Page 43 of Holley Jolly Biker

And he proved that I could when he slowed his steps the moment he made it to us, wiped that expression from his face, and then he squatted beside us.

Carefully, he took the paper from my hand and read it.

Then he looked at Soraya and said, “You want to go to this?”

She nodded, then she shook her head.

He chuckled, “Well, which is it?”

Soraya looked at me, then looked at Saint, she was silent for a beat, then said in so low a voice, I had to strain to hear, “I want to go. But...”

In a soft voice, he asked, “But your father isn’t here?”

She shook her head.

That was when Saint looked at me.

His eyes bored into mine, then he looked at Soraya and said in a voice that I could have sworn was laced with uncertainty, “Well, I know I’m not your father. And seeing as I’m in your life. And seeing as I plan to be in it for a fuck of a long time. Would you allow me the honor to take you?”

Soraya’s whole face lit up, then she nodded so fast I was afraid she was going to topple over.

***

That night, after I helped Soraya get ready, there was a knock on the front door.

I grinned, then moved toward it.

Once I had it open, there Saint stood.

He wanted to treat this like a real date.

To show Soraya what she should expect, no, in Saint’s words, demand.

His beard had been trimmed.

His hair had been slicked back.

The leather band I had gotten for him when I thought about him at the market a few days ago.

A black shirt that was partially buttoned showed off his tattoos, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.

Black trousers and his black motorcycle boots.

Man, but did this man do things to me.

If he wasn’t here to pick up Soraya, and she wasn’t here, I would climb this man like a monkey.

However, the best part about the whole look?

That was the deep red suspenders he had on that matched perfectly to Soraya’s deep red dress she was wearing tonight for the father-daughter dance they were having at the school.

I winked at him and said, “She’s almost ready. Please, come in.”

He came in and then winked at me.

I looked up at him and said with my whole heart, “I love you, Saint.”

He looked down, then back into my eyes, leaned down, and kissed me in a way I knew he was pouring every ounce of feeling he felt for me into that one kiss.

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