Chapter Ten
YOU KNOW ONE OF the things I really liked about Caroline? She kept me on my toes. She made me laugh frequently, and even though she thought she was messing up or being a ‘freak’ as she put it, I found her refreshing.
There were no airs and graces. There was no fakeness.
She was all real. She was herself, and that I could really appreciate.
The kind of women who hung around biker clubs fit into two camps generally, those looking for a good time, and often primped to within an inch of their lives, and the ones who thought they’d find a biker to attach themselves to for an easy life.
Hint: there’s no such thing as an easy life, and being with a biker is never easy either.
Caroline didn’t try to fit into any camp, or any group, or any trend.
She just talked, smiled, laughed, and warmed up my stone cold heart every second she was around me.
I’d been with women since my first girlfriend, and the first fuck that had lifelong consequences, but never for anything more than a one nighter.
When you’re afraid of more lifelong consequences, you tend to stay fluid and away from commitments.
Something about Caroline made me feel the opposite though. It was scary, but freeing too. I could be the right guy for her, couldn’t I?
“Can I take you out tonight?” I asked her, and look at that, that was me blurting something unplanned, like she sometimes did. Her eyes widened, and she fidgeted with her empty plate, and the carefully folded napkin.
“I… really?”
Her bouncy dark curls were escaping again, and I ached to tuck them behind her ear again. Even though I knew she struggled with touch, against all the odds, she liked it when I did that. Her eyes softened, and her cheeks pinked a little, and I wanted to see that again.
“Harley?”
Well damn, too busy being a pervy predator to listen to her. What a prick.
“We have fun, don’t we?” I asked, feeling like an asshole for missing what she’d said, because she deserved my full attention.
“Yes. Yes, we do, I just… I don’t know how to do normal stuff like that.”
I had a feeling she was way better at the stuff she thought was normal than she realised, but now wasn’t the time to point that out.
“Darlin’, I wouldn’t mind betting we can find something we’ll both enjoy.”
Her looking conflicted was most likely a prelude to her backing out, but I was willing to do pretty much anything to prevent that. Not because I wanted to push her beyond her boundaries, but because I wanted to learn where each one was, so I could stay on the right side of them.
“Tell me something you like doing,” I suggested, sipping the last of my coffee, and fighting the vague urge to check the time, because this wasn’t a moment to rush, and I didn’t actually have anything pressing to get back for.
“I… are you expecting sex?”
Whoa. Did a car just screech to a stop somewhere? I feel like I heard that sound in my head right then.
“Pretty sure sex is a third date kinda thing, Caroline.”
She gasped, and shot up from her seat, backing away a few paces, while I realised my fucking huge mistake. I was trying to say that it’d be our first date, but technically if you counted our two coffee ‘dates’, you could call a date tonight our third one.
“Fuck. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. I was just trying to keep the mood light.”
I stood up and approached her, but only so I could keep my voice low. I stayed as far back as I could so I wouldn’t crowd her.
“I promise you I’m expecting nothing but maybe some conversation and laughter.
Caroline, I’m not a predatory guy, and if I’m coming off like that, I apologise.
I sometimes make bad jokes. My daughter’s always accusing me of making ‘dad jokes’, so I guess maybe my sense of humour isn’t as hilarious as I thought it was. ”
She was trembling. I did that. I fucking freaked her out enough to make her tremble.
“Do you want to sit down again?” She shook her head vehemently.
“Can I… can I offer you comfort? A hug? Hold your hand?” She was shaking her head to all of those options too. Fuck. I ruined this, just as we were starting to communicate.
I forced myself to take a deep breath and consider my behaviour right now. Even if I wasn’t trying to be a predator, perhaps that’s what she was seeing. I backed up a few steps, fully aware that we were attracting attention from other tables now.
I reached down and grabbed my phone from the table, holding it up to show her.
“I’m going to get back to work, and I’ll stay away from you unless you want to see me. You know where to find me. You know how to reach me. Pop me a little text if you want to hang out. I’ll never be a threat to you, but I’ll go now, so you go safe riding home.”
I turned to leave, catching the eye of the people at the closest table, and offering them a sad smile. Not because I was trying to curry favour, but because I literally felt gut punched.
“She’ll be okay,” I assured the two women, “she just needs some peace and quiet, and she’ll get her mojo back. Please don’t crowd her or anything.”
“Harley!”
I turned to look over my shoulder, and she was closer than I expected.
“Don’t go, please.”
Caroline
IWAS TORN BETWEEN terror and mortification, because I wanted a date with him, but I’d just embarrassed him, and drawn attention to him, and I didn’t want people to think badly of him.
“I… I want to try,” I whispered as Harley turned to face me, holding a hand out to me, palm up. I placed mine against his and he squeezed it gently.
“How about this?” He turned and faced the direction of his bike shop.
“Why don’t we head back to the shop, and I can teach you how to buff that little scratch out of the paintwork?
It just needs a little loving care.” How did he always know the best way to calm me down?
I was nodding before I even managed to put words to my response.
He grinned, turning to check the table we were leaving, grabbing my helmet, and something else I couldn’t see.
“Your phone,” he said, leaning over to pass it to me, while I shoved it in my pocket and turned to check the table again.
My usual paranoia for leaving something behind had been forgotten in my haste to stop him from leaving.
Nothing else remained, so I let Harley lead me to my bike, and he held my helmet as I zipped my phone pocket, and climbed astride my ‘beast’.
“You go steady, and I’ll see you there, okay?”
It’s just down the road, but I felt that warm sense of being protected once more, and it was definitely something I could get used to.
I took my helmet from him, and giggled as he insisted on helping me do it up. I didn’t need the help, but it was sweet of him, another sweet gesture that I appreciated.
“Race you there!” I yelled, turning the ignition as he put his hand over mine and shook his head at me.
“Behave,” he mouthed, backing up to let me pull away from him. Then you know what? He turned and ran in the direction of his shop. Damn him. I couldn’t let him win!
Of course I got there first, but by the time I’d parked up, rested my bike, and removed my helmet, he was standing by the door of his shop, pretending to look at the non-existent watch on his wrist, tapping a boot on the ground. How adorably cheeky.
I was laughing as I reached him, and I was relieved to see humour on his face now, instead of the gutted horror of earlier, when he accidentally triggered me.
The weirdest part is, although the idea of sex or any form of intimacy was terrifying for me, I felt like if there was ever a man I’d want to try with, it’d be him.
He led me inside the shop, and I waved nervously at the big guy in the spray area, who lifted a mask off his face as he returned the gesture.
“Took your time, man. I’m desperate for a piss.”
Harley grimaced, and waved him off.
“As always, Rocket, way too much freaking information. I’m going to bring your ride into the bay, Caroline. We’ll get that scratch sorted.”
Rocket paused on his way to the small bathroom, one hand on the door frame as he turned to frown at us.
“Scratch? Isn’t that my domain, man? I’ll take a look for ya.”
I sucked in a sharp breath as he turned and started in my direction, but Harley’s palm landed on his chest, stopping him in his tracks.
“I’ve got this. Go take that leak, yeah?”
Rocket looked between the two of us. “I mean, spraying’s literally what I’m here for. I could do you up a nice jazzy spray job, love.”
I didn’t need to speak, even though that sounded mildly intriguing, because Harley nudged Rocket back a step, following him toward the bathroom.
“As I said, we’re just buffing out a surface scratch, so we’ve got this for now. If Caroline decides she wants a custom spray job, she knows you’re here.”
His tone was getting firmer and firmer, and I saw the moment that Rocket either finally got the hint, or just decided to give up and move on.
“I’mma take that leak now. You gonna take your hand off me, or are you offering to hold it?”
Harley laughed, backing away with his hands lifted.
“Can’t think of anything I’d be less likely to offer, man.
Okay, Caroline, wait for me in the bay, and I’ll bring your ride inside.
” He reached out for my key and I passed it over without argument.
At least Rocket had closed the door, and was on the other side of it, even if that meant he might have his…
well, be doing what he said he was going to.
I practically scurried into the repair bay to wait for Harley.