Page 19 of Kiwi

7

Kiwi

The instant Piper storms out of the Hell's Punishers clubhouse, I'm hot on her heels. The bright sun hitting my face blinds me as I burst through the door. Scanning the yard, I find her standing with her arms crossed beneath her breasts.

Loose gravel crunches under my boots as I stride in her direction. "Mind tellin' me what that go to hell look was all about?"

Lifting her chin, Piper turns her head, avoiding eye contact. "Nothing. Please take me home. I came here to see my mother, not for you to score with a Hell's Punishers' club girl," Piper sasses.

I try to hide my amusement, but a smile tugs at my lips. "You're jealous."

Piper gasps. "Of whom—her?" she points toward the clubhouse. "Please," she crosses her arms once more. "I'm not jealous of anyone. Who you sleep with is your business—not mine."

Invading her space, I cage her body between myself and my bike. Her scent invades my senses. Like always, she smells of jasmine and honey. It's intoxicating. Gripping her chin, I bring her face to mine. "I'm not fuckin' anyone, and Crow's club girl doesn't mean a damn thing to me. There is only one woman I want."

The sun shines on Piper's face as she stares at me. The specks of gold around the irises in her beautiful hazel eyes hypnotize me and the way her skin glows, caused by the hot, humid air. "Who?"

"You," I confess, then lightly brush my lips against hers, before realizing what I am doing. Just as her body leans into mine, I step back and shake my head. "Shit. Piper, I'm sorry." Reluctantly, I walk away, leaving her standing next to my bike with a look of hurt and confusion on her face. What the fuck was I thinking? I can't keep giving her mixed signals. I can't keep hurting her.

With her taste still lingering on my lips, I push myself to continue putting distance between Piper and me. I acted on impulse—a knee jerk reaction to the emotions swirling in my gut to make her realize that I am blind to everyone but her. I wanted her to feel what I feel. I wanted her to know she is mine. I run my fingers through my messy hair as I stomp away.

I feel like I can do anything—be anything for Piper.

At the same time, she is my biggest weakness.

"Everything alright out here?" Crow's gravely voice catches my attention.

As I look at him, I notice his old lady walking toward Piper, who's eyes lock with mine. "Yeah, man. We're good." I offer him my hand. "Appreciate you allowing us to pay a visit."

"No problem." Crow grips my hand. "Piper is welcome here anytime. It does me good to see them get to know each other. Madison is in a good place. Her sobriety is in a good place. Getting the chance to make amends with her daughter means the world to her—and me." Crow and I look on as mother and daughter embrace. It took Piper a long time to get here. Giving her mother a chance wasn't an easy choice for her to make. I can only hope her mum doesn't take the opportunity for granted.

Sensing it's time to go, I speak. "We're gonna head out. I have your number. As soon as I look into the parts, I'll give you an estimate on restoring that old Panhead," I tell Crow.

"Sounds good." He scratches his beard, nodding.

Shoving personal shit aside, I cross the yard, striding toward Piper, who has already settled onto the backseat of my bike. Madison pauses on her way past me, her hand touching my forearm. I stop and look down at her.

"Don't hurt her." Her eyes are soft, but her words are sharp and stern.

For a split second, it pisses me off. Where does she get off giving me a warning after the years of pain she inflicted on her daughter? Just as quickly, I let the anger go. She cares and is determined to show it now. That alone matters, and I give her credit for having the guts to say something to me. Instead of words, I respond with a tight nod. Satisfied, Madison walks off.

Once beside my bike, I look at Piper. With her eyes shielded, hidden behind sunglasses, she keeps her face forward, and her lips tight. Her body language is clear that this shit between us is far from over. That talk I mentioned before needs to happen sooner than later. I swing my legs over the bike, then slide my glasses over my head. "Let's go home," I tell her.

An hour into our ride, I need to make a pit stop, so we pull up to a truck stop gas station. "Bathroom break," I tell her after shutting off the engine.

"I'm good," she says, her words clipped.

"Either way, you're not sitting out here by yourself. Let's go," I tell her and hold out my hand. I would never leave a woman alone, to begin with, but after the trouble she experienced on her way home several days ago, I sure as shit won't take any chances. This truck stop is crawling with men. Not to say all men are seedy, but you can't trust anyone either. Not giving me any lip, Piper allows me to help her off the back of the bike. Keeping hold of her hand, we walk together into the store. Several sets of eyes fall on us as we make our way to the back of the building where the restrooms and trucker showers are located. Good. I need them to notice Piper is with me. "Wait here," I tell her, and she leans against the wall in the hallway, still not saying a word. Her silence pains me, but I can't fault her for it.

Finished taking care of business, I walk out to find Piper missing. Just as I'm about to lose my shit, she walks out of the women's restroom. She's pushed her sunglasses to rest on top of her head. Her eyes lock with mine. Her small smile instantly relaxes me, and I smile back. "We good?"

"Yeah," she says.

"Let's get back on the road. You thirsty?"

"I could use some water," Piper concedes, and I snatch one from the refrigerated section, along with a sports drink for myself.

Once at the counter, a display case sitting near the cash register, with heart-shaped keychains, catches my eye. I reach into my pocket, retrieving my wallet. "Let me have one of those, too," I gesture to the case. The guy behind the counter unlocks it and plucks one from where it hangs. I smile and hand the cashier some cash, and he slides back my change. I don't know why I buy these damn things. Maybe it's something I picked up from my mum. She was always buying small souvenirs from her travels or places we went on family vacations. Shoving my wallet into my back pocket, I turn, handing the metal heart to Piper.