3. Triton
I’d promisedto keep to myself so she could get her work done, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away. I even pretended to scroll through my phone while I studied her on the sly. The way she tilted her head and squinted at her laptop screen? Loved it. The way she bit down on her bottom lip while she was concentrating? Made me rock hard. I didn’t know what it was about the blonde with the curves, but I wanted her in the worst way.
It wasn’t all physical, either. Bess had a gentleness and innocence about her that I wasn’t used to. I wanted to protect her from the horrors of the world, especially the shit happening right here in Maplewood.
Finally, I gave up on keeping my mouth shut and struck up a conversation. She was abso-fucking-lutely adorable. The more we talked, the more she seemed to come out of her shell. And when we landed on something she was interested in, her eyes lit up and made me feel like I was staring right into the sun.
“Sorry, I could talk about theater for days,” she said.
“I’ve never been.” Theater wasn’t exactly my thing but seeing her smile had me thinking maybe I needed to try going to a live show sometime.
“You should go next time you get the chance. I’d love to see a live production on Broadway sometime, but even the community theaters in Austin put on some fantastic shows.” She wrapped one of her blonde waves around her finger, and I wondered how soft her hair might feel on my chest.
“Have you ever been to New York?” I wanted to learn everything about her.
“No. Don’t laugh, but I’ve never been outside of Texas. At least not yet,” she added. “How about you?”
I’d been around the world back when I was in the Navy and spent quite a bit of time traveling for some of the jobs I booked doing private security. I never traveled for fun, though. “Yeah, I’ve done my fair share.”
She let out a long sigh. “I’m jealous. Which place was your favorite?”
“Hmm.” Definitely not the multiple tours of duty I’d done in the Middle East or the recent seven-day trip to an amusement park I’d taken with a high-profile CEO and his family. “Probably France.”
She got a dreamy look on her face. “Oh, did you go to Paris? I bet it’s so romantic.”
“I guess I could see that.” I’d spent most of my time keeping an eye on a mobster’s mistress at a five-star hotel but was able to fit in a ride at Combe Laval, one of the best routes in Europe to travel on a motorcycle, before I flew home.
“You guess you could see that?” Her nose wrinkled. “I bet if you asked a hundred people where the most romantic city in the world is the vast majority would say Paris.”
“You really think so?”
She crossed her arms under her breasts and narrowed her eyes. If that was her grumpy look, it was cute as fuck. “Yes. They’ve got the Louvre, Versailles, the Seine. How romantic would it be to kiss someone at the top of the Eiffel Tower?”
“You know what? I’m going to test your theory.” I got up from the table and headed over to the counter.
“What are you doing?” Bess asked in a loud whisper.
“I’m going to ask.” I turned toward the gal behind the counter. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.” She leaned forward and offered an eager smile, the same one I’d seen too many times to count.
“What’s the most romantic city in the world?”
Her eyes sparkled with interest. She probably thought I was hitting on her. “Um, I’ve never been there, but I’d probably have to say Paris.”
“Really? What about New York? Standing at the top of the Empire State Building and looking out across the city?”
“Well, anywhere would be romantic if I was there with you.” Her voice came out low and husky.
I backed up, doing my best to make it clear I wasn’t interested. “Uh, thanks.”
Her brow furrowed like she couldn’t believe I hadn’t taken the bait.
“What did she say?” Bess still had her arms crossed when I returned to the table.
“You got one, okay?”
Her lips split into a stunning smile. “I told you so. Someday I’m going to go there and then I’ll be able to see it for myself. In the spring or early summer when all the flowers are in bloom.”
“I’m not ready to admit defeat. How about we make a bet?” I wanted to see her again. It sounded like a fucking cliche, but she was like a breath of fresh air sweeping into town. I wasn’t sure what I was most attracted to, her girl-next-door appeal or the fact she wasn’t a jaded old soul like me.
“I’m not sure. What do you have in mind?” She drained the last of her sugary sweet drink.
“I’ll ask a hundred people. If the majority say Paris, then I’ll buy you dinner and take you to the most romantic place in Maplewood.”
“And if you ask the wrong people and I don’t win?”
“Then you buy me dinner and take me somewhere you think is romantic.” Either way, I’d get what I wanted… more time to spend with Bess.
“Like a date?”
I shrugged. “Call it whatever you want. Could just be a friendly wager between new friends.”
“Friends.” She nodded. “I guess that makes you my first friend in town.”
I had no intention of letting myself get relegated to the friend zone, but if that’s where I had to start, so be it. “Okay then, friend. You need to get some work done, and I’ve got a few more errands to run. Should I come back in a couple of hours to grab your tire and take you back to your bike?”
“Oh, um, that’s okay. My dad said he’d come pick me up. I can’t wait to hear the results of your survey though. How long do you think it’s going to take for you to ask a hundred people?” She arched her brows, clearly comfortable enough to tease me.
“Not as long as you think. Here, put your number in my phone so I can let you know the results.” I slid my phone across the table and waited for her to add her info to my contacts.
“There you go.”
Our fingers brushed as she passed it back to me. My hand actually tingled. There was something between us, and I was determined to figure out what it was.
“I’ll text you my progress to keep you in the loop.” I tucked my phone in my pocket and held out my hand. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Bess. I’m looking forward to dinner.”
Her hand slid into mine. “Nice meeting you too. I can’t wait to find out where you’ll be taking me.”
I laughed, a deep chuckle that came straight from my belly. It had been a while since I’d engaged in this kind of banter, and I was enjoying myself more than I expected.
“I’d better take advantage of that Wi-Fi.” She pulled her hand away and bit down on her bottom lip again. I wondered if she would make that face when she was about to come. I was probably a long way away from finding out, but it felt like I needed to make it my life’s mission.
“Until next time.” I turned to go, already missing her warm smile. I’d planned on fitting in a nice long ride before heading to the clubhouse, but I was out of time. Spending the morning with Bess had been worth it though.
Twenty minutes later, I walked into the warehouse we’d converted into the Rebel Hearts HQ. My buddy Chadwick sat on the couch, his feet propped up on the old Army trunk we used as a coffee table.
“Hey,”—I plopped down next to him on the huge sectional—“what do you think is the most romantic city in the world?”
He squinted over at me. “Why do you want to know? You planning an upcoming trip with someone I don’t know about?”
“No. I’m just curious.” I wasn’t ready to tell anyone about the new girl in town, especially Chadwick. He wouldn’t make a move, not if I told him I was interested, but word had a way of getting around and I wanted to keep Bess all to myself as long as possible.
“Hell, I don’t know. Isn’t Paris supposed to be the most romantic city in the world?”
Not him too. I figured he’d say something like Padre Island during spring break. Maybe I’d underestimated his softer side. “I suppose it’s all right.”
That made two votes for Paris. I still had a long way to go until I asked a hundred people. Surely some of the other guys would come up with a more original answer than Paris.
“It’s quiet around here.” Usually there were at least half a dozen guys hanging out at the clubhouse. “I thought we were getting together to talk about the threat from the Vasquez family.”
Our tiny town of Maplewood had found itself smack dab in the middle of a land grab by one of the largest drug cartels in Mexico. They were engaged in a turf war and trying to establish a direct route through Texas so they could traffic their product to the northern states.
“I’m sure we’ll start soon. You want a beer or something?”
“Nah.” I still had work to do later. My next job didn’t start for a few weeks but would require some heavy research. I got up from the couch and headed down the hall to my room. One of the perks of being an office of the MC was having my own bedroom at the clubhouse. I preferred staying at my own place, but having a room onsite came in handy during events or when we had a meeting that ran late. I’d barely closed the door when someone rang the old school bell to summon everyone to the table.
Daydreams of Bess would have to wait. I was just as eager as the rest of my MC brothers to get a handle on the threat the Vasquez operation posed. I typed out a quick text to Bess to let her know she had two votes so far. Then I slid my phone back into my pocket and joined my brothers. We weren’t about to start a fight, but if they insisted on moving in on our turf, we wouldn’t hesitate to step up and defend our town.