Page 5 of The Biker's Forbidden Love
Matt gives me a pointed look. “You gonna answer that, Lil?”
I keep both hands firmly clasped around the coffee cup and glance down at the phone. It's Dad, again. “No,” I say firmly.
Matt narrows his eyes at me. We've been friends since the first day of college, and he knows me too well.
“You’re up to something, Lily. I don't know what it is. But if it involves angering your dad, you know, the badass president of a biker gang, then I don't want to be a part of it.”
I vaguely feel bad for dragging Matt into this, but it was the only way I could think of. “You're already a part of it, hon.”
“I was afraid you were going to say that. He's not gonna turn up with all his biker friends and have some kind of shootout, is he?”
Matt looks more excited than worried. “You've been watching too muchSons of Anarchy. The Crows aren’t like that. My dad's a good guy.”
Matt presses his lips together and nods vigorously. “Mm-hmm, yep. A good guy who did three years inside.”
“Dad was set up for that.”
But I know how it looks. The club has gone legit in recent years, but they're not squeaky clean. I know what my father is. He works to his own moral code.
The buzzing of my phone finally stops, and in the silence that settles over the kitchen, Matt slides a bagel across the counter to me.
“I should have been suspicious when you wanted to come over and have an all-night Ryan Gosling film fest.”
“What's wrong with having a movie night with my best friend?” I ask innocently.
Matt looks like he’s going to question me further, so I quickly change the subject.
“You excited about the date?” Matt’s met a new man, and he spent most of the night texting him. They’re finally meeting in person tonight.
His face goes dreamy when he talks about Ethan.
“Yeah. Maybe this time he won’t turn out to be an asshole.”
Matt's had about as much luck with men as I have, but at least he puts himself out there, unlike me. There's only one man for me, but if I wait around for him to make a move, I’ll be ninety before I lose my virginity.
The roar of a bike crashes through my thoughts and sends a nervous flutter into my stomach.
“Did he track your phone here?” Matt sounds nervous now.
I knew he would find me; I’m just surprised it's taken him this long. I peek through the blinds, and my gut clenches when I see that it’s Jesse. My plan has worked better than I realized. But when I see the furious look on his face, I’m not so sure.
“Ooh, he’s hot.” Matt’s peeking through the blinds next to me, oblivious to what I might have just unleashed.
“Um, Matt. You might want to wait upstairs.”
“And miss all the fun?”
There's a loud thump on the door, and suddenly I’m wondering why I thought this was a good idea. I might be about to see my best friend get beat up.
“Please go upstairs.”
But Matt’s shaking his head, looking amused. “I think I know what you’re up to, Lily.”
I grab my bag and open the door, but before I can leave Jesse pushes past me and into the kitchen.
“Is this the shithead you spent the night with?”
Matt’s eyes go wide as Jesse grasps him by the collar, but Jesse doesn’t give him time to speak.
