Page 4 of Drifter
Shaking my head, I murmur, “I-I don’t understand.”
“Okay, babe, I’m going to lay it out for you. You don’t know the kind of man I am, but I know that a pretty woman who does yoga, drinks herbal tea, and bakes cookies is not the kind of woman who could deal with a man with my dark past. I buried what I felt for you. I did it for a long time, but instead of disappearing, my feels became stronger. I know you feel it too. We can go on ignoring what’s between us, but is that what you really want?”
“You just said I’m not for you.” Oh, how I wish that wasn’t true.
“Babe, I don’t think I have to point out that you’re pigtails and sugar. Look at me, Sasha.”
“I am looking at you.”
“Take a good, hard look. What do you see?” he challenges.
“A man dedicated to his friends. A guide to the younger brothers who need him the most. A best friend to Hawk. A talented mechanic. You take care of people, even me. I remember the way you were gentle with me when I got the shard of glass in my hand. You were really sweet.”
He looks stunned by my impression of him. “I’m dark,” he states plainly.
“Dark?” I furrow my brows.
“Christ!” he swears. “I’ve done shit that I’m ashamed of. Things that would make you run screaming from the room.”
“Do you hurt women and children?” I ask cautiously.
“Fuck no. Only a coward does that,” he spits out angrily.
“Do you deal drugs?”
“No.”
Before he can say anything else, I go on. “Do you attack innocent people purposely? Run over dogs? Take from the elderly? I don’t think so. So what makes you dark? A past? I have a past. I have things that I’m not proud of. And when I think of them, it hurts so bad I want to cry. I have to keep reminding myself that it happened, but it doesn’t have to happen again. Does that make me a bad person?” I pause, taking a breath and waiting for him to ask me the question I dread.
“Sasha, there’s no doubt in my mind you’re anything but bad. But you’re right, we both have a past. I think the question is, could you handle the truth when I’m ready to tell you?”
“I’m stronger than I look,” I respond. He searches my face, then drops his forehead to mine.
“Are we doing this?” he asks in a low, sexy voice.
“I’m tired of hiding when you’re around,” I admit, sitting back. “I think you’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen. Even when you’re brooding, you’re hot. But I like you best when you whispered in my ear that you would take care of me and were as gentle as you could be when I needed you.”
“Is that a yes, babe?” he urges.
“Yes,” I whisper, and we lean in toward each other.
Ding-dong! My front doorbell chimes, and there’s an incessant knocking as well. “Sasha, I know you’re home!” Etain’s voice is loud and clear.
“Red, you don’t need to check in on her. I’m sure she’s fine.” Apparently, Hawk is with her.
Drifter moves away, gliding his hand over my cheek. “Remember where we were,” he quips and goes to the front door. My door rattles when Drifter wrenches it open. He braces one hand on the doorframe.
“Hey, Hawk. How’s it going, Etain?” Drifter’s tone is nonchalant, like he’s always hanging around my place, answering my door. I join Drifter when I hear Etain’s gasp. Her dumbfounded expression is priceless. It’s way better than Hawk’s shit-eating grin, which has me blushing. I hook my fingers into the back of Drifter’s jeans. He turns to me. “We have company, sunshine.”
“Drifter, you have to move so they can come in,” I point out.
He moves out of the way, hooking an arm around my waist so that we’re touching. Etain walks past us, nearly tripping over her feet. Thank goodness, Hawk reacts quickly and holds her steady.
“It’s nice of you guys to drop in. I made cookies.” Etain is staring at me like I’ve grown three heads. “Uh, and I have coffee,” I add.
Etain hitches a hip, scans the room, then says, “I saw Drifter’s ride outside and thought, oh my God, my friend’s in trouble, and ran over here thinking I was going to find… Well, I don’t know what I thought I was going to find. But I know Drifter isn’t around for no reason at all, and it freaked me out.” She tilts her head to one side. “What’s going on? Did your father show up again?”
The thought of my father makes me shiver. Drifter feels it and tightens his grip. “Actually, Drifter came by to visit, and we made cookies together.”
