Page 73 of Riding the Line
‘You didn’t have to do this,’ I say, bringing the coffee to my lips as I wait in his contemplative silence.
‘No, I did. I really did.’ Duke fiddles with his fingers against the table, my own itching to grab his hands, to feel that safety of his hold on me again. But I know that’s expecting a lot when we’re in public. ‘I’m so sorry, Cherry. The last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I just – Ifreaked out. But I know it’s not an excuse for how I acted the other night. You were right, I should’ve stood up for our relationship, and the last thing I should’ve done was push you away like I did. So, I truly am sorry. The truth is …’
Duke’s eyes flash, then he heaves down a deep breath and reaches across the table for my hands, wrapping his around them. I freeze from the contact, my lips popping open as I stare at where our hands are linked, out and open foranyoneto see.
‘I am so goddamn in love with you, Cherry. I’m pretty certain I’ve been in love with you for years, if I’m being honest.’ Duke laughs nervously, a shake of his head following. ‘You said you felt like you were falling without me, that I wasn’t by your side, but that’s only because I’m already so far down, so deeply, madly,irrevocablyin love with you. And I promise you that I’m here, waiting to catch you in my arms. I’ve got you, Baby Hensley. Always.’
I bite the inside of my bottom lip to stop it from wobbling. All his words – the ones I’d needed from him that night – hit me in my very core, the deepest part of my soul, branding me there in a way that means I’ll never be able to turn back from this moment. Because he’s right, I’ve been falling for so long, there’s no way I can ever claw my way back out of this love I have for him. This love we have for each other.
Duke rubs his thumbs over my knuckles. ‘But that’s also why I froze when everything went down with Sawyer. Because there’s no going back for me, not now. And it all hit me then – that I’ve been so afraid of upsetting Wyattifhe found out about us, but there’s noifanymore, it’s onlywhen.This,’ Duke squeezes my hands, ‘isn’t just for the summer to me, which means one day we’re gonna have to tell Wyatt. So, when that realisation struck me, I – I got scared. I pushed you away, if only to give myself some respite from the fear.
‘But I’m ready, Cherry. If you want to tell everyone about us, then … then let’s do that. I’m serious about being in a relationship with you – Iloveyou, and that’s all that matters. Wyatt will see that, I’m sure. So, hopefully we’ll be able to figure things out. And to prove it, I got this done yesterday.’
Carefully slipping his hands from mine, the loss of his heat an unwelcome feeling, Duke shrugs his jacket off, then holds out one of his wrists to me, upturned. When I catch sight of the tattoo lying on the inside of his wrist, I grab his arm, dragging him closer so I can inspect the drawing – a small, intricate image of two cherries.
My eyes flick up to his. ‘You got cherries tattooed on you? Duke …’
‘Did I ever tell you what this one meant?’ He lines his other wrist up, bringing the cherries side by side with the horseshoe tattoo I’d noticed at the beginning of the summer. ‘I got the horseshoe to represent the bar – something that gives me life, that keeps me going every day.’
My thumb runs over the transparent sticker that covers the cherries so the tattoo can heal. I can’t stop my bottom lip from trembling, even as I try to speak. ‘You – you didn’t have to do that.’
Duke harbours my hands again, bringing them to his lips to plant a kiss on either one. ‘Yes, I did. Becauseyougive me life, Cherry. You bring so much joy into my world. Every summer, I feel like I’m revived again, becauseyouare home. Back with me. Where you’re meant to be.’
My heart stammers, beating faster than I’ve ever known, and the song it sings is a continuousmine, mine, mine.
Duke Bennett is all mine.
‘I love you too.’ I push out a wobbly smile. ‘I know I said it before, accidentally … but can we pretend this is the first time I’m saying it?’
Even Duke’s eyes look shinier than before, his smile seeming to require more effort to keep calm. ‘Definitely. I’d rather pretend the other night didn’t happen at all.’
‘Deal,’ I confirm, tangling my feet with his under the table, just to be able to touch more of him. To weave myself into him, where I know I’ll be steady. Where I’ll be strong.
‘Oh, I almost forgot.’ Duke leans over to grab the bag sitting beside him. ‘I think we got a little bit side-tracked with some of the, um, moreadultparts of your bucket list …’ I bite my lip as he perks a brow at me, his darkening eyes sending a zap of need straight to my core. ‘But I think it’s time we finally tick this one off.’
And with that, Duke pulls out a glossy, sleek black helmet. When he angles it around to show me the back, I almost fall off my chair as I read the cursive writing that spells out,Baby Hensley.
With a knowing smirk, and the darkest of eyes, gaze sending shivers skittering across my skin, Duke asks, ‘Are you ready for the ride of your life?’
33
Cherry
I marvel at the freshly inked outline of a horse now permanently on the inside of my wrist, unable to contain my smile.
‘Here you go.’ Duke comes up behind me, reaching for my wrist gently so he can wrap up the tattoo, ensuring it keeps clean and heals well, even if it is only small. I’m sure the tattoo artist is supposed to do this, but since Duke seems to know the artist well from the countless tattoos peppering his own body, I imagine he doesn’t mind letting Duke do so instead.
As he tends to my tattoo, I let myself lean back into his chest, basking in the harmony of being with him again.
‘All done.’ Duke punctuates his care with a kiss to my parting. ‘Time to go.’
I’m still trying to adjust to these new public displays of affection over the last few days. Knowing we don’t have to hide anymore – even if we are out of Willow Ridge today, so it’s less likely people we know will be around.We’re still keeping things unaffectionate at work and around friends until we work out the best time to tell Wyatt, but when it’s just the two of us, out and about, we let the odd touch slip out.
I bite down on my lip as I turn to Duke, watching him grab our helmets off the side of the counter where we left them – they fit perfectly into the dark, metal décor of the tattoo studio. We thank the studio as we leave, and when we reach Duke’s bike, he plops my helmet on my head, flipping up the visor to flash a grin at me.
‘Has anyone ever told you how hot you look in a helmet?’ he asks, winding his arm around my waist to pull me into him again. God, Duke Bennett is a needy man when he’s letting himself show his feelings. But I love it. I lovehim.
‘Treat me right, and maybe I’ll keep it on tonight,’ I joke, filtering my hand under his T-shirt to relish in the feel of his muscles. And to teasingly skim my nails across his skin.
