Twenty-Six
Thor
It’s settled. Hearing Clover laugh freely while she rides backpack with me is my new favorite sound in the entire world. And it’s unlocked a new life goal: find ways to make Clover laugh with such carefree abandon at least once a day for the rest of our lives.
When we park at the Brokedown, Clover slowly removes her arms from around my waist, and I instantly miss her warmth. Even if it is almost a hundred degrees outside. I’d endure it forever if it meant having Clover pressed against me.
She doesn’t make any move to get off, so I flip my visor up and glance over my shoulder. “You okay, Love?”
“Define okay.”
I chuckle and flip her visor up to meet her eyes. “What’s wrong?”
“People.” She shudders dramatically.
The corners of my lips lift. “Ah. Don’t worry about them. They’ll love you. ”
Her eyebrows dip. “That’s not most people’s reaction.” There’s a note of hurt buried in her words.
“You’ve been around the wrong people, Love. Besides, Mom, Gunner, Bex, and Edith love you. So will my friends.”
She snorts, her gaze sliding away from mine as she pulls off her gloves. “Okay. You’re right. It’s fine.”
I remove my gloves and helmet and then hold out my hand to steady her as she dismounts. As her small fingers slip into mine, every nerve ending in my hand comes to life. When her feet are on solid ground, she glances down at our joined hands. I can’t bring myself to let her go as I swing one leg over my bike and shift on the seat so that we’re eye level. I run my thumb slowly along the back of her hand. A small gasp escapes her lips, proving she’s feeling whatever this is between us. It’s been growing stronger every time I’m in her presence, and after the ride we had today where she kept squeezing me and allowed me to hold her hand, I’m even more convinced that she cares for me.
Not willing to break the spell, I slowly raise my eyes to meet hers. Electricity zings through the air around us. I wet my lips, trying to think of something to say, and her gaze follows the motion.
Oh, heck. Clover Mason is testing every last restraint instilled in me over the years by the Marines and working with Rock. Lord, give me strength.
Grasping the bottom of her helmet, I tug her to me, pressing my forehead to the top of her helmet and breathing in her intoxicating tropical scent. After a moment, I pull back and gently unbuckle her helmet, slipping it off her head. My heart is racing wildly as I set the helmet on the seat.
Slowly, I tuck a dark curl behind her ear, then trail my fingers down the side of her neck in a feather light touch. One of her hands comes to rest on my chest, while she clutches my forearm with the other as she sways toward me. This is the moment everything changes. The moment I say “screw it all” and claim Clover’s lips. I can find another job. Nothing matters except for this gorgeous woman standing in front of me who has captured my heart completely.
Swallowing past the tightness of my throat, one hand cups the back of her neck gently as my other hand comes up to grip her waist, drawing her to me. Our breaths mingle, and I can almost taste her.
“No hanky-panky in the parking lot, young man,” a voice calls out, and I bite back a curse at the interruption.
Clover’s eyes widen, and she leaps several feet away from me, swiveling her head to see who caught us about to kiss.
I follow her line of sight to find Ivan—one of the old men who frequents the Brokedown during the day—smirking at me, an almost evil glint in his eyes. “You young folk need to learn a lesson or two about propriety,” he says, though his tone is full of laughter.
Shaking my head, I get off my bike. I’m unable to stay angry at the old geezer even if he did just ruin a perfect moment between Clover and me. “Ah, come on Ivan. You can’t tell me that you didn't spend your time locking lips with the ladies when you were young.”
“Never kiss and tell,” he quips back as he heads to his car.
Laughing, I turn to see Clover burying her reddened face in her hands.
Stepping closer to her, I whisper, “Don’t worry about Ivan. He’s just messing around.”
She glares at me. “You should have corrected him. We were not about to kiss.”
My mouth lifts into a smirk as I tilt my head. “You sure about that, Love?”
Planting her hands on her hips, she tilts her chin up. “Positive.” Her eyes twinkle as she adds, “Unfortunately, I can’t mix business with pleasure.”
I laugh at her throwing my words back at me. Shrugging, I reply, “Keep telling yourself that.”
She rolls her eyes, but her expression is playful, and my chest swells with emotion.
When we walk into the Brokedown, the guys wave us over. Roxy and Chantelle aren’t here, but Tallulah is next to Cai. I’m glad Clover will have another woman to chat with while we’re here. Tallulah smiles at us when we get close.
Before we can sit down, Clover says in an uncharacteristically high-pitched voice, “Hi, I’m Nicole. Thor’s girlfriend.” She smiles brightly at my friends, but I can see how her hands shake. And maybe that’s why I slip my hand into hers as I introduce each of my friends before sliding into the booth. Clover scoots as close as she can to me. Is she doing it for appearance sake or because of her anxiety? Either way, I’m not complaining.
There’s a pause in conversation as the waitress jots down our orders, batting her eyelashes and leaning closer to an oblivious Des. I smother my smirk by running a hand over my mouth.
Once she’s walked away, Holt raises his eyebrow above his eyepatch. “And . . . how long have you two been dating?”
Clover squeezes my hand. I glance down at her and smile. I should put an end to this charade, but how do I get out of it without completely embarrassing her? And I don’t want to do that at all. Plus, it’s giving me a reason to be near her. To claim her—even if it isn’t real. Yet, there is no denying that having Clover Mason say she’s mine feels like the most right thing in the world.
“Oh, about a month,” Clover says, looking up at me with big doe-eyes. “But it feels like we’ve known each other a lot longer. Doesn’t it, babe?” She bats her eyelashes, and I can’t stop the smirk that forms on my face.
Meeting her gaze, my expression turns serious. “For all of our lives.” I pray she can hear how truthful that statement is. Because the more time I spend with her and the more I get to know her, the more it feels like I’ve always known her.
Clover’s eyes widen slightly, and she blinks several times before glancing away.
Holt’s good eye narrows at me, Christian shakes his head, and Cai mumbles, “Not good, man,” so quietly I’m pretty sure Tallulah and I are the only two who hear him.
I shoot him a glare, but he only stares back, challenging me. Cai can read me better than any of the other guys. He’s probably realized that I’m a complete goner for this woman. And by the way Tallulah is swinging her gaze between Clover and me, she probably sees it too.
Our drinks arrive and then Desmond leans forward, focusing on Clover. “So, what do you do, Nicole?” His calculating gaze hones in on her. Jealousy flares in my chest even though he’s not looking at her in that way. He’s studying her. Attempting to determine if she’s my client, girlfriend, or both.
“I’m an editor.” She smiles politely and then sips her water.
“That’s cool. Our friend is an author,” Christian says.
I laugh. “Yeah, about that. Nicole here”—I drag out her name, and she stiffens beside me—“is actually Chantelle’s editor.”
“No way.” Cai’s eyes widen.
Nodding, Clover chuckles, though it sounds strained. “Yeah, I didn’t realize Thor knew her until we were talking about her books.”
After the waitress brings our food, the topic changes to bikes, and Clover relaxes. The guys are talking about the 50s model they’d seen at the last bike show we went to.
“Oh, that’s a nice bike. The ‘51 is a beast,” Clover says casually between bites. “Daddy had his painted in a custom mint and white. It adds to the vintage flair.” She takes another bite, not seeming to realize everyone gaping at her.
Christian whistles low. “Man, he dropped a pretty penny on that one. ”
Her words catch up to her, and her face pales. “Oh, um. Yeah. He did. I guess.” She nervously tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.
“He let you ride it?” Christian asks.
She nibbles on her bottom lip before letting it go and clearing her throat. “Drive it, actually.”
“Sweet,” Cai says and then turns to Des and changes the subject.
I’m not really listening since Clover has gone quiet beside me. Her hand is still in mine, and I trace soothing patterns on her skin, hoping to provide her with a little comfort. She’s a bit overwhelmed, but so far, no one has pressed her for anymore details into her life.
“Can you point me to the restroom?” she asks quietly.
“I’ll come with you.” No way am I letting her pull another escape. Not that I think she would, but I also need to make sure she’s safe.
She rolls her eyes, and I grin, enjoying her sass. “I’m not going to”—she flicks her eyes around the table, but everyone is absorbed in whatever story Cai is telling—“run away,” she whispers.
“You’re right. Because I’m going with you. It’s just in the back.” I motion toward the hallway where the restrooms are.
She gives me a saccharine grin that has warning bells going off while at the same time, making my heart skip a beat. Placing her hand on my cheek, she leans closer. “Don’t worry, babe. I’ll be okay.” Then, she presses a feather-light kiss on my lips. Before I can even process the feel of her lips on mine, she’s standing and disappearing down the hallway.
I blink away the haze, resisting the urge to touch my lips. It’s only then, I realize all conversation has stopped and everyone is staring at me.
“Dude, what’s going on?” Cai asks.
I blink again, because one small taste of Clover Mason is not going to be enough. Except . . .
“Crap.” I stand, and head toward the bathrooms. I need to make sure she’s safe. And I need to get answers.
I raise my fist to knock on the door to the women’s bathroom when it swings open.
Clover presses her hand to her chest, glaring at me. “Don’t scare me like that!”
Grasping her arm gently, I pull her deeper into the shadows of the hallway.
“What are you doing?” she hisses.
Spinning her around with her back to the wall, I step closer and study her face. “What was that back there?”
She tilts her chin up, defiance written over every feature of her beautiful face. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Clover,” I say in a low, gravelly voice. “Please don’t test my self-control. It’s hanging on by a thread.”
Surprise flickers through her eyes before her signature glare returns. Crossing her arms, she huffs. “Well, for one, I was making sure that our act didn’t fall through. A new girlfriend would kiss her boyfriend before stepping away. ”
It’s what I was expecting, but it’s still like a gut punch to hear her say it was all for a stupid act that we don’t even need to be doing to begin with.
“Why else?” I ask, because apparently, I want to keep having my heart shattered by this woman.
“I wanted to go to the restroom without an escort.”
I press my hand against the wall beside her head and lean closer, locking eyes with her. “Don’t lie to me, Love.”
Her chest rises and falls in a heavy breath that fans across my face. She points toward the dining room. “That out there is all an act,” she says a little breathlessly.
I hum deep in my throat. “An act?” Tilting my head, I brush her nose with mine, and she shudders. “And what about the motorcycle ride? Or outside before Ivan interrupted us? Or right now? Huh? You can’t tell me that you don’t feel this? This tug between us?”
Her lips are so close. All it would take is for me to bend my head just a little and I could capture them with mine. “Thor, your job . . .” she whispers.
“I don’t care about my job.” I brush my thumb across her cheek, going all in with my next words. “You’re all I care about.”
Violet eyes flit across my face, scorching every place they land. Clover’s tongue darts out to wet her lips, and I track the motion, before she drops her gaze to the floor. “We should get back. I don’t mind your friends thinking we’re dating, but we don’t need to give them a reason to think we’re back here necking. ”
I smile at her repeating Gunner’s words. “Ah. Let them think what they want. We’re dating after all.”
She glares at me. “Fake dating.”
I shrug. “Same difference.”
Covering her face with her hands, she groans. “I’ve made such a mess of things.”
Pulling her hands away gently, I sigh. “No, I did.”
She blinks up at me. “What do you mean? I’m the one who pretended we were dating.”
I flinch and rub the back of my neck. “Yeah, um . . . about that. The guys know the truth.” Her mouth drops open, and I rush on. “Well, part of the truth.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Shrugging, I stick my hands in my jean pockets. “The guys know I don’t really date.”
Her gaze rakes over me, and she scoffs. “Yeah, I highly doubt that.”
“It’s true. I go on dates, but I’ve not been in a serious relationship in years. They know I work as a bodyguard, and Christian and Cai were at your house with me. So . . .” I let the word drag out until her expression registers my meaning.
Fury rushes over her face as she punches my arm and then slaps it a few times for good measure. “You jerk! Why did you let me make a fool of myself?”
I cringe. “Umm . . . I didn’t think you were making a fool of yourself? ”
She slices a look at me. “Of course, you didn’t! You were eating up all the attention, you misogynistic jerk!”
Holding up both hands, I step back. “Whoa, now. Listen, I never once told anyone we were dating. That was all you.”
Clover crosses her arms. “You sure weren’t correcting me either!”
“Because you wanted to protect your identity. Right?”
“Moot point.”
“I disagree.”
Massaging her forehead, she inhales a steadying breath. “You are impossible.” She groans again. “You let me kiss you, Thor!”
“If you want to call that a kiss.”
Her jaw comes unhinged. “Excuse me? If that wasn’t a kiss, what was it then?”
My eyes trail over her face, landing on her lips as I draw closer until there’s barely an inch of space between us. “It was a kiss between a boy and a girl.” With slow, deliberate movements, I drag my nose alongside hers, breathing her in. “You deserve to be kissed like the brilliant, amazing, gorgeous woman you are.”
Her breath hitches and though the sound has me longing to close the remaining distance and finally claim her lips for my own, I don’t want our first kiss to be outside the bathroom at the Brokedown. I step back and clear my throat. “Listen, I’ll let everyone think it was my idea. Not yours. Okay?” I place my hand lightly on her arm. “I’m sorry I didn’t correct you sooner. I guess I was enjoying our little game too much, and I apologize for that. ”
Clover’s eyes meet mine and some of the anger seeps out of them. “You should be.”
“What do you want me to do? I’ll march right in there and clear the air.” I motion toward the dining area. “I’ll tell them it was all me. Whatever you need from me, Love.”
Alarm flashes in her eyes. “Oh my goodness. No. Don’t do that!”
I cock an eyebrow. “Don’t clear the air? Or don’t tell them it was my idea?”
“Both!”
Scratching my beard, I sigh. “Okay. So what do you want me to do?”
She flicks a frantic gaze back toward the dining area and then to me, shaking her head. “I ca-can’t do it. I can’t go back in there. It’s one thing to pretend when I thought they didn’t know. But I can’t face them now. I can’t keep pretending. But it’s so much worse if we go out there and tell them everything. I’m so humiliated.”
Guilt jabs my heart, and I instinctively bring my hands up and rub them down her arms. “Listen to me.” I tilt my head until I’ve captured her eyes to make sure she hears every word I’m about to say. “There’s nothing to be humiliated or ashamed of. The guys aren’t going to give you a hard time. If anything, they’re going to heckle me to death that I was so desperate for a woman I had to convince someone to fake date me.” She snorts, but doesn’t break eye contact as I continue. “I truly am sorry that I didn’t stop this to begin with. That’s on me. Not you. But, Clover Nicole Mason, you can do anything. Remember? You’re strong. You’re brave. You don’t have to live in fear.”
Tears build in her eyes as she releases a shaky breath. The fact that she’s not moving away from me has me drawing closer and cupping her face. I catch a falling tear with my thumb, my heart aching for her. I long to let everything flow out of my heart. To tell her all the ways she’s so special and unique. To let her know how quickly she’s embedded herself into every particle of my being.
“We can face them together,” I whisper. “Or . . .”
“Or what?” Her words are soft and hopeful.
The corners of my lips lift and I tip my chin toward the back door. “We can make a quick escape out the back. Together.”
“You’d do that? For me?”
I nod, my thumb grazing her jawline. “I’ll do anything for you, Love. Whatever you need.”
The sweetest, softest smile forms on her face and my heart completely trips over itself. Pushing herself up on her tiptoes, she presses a light kiss to my cheek. “Thank you.” Straightening her shoulders, she sucks in a deep breath. “Okay. I’m ready. I can do this.”