Page 12 of My Wild Biker

He doesn't smile. Just watches me cross the room.

Walt appears in my peripheral vision. "Isla. Back again."

I manage a nod. "Yeah."

"Can I get you something?"

"IPA."

He pulls the draft and sets it in front of an empty stool two down from Chuck, a knowing look on his face. I sit and wrap my hands around the cold glass without drinking yet.

Chuck is still watching me. I can feel his attention like heat on my skin. Walt moves down the bar to help the couple and the silence stretches.

I drink my beer and taste nothing. "So, that was it, right? One night, clean ending, just like we agreed."

He looks at me. "Is that what you want?"

The question catches me off guard. "We both said one night."

"That's not what I asked."

I turn on my stool to face him directly. We're close enough now I smell leather, exhaust and underneath something that's just him. Close enough I see the stubble on his jaw, the lines around his eyes, the way his gaze drops to my neck where his mouth was last night.

"What do you want?" I counter.

He's quiet for a long moment. Then, "I spent all day trying to convince myself last night was just good sex. Great sex. That I could move on like I always do."

"And?"

"And I'm not doing a very good job of it." He meets my eyes. "Kept thinking about you. How you felt. How you sounded. How you didn't bullshit or perform, just gave me honest. Been a long time since I had that with someone."

My heart is beating too fast. "I leave Sunday."

"I know."

"So, what are you saying?"

He leans forward slightly, his voice dropping. "I'm saying I want more than one night. I'm saying three days isn't enough but it's what we've got. I'm saying if you walk out that door right now, I'll respect it, but I'd rather you didn't."

I should walk out. Sunday I'm driving to Millbrook and starting a new rotation, and this will become something that happened once. Simple. Contained.

Instead, I say, "I spent all day trying to focus on work."

"How'd that go?"

"Not great." I take a drink. "Kept thinking about your hands. How you looked at me like you'd been waiting for me specifically. How you stayed after even though protocol says you leave."

"Protocol?"

"You know what I mean. One night stands have rules. You broke them."

"So did you by calling it out right now."

The corner of my mouth lifts despite myself. "Fair."

Walt comes back and Chuck orders another whiskey. When Walt raises an eyebrow Chuck says, "I'm staying a while."

Walt looks between us and something like satisfaction crosses his face. He pours the whiskey and moves away again.