Page 20 of Fearless
A smile lit up her face as she adjusted the canvas bag on her shoulder. "Well I'm sure it's sorry after that kick."
A chuckle escaped me as I strode toward her. Not many women, or people in general for that matter, entertained my sense of humor. It felt like something unique and special between us and no one else.
Her eyes heated, lips parting just slightly when I stopped in front of her. A rush of need went straight to my dick and it was all I could do to not grab her and pull her into me.
Keeping my hands at my sides, knowing I was covered in filth and grime, I leaned down and smacked a peck to those pouty lips instead.
"You heading to work or leaving?" I asked her.
"Both." She laughed at my bewildered face. "I have a couple hours free before I check on Tess and Python this afternoon. Thought you might like some lunch." She patted the bag at her side. "Have you eaten today?"
It took me a few long seconds to answer. First, I had to come down from the high of realizing she came to see me, because shewantedto. She thought of me and brought me food because she was concerned about me.
It was such a simple gesture for a basic biological need, and yet I couldn't begin to express how much it meant to me. So many women thought they had to jump through hoops to impress a man—wearing tons of makeup, staying thin while having gigantic tits, sucking dick like a porn star, butthiswas all I ever wanted. Someone sweet and thoughtful enough to take care of me.
"That depends," I said skeptically. "Are you having lunch with me?"
"I will if I'm not getting in the way of your work."
"Oh, you are. And I'm so grateful for it, you have no idea." I kissed her again, longer this time, like she was the appetizer I was savoring before the main course. My fists curled at my sides, fighting the urge to touch more of her. "Come in. We can eat in the kitchen." Her lips were flushed and swollen as I reluctantly pulled away. "Give me a minute to wash up."
When I returned from the restroom with clean hands, Mari's simple lunch spread out on the table looked like a feast for a king to my half-starved body.
Rice, beans, salsa, grilled onions and bell peppers, and strips of well-done steak were arranged neatly in their own containers. The only things missing were tortillas, which Mari heated on the cast-iron griddle in the wood-pellet stove.
"Damn, we still got steaks, huh?" My mouth watered as I took a seat.
"We're down to the last pallet according to the clubhouse kitchen." Mari dropped a stack of freshly warmed tortillas on the table. "These were cooked a bit too long the other day at the party. So they said I could have the leftovers, and I sliced 'em thin,carne asadastyle. A bit tough but they're edible."
"I love a resourceful woman," I said, piling fajita fixings into a tortilla, then immediately bit my tongue.
It was way too soon to be throwing the L-word around. Mari was still figuring out how to be with two men, for shit's sake.
She took no apparent notice of the word I used and smiled sweetly, the apples of her cheeks flushing with color. “I just wanted to make sure you were eating enough. I know you’ve been putting long hours in here.”
“And I feel every single of them,” I sighed, scrubbing a hand down my face. “But bikes are no good to a crew if they’re unrideable.”
“Not everyone has extras, I take it?” She took a delicate bite out of her own fajita.
“Nah. Reaper has a few. I got one spare and I think Gunner does too. But most of the guys only have the one ride. It’s just hard to find good parts. Everything’s been scrapped and scavenged.”
“And you have an eye for quality, I assume?”
“I do,” I said with a nod, appreciating that she seemed to take interest in my passion. At least enough to have a conversation about it. “Quality parts make all the difference, especially in the desert. With all the sand, wind, and changes in elevation, you need machinery you can rely on.”
“I feel the same way about medical supplies.” Mari paused in her eating, resting her chin on her hand. “Cheaply-made scalpels pose a higher risk of infection for the patient. Good quality materials help me do my job better.”
“You’ll hear no argument from me.” I helped myself to a second tortilla. “So I saw you and Reap ride back in last night. Where did you two go off to?”
The pale pink in her cheeks immediately deepened to a bright red, the color spreading to her neck and the rest of her face.
“Um, we had a picnic at a lookout point at the Grand Canyon. Then he showed me where he grew up.”
“That sounds nice. Well the picnic does, at least. I bet it was tough to see the ruins of his old home.”
“It was. But it was good too, I think.” She swallowed. “I think it was kind of like closure for him. And it seemed to mean a lot that he took me there and told me what happened.”
“Yeah, that’s huge. I don’t think he’s been back there since the last time, when Daren told him to get his mom’s things.” As I responded, Mari stared intently at the table, avoiding my eye. “What’s wrong,Mariposita?You look uncomfortable all of a sudden.”
