turned to face him once more, he took my hand, and I followed his lead out of my building to his waiting Harley.
Jed Barker didn’t look like a man who liked to hold hands, but I sure didn’t mind the way he liked to hold mine.
Before I gave him my purse to stow for our ride, I extracted my sunglasses and slid them on my face. He smirked, as if he appreciated what he saw, then put away my bag, mounted his bike, and held out his hand. I settled myself behind him, needing no encouragement to lean in close and cling to the man for whom my desire seemed to be growing by the minute.
Our ride was a short one. We ended up near my office, at a restaurant called The Railyard. The parking lot was nearly full, but Jed had no problem finding a place for his bike. Once inside, we only had to wait a couple minutes for a two-top out on the covered patio.
“Figured this place has a little bit of everything and would be a safe bet,” he said as we were left with our menus.
“This is perfect. Really.”
We both perused the drink options. When our server arrived, Jed ordered a beer on draft while I opted for the blood orange cosmo, hoping a little vodka might ease my nerves a bit. We’d sat across from one another before, and he wasn’t a stranger. I knew what his mouth tasted like. But the power dynamic between us atthisparticular table had definitely shifted.
When we were alone again, I found I couldn’t focus on dinner options—too distracted by the questions that seemed to grow louder in my head the longer I kept them inside of me.
“Can I ask you a something?” I blurted, setting aside my menu.
He lifted his blue-green eyes in search of mine. “Yup,” he replied matter-of-factly.
“How did you know? Last night, how did you know I’d been…” I hesitated, glancing over my shoulder to be sure no one was close enough to overhear me. “How did you know I’d been kidnapped?”
He put his menu down. “You ignored my last text. Didn’t sit right.”
That checked. I most certainly would have responded had I not been shoved in a trunk.
“And—Alejo. How—how did you find him?”
“Know a guy who knows a guy who can find just about anyone if given enough time.”
