Page 68 of Roar & Lizzy: A Forever Kind of Love

Chapter 25

A reality show aboutremodeling homes played on the television. Lizzy studied the details the decorator used on the kitchen. After the third show, all the houses started looking the same. There was not a bit of personal style to show what kind of people lived in perfect model homes.

Coco picked up the empty bowl on the floor beside the couch.

"Sorry, I was going to take that to the kitchen." Lizzy sat up and yawned.

"It's okay." Coco walked out of the room and from the kitchen said, "Are you sure you don't want to go with me??

Going to a nightclub in downtown Portland as the third wheel on Coco's date sounded as much fun as going to the dentist. "No, I'm going to go to bed early. This week kicked my ass. I have no energy."

"I hear you. I'm not really feeling it either, but I've already bailed on Grant once. I'll only be gone a couple of hours. He's going to pick me up any minute, but I can call and tell him I'll meet him there if you want to go. Last chance." Coco returned to the living room. "It's his friend's nightclub and not really a date-date. More just hanging out and getting to know each other better."

"No, I'm good. You have fun." She folded the blanket that had covered her. "Where did you meet this guy?"

"At work." Coco shrugged. "I know...bad idea, but he seemed nice. I just have no time for outside work activities, so I figured I better be more accommodating when someone asks me out. If I don't, I'll never find someone."

Surprised that Coco would want to see someone who she had a chance of running into again if things didn't work out between them, she held her opinion to herself. Besides, she had no room to talk. She was seeing her boss.

Well, when they actually saw each other. Roar hadn't been in the bar since the trouble with the Lagsturns Motorcycle Club, and she'd heard from Heather last night that he and some other Slag members had gone out of town.

Not knowing what Roar was doing hurt her. Even Peer refused to answer her questions when she asked about Roar. To suddenly be kept on the outside was the reason she and the couch had become best friends today.

Though if she went out with Coco and her date, going out somewhere fun and setup for the singles scene would probably show Roar she was her own woman, which wouldn't be a bad thing. But she'd only ruin Coco's good mood if she sat in the corner at the nightclub. She had no desire to meet anyone. She wanted Roar, not when it was only convenient for him but all the time.

"He's here." Coco grabbed her purse and held up her phone. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"I will." She mustered a smile. "Have fun."

Coco paused in the doorway. "Uh, you've got company coming. Roar is walking across the street this way."

Lizzy ran her hands through her hair. She hadn't even put makeup on, and she was lounging in a worn-out pair of joggers and a white T-shirt with no bra.

"I'll leave the door open." Coco waved and walked out to the driveway.

Several seconds later, Roar walked right into the house. His gaze swept over her before meeting her eyes. Her stomach fluttered. He had the top of his hair braided and wore his beard in two braids. He must've come right over after getting back from his ride.

"Are you sick?" He went to her and lifted her face.

She kissed him, neither one of them taking it further. She had her reasons but had no idea what he was thinking.

"No, I took a shower earlier and then decided to bum around today." She tucked her hair behind her ears. "Were you riding?"

He was gone. Left without telling her where he was going or what he was doing. If it had been a calm week, she wouldn't have thought anything about it. She worked. They lived separate lives. Knowing his biker club was involved with dangerous people made all the difference about what she assumed was going on when she had no logical reason for his activities.

"Ja." He led her to the couch and sat down, wrapping his arm around her. "I went up to see my dad in Seattle."

"Oh." That was another thing that confused her.

He'd grown up in a motorcycle club. His family, from what she understood, was still actively leading one. This was his normal which meant being threatened by other biker clubs and chasing them off the property with a gun wouldn't faze him.

She sighed and snuggled against him. "I'm trying really hard to understand how you live your life."

"Appreciate that, Lizzy." He stretched out and put his boots on the coffee table.

It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him to take his boots off first and instead, she compromised by scooting over and then laying her head in his lap so she could see him.

She played with the ends of his beard. He had small black beads holding the bottom of his braids from coming loose.

---