Page 26 of Poker
“See ya.”
An hour and a half later, I pull into Meri’s driveway. As I dismount my bike, she steps out the front door, and my mouth goes dry.
Holy. Fucking. Shit.
How can this woman look so damn tempting in dark wash jeans, a form fitting green tee, and black leather jacket? I’ve seen her in dresses that expose far more skin, but she’s equally, if not more, beautiful like this.
“Is this okay?” she asks when she reaches my side.
“Perfect,” I groan before pulling her against my chest and capturing her lips.
Meri sighs into the kiss, licking her tongue into my mouth with so much passion I fear I might combust. Knowing that if I don’t stop, we’ll never leave her house, I reluctantly pull away but keep my hands at her hips.
“We should go,” I tell her.
She nods, and I help her onto the back of my bike. Meri isn’t hesitant, and as soon as I settle in front of her, she circles my waist with her arms. I navigate us out of her neighborhood before wrapping my hand around her thigh.
This feels right… me holding her, her holding me, both of us on my Harley.
When I reach our first destination, Meri climbs from behind me easily. She looks from the building to me.
“You in the market for a dog?” she asks.
“Nah.”
I grab her hand and thread my fingers through hers. The move is automatic, like I’ve been doing it my whole life. We walk into the animal shelter and are greeted right away.
“Hey, Poker,” Jinny says with familiarity.
Meri bristles next to me so I squeeze her hand.
“Hey, Jin. This is Meri, my girlfriend. Meri, this is Jin. She keeps things running smoothly here for the animals.”
Meri instantly relaxes. “Nice to meet you.”
“You, too,” Jinny states. “You must be pretty incredible if you got this joker to settle down.”
“She is,” I confirm.
“So, what brings you by today?” Jinny asks. “We’re still working through your last donation, so I know it’s not to bring another.”
“Donation?” Meri inquires.
“Yeah,” Jinny confirms. “Poker and the club donate to the shelter regularly. And I can’t tell you how much we appreciate it. Because of them, we have the means to operate a no-kill shelter and provide any and all necessary vet care. Our babies are fed, have toys, and we have actual staff along with volunteers, so the animals are never alone.”
“Wow,” Meri exclaims as she eyes me. “Does the club do fundraisers or something? Why haven’t you told me about them?”
I shake my head. “No fundraisers. All our donations are possible thanks to a high-stakes poker game I play in sometimes,” I explain, choosing my words carefully so I don’t out Meri to Jinny.
She gasps. “That’s… You never told me.” Her tone is accusatory, like I lied to her or something.
“Wasn’t trying to hide it,” I assure her. “Just not doing it for recognition. Honestly, the only reason you know now is because I wanted you to see the good that you’re making possible. And because I don’t want there to be secrets between us.” I glance past her to Jinny. “Can we see some of the dogs?”
Jinny grins. “Of course. I’ll get some of them gathered outside in the exercise yard.”
When she walks away, I pull Meri close. “Tell me what you're thinking.” She hesitates, and I add, “Please.”
“I’m…” Meri swallows. “I’m thinking that what started as a crush could easily turn into something serious.”
