Page 66 of Ridin' Free
“I’ve got work tomorrow.”
My response was as automatic as they came.
Usually, it did the trick.
At present, not so much.
“Shadow will hit the chair to get his ink in the mornin’. By noon, we’ll be cookin’ out at the clubhouse. Party starts early and will last all night. It’ll be a family thing for a few hours. Brothers’ll come and go dependin’ on what they’ve got goin’ on. Real fun’ll start when the sun goes down, like always. All that to say, we’ll be eatin’ barbeque before the bar opens. I want you there.”
“Why?”
He quirked an eyebrow at me as he tossed a couple kernels of popcorn into his mouth. “Do I need a reason?”
“Yeah, actually. You’re askin’ as if it’s normal for me to show up at the clubhouse, like I’m some hang-around when we both know I’m not.”
He stopped chewing, looked me straight in the eye, and replied, “You and me. It’s been established. Tomorrow afternoon, when I’m shootin’ the shit with a belly full of food and a beer in my hand and I want a woman in my lap, it’s gonna be your ass on my thigh. When I said no one else, I meant it. Now, if I somehow misunderstood the conversation we had in this very kitchen less than twenty-four hours ago, you let me know, ‘cause I’m not above repeatin’ myself.”
For a moment, silence fell between us as we stared at one another. His eyes were intense with the challenge reverberating from his words, while I felt suspended by the clarity I found in this particular moment.
I remembered the first morning he left me alone in his house, unafraid of what I would find. Later that night, after Lyla’s visit, I wondered what secrets he kept at the clubhouse. Now, he was all but demanding I show up and find out for myself.
He wasn’t hiding.
He was never hiding.
Still, I hesitated.
I didn’t shit where I ate. I didn’t regularly party with the Stallions. I kept my distance for a reason. Though, as of late, I was beginning to realize the distance I tried to keep between them and me might have been nothing more than an illusion.
All that aside, he was right. Less than twenty-four hours ago, we’d come to a mutual understanding of whatthiswas. Exclusive. I wasn’t wearing the label of his girlfriend or ol’ lady, but that didn’t mean ourexclusivitydidn’t come with expectations. At every turn, he seemed to be exceeding mine before I could even define them. Now, it was only fair I give a little in return.
“Fine. Okay,” I agreed before I went back to stirring my peanut butter. “I’ll stop by.”
“Good. Not exactly a date, but it’ll be a while before our next one. I gotta ride. Club business. Head out tomorrow afternoon soon as Wrangler’s kid-free. Suspect I’ll be gone at least a couple weeks.”
I nodded slowly as I pulled out a rice cake and began to spread a spoonful of peanut butter across the top, not quite sure what to do with this news. I knew the guys had business dealings outside of the shop, the store, and the bar. It didn’t go unnoticed anytime a Stallion or two, sometimes more, went missing from the compound for a few days. Whatever trouble they managed to get themselves into, they always seemed to find their way home. I never asked questions. It wasn’t any of my concern.
Now, in spite of the nature of our arrangement, it still didn’t seem like my place to ask. Furthermore, the less I asked of him the less he would ask of me. Everyone had secrets. He could have his so I could keep mine.
“Understood,” I finally said before taking a bite of my snack.
He nudged me with his elbow, and I looked over at him in question as I chewed.
Speaking through a smile, he said, “You’re pretty damn amenable today. If I’d have known all it took was buyin’ you a damn coffee maker, I would have done it sooner.”
I rolled my eyes and scoffed, “Shut up.”
He chuckled and it made me smile, in spite of myself.
“Hope one is enough.” He nodded toward my rice cake and continued, “This Stallion’s callin’ it quits soon. You want to ride, you’ve got the reigns tonight, baby. Best hurry it up.”
He didn’t need to say more.
Not ten minutes later, I was mounting my Stallion.
After, when the light of the sun was starting to kiss the sky—my face clean and my nakedness covered by one of Twister’s tees—I fell asleep in what was fast becoming my new favorite spot, squeezed between a couch cushion and one hard, tatted man.
We slept until ten-thirty.Twister was out the door fifteen minutes later, but I took my time, enjoying a cup of coffee before I headed home. I tried not to overthink my afternoon plans as I got ready for the day. Everyone who would be at the clubhouse were people I knew or had served at the bar on more than one occasion. My being there really wasn’t going to be a big deal. Plus, given my shift that night, I had no plans of drinking. I’dsimply show up, grab some lunch, hang for a minute, and then head to Steel Mustang.
