Page 3 of Her Grumpy Biker
“Everyone is deceitful and disappointing if you get to know them well enough,” I grunt under my breath. “It’s naive to think otherwise.”
As soon as the words leave my lips, I regret them. Camden’s shoulders drop, and she breaks eye contact, dipping her head down to look at her feet. The light pink blush on her cheeks turns to a mottled red as if she’s ashamed of herself.
I clearly hit a nerve, and while I usually don’t care, something about this woman has me all twisted up inside. I don’t want to be the cause of her hurt. I’m trying to protect her, but everything I say is the wrong thing. It’s best for both of us if I leave. I can call Cutter and let him know Camden is safe. A little too trusting, but safe.
I’ll make sure she stays safe.
Nope. She’s not my responsibility. She’s not anything to me, just a woman who moved to town. I’m sure she’ll get bored with Jackson Ridge soon enough and go on to bigger and better things.
“Just… Be more careful.”
She nods, and my stomach ties itself into knots knowing I took the spark from her emerald eyes. Fuck me, I’m getting too tangled up in this woman, and I hardly know anything about her.
I walk toward my motorcycle, placing my groceries in the saddlebag of my bike. Looking over my shoulder, I give Camden one final look before revving my engine and getting the hell away from here.
Something tells me it won’t be the last time I see Camden. God help me for whatever comes next.
2
CAMDEN
Iopen the box of books, my eyes going wide with delight at their beautifully illustrated covers. The newest book in theFated to Darknesstrilogy has just been released, and I’m one of the first people to hold the hardcover in my hands. Well, at least in this town. It’s one of the perks of working at Tall Tales & Turned Pages bookstore.
My fingertips smooth over one of the covers, tracing the lines of the silver crown and dark roses. In my former life, books like this would be considered blasphemy. Not only because it’s about a wolf shifter, which is an abomination to God, but because it’s romance.
I used to think the Elders didn’t allow certain books, movies, and TV shows because they were protecting us from the evils of the outside world. Now, I know it was so we wouldn’t get any crazy ideas of women being valued for more than what they can offer their parents, church, and husband.
The first time I cracked open a forbidden romance novel a friend snuck into the compound, my world tilted and then flipped completely upside down. Women getting to choose their partner? Unheard of. Women experiencing pleasure? Incomprehensible.
I wouldn’t say romance books were the sole reason I finally left the life I knew behind, but they certainly opened up my world to the possibility of more. I likely won’t get the happily-ever-after the heroines in my favorite stories do, but that doesn’t mean I have to settle for misery and oppression.
“I love that series!” someone says from behind me. “Is that book two?”
I turn around and see Cassie’s long red hair and shy smile. She’s a local around my age and a frequent customer of the bookstore. I haven’t been in town for more than a week, but Cassie has already become a friend.
“Yes! I could hardly sleep last night knowing we were getting the shipment in today. As soon as I get my first paycheck, I’m grabbing a copy.”
“I’ve been saving my tip money from Bottles & Bites for weeks! I can’t wait to dive in when I get home.”
I’m about to ask if she has any more books on her To-Be-Read list when a loud thud disrupts our conversation. Both Cassie and I flinch, then look at each other. The fear flashing across her green eyes is reflected in mine. We share a moment, both silently acknowledging that the other has been through something awful that triggered a trauma response.
“Sorry!” Evie, the owner of Tall Tales & Turned Pages, pops up from behind a bookshelf and gives Cassie and I an apologetic smile. “Just dropped a few books over here. It sounded worse than it was. Carry on,” she announces to the patrons.
Evie is in her fifties and has a soft spot for strays like me. When I called a few weeks ago inquiring about a job, it didn’t take her long to figure out how desperate I was. She didn’t have to ask; she simply knew I needed a way out and offered me a full-time job as soon as I could make it into town.
I didn’t know what to expect when I showed up last week, but Evie’s kind eyes and understanding smile said it all. I was finally home.
“Are there any other books you wanted to look at today?” I ask Cassie once we’ve both somewhat recovered. I don’t know what her story is, but we have more in common than I originally thought.
“I'd better stick to this book for now, though you know I would spend my entire paycheck and tips in this store if I could afford it.”
I nod in agreement. It’s going to be hard to control my own reading addiction, especially with my employee discount and being surrounded by books all day. My TBR list has gotten entirely out of control. The most amazing part is that I have access to those books and no one to shame me or get me in trouble for reading banned literature.
Cassie and I head to the register, and I ring her up. We say our goodbyes, and I wave as she heads out the front door. It swings open, revealing a couple of bikers across the street. I instantly recognize the gruff, mysterious man from the grocery store parking lot. I only just met him a few days ago, but he’s been in the back of my mind ever since he took off on his bike.
I find myself floating over to the large store window, pretending to look at the leather-bound journals we keep out on display. In reality, I keep stealing glances at the man across the street.
He’s enormous. Over six feet tall, light blue eyes that struck me to my very soul the first time he looked at me, and a short beard. He had his dark brown hair tied back yesterday, but today I can see it’s shoulder-length. I never knew I liked long hair on a guy, but then again, I never knew many things. I still don’t, as Mr. Sexy-Great-Hair-Biker pointed out during our first interaction.
