Property of Fox (Mayhem Makers: Bastard Boilers MC)

13. Brea

brEA

I just made out with a complete freaking stranger in his hotel room. Me. Brea Quinn. Queen of a boring, sheltered life. Girl on the run from her crazy biker stepdad. I kissed him like one of the heroines in my books. Is this real life or is this all a figment of my imagination? Maybe instead of making out with Fox, I am, in fact, passed out on the floor outside of the book signing with reader’s stepping over my limp body.

I pinch myself to confirm that it's not a dream, but the sharp pain tells me otherwise. I actually kissed him, and not only that, but I agreed to go on a date with him. Me? A date? Whoever took over my body in that room must be fearless because now that reality has hit me, I have no idea what to do next. I barely remember leaving his hotel room, and now that I am back down at the signing, I am at an utter loss at what to do next.

“Brea! Where did you go? You just disappeared!” Keira’s voice cuts through the murmurs surrounding us.

I hesitate for just half a second before plastering on what I hope comes across as an innocent grin while keeping Fox’s hotel room escapade firmly tucked away where no one else can find it—not even Keira.

“I...got overwhelmed.”

Keira narrows her eyes, skepticism clear in her expression. “Overwhelmed?” She crosses her arms, and I can practically feel the judgment radiating from her.

I glance back toward the hotel corridor, half-expecting Fox to walk back in like some hero at the end of a romance novel, tousled hair and all. “I just...needed air, alright? I saw someone who looked like Tank, and I panicked. I’m okay though.”

“Are you sure?” Keira raises an eyebrow but softens slightly. “You look like you just escaped from a fire. Are you blushing?”

My heart races as I think about the impossibility of what just happened, how his lips felt on mine like fireworks exploding against a night sky. “I’m not! It’s just hot in here.” As if on cue, I fan my face with one hand.

“Right.” She rolls her eyes but decides to let it go for now. “Well, you missed your chance to meet Eden and Ares again. They ticketed her line right after I made it through. I doubt they’ll get through everyone with as long as it is, but I did grab you this.” She reaches into a tote bag slung over her shoulder and pulls out Eden’s new book. “She and Ares both signed it.”

“Keira, you didn’t have to do that.” My fingers trace over the cover gently.

“I know how much you love that book. I was not about to not get you a copy too even if you Houdini-ed me.”

“Well, thank you.”

“Not a problem, but where do we go next?”

“How about we start at the first table and work our way around? Might meet some new-to-us authors.”

“Yes! Sounds perfect,” Keira exclaims, her enthusiasm infectious. I take a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering warmth of Fox’s lips on my own. This day was supposed to be about books, not… whatever that was.

We make our way through the throngs of fanatics and aspiring writers, dodging swaths of glittery bookmarks and fangirl squeals. My mind, however, remains blissfully tethered to moments spent in his hotel room. The images flash behind my eyelids. The curve of his mouth, the rough texture of his skin under my fingertips. I’m plunged into my daydreams until Keira's voice cuts through my haze.

“Brea!” She nudges me. “Focus!”

“Right.” I muster a grin as we approach the first table lined with debut authors and their hopeful readers. A tall woman with fiery red hair beams at us from behind a stack of books. “Let’s soak in some literary goodness.”

Still half-lost in thought, I pick up one of the novels and flip it over. The blurb catches my eye. An exciting love story involving a charming motorcycle mechanic navigating danger for his heart's desire. That could be Fox, I think to myself, biting the inside of my cheek as I picture him in a leather jacket, his gorgeous tattoos reflecting the sunlight against the backdrop of a roaring engine. The thought sends a rush of arousal to my core, and I quickly shove the book back onto the table.

“What’s wrong? You look like you saw your favorite character die.”

“Nothing! Just—” My voice comes out a little too high-pitched. “Just contemplating the depths of love, you know? You can’t be too careful nowadays.” I attempt to sound casual, while on the inside, I’m silently screaming about the kiss that shifted me off my axis.

“You? Thinking about love? Who are you, and what have you done with my best friend?” She jokes. "If I had known getting you away from your step-monster would get you out of your shell this quickly, I would have done this years ago.”

“Can you just not?” I groan, but the playful jab only brings a smile to my face. Deep down, I know she’s right. This whole thing. The signing. The book. Fox. It’s a whirlwind, and yet it feels like the rush I had been waiting for my entire life.

As we continue our exploration of tables and authors, I can’t shake off the lingering feeling of something monumental shifting within me, as if the kiss had unlocked a door to a world I hadn’t dared to enter before. The excitement buzzes through me like caffeine on an empty stomach.

We stop at a booth featuring a local author, his enthusiasm infectious as he explains his book about a woman risking everything to find true love after a rough breakup. “Life is too short to play it safe,” he says, flashing a charming grin that makes my heart flutter. “Sometimes you just have to jump in, even if it scares you.”

I glance at Keira, who is nodding along as if she’s been waiting her whole life for this very moment. “See!” she whispers excitedly. “This is what I’m talking about! That last chapter of your life? You burned that bridge. Why not build something new?”

Suddenly, all the fears about kissing Fox and whatever consequences might follow bubble up inside me. The thought of pushing him away because of past hurt, of believing I wasn’t worthy of someone like him, of having my heart broken feels suffocating.

“Repeat after me,” Keira nudges my shoulder, her eyes glinting with determination. “I am worthy of love.”

“I—” I hesitate, the words stopping on my tongue. “I am worthy of love?”

“Louder! With conviction!” She raises her fists like a cheerleader, drawing the attention of a passersby who glance at us, eyebrows raised.

“Fine! I am worthy of love!” My voice rises as I manage a small, defiant smile, a glimmer of truth beneath my unease.

“Great! Now keep saying it!” Keira claps, clearly relishing the moment. The more I say it, the more I feel the words resonate within me. A warmth begins to blossom. A growing sense of possibility.

But just as I'm getting into it, a voice calls out from behind us, rich and smooth.

“Now that's a mantra I could get behind.”

I turn, half-expecting to see Fox’s mischievous grin lighting up his face. The one that has the power to make my heart race and send butterflies spiraling through my stomach. Instead, standing before me is a tall guy with tousled hair the color of midnight and striking blue eyes that twinkle like stars. He wears an effortlessly casual outfit. Fitted jeans hug his toned legs, paired with a snug black shirt that clings to his muscles and makes it painfully clear that he spends hours at the gym.

“I’m Skylar,” he says smoothly, extending a hand towards me like it’s nothing more than second nature for somebody who makes girls weak in the knees daily. “And you are? Other than absolutely stunning?”

“Brea.” The word tumbles from my lips before I realize what I'm doing, shaking hands with him when all I wanted was to find Fox again.

“Beautiful name for a beautiful woman. Can I take you out for coffee or something? You know, how about we make this mantra more than just words?” Skylar’s tone oozes confidence while he leans closer like he expects everything to fall perfectly into place because it usually does for him.

I open my mouth to decline politely but instead find myself lost in the deep blue pools of his eyes that spark curiosity and maybe a hint of trouble. “Uh…I’m sorry, but I can’t leave my friend by herself.”

“She can come, too. I have two arms. One for each of you.”

“As flattered as I am, I can’t,” I declare.

“Ah come on, baby girl. It’s not every day that you can say that a cover model asked you out on a date.”

“I really can’t.” I feel my cheeks warm under the intensity of his gaze, wishing that Fox’s presence could magically materialize beside me to make it easier to turn this guy down.

“She’s not that interested, man,” Keira interjects into the conversation. “Move along now.”

Skylar raises an eyebrow, clearly unaccustomed to rejection. “You sure know how to break a guy’s heart, don’t you?” he says, his tone lacking sincerity. “Your loss.” As swiftly as he interjected himself into my conversation with Keira, he leaves, scurrying back down the row of authors before disappearing into the crowd at the end.

“So why did you just run off a smoking hot guy?”

“Other than he just inserted himself into our conversation, invited me on a date, and then got butt-hurt about me rejecting him? He’s a real Prince Charming.”

“Yeah, but a Prince Charming with six-pack abs and an Instagram following that could probably launch him into the stratosphere. You realized you just turned down a once in a lifetime date?”

I roll my own eyes dramatically and muster up an exaggerated sigh because she knows I don’t do well when someone forces attention on me. “He’s all yours if you want to shoot your shot.”

“Nah, he’s not my type.” Keira rolls her eyes dramatically, flipping her long hair over one shoulder. “He comes off as a Tamlin when I really prefer Rhysand.”

“You’re definitely not wrong.”

Keira links her arm with mine as we continue our walk through the last of the tables before the signing ends. “You have to admit, B. It does feel good to get a little male attention for once.”

“Not all male attention is good,” I fire back.

Keira chuckles. “You're the pro at this.” I can’t help but laugh at the absurdity of her statement. When it comes to men and dating, I am far from an expert. We reach the end of the aisle just as an announcement blares over the loudspeaker, signaling the end of the event.

As we reach the exit doors that lead out onto the bustling street, Keira brings up dinner again. “So, what do you say? We can grab something quick on our way over.”

I hesitate only briefly before an impulsive thrill courses through me like electricity. The type that leaves goosebumps rippling along my arms before spilling out unceremoniously, “Actually...Keira. I, um, need to tell you something. I may have agreed to a date tonight.”

Keira comes to a complete halt, eliciting grumbles from the readers behind who nearly smack into us. “Date? What date?”

I take a deep breath. “I might have met someone at the welcome party last night when you ditched me.”

Keira’s eyes widen, her mouth dropping open in shock as she processes my words. “Brea Quinn! You met someone, and you didn’t tell me. Is that why you were stalling to leave last night?”

“Maybe?” I chew on my lip, feeling like I have revealed a little too much to her. “I didn’t think I’d see him again, and when I had my panic attack, he kind of came to my rescue.”

“You weren’t flushed because you were hot earlier. You were really blushing! You were with him. You hussy.”

“Keep it down, Keira. Everyone is watching.”

“Let them. My best friend met a man and didn’t tell me a single thing about him. I am crushed right now. It’s a breach of the best friend code of conduct.”

“Okay, okay! You’re right. I’m sorry!” I rush to whisper back, glancing around to see if anyone is paying us attention. “It just happened, and I am still in shock myself.”

“What time are you meeting him?”

“I’m supposed to meet him at the entrance to the lobby at eight.”

“Eight? Girl, we need to jet then.” Keira tugs at my hand, practically dragging me behind her.

“Keira, slow down. What’s the rush?”

“We have like three hours to get you date ready, B. There’s no time to waste.”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” The question falls on Keira’s deaf ears as she drags me outside towards the car.

“Brea, please don’t take this the wrong way, but no best friend of mine is going on a date in that,” she says while wagging her finger up and down at me. “First dates are special. You need to make an impression.”

“Considering I’d spilled a drink all over him the first time we met, I think we’re way passed the impression stage.”

“You did what?” she squeals. “I’m going to need every single spicy detail, B, while we get you ready.”