Just when the silence between us stretches just a little too long, I rasp, “The kids earned all of the donations. They don’t come to me directly; they go to each business and ask each manager to participate.” I cross my arms across my chest, mostly to stop myself from tucking a strand of her hair back behind her ear. I know it’ll be soft. “Honestly, they’re pretty impressive with the whole thing. Everyone is happy to donate to the cause.”
The smile on her face makes my breath hitch before I remember I’m a fucking biker and the president of my fucking club. When she looks at the kids, her eyes soften, and they don’t change when she looks back up at me.
“Thank you,” the sincerity in those two words floor me, “really. I just try to do my best to channel the things that already make them special. I can only hope that when they do find themselves in politics that they pay teachers better,” she jokes.
Unexpectedly, I chuckle. Ezra blinks up at me, and I ignore the feeling of the back of my neck getting hot. And I’m certainly not turning red anywhere.
My eyes dart down to her shirt and one side of my mouth lifts into a smirk. Tonight, it’s the image of a huge ship and says, ‘Spilling the Tea since 1773’.
After she glances at her shirt, she blushes a delicious shade of pink. Her blue eyes study me and I know she’s going to try to get away from me. I don’t want to let her go.
I nod toward the ring toss booth. “You any good? How about a game? My treat.”
The words are out of my mouth before I even realize it.
I’m expecting her to refuse me and go back to her kids. I see the back of this woman’s head most of the time when I manage to get a glimpse of her. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she purposefully avoids me.
When she gnaws on her bottom lip, I can’t help but wonder if I’m right. Her eyes flit over my chest and then back to meet my gaze.
“You’re on,” her voice is full of sass.
As we move toward the front of the booth, I can’t help but ask, “You’re not worried about the kids?”
She glances back toward them, but they’re all engaged and talking to the people passing by. One side of her mouth tips up and she shakes her head. “Naw, Jessi’s over there.”
I have to look again because I didn’t see the mayor’s youngest daughter in the tent, but I find her easily now. She glances in our direction but turns away when she notices me looking at her.
“Well,” I crack my knuckles, “get ready. I play every year and usually nab a stuffed animal.”
Ezra arches an eyebrow, her eyes moving over my arms. I swear there’s appreciation in her gaze. The longer she looks at me, the more I want to squirm.
I’ve never had that reaction around a woman.
While I swipe a hand down my chest, I ask, “What?”
Her head tilts to the side as she says, “I’m just trying to picture you clearing away your stuffie collection every night before going to bed.” She gasps as her eyes go wide as she clamps a hand over her mouth. I can barely make out her mumbling, “I can’t believe I actually just said that out loud. I swear that was meant to be an inside thought, even if it’s true.”
With a bark of laughter, I can’t help but look at the woman in front of me in a slightly new light. I can’t believe she actually said it out loud either.
But I’m really glad she did.
“I give them away,” I tell her, leaning toward her and dropping my voice, “just to some random kid walking by.”
She sways slightly before she stands a little straighter. Even though she swallows hard, her voice is a gentle rasp, “That’s really sweet, Ryker.”
Words burn my throat, but I hold them back. I want to tell her to call me Titus. A desperate need is churning in my gut to hear my name come from her lips.
Not my road name.
“Wasn’t going to walk around with a unicorn under my arm for no reason,” I mumble.
When Ezra giggles, I find myself soaking it in. The way her lips part and the flash of her teeth. The way her cheeks pink a little more. The way her eyes brighten.
I thought she was gorgeous every time I’ve watched her from afar. Now up close?
I’m in trouble.
Big fucking trouble.
