Page 25 of Falling for the Bad Boy
“Fine. Where to?”
“Just take me to the warehouse?”
Nodding, he straddled the bike then handed me the helmet.
Grateful for the silence, I fastened the strap under my chin. As I wrapped my arms around his waist, he fired up the engine. I nestled my cheek against his back. Being around my family always tore down my walls. No matter how hard I tried to hold everything at bay, I could feel their judgment. It seeped through the cracks, found a way through the chinks in my armor, always threatening to suffocate me. Grandma Ryan was the only one who knew how to launch a counterattack. And she was gone.
I squeezed my legs around Oliver’s thighs as I tightened my grip on his waist. The world of my childhood zoomed by as we left the gated community and turned toward downtown. By the time we reached the warehouse, the tightness in my chest had let up, allowing me to breathe again. Oliver pulled into his regular spot and cut the engine.
He climbed off first, then helped me off the back of the bike. “Listen, I’m sorry about earlier.”
“You don’t need to apologize. I’m the one who threw you to the wolves tonight.” I handed him the container of leftovers. “Will you forgive me if I give you a few days of gourmet leftovers?”
He hung the handle of the bag over a handlebar. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “It wasn’t so bad. And the food was worth it.”
“I told you her cook can really cook.” I smiled back, although what I really wanted was another kiss like the one he’d landed on me before my sister walked in.
“So I guess this is goodnight.” He looked like he wanted to say more, even opened his mouth like he was about to speak. I waited, wondering if he’d ask about my plans again. Or maybe make some smart-ass remarks about my family.
“Thanks again for going with me tonight.” I reached up, placing my palm on his chest. Why couldn’t I seem to keep my hands off him?
“It wasn’t…I mean, I couldn’t…”
“What?” I pressed my palm into his chest.
“It was a strange first date, that’s all.” His face changed as he smiled.
“Agreed. But it wasn’t our first date. We went out for coffee, remember?”
Nodding, he stepped closer. “That’s right. So if I ask you out again, it would be date number three, right?”
“Are you asking me out again?”
“That depends. If I asked you out again, would you say yes?”
Maybe I hadn’t scared off the Kiwi after all. My heart did a little happy dance inside my chest at that revelation. “I don’t know. Where would we go?”
His eyebrows lifted. “Is it true what they say about Americans and their third date rule?”
“What?” I landed a playful swat on his chest. “Who’s been sabotaging your efforts with bad dating advice?”
“Come here.” His arms locked around my waist, drawing me up against his solid wall of a chest. “I’d love to see you again, Trinity.”
I should say no. He wouldn’t be around much longer, and he was too much like my brothers and my sisters’ husbands to make it work. I gravitated toward the unpredictable, unfettered kind of guys. The ones who didn’t have advanced degrees or in most cases, even a permanent address. But something about the way he held me, the way he looked at me, the way he kissed me, made me nod.
“Is that a yes?”
“Yes.”
He pressed a soft kiss to my lips, much different than the one that had scrambled my thoughts a few hours ago.
“I’ll call you.” Then he disappeared through the front door of Tapped, leaving me standing in the parking lot, wondering what I’d just agreed to.
CHAPTER 11
Oliver
“You’re late.” Wyatt stood behind the bar, arms crossed, chest puffed up in some kind of intimidation technique.
