Page 15 of Breaker

She blinks, her pulse is racing in her neck, and again, I want to lick it. Instead, I wait patiently for her answer, hoping the kiss left her flustered enough to agree.

I know I'm going from zero to a hundred and that I’m a stranger to her, but I won't let this opportunity pass me by.

Twenty minutes later, I sit opposite her in a quiet corner of Devil's Rose bar, and my heart is pounding.

I want her. The feeling Dad and Crow said I'd feel, I fucking feel it. I want to know everything about her: what she likes and dislikes, her family, her fears, dreams, everything. Fuck, I feel a great need to touch her. I itch to reach out and feel her flesh against mine. Sitting across from her, I want to grab her, and even though this table is small, she's still too far away….

Fuck.

She’s staring at her hands, so I lean forward and gently grab them. Finally, she looks at me, still confused as to what's happening right now, and I smile, deciding to start the conversation with the basics.

"How's my boy doing in class?"

My question seems to work. Her pretty, dark blue eyes light up at the mention of him. I gently rub my thumb along her hand as she starts to speak, her passion coming through tenfold.

"God, he is doing so well despite it only being two weeks since the start of the year. He's a sweet boy who thinks of others. He helps the other students without being asked, and is such a hard worker. He's good with numbers, loves art—" She gives me a pointed look and states, "maybe a little too much," causing me to suck my lip ring, trying to hide my grin as she continues. "And his handwriting has already improved in the past few days. He's more focused on staying on the lines and—do you know, every morning he comes in with a little flower for me?"

I grin and remark, "You sound like you like your job."

She grins, and my heart races at how beautiful it is as she says, "Like it? No, I love it. Nothing is more rewarding than watching the kid's little eyes light up when they get something right or how serious they get when they concentrate, wanting to succeed…."

She stops rambling, a blush coating her cheeks. We make eye contact, and I grin at her, deciding to explain myself, not able to hold back any longer because, well, I'm a fucking stranger to her.

"Since Noah was born, he's been my main focus." Her eyes soften. “When he turned two, the problems started." I take a deep breath and admit, “I wanted to settle down—I still do—but every woman I have tried to even have a conversation with, he does something to sabotage it."

She winces. "Like the paint?"

I nod with a chuckle. "Yeah, but worse…. Fuck, he actually set someone's hair on fire the other day."

Her eyes widen, and she stammers, "H-How?"

I chuckle, gripping her hand tighter. “He managed to get a hold of a candle. One minute, I was talking to the girl I'd been seeing, and the next, her hair was in flames." Her mouth drops open in shock, and I nod, admitting, "You're the first woman he's taken a shine to."

She furrows her brows and asks, "Is that why you wanted the drink?"

I smile and admit, "No. As soon as I made eye contact with you, I knew you were mine." She goes to open her mouth, most likely to deny it, but I squeeze her hands and whisper, "My heart races with you near." She freezes. "I feel like, even though we're sitting close, I'm not close enough. I can't explain why I feel this way, but I do. My dad always said that once we met ‘the One’, we'd know, and I…shit, I don't want to frighten you, but Goldie, you're the One, and I'm not the type of person to just sit back and idle in the shadows."

I keep eye contact, ensuring she can see my truth.

All she can mumble is, "My name is Quinn, not Goldie," which makes me smile.

I lean forward a little and gently tug on her golden blonde hair, which is a light as the sun. "It's your hair, golden like the sun."

Her breath stutters, and she stammers, "I-I I have issues and-and…."

I squeeze her hands. "Most of us do ,pretty girl, but, as my brother Tats states, ‘In life we have to take the bull by the horns.’ I've learned not to take life for granted. I saw you, and I saw my future. I know I'm probably scaring you, but all I'm asking for is a chance. That's it."

She swallows hard, looking down before admitting, "I'm not good at relationships and-and I'm your son’s teacher."

I squeeze her hand to get her to look at me and state, "My son adores you. It's just a few dates, Quinn. That's it, and if we don't click the way I believe we will, we'll be friends, because, well, Noah loves you so…" I trail off and shrug, making her chuckle a little before sighing.

She looks around the room before looking back to me. I can see her thinking, her eyes hazy in that faraway way. I remain still, only my thumb moving along her hand, letting her think. Finally, she tips her pretty head and removes her hands from mine, making my jaw tick. I go to speak, to fucking plead and beg for her to at least get to know me, but I stop when she does something remarkable.

She lifts her hand out between us as if to shake, then states, "Hi, my name is Quinn Sanders. I'm twenty-five and a Kindergarten teacher to adorable five-year-olds that most call Ms. Anders."

I grin at her and take her hand, giving it a little squeeze before shaking it, and placing it on the table. I entwine my fingers with hers, needing her touch.

I state, "It's lovely to meet you, Quinn." She smiles, her whole face lighting up at my willingness to play along. "My name’s Alex Mendoza, I'm twenty-nine, with a five-year-old in your class. I'm the Sergeant-at-Arms with the Devil's MC, and the majority owner of Devil's Temptation. I go by Breaker, a road name I got because I broke many things growing up, but you can call me Alex."

---