Page 41 of Mile High With the Bikers
“I'm gonna need you to show me that technique in private.”
“Do you taste like strawberry?” I bat his arm while he laughs, then pack the laptop away.
“I hear being vegan helps the flavor, but you’ll have to test it out and tell me.” His hand finds its way onto my thigh, squeezing it. “You're sexy when you're being all nerdy, you know that?”
I know when we get back, the boys will have to report to Eagle-eye about all this. And I’m sure he’s going to be furious, but I try not to think too hard about that, and let the elation of a job well done last just a little bit longer.
Just in case.
21
RORY
“Doyou think he’s going to kick me out?” I ask, feeling a little lost. “I would understand if he did. I don’t know what sort of deal Eagle-eye worked out with Dad, but this has to have broken it.”
Bull goes to his fridge to grab a beer. “I doubt it. Prez is a nasty old bastard when he needs to be, but he’s a sucker for a damsel in distress. Plus he doesn’t appreciate threats. We didn’t get our reputation by bowing and scraping.”
“How long have you been a member?” I didn’t get much of a chance to look at his place earlier, so now I’m taking it all in. There’s a desk in the corner with an old brick of a laptop on it, and around it are notebooks and printouts. “This looks an awful lot like school work. Are you taking classes?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah… just hobby stuff. It’s not for real credits.” He sounds a little embarrassed about it.
I take a closer look, even if he looks like he wants to pull me away. “But this is college level. Environmental science? I recognize some of those formulas. I had to do some modeling with them when I was doing my math degree.”
He shrugs. “School wasn't really… valued in my family, not like yours. I dropped out so I could start working and help my mom with rent when my dad took off. Didn’t get my GED until I joined the Eagles and finally felt like I had room to breathe, you know?”
“When was that?”
“Nine years ago I guess? Something like that. I was eighteen when I became a prospect.”
“So now you take classes for fun? Have you ever thought of doing something else with your life? Enrolling for real and—” The look on Bull’s face stops me.
“And what? Get a fucking desk job? No fucking thank you.” Bull laughs. “I like learning shit, and I found out a lot of the big universities put classes online for free. I don’t need a piece of paper to prove anything, and I sure as fuck don’t want anyone telling me what I need to study. I’m glad you like all that shit, Rory, but I wouldn’t last a semester.”
I nod, wondering how many bits and pieces of degrees he’s collected over the years just for the heck of it.
“Is that disappointing?” he asks softly.
“What? No! I think it’s really impressive actually. I like what I do, but… can I tell you a secret?”
“Is it hot?” He takes a swig from his beer, then passes it to me.
I take a sip. It’s bitter but I like the cold. “When I was younger, I thought that if I could just be smart enough, and do well enough, then people would have to notice me. It sort of worked, but it turns out you can’t buy love with good grades.”
“Maybe you just haven’t met the right nerd,” Bull says with a chuckle.
I hand the bottle back, tracing the end of a tattoo that extends onto his fingers. “Do you think?”
Flirting with Bull makes my stomach a little fluttery. We had sex practically before we even knew each other, but now it feels like we were totally different people then, even though it was only a couple days ago. I’ve never done things backwards like this. Being physical and then discovering the person behind the act.
“Are you the right nerd?” It just falls out of me, but the way a sudden smile spreads on his face makes me want to keep pushing.
“I'm listening.”
“Obviously I fell for your muscles,” I say as I move closer to him, pressing my hand against his chest, “But it’s your big… wet…brainthat really does it for me.”
“You sound like a fucking zombie.” But he laughs and wraps his big arms around me. “I don't know whether I should be flattered or scared.”
I twist around so I can look up at him. “Flattered, definitely. I’m not a zombie, but I wouldn’t mind getting a taste of you.”
