Page 20 of Hawk

“Good Lord, I’d have to call for backup. You’re nearly twice my size.” She turns the key in the lock, then moves inside and drops her keys on the kitchen counter while I set down the food. “Can you grab the plates in the cupboard over there?” She points to the drawer. “Forks are in there, if you don’t mind.”

Suddenly, I see that we’re completely in sync and genuinely comfortable with one another. I’ve never felt this way before, except with my brothers. I’ve dated and even gotten serious with a couple of good women, but it was always work, and as the relationship progressed, it was more complicated than it should have been. With Etain, talking is easy, and the stuff I share about the garage is taken in stride. She’s not trying to solve my problems; she just listens and offers her perspective.

The last woman I dated was great at the beginning, then became clingy and needy. I got calls or texts every hour on the hour. I was ready to go to her place, take her phone, and smash it into tiny pieces. Instead, I told her I felt our relationship had run its course and we should both move on. That only led to more calls and texts, ending with me throwing my phone against the wall and having to get a new one.

Etain speaks, and I want to hear more. I want to know everything there is to know about her family. I want to know her aspirations and all about her friends.

We sit down to dinner, sitting side by side. Etain swallows a mouthful of rice and says, “What you see is what you get.”

“What do you mean?”

She waves her arms around the room. “This is it. My home doesn’t need to be lavish as long as it feels like a home. My bedroom is girly because I like nice things. My closet is jam-packed because I like shoes and clothes. I could probably sell half my shoes and pay for tuition for the courses I’m going to need for my degree, but I can’t bear to part with my shoes.” She does this little pout thing with her lips, and I want to kiss her so badly.

“Shoes, huh?”

She sighs. “And clothes. But I’m also frugal, so when I go on a shopping spree, I hit all the gently used clothing shops first. You’d be amazed at all the great finds that are hanging in my closet. What’s your thing?”

“Bikes. I like to rebuild them, but I can’t let them go. I have my own garage with a dozen bikes, and the more I see, the more I want.”

“You can only ride one at a time.”

“You only need one pair of shoes until you wear them out,” I counter.

She scrunches her nose. “Fair point,” she replies and gives me a smile. “I liked riding today. I’ve never been on a motorcycle, but I think I’m hooked.”

“Saw that in your face. I’m glad. I want to take you out on my bike again. Next time, we’ll plan for a longer ride. How’s that?” There it is, her warm eyes crinkled and smiling at me, her lips curved upward. She’s more beautiful than anything else I’ve ever seen.

“I’d like that,” she murmurs. I reach out and touch her cheek. Her lips part slightly, like she’s waiting for me to kiss her. I drop my head, and our lips are just inches apart when I see flashes of light outside her window.

“Fuck!” I curse and go to the window. A motorcycle is sitting on the other side of the street. It’s dark, and I can’t make out who it is, but it can’t be a Redemption Rider. The men all know that I’m with Etain tonight, and they were off duty. I have a gnawing ache in my gut that Gunner has a man watching Etain.

“What is it?” She comes over to me.

“Stay there, babe,” I order. I want her out of sight until I can be sure of what we’re dealing with. I text Drifter and tell him what’s happening. He’s going to do a drive-by and check it out. I want to keep the curtains open so we don’t spook whoever is out there, but I also want to keep Etain out of view. “Coffee would be good, Ginger. Do you think you can put on a pot?” Her kitchen is out of the line of sight, and making coffee will keep her occupied long enough to let Drifter do his thing.

“Sure,” she replies. She’s suspicious, but she doesn’t hide it; she simply states her mind. “It’s the other MC, right? Are they looking for you?”

I don’t want to lie to her. It’s not a good way to start off. I was hoping to keep her away from the Jackals, but today’s incident at Jake’s has put her on their radar. Her head comes up while she’s perking the coffee, and our eyes connect.

“Are you in danger?” she asks. There’s a tremor in her voice. I go to her, and with one arm wrapped around her waist, I pull her flush against my body. She presses into me, one hand braced on my chest.

“There’s a time when you need to make a choice. The moment I saw you in the diner, I knew I wanted you. Your spirit, your beauty, all of you. I can’t tell you what it is exactly, but I know it’s you. So I know what I want. The question becomes, what do you want? You’re attracted to me, but is that enough? Redemption Riders is my life. I’ll never turn my back on my brothers or their families. Can you accept that? Does danger lurk in dark corners? Absolutely, but danger is everywhere. I’ll die before I let anyone hurt you. That’s the promise I make to you. No matter what you choose, the job at the garage is yours. You want to go back to school, have at it. I love brainy chicks.” I give her a sexy grin. “I’d like to have more time for you to get to know me, but I haven’t got that to spare with everything that’s happening in the club. How about it, Ginger? You ready to take a chance on me?”

Etain looks at me, stunned. Her jaw is hanging open. She closes her mouth, clears her throat, and starts to speak, but nothing comes out. It feels like I wait a lifetime for Etain to say something, anything. Then her fingers fist in my hair, she tugs my head down, and plasters her lips to mine. The kiss is raw and hungry, our lips moving this way and that, her breasts pressed against my chest.

When I finally tear my mouth from hers, we’re both breathing heavily, and her swollen lips and hazy eyes make her more stunning than ever before.

“I’m a mess. I just got out of a relationship?—”

“The past is in the past. He’s your past. I’m your present and future. We’ll find our way,” I tell her, brushing my lips over her swollen ones.

“The club is in trouble?” Her brows furrow with concern.

“It’ll be over soon. But I need to stay on task. We all do. That was the plan, but then you came along, and I couldn’t resist the temptation. That means I have to keep you close and safe while I find a way to slay the dragon. You’ve got to trust me.”

She swallows and looks toward the window where I was standing. “They’re watching me, aren’t they?” she whispers.

I hate to say these next words, but Etain needs to keep her guard up. “It’s a possibility. Or they could be looking for me and followed us.”

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