Page 13 of Hawk

I’ve been driven from the day I was born, according to Dad. I had to walk early, talk early, and wreak havoc early. Mom says this is the best part of me because I know what I want and I go for it. In a way, I feel like I let her down. I let Robert pull me from my dreams, and I have to start over.

Sasha gives me a hug and waves me off as I head down the road to the garage. This is a quaint town. The main strip has a small clothing boutique, a flower shop, a bakery, a post office, and other shops that bring the town to life. On the outer edge, and that’s basically a seven-minute drive, are some of the larger stores like Walmart, Home Depot, and such, all together in an outdoor mall setting. The garage sits between the two areas.

When I went for my interview, I saw a larger building in the back of the garage that was entirely fenced in. Through Sasha, I found out the Redemption Riders call it their compound. Sasha also told me about their club parties and how they can be wild. She hasn’t been to any of them, but it’s a small town, so nothing stays buried for long.

I park my car in the empty spot near the door and hustle inside. It’s not quite eight o’clock, but I want to get in early and make a good impression. The aroma of coffee as I walk through the door leads me to a group of hot bikers hanging out and joking with one another.

“Hi, I’m Etain. The new office manager.” I stick out my hand to the man closest to me.

He takes it and grins. “Name’s Flex.” He lets go of my hand and jerks his thumb to the guy next to him. “This is Shooter,” he says, then moves along to the next man. “That’s Decker. Hawk’s in the office.” Without hesitation, the man names Flex knocks on the closed door behind him, then hands me a cup of coffee. “You’re going to want this. It’s the best coffee in town.” He’s right that I want it, mainly because I downed Sasha’s on the way over.

“Thank you. Tomorrow, it’s my turn. Do you like donuts?” I ask, lifting the cup to my lips.

“You don’t have to feed them, Ginger.” I hear Hawk’s smooth, low voice rumble. I peer over Flex’s shoulder and there he is, the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. It’s not just that he’s handsome. It’s the sense of authority he exudes when he enters a room.

“I like donuts. It’s actually a selfish act. Then I can eat one and not feel guilty because it’s all in the name of team camaraderie,” I joke. The guys chuckle, and Hawk breaks out in a smile.

“Go, team,” Hawk replies and holds out his hand. “Come on. Let’s get you settled.”

I take his hand and climb the steps to the office.

“Later, Red,” Shooter calls out, and I give the guys a parting wave.

Hawk has reworked the office so his desk sits at one end of the room and mine is at the other. A brand-new desk awaits me, along with a new computer. The room is still cluttered with piles of papers and files, but I can see he’s made an effort to clean up to make room for me.

“Once we finish the construction on the compound, we’re adding on to the garage. This will have to do for now,” he says.

“This works.” I put down my things, and we go over the ins and outs of the office. Hawk’s kept manual tallies of expenses, but they all have to be matched to the suppliers and packing slips, provided they’ve kept those. It’s a challenge, but I’m up for it.

I get to work, and before I know it, I’ve weeded through one drawer of files and entered the information into our new database. I ignore my stomach rumbling because I’m so fixated on what I’m doing. That is, until I feel Hawk’s presence looming over my desk.

I have to tip my head all the way back to look at his face. “Lunch,” he announces.

“Pardon?”

“You have to eat.” He comes around the desk, pulls back my chair, and hands me my purse. “Burritos okay?”

“Burritos?” I sound like a parrot.

He grins. “Do you like burritos?”

“Huh, yeah, but?—”

“Then we’ll get burritos. Jake’s makes the best. It isn’t that far, and we need a break,” Hawk says. I’ve been so immersed in my work that although I knew Hawk was in and out of the office, I had no idea what he was working on.

“Tough morning?” I ask as he walks us to his bike.

“Can’t find a part that I need for a rebuild. It’s a vintage car, and we have a ton of money sunk into it already.” He hands me a helmet.

I stare at it. “I don’t know how to ride. I can take my car.”

“A virgin rider,” he says with a sultry smile that makes my knees tremble. “I’ll take it nice and slow, babe.” I give the motorcycle another tentative glance. “It’s like a drug. Once you ride, you’ll never want to stop.”

I bite my lower lip and put my purse strap cross-body to secure it, then slip on the helmet. Hawk secures my strap before putting his own helmet on and climbing onto the bike. He takes my hand and helps me to swing my leg over and slide in behind him.

“You’ve gotta hold on,” he says. I hang on to the sides of his jacket. He takes my hands in his and moves them around to his front. I have to scootch forward with my thighs pressing against his and my chest pressed tight to his back. The scent of his cologne is a light musk and manly. The unruly waves in his dark brown hair look so soft that I want to run my fingers through them. “Keep your legs and feet away from the exhaust.” He points to a safe place where I can plant my feet.

I nod, not trusting my voice. Hawk eases out of the garage and pulls onto the main street, taking it slow at first, then gaining speed as he moves past the traffic and onto the road that leads toward a more secluded avenue. At first, my fingers are gripping so tight, they begin to ache, then Hawk says, “Relax. Look around you. This is the next best thing to flying.”

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