Page 23 of Heat
Halfway to her campsite, movement off to the side caught Diamond’s attention. She glanced over just in time to see Sayer making a beeline straight for her.
So much for slipping back unnoticed.
The way he moved—purposeful, eyes locked on her, that familiar intensity in his gaze—told her he wasn’t just crossing paths by chance. He was coming for her.
A warmth curled low in her stomach, but she kept her expression even as he closed the distance. No need to give him the satisfaction of knowing just how much she liked when he looked at her like that.
“Morning,” she murmured, tilting her head as he stepped in close, his presence instantly cutting through the last of the morning chill.
Sayer didn’t bother with words—not right away. Instead, his hand came up, fingers brushing along her wrist before sliding down to take her hand, a rough palm against hers like a silent claim. “You were gonna walk past me without saying anything?”
Diamond huffed a soft laugh. “Didn’t figure I had to. You always find me anyway.”
His lips twitched at that, but his grip on her hand tightened slightly. “Damn right.”
He glanced past her toward their campsite before bringing his eyes back to hers. “Sleep, okay?”
She shrugged. “Best I could, considering.”
Sayer’s gaze softened, reading between the lines without her needing to spell it out. He knew what she meant. His mind had been too busy for rest, too tangled up in things they hadn’t said out loud.
“Could’ve stayed with me,” his voice was low, meant just for her.
Diamond smirked, trying to keep things light even as his words settled warmly in her chest. “You know how that would’ve gone.”
He leaned in slightly, just enough that she could smell the faint trace of soap and the lingering scent of his leather cut. “Yeah,” he murmured, a slow grin forming. “And I wouldn’t have minded one bit.”
Diamond rolled her eyes, but the smile she was trying to fight won out.
Their friends might give them their opinions, might give them shit about getting tangled up with one another, but would they let that stop them.
“C’mon,” he said, tugging her hand gently. “Walk with me before the others start wondering where you ran off to.”
“What about your boys? Will they have a problem with this...with us?” she asked him, worried there might be an issue.
Sayer didn’t hesitate. “No.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for doubt. “And if they did, that’d be their problem, not mine.”
Diamond searched his face, looking for any flicker of uncertainty, but there wasn’t any. Just the same steady confidence that had drawn her to him in the first place.
“You sure?” she pressed, her fingers tightening around his.
Sayer stopped walking, turning toward her fully. “I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks about us. Not my boys, not your girls—no one. I’m here because I want to be. With you.”
Her heart did a little flip, but she kept her expression even. “You always this smooth in the morning?”
He grinned. “Only for you.”
Diamond rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t fight the smile tugging at her lips. Maybe people would have their opinions, but standing here, with him looking at her like that—like he’d made his choice and wasn’t going anywhere—it didn’t seem to matter.
Chapter Eighteen
Diamond rolledher bike to a stop outside the roadside diner. It was one of those places that felt untouched by time with neon lights still buzzing faintly even in daylight, chrome trim gleaming like someone cared, and the scent of bacon wafting all the way out to the parking lot.
The Harlots rolled in behind her one by one, their engines a staggered, rumbling symphony. Fourteen bikes. Fourteen women. A trail of road dust and long miles clinging to their boots.
As Diamond swung her leg off her Harley, Nova let out a low whistle.
“This place is a step back in time,” she said, pulling off her helmet and shaking loose a tangle of dark hair.
