Page 69 of Biker's Enemy

He kisses me on the sidewalk and the public display sends a thrill straight through me. Being with Tanner no longer feels totally new, but getting kissed in public is definitely new for me. I don’t know how to react, so I freeze at first. He pulls away with a gentle chuckle.

“Come on, baby. Kiss me back.”

He sounds so happy. So into me. I throw my arms around him and kiss him back. I like getting kissed in public. It feels good. Affirming. And his lips are soft. Tanner has always been a great kisser.

When he pulls away, I don’t want to say goodbye. But we have to. His eyes get a little misty and then he throws his helmet on. I’ve never seen this man get misty eyed, so I just stare at him and watch him ride away.

Just when I think he has no feelings… he does this.

Tanner’s sentiment makes it even harder to betray him. I just can't imagine leaving Avery alone any longer. Once I get upstairs, Juliette screams loudly and greets me. She seems so much happier now that she's a mom. Not only does it make me miss Avery even more, it makes me think crazy ass things about Tanner.

Like... having his baby.

It's not crazy as in "impossible". But are we the best people to bring a child into this world? Our relationship is... weird. A strange bond of mutual darkness. We don't need to share our secrets with each other because we share something else.

Juliette gets me her latest sweet treat from the fridge -- strawberry popsicles -- and gives me all her baby updates. Our friendship has only gotten better since we left high school.

"I'm sorry," she says, noticing my sad face. "I know you miss Avery. It's just... I'm obsessed with being a mom. I didn't think I would be."

I appreciate her sympathy. Avery isn't my 'real' daughter though, so maybe I have to pull it together.

I shrug. "You're fine. I just miss her."

"Hunter isn't here," she says. "The club business has gotten out of control. He's hardly here and it gets boring as fuck. I'm tired of going to Target."

"At least he lets you go to Target."

Juliette gives me another meaningful look.

"That's something else we need to talk about."

"What would that be?" I mutter, chewing on the popsicle stick and pretending to be extremely focused on the task.

"Tanner."

"Mr. Hollingsworth?"

"Quin. We're best friends. It's obvious. You have a crush on him. What the hell has been happening over there?"

"Nothing crazy."

Everything that has happened has been fucking crazy -- like a fever dream. But with a lot more sex than fever dreams normally have.

"Oh really?" she says. "Nothing crazy?"

"Nope."

"Hunter says Tanner is obsessed with plus-sized women."

"Juliette, ew."

My best friend is also plus-sized. I don't want to think about her husband warning her about Tanner or anything like that.

"That's not what I mean," Juliette says, rolling her eyes but not letting me get away scot-free. "I mean... He snatched you up here in the middle of the night. I don't believe nothing crazy happened after that."

"Why not?"

"Because the idiots in this motorcycle club are crazy. Pure unfiltered all-American crazy."

---