Page 31 of Lockout

We kept the conversation light as we finished up lunch. By the time I came back from washing my hands, he’d paid the bill and was waiting to escort me back to the car.

“Where did you get the car?” I asked as I got back in.

“Friend works at the airport. He lets me borrow it when I stop in.”

The flight back to Tucson was fun but quick and faster than I wanted. I found myself wrapped back around him as he brought us back to the clubhouse. I didn’t want the day to end. I squeezed him harder, plastering our bodies together while the motorcycle roared beneath me.

But like all good things, it ended. He pulled into the clubhouse lot and waited while I got off his bike.

“Thank you so much for today, Lock,” I told him. “It really helped take my mind off…things.”

“No problem.”

We were standing close. Staring in each other’s eyes. When his gaze dipped down to my lips, I sucked in a little breath. I wanted him to kiss me. Leaning a little toward him, I let my eyes flutter closed when he started to dip his head.

“Yo, Lock!”

We jerked apart like a couple of guilty teenagers as Butcher came around the building and headed toward us. His steps slowed as he saw us put distance between each other. “Shit. Sorry,” he said as he walked up.

“It’s fine,” I said, my cheeks hot with embarrassment. I didn’t even know what I was saying. What was fine? Ugh. “Uh, thanks again, Lock,” I said before I practically bolted away.

As I went, I heard Butcher say, “Shit, sorry for cock blocking you, Prez.”

My face flamed even hotter. Put me in a courtroom and I was cool as a cucumber. But something about that damn biker just twisted me up inside. And now here I was, running away like I’d done something wrong. Even if I had kissed him, so what?

But it was too late. I was already in the clubhouse and heading up the stairs to my apartment. I was never going to hear the end of it from the girls if I didn’t make my move and seduce Lock soon.

CHAPTER 14

Keely

The next couple of nights, I dreamt of flying. And that almost kiss afterward. It had been the most exhilarating thing I’d ever done. I could see why Lock loved it so much.

The party was happening tonight and everyone was excited for that. I’d offered to help plan it, but Toxic had just winked and said they had it under control.

Most of the women had been working all week, and the guys were out building an extension on Billie’s farmhouse. It left me here, mostly alone and bored. Well, not alone. Lock and Priest were almost always here, but they were busy with their own things.

Lock hadn’t put us on lockdown yet, which I was grateful for. He’d told me to stick close to the clubhouse for now. It wasn’t worth giving the LoS an opportunity to snatch me up while I was out running around. Just because Hangman wasn’t here inArizona yet, didn’t mean he didn’t have his Phoenix Chapter here watching.

I was grateful for the freedom because of the other women and kids. The last thing I wanted was them needing to take time off work and take kids out of school because of me. It was going to happen eventually, but the longer we held off, the better.

I was spending my days updating my résumé and checking around to see how badly Joe was disparaging my name. It was bad. The jerk was talking to everyone he knew. He was being beyond petty.

Walking downstairs with my coffee cup, I smiled and went to sit next to Daryl. Toxic’s dad was a real sweetheart. He was staying in Toxic’s apartment at the clubhouse while the guys built the addition on the house. I knew both Billie and Toxic were hoping he would stay down here in Tucson permanently.

Toxic was living out on the ranch with Billie, but he still had his place here, too, and I couldn’t see Lock ever kicking him out. Operating the ranch meant that he and B would live out there more often than not, but I just hoped they’d end up here in their downtime.

“Morning, Darlin’,” Daryl said, smiling at me.

“Morning,” I said, setting my coffee cup down. I couldn’t help a small blush, who could? The girls warned me about Daryl, how sweet he was. He set his newspaper aside. “You enjoying the Tucson winter?”

He chuckled. “Yeah, beats the three feet of snow we have back home.” He studied me as I leaned back in my chair. “You doing alright? Boone told me you ran into a bit of trouble.”

My heart melted. If I wasn’t half his age, and maybe already falling for a biker, I’d marry Daryl. Like, right now. That would come with the added benefit of being Toxic’s stepmother. And oh the things I could do to torment him if I was. But…that wasn’tgoing to happen, so instead, I just settled for loving Daryl to pieces in a different way.

“I’m okay,” I told him. “Promise.”

“Yeah, something tells me Lockout’s not going to allow anything to happen to you. But,” he said, ignoring my shocked face, “if you decide you need to go anywhere over the next couple weeks, you let me know. We’ll go together. Not like Boone will let me fucking help out at that ranch. Doesn’t matter that I ran a ranch for over twenty years. Treats me like I’m decrepit,” he muttered, shaking his head.

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