Chapter 1
Riggs
Nights out no longer hold the appeal they once did. If it weren’t for my friends forcing me to join them at the bar, I would probably be home watching film of my old races, reliving my glory days. I don’t often dwell on the past, but lately, my life has been missing something. For the past few days, emptiness has haunted me at every turn.
A guy in tight black briefs and a bowtie hands me three bottles of beer from across the bar, pulling me back into the moment. I hand him a twenty-dollar bill, but he declines with a wave of his perfectly manicured hand. “You’re with one of the owners. Drinks are on the house.” His expertly curated wink probably earns him a lot of tips. That and his toned physique.
“Then keep it for yourself.” Who knew becoming close friends with DJ, my once rival, would get me VIP treatment at the hottest bar in Dallas?
“Thanks, sugar.” He slips the bill into his briefs before walking down the bar to serve another customer.
I turn around, leaning my elbows back on the bar and taking in the scene. The crowd is a mix of all sorts of people, which isn’t surprising for a place displaying an Inclusivity is Sexy sign above the door. It’s been ages since I’ve been out, but I couldn’t say no to DJ when he invited me tonight. My friends are worried I’m working too hard and socializing too little. Hell, they may be right. It’s more than that, though. I’m over hanging out at bars. One more drink, and I’m excusing myself so I can go home.
I smile and nod at people I pass as I take the beers to where my friends sit. My best friend Alexander Kenny, or Kenny as his friends call him, pushes out a chair for me as I set our drinks on the table. “We’re going to Vegas in September. Put it on your calendar.” His tone leaves little room for argument. Not that I would. A change of scenery sounds good. Plus, three retired motocross riders in Vegas is always a good time.
I look at my other friend DJ who nods. “You’re okay with leaving Fiona home alone for an entire weekend?” I tease.
DJ married Fiona not long after I got divorced. They’re what my daughter likes to call ‘couple goals’. Whatever that means. I’m assuming it means codependency, but who am I to judge what’s healthy in a relationship? My wife left me and took half my money with her. Happy marriages are not something I have any experience with. I probably never will.
DJ smiles at the mention of his wife, taking a swig of his beer. “She and Emma are throwing a baby shower for Keira.”
I let out a slow whistle. “Your brother’s having another baby? What does that make? Four?”
He laughs. “Six. Keira’s pregnant with twins again. Girls this time.”
“No wonder David’s never around anymore. He and his wife are busy trying to repopulate the planet,” Kenny teases.
DJ widens his eyes comically. “No kidding. Babysitting his brood is great birth control for Fiona and me.”
I start to ask him if they really don’t want kids, but stop myself. That’s none of my business. DJ’s the kind of guy who tells you if he wants you to know something. I learned a long time ago not to pry.
“So, you in for Vegas?” DJ asks.
I nod. “Sure. Just send me the details.” A weekend away would definitely be nice. I’m about to say as much when I see her across the bar. We lock eyes, and she smiles, waking every cell in my body. Suddenly, I’m not so bored with this bar. “Excuse me. I see a friend.”
Kenny sees who caught my attention and chuckles. “Who knew a gay bar could be so good for picking up chicks?”
I press my lips into a flat line. “Shut up. I really do know her.”
“Whatever, Casanova,” he teases. “Just don’t do anything I wouldn’t.”
I roll my eyes. “Please, as if you ever think with anything other than your dick.”
He laughs, but his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah.”
I leave them behind as I make my way across the bar. “Zoe?” I ask loud enough to be heard over the music, even though I know it’s her. We may have only met once, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t seen her behind my eyelids every night since then. It’s been a long time since I’ve dated a girl that wasn’t caught up in the fame of being with ‘Riggs Malone’. No. Zoe reminds me of a time when I slept in the back of my truck with my dirt bike as I traveled the circuit, trying to make a name for myself. She hasn’t been touched by the world of championships, reality TV, and grazing the pages of magazines. That’s refreshing.
“Riggs? Hi.” She blushes as she tucks her blonde hair behind her ear, scrunching her upturned nose as she smiles. Fuck, she’s cute. How is it possible for a woman to be sexy and cute at the same time? Stone will have to forgive me because there’s no way I’m not going for it. Her being here has to be fate at work.
I drop my voice so she has to lean closer to hear me. “Dance with me,” I whisper, making sure my breath tickles her ears. It’s not a question because her dilated pupils and the way she slowly drags her tongue along her bottom lip tell me she wants to. Her attraction to me is written all over her face. Good. I don’t want to play games. I’m too old for that shit. Zoe is younger than me by ten years, I’m guessing. Still, she seems open to connecting. I suspect she’s just as done with playing games as I am.
She sets down her drink and follows me out onto the dance floor. Once Zoe is in my arms, I’m overcome with the desire to keep her there. She’s at least a foot shorter than me, maybe more, which heightens my desire to take care of her. Despite our size differences, her body fits perfectly with mine. It’s been a long time since I’ve held a woman this close who didn’t want something from me based on my wealth or fame. Zoe is different. I may not know her well, but I can already tell it’s me she’s interested in.
I move my hands to her hips, gripping her tightly enough to hold her in place as we sway to the music. My cock thickens between us as she grinds against me in rhythm to the popular song blaring over the speakers. Zoe’s eyes meet mine, and she gives me a shy smile. I trace my thumbs up and down her sides, wanting to explore her curves further, but forcing myself to save that for later.
She licks her lips in what I interpret as a message of longing on her part. At least, I hope it is.
“Can I kiss you?”
She nods, yes.
I lean down, covering her mouth with mine. Her lips are even sweeter than I could’ve imagined. She moans into my mouth, granting my tongue access to hers. As our kiss heats up, I move my hands to her ass, pulling her even closer. I haven’t made out with a woman in public since my ex-wife Gretchen and I were teenagers. If we keep rutting against each other like this, I might just come in my pants like I did back then, too. That definitely isn’t how I want this night with Zoe to go. I want this kiss to be the start of something, not a premature ending.
As one song bleeds into the next, she places her hand behind my head and turns my face, allowing me to hear her over the music. “My friends left. Will you give me a ride home?”
My dick weeps with joy as I nod yes. “My truck is out back.” Thank god we’re on the same page. I want to worship her all night long.
I take her hand, leading her to the employee exit at the back of the bar. On our way out, I get DJ and Kenny’s attention. I hold up my keys, nodding toward the door. Kenny frowns, but it turns to a smirk when he sees Zoe holding my hand, as she follows behind me. DJ just raises an eyebrow and shakes his head. As if he didn’t meet his wife this same way. Hypocrite.
Once outside, my ears ring at the newfound quiet. “Do you want to come back to my house?” I ask.
She chews on her lip, her confidence from earlier gone. “Can we go to my apartment?”
“Whatever you want.” Hell, I’m so hot for her I’d go to the moon if that’s what she wanted. Plus, I like the idea of her not seeing just how much money I have. I want to be sure it’s me she’s really interested in.
Once inside my truck, she types her address into the GPS. I’m glad her apartment isn’t far from here. The only thing I want right now is Zoe naked, riding my cock. I can’t believe my luck. The one night I decide to brave the bar, I run into the girl I’ve fantasized about for the last three days.
The short drive is filled with so much anticipation it’s all I can do to keep my eyes on the road and off her legs. It doesn’t help that she keeps crossing and uncrossing them. Each movement gives me flashes of her panties, making it hard for me to keep my hands to myself.
As soon as I’m parked in front of her apartment, I jump out of the truck, race around to her door, and help her down. She jumps into my arms, wrapping her legs around my waist and grinding her pussy against the length of my cock. I press her back up against the side of my truck. Her kisses taste sweet and sinful at the same time. How does she manage to balance these contradictions so well?
A couple of college kids walk by and whoop at us, stopping me from taking her right here. I break the kiss, setting her down on her feet. “Let’s move this inside.”
She grabs my hand to lead me inside her apartment. It’s clean and decorated with mismatched furnishings that appear to either be hand-me-downs or flea market finds. I remember those poor days for Gretchen and me before I signed with Titan. We were young newlyweds, not even eighteen yet, trying to make a place feel like home. I miss the nostalgia of those times, but the more I contemplate the past, the more I realize I wasn’t really happy. Something was missing, even then.
Zoe bypasses the living area, leading me straight to her room. There’s something intimate about entering another person’s space like this. Framed pictures of her with friends and family cover every flat surface of the room. The desk in the corner, piled high with textbooks mixed with Martha Stewart magazines, gives me pause, but I don’t have time to contemplate them before she pushes me onto the bed. Her passion overrides her shyness. The unrestrained sex kitten side of her has taken over.
I lie back, allowing her to climb on top of me. She straddles my waist and leans down, kissing me softly. It’s a tame kiss that soon deepens into more. Her hips roll along my cock as she slips her tongue inside my mouth. I grip the back of her head with one hand and her lower back with the other, holding her against my chest. Her nipples peak beneath the thin fabric of her dress, rubbing against my chest. God, I want to taste them. I want to taste every inch of her.
I slide my hands around, cupping her breasts as I roll her tight tips with my thumbs. She moans into my mouth, humping her panties against my denim covered cock. I want to personally find the person who invented dresses and thank them. I reach between us, pressing my finger against her clit. She jerks against me.
“Riggs, please,” she begs.
I smile against her lips. “Please what?”
“Touch me,” she begs, sitting up and tearing off her dress, leaving her only in her tiny red panties.
I flip us over, kissing down her neck until I cover her right nipple with my lips, sucking hard. My cock jerks when she moans.
I lift off her, standing so I can strip out of my clothes. She watches me through hooded eyes as I kick off my boxers and stroke my cock.
“I’ve been tested since my last partner and I’m good to go,” I tell her. We probably should’ve had the safe sex/birth control conversation before I got naked and she stripped down to just her thong, but all I could think about was getting us to this point.
“I’m good. I mean, I’m not. . . I don’t. . .”
I move over her, kissing her softly. Her shyness is so damn cute. “Condom?”
“I don’t have any, but my roommate might.” She jumps up and rushes out of the room like a woman on a mission.
I sit on her bed, stroking my cock to stay ready for her, not that I need to. She has me so worked up that I’m harder than I’ve been in years.
When she returns, my hand stills as I watch her walk toward me. “Fuck. You’re beautiful.”
She blushes, tucking her hair behind her ear. “So are you.”
I grin, holding out my hand. Her hand shakes as she places the condom in my palm. While she slips off her panties, I sheath my cock, enjoying the sexy striptease. My dick pulses with excitement as Zoe crawls into the bed next to me. Not wanting to wait any longer, I move over her, pressing the blunt head of my cock against her entrance.
She closes her eyes, tensing, no longer with me in the moment.
My body stills. “What’s wrong?”
She turns her head to the side, not looking at me. “I’ve never. . . I mean, you’re the first. . .”
I move to sit beside her. “You’re a virgin?” I can’t keep the shock out of my voice. I don’t know any women her age who are virgins. Hell, even my daughter, who just turned twenty, has had sex. I’m not happy about it, but the guy who got his girlfriend pregnant at seventeen can’t exactly cast stones at glass houses. Plus, I’d rather her come to me or her mother for help getting birth control than to end up pregnant before she’s ready.
Zoe sits up, hugging a pillow to her chest. “I’m only twenty.” Her tone is defensive as if I just implied something’s wrong with her, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
“You’re twenty?” Fuck. There’s no way.
She nods.
This is wrong. “Zoe, I have a daughter who’s your age.”
“What are you saying?”
I slip off the condom, tossing it into the trash next to her desk, and pull on my jeans. “I shouldn’t be here.”
“Riggs–“
“Baby, I’m old enough to be your father. We can’t do this. I’d never be able to live with myself if I took advantage of you.” I shove my feet into my shoes and slip on my shirt. “I need to go.”
“You’re just going to leave me like this?” Her voice wobbles, and I can tell she’s about to cry.
I sit back down next to her, pulling the sheet up so her naked body no longer tempts me. “You’re right. That’s a dick move.”
“I thought you liked me,” she whispers, looking down at her fingers as she picks at an invisible spot on the sheet.
I turn her chin so she’s looking at me. “I do like you. From the moment you walked into Stone’s room at Sin & Ink, I wanted to get to know you better.”
“Because you thought I’d be an easy lay?”
“No! Because there’s something about you that makes me forget my worries. I’m drawn to you. Sex was going to be a bonus.”
She lets go of the sheet, and it drops to her waist, pooling there. “It still can be.”
I tug the sheet back up. “Baby, I can’t be the guy who steals the best years of your life. You’re young. The entire world is open for you.”
“I thought if we had sex, you wouldn’t care that I’m young. You’d see I can give you a mature relationship.” She’s so honest and vulnerable that it almost hurts to do the right thing. All I want right now is to claim her and protect her from the world.
“I’m old enough to be your father. My daughter just turned twenty last week. As much as I want to get to know you better, we can’t ever be anything more than friends.”
Her eyebrows lift. “Do you mean that? Can we really be friends?”
I should say no. She’s still too young. Men my age aren’t friends with women her age. Hell, we’re barely friends with women at all. Still, the hopeful way she looks at me says she could probably use a friend.
Instead of doing the honorable thing and leaving, I scribble my phone number on a piece of paper I find on her desk. There’s no denying the electricity when her fingers brush mine as she takes the paper.
When I return her pen to the desk, I notice a copy of Stephen King’s Outsiders and pick it up. “You’re reading King?”
“I read everything I can get my hands on.”
“I’m a big fan of his. Dr. Sleep is one of my favorites.” I can’t believe we like the same books.
“You read?” Her eyes widen in surprise.
I chuckle, perching on the side of her desk. “Not as much as you, probably, but I do read quite a bit.”
“That surprises me.”
“I’m divorced, and my child is grown. There’s only so much TV a man can watch.” Plus, it’s weird whenever a commercial I’m in comes on. No one wants to see themselves on television. It’s awkward, and I scrutinize my every move.
“What are you reading right now?”
“I just finished the new James Patterson novel. Have you read it yet?”
She shakes her head no. A flash of sadness covers her face, but it’s gone so quickly that I must have imagined it. “My dad used to love his books.”
The more we talk about books, the easier it is for me to forget she’s off limits. I need to leave. I’m afraid if we keep talking, I’ll find out she really is the perfect woman for me. That makes our age gap even more upsetting.
She yawns, giving me the perfect excuse to put some distance between us.
“I need to go so you can get some sleep.”
“Thanks for tonight. I know it didn’t turn out the way we expected, but I enjoyed hanging out with you.” Her voice is timid as she says this.
I close the distance to where she sits on the side of her bed and kiss the top of her head. “Good night, baby.”
“Good night, Riggs.”
I walk out of her bedroom, forcing myself to keep from looking back.
Shit.