Page 126 of Diary of a Biker Queen

I folded my arms over my chest. “It’s not like you know me any better.”

“Don’t I?”

I rolled my eyes. “Go on then, Mr. I-Smoke-so-Much-Pot-I-Probably-Don’t-Even-Remember-My-Own-Name-Half-the-Time. Tell me what you know about me.”

He didn’t miss a beat. “I know your favorite color is orange, even though that is arguably the worst color there is. I know your day job is in accounting, and you don’t talk about it because you don’t like people realizing you’re smart. Probably because that would give them pause over why you’ve been a club girl so long, and that’s something you haven’t even asked yourself. I also know your favorite meal is the seafood pasta they do at Sinners, but that you won’t go there and eat alone. So you just wait for Hayden to put leftovers in the Slayers’ fridge.”

I stared at him in the dim light, feeling like the man had just splayed me wide open. Because all of that was true, and nobody had ever noticed any of it before.

He stroked his hand over his beard, grinned, and then pointed a finger at me. “And I know you’re currently worried about whether or not you packed pads or tampons because you’re due to get your period any moment now.”

I gaped at him. I’d literally only worked that out myself an hour before. “How the hell did you know that?”

He shrugged. “Just because I’m stoned a lot, doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention. You’re always meaner to me around this time of the month.”

“No, I’m not,” I snapped back on instinct.

He raised an eyebrow. “You’re kind of making my point.”

I scowled at him. My stomach cramped painfully, reminding me he was right. I was definitely going to get my period sometime soon, probably later tonight or tomorrow, and wouldn’t that just be the icing on top of the shit cake?

Because I had definitely not packed any pads or tampons. Hopefully Kiki had.

Herb looked around at the tent as it rattled and bowed beneath the force of the wind. “This thing seems to be keeping the dust out.”

It was. My lungs were still irritated enough to make me think there was still plenty of dust in the air outside, but the nylon walls seemed to be filtering enough of it that we could get by.

I was suddenly exhausted, and eyed the bed longingly, wishing it was mine.

Herb noticed. “You can have the bed. I don’t think we’re going anywhere tonight. I’ll sleep here on the floor.”

I gave him a smile, this time, a genuine one. “Thank you. And thank you for pulling me out of the storm. I probably would still be standing there if you hadn’t.”

He shrugged. “I know.”

I bit my lip, and looked over at the clean, nicely made bed, and then down at my dirt covered clothes. I’d been prepared for the lack of showers, but a dust storm had not been on my list of possibilities, and I didn’t want to try getting to my own tent while the storm still howled outside. “Is there a shirt or something I can borrow? I don’t want to put all this dirt in your bed.”

“Uh, yeah, sure…” Herb peered around the tent’s interior, and then leaned over, rifling through a bag and pulling out a bright pink, Hawaiian flowered T-shirt. He tossed it in my direction.

I caught it and squinted down at the overly bright material. “I didn’t pick you as a Hawaiian shirt sort of man.” I’d never seen him in anything other than oversized black T-shirts and dirty denim jeans.

He laid back on the floor and put his hands behind his head. “I didn’t pick you to like The Killers. But here we are.” He glanced over at me holding the shirt and then shifted onto his side, so he was facing away from me.

I quickly pulled off my dirty clothes, leaving them in a pile at the foot of the bed, and tugged on the shirt.

When it was covering everything, I raised an eyebrow at Herb’s back. “Huh. You didn’t even peek.”

He snorted on a laugh as he rolled to his back again. “I’m not sure if you’re aware, but not every man wants to see you naked, Amber.”

I squinted at him. “Oh, really?”

He grinned. “I’m not saying I’m one of them, but I’m sure someone, somewhere doesn’t care for your perfect tits and ass.”

If anyone had asked me, I wouldn’t have admitted the compliment did nice things to my insides. Instead, I threw my dirty bikini top at him and then wrinkled my nose when he caught it and tucked it into his pocket.

“I’m keeping this.”

“You’re disgusting.”