Page 16 of Sam
I hold back a groan at her secondsiras my cock twitches in my pants. I’m not sure why she doesn’t want Mum to know that she’s on the phone with me. “I need your number, babe, so I don’t have to phone the office.”
“You could always come in for a booking,” she tells me, still in professional mode.
“Too lazy to walk all that way unless you’ve made coffee.”
“That’s possible.”
“Is that a yes to coffee, babe?” I ask in amusement.
“That’s a yes,” she tells me, this time more relaxed. I’m laughing but also fucking turned on. I’ve never felt this way while talking to a woman on the phone.
“I’m coming over. You’ll have to tell me why you didn’t want my mother knowing you were talking to me.”
“It’s weird, okay,” she blows out a breath. “She’s my boss, you’re my boss who’s taking me for a ride on his bike. I panicked.”
I’m outright laughing now. “Babe, you do know she’ll have seen my name on the phone when I called. We have the same line. In fact, I’m watching my mother cackling with laughter right now. She’s also on her mobile. I’m sure she’s calling Bev.”
“Ugh, she’s going to hate me.”
I’m laughing and wave at my mum, who’s beaming. “She won’t, and anyway, we were friends long before you worked for us. Stop being weird and make the coffee. I’m going to the bakery to pick up some pastries so that you eat something.”
“Okay,” she agrees. “I’ll see you soon.”
I’m shaking my head when she puts the phone down, but I’m smiling. Closing and locking my workshop, I walk to the office, stopping by Mum, who is still laughing.
“I’m going for pastries,” I tell her as she wipes tears of laughter from her cheeks. “I’m also stealing our office manager and taking her for a ride at three today.”
Mum grins at me and nods, “Okay.”
Shaking my head, I walk away. I’m at the end of our building when Mum calls out to me. Thinking she wants me to picksomething particular up for her, I turn around. “I’m glad that you’re happier, son.”
I’m surprised at her words. Standing still, I take a minute and realise that I am happy. It’s been a while. It didn’t escape my notice that I’d hardly thought of Bella in the last month. The constant ache I’d carried around for the last year wasn’t there anymore.
Waving at her, I walk away, calling back over my shoulder, “Me too, Mum, me too.”
Three o’clock comes around and I walk into the office to see Ally in riding gear that must be hers because it’s got the O’Shea green on the trim and their logo on the left breast pocket.
“I asked Aunt Maya to drop it off for me,” she explained.
“Looks good, beautiful,” I tell her. And she does. It doesn’t stop the stray thought that flows through my mind, wishing that she were wearing Crow colours. I’m taken aback at the thought, but once it’s in my head, it’s stuck.
‘Fuck me. I’m catching feelings for Ally O’Shea.’
CHAPTER 10
ALLY
I’m not sure what I’m doing with Sam Crow, but I do know that this is the first time since my attack that I’ve felt like myself. That I’d slept like the dead this morning was something in itself. I didn’t sleep like that at home, surrounded by my family. Family that would move heaven and earth to ensure I was safe. I’d fallen asleep knowing in my heart that Sam would look after me. I’m not stupid, though; I know catching feelings for him would be dangerous to my heart.
He’d been in love with Bella for years. He’d never made it a secret, even if Bella hadn’t seemed on board with it. That’s how she’d come across, but I’d known that deep down she’d loved him. I’d spent enough time with the Crow girls, and things that she more than likely would have kept to herself had been let slip on several occasions, especially when we’d celebrated our birthdays at the pub. Bella was a lightweight and had loose lips when tipsy. None of us could figure out why she’d put him off for so many years. Only she knows her reasons.
I’m not sure what had happened for them to break up, and I’m not sure I wanted to know. I knew from Jeanie, who was good friends with Ellie, that it had been a doozy of a breakup, and that Alec had taken Sam away, and Bella had vanished into the background. Supposedly, travelling.
I knew all this, and while my brain was cautioning me, my heart… my heart was telling me something else entirely. I’d been shocked, surprised, and elated all in one when he offered to take me for a ride this afternoon. Excitement had thrummed through me as I’d worked into the afternoon, not even the fact that he’d invited some of the other MC with us had dulled that.
I knew they rarely rode alone, so I wasn’t surprised when he’d told me we’d be joined by some of the others. I was looking forward to it. I’d messaged Aunt Maya and asked if she’d pack me a small bag with a change of clothes and bring that to the office, along with our riding gear. Of all my aunts, I knew she would be the one who would ask the fewest questions. And I’d been right.
Abby had left after we’d had the pastries Sam brought and coffee. She hadn’t mentioned me acting like a complete div earlier and didn’t seem to think it was strange that we were cutting out early to go for a ride. In fact, she’d seemed perfectly giddy about it, telling me to have fun as she’d walked out.
