Hard Drifter Page 4

  He frowned. "You were scared?"

  "No." She stepped closer, pulled off the hood to her sweatshirt, and then ran her fingers over the handlebar of his motorcycle. "Cautious."

  He leaned back while sitting on the motorcycle and eyed her from head to toe and back up again to her eyes. "You're a runner?"

  "No, I run because I pigged out on Chinese food and s'mores ice cream last night with you." She laughed. "I keep trying to convince myself that if I worked harder on having will power, I wouldn't have to force myself to pound the pavement on my days' off. So far, I'm stubborn and like to eat."

  The corner of his mouth lifted. Her stomach fluttered. She was more nervous than she'd been last night around him.

  He was a man whose looks spoke of his past. The lines on his face from age, weather, and life gave him character and transformed when he smiled. Every line fell into place marking the times in his life he found joy, the times he squinted showed his stubbornness, and the times his brows drew together perplexed her. It was as if he'd lived two lifetimes and seen heartbreak. Something she hadn't really noticed last night in the darkness.

  There was something about seeing him during the daylight, on a street corner, while wearing her joggers and her hair up in a ponytail that made her want to rattle off a line of excuses for why she was out here.

  "I was coming to your house to see you." He squinted. "But, if you're going out for a run, I'll let you get to it and swing by later."

  He'd come to her. Had he thought about whether she was worth his time to get to know her better? He was here, obviously.

  "Don't be silly." She waved her hand behind her at her house. "Would you like to come in?"

  He nodded. She grinned and turned around, retracing her steps. The roar of his motorcycle filled the air. She wanted to jump in excitement at seeing him again, and so soon, and instead hurried toward the front door. Her plan to exercise a forgotten good intention. She rather have more time with Thad to find out if he could step up and put some serious effort into finding out if the chemistry bouncing between them could turn into spending quality time with her.

  She stood in the doorway looking at Thad leaving his bike in her driveway. The scene of a biker parked at her house, coming in her home, was an image she never thought she'd be excited over.

  The closer Thad came, the more her lower stomach clenched in pleasure. She stepped back as his boot landed over the threshold. Inhaling deeply, loving the rugged leather and freshness coming off his body, she bit her lip to keep from telling him she liked his smell. Half high on the endorphins his body threw off, she yelped in surprise when Thad hooked his arm around her back and hauled her up against the front of him.

  He captured her mouth. She fell into the kiss, opening her lips at his urging. He could've walked away without seeing her again, and he'd sought her out. He'd made the step toward her.

  Thad pressed his hand against her lower back, holding her close. Every hard muscle on his body made an imprint on her. She slipped her hands underneath his vest and closed her eyes at the sheer pleasure sweeping through her.

  "Just so you know, I want to be here." He pulled back without letting her go. "You understand?"

  An instant smile came over her. "Good."

  "Now..." He bent his head and kissed her neck. "Do you want to show me your bedroom?"

  She laughed and quickly sobered. "What are we going to do?"

  "Fuck," he mumbled with a grin.

  She pushed him away, amused at the attempt. If he was anything, he was determined.

  "Okay. Sit anywhere you want in the house, except the bedroom." She stepped away from him and swung her arm around. "I'll get you something to drink or eat. Are you hungry?"

  He sat on the couch. "Relax. I don't need anything."

  She pressed her hand to her stomach, sidestepped to the couch, and slunk down until she perched on the edge of the cushion. Last night, she'd had her shit together. Confident and ballsy, she'd told him exactly what she wanted and refused to settle for less. She'd been proud of herself because she figured with the way Thad looked and the way he acted, not many people stood up to him with a different opinion.

  It was because he was a biker, she had hope that he'd understand what kind of relationship she was looking for and accommodate her.

  She wiggled out of her hoodie and tossed it to the side of her on the couch. How come she was nervous and drawing a blank on what was expected of her now?

  "So..." She looked at him and wrinkled her nose. "I'm sorry. Maybe it's having you here, at my house, or not knowing you were going to stop by—which is fine, better than that, it's great, and I'm being stupid. I just don't know what to say or do."

  His gaze warmed and his mouth softened as if he enjoyed her discomfort. "It's eleven o'clock in the morning. What do you usually do on your day off?"

  "Jog or go on a bike ride." He wouldn't want to do either of those things with her, and she shrugged. "Catch up on laundry, clean the house, and mow the lawn."

  There went the neon sign above her head flashing 'BORING'.

  "How about I mow your lawn. You get a load of wash going and clean what you want to clean. Afterward, we go over to Vavoom's for lunch. By then, you'll feel like yourself again, and I'll take you for a ride. Have you ever been on a motorcycle?"

  She shook her head.

  "Scared?" he asked.

  "Are you kidding?" She laughed, relaxing at the plans and excited to spend the day with him. "The only thing better would be if you offered to teach me how to drive your motorcycle."

  "Ride, not drive," he muttered. "That ain't happening."

  She grinned, unable to feel the sting of his refusal when he looked sexy saying it. "Where will we go?"

  "I'll let you know when we get there." He stood, grabbed her hand, and pulled her to her feet. "Is the mower in the garage?"

  "Do you really want to mow, cause you don't have to?" She ran her hand through her hair, tucking the wayward strand back into her ponytail.

  "Just tell me where the mower is," he said.

  "The garage. There's a can of gas beside it. Also, there's a door opener on the wall so you can open the garage."

  "Back door?"

  She pointed behind her. "Through the kitchen."

  Thad walked toward her, kissed her, and left the room. She reached out and held on to the back of the couch. The door closed with a soft click, and she laughed. The sound a little insane and giddy to have come from her. She whispered, "Well, he certainly goes full throttle when he makes up his mind, doesn't he?"

  Over the next hour, she'd washed a load of clothes, cleaned her fridge out, and made her bed after putting clean sheets on. She transferred the clothes from the wash to the dryer when Thad yelled her name.

  "In the laundry room," she shouted back, pushing the button on the console.

  When he failed to find her, she walked out and found him standing in the garage with the door open. He pointed to his boots. "Are you close to being ready to go? I don't want to track grass clippings through your house."

  She blew out her breath. His momma raised him right.

  "Sure, let me change clothes and—"

  "Why?" He frowned.

  She tugged the material at her hip. "I don't wear these out unless I'm exercising."

  He gazed lower at her hips and whistled low. "I still don't get why not."

  "Uh...sloppy." She pulled the material up, wondering how it'd escaped her notice how the waistband of the joggers naturally fell to her hips and even the Tee she wore failed to touch the waistband.

  He scratched the whiskers on his jaw. "You're sexier than hell, Lena."

  "But, we're going to Vav—"

  "A bar." He chuckled. "Grab a coat, cause it gets chilly on the bike this time of year. You're fine wearing what you've got on. Better than fine. You're beautiful, and it wouldn't matter what you had on...or off."

  Laughter burst out of her, and she nudged his shoulder with her fist. "Tell me, you did not h
ave that whole reply rehearsed and slip it into the conversation to try and get me naked."

  He looked away, his eyes crinkled at the corners. "I had a lot of time to think of you naked while mowing your lawn."

  She shook her head in amusement and held up her finger. "Okay, hang on. Give me five minutes to throw myself together, grab my purse and jacket."

  Hyped that Thad found her sexy in anything, she hurried into the bathroom, used the toilet, brushed her hair, her teeth, put lipstick on, and spritzed perfume on the back of her neck. Then, she fanned the air and walked in a circle hoping the scent wasn't overpowering.

  She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and groaned. Thad was waiting for her, and she was hiding away trying to fix the unfixable. She left the bathroom, grabbed a black and white coat that resembled a letterman's jacket with the word "FIERCE" across the back.

  If he liked sporty, she had a whole closet full of athletic clothes to wear.

  Finding him outside in her driveway, having closed the garage, she walked out the front door, locking it behind her, and jogged over to him. His double take, up and down her body, pleased her.

  "I'm ready." She took the helmet from him, glanced at the strap, and put it on her head.

  He hooked her chin with his finger. "You'll climb on behind me, hold on, lean into the curves. When we stop, you get off first."

  "That's it?"

  "It's simple enough if you don't get scared," he said.

  "Got it. No fear." She followed the directions exactly and wrapped her arms around him once she put her feet on the pegs.

  The sudden roar of the engine filled her with adrenaline. Exhaust fumes mixed with the sweetness of freshly cut grass teased her senses. She held on tight as he rode down her street. For more years than she could remember, she'd kept to herself, only knowing her neighbors by sight. Today, she had a sudden urge to shout and wave at everyone they passed.

  Chapter 6

  Inside Vavoom's Bar, Thad led Lena by the hand to Booth #3. Catching Maureen's eye, he lifted his chin at the waitress. Lena slid into the bench seat, and he followed her, pinning her in the booth.

  "Are you sitting on this side, so I don't ditch you and leave you with the bill?" She patted his thigh underneath the table.

  She seemed to tease him a lot when she wasn't nervous. Like last night, she'd become comfortable with him and let her personality shine through. He liked when she was relaxed.

  "You're a woman." He pushed the menu over to her. "Nothing and no one can get to you without going through me."

  She opened the menu, glanced at him, and hummed her opinion without replying. He put his arm on the back of the seat and rubbed his thumb against her shoulder. There were only two things on the menu he ever ordered.

  Burger and fries.

  Steak and baked potatoes.

  It was the routine of eating the same thing, at the same bar, that gave him a feeling of comfort. Tomorrow, he could expect to eat the same.

  "Thad?" whispered Lena.

  He dipped his head toward her. "Yeah?"

  "Was that a chauvinistic comment or is there a reason why you'd need to protect me?" Only curiosity tinted her question.

  It was because he heard no accusations in her tone, he said, "Probably both. I want everyone to know you're with me and I want to protect you in case anything ever happened."

  She squeezed his thigh and removed her hand. He wanted her touching him again, but Maureen approached their table and took Lena's order—turkey club sandwich with a side of fries.

  Alone again, Lena asked, "She didn't take your order."

  "She knows it. I order the same thing for lunch on the weekends, and if I stop in for dinner, I have something else." He pointed toward the cash register where Clara stood talking to the other waitress. "The woman with the long blonde hair is Wayne's woman, Clara. He's the president of Notus Motorcycle Club. Clara and her twin sister, Gracie, own Vavoom's."

  "You're a regular," said Lena. "Perks of being a biker?"

  "One of them." He chuckled. "I'm sure you've got perks being a dispatcher."

  She smiled, amusement lighting her dark eyes. "Besides front row seats to watch the police versus firefighter's softball game every summer, there's not much to entice us through our twelve-hour shifts."

  "You've got a serious job." He looked down at her hands in her lap. "How well do you know Gomez?"

  "Lieutenant Gomez?" She shrugged. "I've known him for the last seven years. Why?"

  "You and he seemed friendly. I thought there might be something going on between you two, and he'd need to know I have plans to keep seeing you." He removed his arm from behind her and anticipated his food arriving.

  Maureen put the plates in front of them with a glass of ice water. "If you need anything else, just yell."

  "Thanks, Maureen." He picked up his burger and started eating.

  Lena picked up her sandwich and paused before taking a bite. "You're serious about dating me."

  "That's what you wanted."

  She sipped from the glass. "What do you want?"

  "I like you." He picked up a few fries. "I need to know if you're seeing anyone else, so I can deal with it. I'm not into sharing women."

  "Like if I was seeing Lieutenant Gomez?" She shook her head. "No worries. I don't date men from work."

  "Good to know." He finished the rest of his hamburger.

  She'd taken the onion off her sandwich and consumed the whole thing. He drank from the glass of water, combed his fingers through his beard, and leaned back, putting his arm around her.

  Lena dug through her purse and passed him a ten-dollar bill. He waved the offer off, and she quietly put the money away without any argument.

  "How was riding for you?" He pulled her to his side.

  She leaned into him. "Exciting. It's a whole other experience being out in the open on the road."

  "Do you want to stick with the speed through town or do you think you're okay going faster?"

  She tilted her head and raised her brows. "I'm definitely okay with faster."

  "You trust me?"

  Her lips quirked. "How old are you?"

  "Forty-four."

  "You're still alive and riding a motorcycle at your age, so I trust you to keep me safe." She stretched and kissed him softly on the lips. "Not that you're old."

  "Probably older than you." He kissed her back. "Let me pay the bill, and we'll get out of here."

  He scooted out of the booth, intending to pay for the meal since he wasn't here with the club when Clara came over, noticed him grabbing his billfold, and gave a short shake of her head.

  "Wayne and Chuck are coming by for lunch if you want to hang around." Clara glanced at Lena. "Apparently, Chuck's been on the phone all morning, and Wayne wants to catch up with what is going on."

  Thad nodded, understanding the vague conversation. The case of the drifter that was dropped in their lap was not going to be easy. "I'm going to take off and go for a ride. Tell the others my phone is on, but I'll be gone for the rest of the day."

  "Okay." Clara nudged him with her arm. "Just you two?"

  He grinned. Clara took her position as the president's woman seriously. If she suspected he or Chuck was on a date, she wanted to know all the details.

  "Clara, this is Lena." He put his arm around Lena and patted her hip where he rested his hand. "She works as a 911 dispatcher here in St. John's."

  "It's nice to meet you." Clara held out her hand. "I'm the own—"

  "Already told her," said Thad.

  Clara scoffed and ignored him, directing her attention on Lena. "You should meet Gracie, she's my—"

  "Told her that, too." Thad grabbed Lena's hand and pulled her away from Clara. "See you later."

  Outside, Lena threw him a confused look. "What just happened back there?"

  "Clara happened." He handed Lena the extra helmet. "She would've invited you to stay for pie, asked you twenty questions, and had us tied up for the rest of the day
once Wayne and Chuck arrived. We've both got the day off from work, and I don't want to share you. Problem?"

  "Nope." She waited for him to get on the bike and climbed up behind him. "Where are we going?"

  "You'll see." He started the motorcycle.

  Soon as she held on to him, he pulled away from the curb. He rode through town and over the St. John's bridge and merged into traffic on Highway 30 going north. Leaving the city behind, the traffic lessened, and the straightaways gave Lena time to adjust to the faster speed.

  In the first small town, Thad pulled over to the side of the road and got off the bike. "Stretch your legs."

  "Why? I'm fine." She raised her arms above her head. "God, the wind is so heavy on my face when you're going fast that it takes my breath away. I love it."

  He lifted her off the seat, sliding her down his body, and groaned. "You need to walk."

  "But, I'm good to go." She kicked up her foot, grabbed her ankle, and stretched.

  "Right," he mumbled, turning around to stop looking at her legs and the contortions she was performing.

  He paced ten steps and his cock still pulsed from having her wrapped around his back for the last twenty minutes. She had him horny and hurting.

  If it wasn't her thighs pressing against his hips, her hands periodically unclasping around his waist to grab at his shirt, rub his stomach, and even pat his crotch in her excitement to point something out to him. And, it wasn't only her limbs that caressed him over the miles. Her breasts. Jesus Fucking Christ. She was a rubber. Every little bump, acceleration, and pass, she rubbed against him. The last mile, he could've sworn her nipples were drawing a picture on his back through his leather vest.

  "Hey, Thad?" she yelled.

  He shoved his hand in his front pocket and adjusted his cock and without turning around, said, "Yeah?"

  "Is something wrong?" The concern laced in her question aroused him more. She was the complete package. Easy going, straight up, and if given a chance, she'd nurture the hell out of him.

  He turned around and walked toward her. A little stiff, in more ways than one. Knowing the work he put in today toward getting closer to Lena's bed would pay off in the long run, he hoped the wait wasn't too long. He'd never last.