Tiny helps me with the straps, his big fingers careful. “You good?”
I nod. “Yeah. Just nervous.”
He swings his leg over and steadies the bike. “I’ve got you. Hold on tight.”
I climb on behind him. The moment I wrap my arms around his waist and press against his back, everything else fades. He starts the engine. The low rumble vibrates through me. I tighten my grip as he pulls away from the curb.
The ride to the clubhouse is short but I feel every turn. The wind whips past us. I keep my cheek against his back and breathe in the smell of leather and him. By the time we pull into the lot my heart is racing, but it’s the good kind of racing.
He parks and cuts the engine. I stay pressed against him for a second longer than I need to. He reaches back and squeezes my thigh.
“You did good,” he says.
I smile even though he can’t see it. We climb off and he takes my hand as we walk inside.
The main room feels warmer than I remember. Hadley is sitting at the bar with a soda. Tessa is behind it wiping down glasses. Erica is curled up on one of the couches with a book. They all look up when we walk in.
“Lucy!” Tessa calls out. She sets the glass down and comes around the bar. She pulls me into a hug like we’ve known each other for years. “You came back. I was hoping you would.”
Hadley slides off her stool and hugs me next. “Good to see you. You want something to drink? We’ve got soda, water, whatever.”
Erica sets her book aside and gives me a softer hug. “Ignore Tessa if she gets too loud. She’s excited.”
I laugh. The tightness in my shoulders loosens. “Soda is fine. Thank you.”
Tessa pours me a glass and slides it across the bar. “So tell us how you’re doing.”
I take a sip. “Fine. School and work are the same.”
Hadley nods like she understands. “What about Tiny?”
I smile. “Tiny… is good.”
Tessa leans in, eyebrows raised. “And? Spill more than that. That man has been looking at you like he wants to eat you alive since the other night. Did he finally kiss you last night?”
I laugh softly, cheeks burning hotter as I shake my head. “Ummm… yes. And it was, amazing.”
Both girls grin like they know exactly what I mean.
Tiny comes over and wraps an arm around my shoulder and pulls me to his side, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. He stays close the whole time. He doesn’t hover, but I catch him watching me with this soft look on his face. It makes my chest feel warm.
After a bit he leans down close to my ear. “You want to go somewhere quieter for a while?”
I nod and my pulse picks up. He takes my hand and leads me down the hallway to a room I haven’t seen before. It’s small but comfortable. There’s a couch against one wall, a couple of chairs, and a lamp on low. He closes the door behind us and the noise from the main room fades.
The second the door clicks shut he turns to me. His hands come up to my face. He kisses me like he’s been waiting hours to do it. I kiss him back just as hard. My bag drops to the floor. I push his jacket off his shoulders and he lets it fall.
We move toward the couch without breaking the kiss. He sits and pulls me into his lap. My knees settle on either side of his thighs. His hands slide under my scrub top, warm against my back making me shiver.
“You okay?” he asks against my mouth.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “Don’t stop.”
He doesn’t. He kisses me deeper. One hand moves to my waist, the other stays on my back, holding me close. I can feel how much he wants me. It’s in the way his fingers tighten when I rock against him. It’s in the low sound he makes when I thread my fingers through his hair.
We stay like that for a long time. Kissing. Touching. His hands stay respectful even when I can tell he wants more. I appreciate that more than I can say.
At some point he pulls back and rests his forehead against mine. His breathing is ragged. “Lucy… I need you to know something.”
