Ricky stopped. “You know martial arts? Damn, I better be good around you.” He laughed and gripped her hand, pulling her to him.
She licked her lips. “My dad insisted that I take classes to learn self-defense. When I was in high school, I couldn’t go to the mall or movies with my friends because I had a class, or practice, or a tournament, and I’d be so pissed at him. Now I’m glad he made me go. It’s empowering, you know?”
“I’m still trying to come to terms with you being some sort of ninja.”
She laughed, poking him with her fingers. “Silly.”
“How long you been studying martial arts?”
“Since I was about ten. I stopped for a couple of years when my mom got real sick and died. I don’t go to classes every week. It’s a great workout.”
“I bet.” He wrapped his arms around her and lifted her chin up. “I had a great time tonight,” he murmured.
She nodded. “Me too.” As he bent his head, she lightly pushed away from him. “Isn’t the moon beautiful?” she said, her head tilted back.
He came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “You’re beautiful.”
She bit the side of her cheek. “Thanks.” Kylie sprinted forward. “I’ll race you to the car.” Then she was running, the cool night wind caressing her cheeks. The rush of adrenaline was the jolt she needed. She didn’t want to cross the line with Ricky. She liked him a lot, and she’d had a great time, but the flutters in her stomach weren’t there, and there was no slow burn heating her body like there’d been with Jerry. It didn’t react to him the same way. She wished it did, but there was nothing there.
“I win!” Breathlessly, she leaned against the car, hearing Ricky’s soft chuckle as he came over to her. “You let me win.”
He smiled, unlocking and opening the door. As she slid into the passenger’s seat, Ricky leaned in, brushing his lips against hers. She jerked her head back, squeezing his hand when she saw his crestfallen face. “Let’s go slow, okay?”
“I really like you.” His eyes fixed on hers.
“We’ve been friends for a while. I don’t want to jeopardize that. Finals are around the corner, and then school will be out. You’ll be going to Denver and I’ll be in Pinewood Springs. Let’s not rush into anything, okay?”I wish I felt for you the way I do for Jerry. It would make my life a helluva lot easier.
Ricky nodded, his face glum. He closed her door and slipped into the driver’s seat, switching on the ignition. “Do you want to listen to 96KIX?”
“I love that station.” She touched his forearm. “You’re not mad at me, are you?”
Shaking his head, he said, “No. Disappointed, but not mad.”
“We still good?”
“Yeah. I’m not giving up, though.” He turned to face her. “I want you to know that.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
As they drove out of the eatery’s parking lot, Kylie spotted a purple Corvette across the street, the beam from the streetlight bouncing off the driver’s sunglasses. She gasped, the hairs prickling on the back of her neck. As Ricky drove past, her gaze locked with his mirrored one.
It’s him. He’s watching me, and he wants me to know it.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Chapter Six
“What the fuckare you looking at?” Jerry pushed his chair back.
“I don’t like the way you’re gawking at my girlfriend,” a tall man said as he took a step toward the biker.
“I’m not looking at her, but if you want to start something, asshole, I’m all in.” Jerry leapt to his feet. At six-foot-two, he made an imposing figure.
The guy turned to his girlfriend, a blonde woman who had a small smile on her face. “Are you sure he was staring at you, baby?”
The blonde’s close-set blue eyes widened. “Yeah. He was making me feel uncomfortable.”
Jerry heard the man blow out a long breath and rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t staring at your bitch. She was the one staring at me. I can’t help it if she’d rather be with me than you.”
