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“If you say so.” Nora takes a sip of her drink. “What about the apartment? Are you planning on moving back into it once the renovation is complete, or will you be staying at Ironside Ridge?”

“I’m not moving in with Shane permanently. This is a temporary fix to a short-term problem.”

Elsie and Nora share a look, but I choose to ignore it.

A group of guys across the room hollers, downing their shots. The patrons eating at the restaurant frown as the waitress tries to contain the two very different scenes unfolding. This is why, no matter how much Ransack slowly fell apart, it was still the busiest bar in town.

Nora rolls her eyes when one of the guys winks at her and tries to wave her down. She turns her back on him, taking a sip of her drink. Since ending it with Monty, she’s gone on the occasional date, but nothing serious. And after he returned to town last month from a year abroad, she hasn’t entertained the idea of dating at all.

“I can’t imagine living out at the ranch,” Nora says. “Motorcycles, bikers, and whatever East seems to be doing with every single girl in town.”

I chuckle. “It’s an experience. Lawson pretty much keeps to himself because of Max. And Aiden is quiet, even though I know he’s more social than Lawson. But East…” I roll my eyes. “He doesn’t have a relaxed bone in his body.”

“He’s out of town with Shane right now, isn’t he?”

I nod. “Hence the peace and quiet.”

Elsie laughs, tapping her glass against mine. “Shane saved you a headache, then.”

Taking a sip, I wonder if that’s why Shane took East with him. Was he worried East would flirt with me while he was gone? Or did he bring him because East likes to party, and they’ll be staying at the Twisted Kings Santa Fe clubhouse? I’m sure there’ll be plenty of patch bunnies—something East has been claiming to miss since moving to Texas.

Does Shane miss that as well?

I tap my phone screen.

No messages.

Shane can technically do whatever he wants while he’s gone. In New Mexico, no one knows I exist, and there’s no pretense of our fake relationship. We fooled around the night before he left, but that didn’t change our deal. If anything, it probably made him even more pent up, and now he’ll have plenty of opportunities to work out that tension.

My stomach turns. Shane isn’t mine, so why does it feel like us crossing the line meant something more?

Maybe my skin isn’t as thick as I thought it was.

Or maybe I’m regretting those final words I said to him.

Fun.

That’s what I called what we did. And while it’s not a lie, that’s also not all it was to me. This isn’t about us sharing a bed or having fun together. I let my guard down. I feel safe in his arms. This is so far past casual that I’m floundering.

“When is your man getting back to town?” Elsie smirks, knowing he’s not actually my man.

“Soon.” I shrug, tapping my phone for the hundredth time today.

No messages.

“Speaking of tatted red flag bikers.” Elsie’s gaze flits to the doorway.

For a split second, my heart hammers. My stomach does a little flip. I turn to the door, searching for the face I wish I didn’t miss so much, but it isn’t Shane walking in. Aiden strides through the restaurant, circling to the food pickup counter.

“You look far too disappointed right now.” Elsie laughs, and Nora nods in agreement.

“I do not.” I roll my shoulders back, lying.

They share knowing looks, but thankfully, Aiden walks over, stopping them from calling me out on my bullshit.

“Ladies.” He grins, his gaze pausing on Elsie, who refuses to meet his stare.

The bigger the ego, the less attention Elsie will give a man, and Aiden’s confidence rivals East’s. Still, when he finally turns to look at me, she passes him a glance, eyeing his tattoos and muscular arms.