Chapter Five
MOLLIE
F orty minutes later, we—or more so, Travis, decides to settle all of this over a game of pool. He thought it would be done in best of three, but after making up some bullshit about me double tapping the ball, here we are, six games in, all tied, final game.
You take a shot of Vodka if you; pot the white, pocket one of the opponent’s balls, or if you lose.
I’m pretty steaming, and he is starting to sway. It’s not obvious to many others, but I see it. He takes his shot, failing to pocket his last red ball before he could move on to the black.
He gets a few jeers from the men around us, and I wince, mocking him, hurting his ego. “Ready to finally admit I’m better than you?”
His gaze lights up my centre. The longer we’ve played the more I’ve goaded him. I am definitely walking on thin ice here, but like an addiction, I just can’t seem to stop. Throw in alcohol, and I’m practically verbally assaulting him at every opportunity I get.
I don’t know what I’m hoping to achieve here? To get a reaction from him? For him to back off?
I honestly don’t know.
Handing me the wooden cue, I take my last shot with little stress. The yellow ball rolls elegantly across the green bed, sliding down the throat of the pocket.
Dean stands to his feet. “Shit, Trav. She might actually be about to win.”
“Over my dead body,” Travis replies stepping closer.
A few guys leave. I’m guessing they’re all too aware of how this might go down if I actually beat him. I’m curious enough to let it play out. “That can be arranged,” I half whisper, just loud enough for him to grasp what I’m saying.
All eyes that are left, hone in on the black ball.
The last shot.
I step up to the table, bending at the waist. I’m well aware my tits are dangling at a precarious angle for all the men here to see. But I don’t care. “Tell you what.”
Travis looks down at me from the other side of the table, his gaze flitting to my chest before it meets mine, peering up at him through my lashes. His eyes suddenly appear darker.
“I make this last shot, this all stops. You let me do my job. No more being a dick for the sake of it.”
Travis purses his lips, slowly nodding his head in thought.
Without moving from my position, I watch him contemplate his decision before he slowly starts taking small steps towards me. He stops directly behind me. If I move, he’ll think his move is affecting me. I mean, it is—my knickers are soaked, but he never needs to know that. But if I don’t immediately stand up, is that an invitation?
“And if you lose?” he asks in his low tone.
Shit… then what? “I,” I have no more words. Fuck.
Feeling him bend behind me, his groin presses into my behind, and I watch as his palms press flat to the table, caging me in either side of my arms.
I suck in a sharp breath aware people are still watching us.
“Seeing as you don’t seem to be able to answer, let me tell you what will happen.”
I swallow. Hard.
“You win, I’ll think about easing up. But if you lose,” his lips brush my ear, making my back arch, “I fuck you on this table.” His whisper is only loud enough for me to hear.
“Get on with it you two,” some old guy shouts at us.
Then Travis stands, and my body instantly feels cold.
My nipples harden. Every part of me wants to squeeze my thighs together just to create some sort of friction. Steeling my composure, I ignore every single beat of my heart, every flurry of need nestling into my blood, and I take my shot .
It goes in, and the men all gasp, laughing and pointing at Travis.
As much as it feels good to win. I wish I’d missed. The look on his face isn’t one I enjoy.
He looks so mad when our eyes meet, it makes me wonder what the hell I was thinking? I’ve been desperate to get laid for weeks now, and this guy just offered it on a plate. And what do I do? I go and pot the ball, not only ruining my chance of being fucked by this man, but potentially making him feel inadequate in front of his friends.
Shit. What have I done?
Travis turns quicker than a tornado and flies down the stairs.
Just as I go to move towards him, I’m blocked by Dean. “Leave him. Let him cool off. He’s not the nicest guy when he’s mad.”
I look at the stairs then back to Dean, giving him a slight nod of my head.
We sit in an awkward silence for God knows how long. With every minute that passes, the men around me appear more drunk. One man stands bent over a woman laid back on a table, his lips sucking liquid from her navel. She giggles, and he hungrily licks his way over her bare torso, over her covered breasts and to her neck.
I watch them kiss before another man steps forward and has his turn.
“So, you work for Mick?”
I turn my attention from the woman and man and look up at Dean sat next to me. “Yeah. Started yesterday.” My lips pull into a pathetic, incredulous smile.
Dean mimics my face. He just got back, but even he must understand how ridiculous me being here is. “And what’s the deal with you and Travis?”
My eyes bunch together in the middle as he takes a sip of his pint.
“Come on, don’t kid yourself,” he says, noticing my expression.
I shake my head side to side. “What?”
Dean quickly lifts his shoulders before they drop again.
“No, you come on, what do you mean by that?” I turn my body towards him, my back straightening.
I watch his eyes slightly widen at my apparent squaring up to him. “You don’t scare easily, do you?”
“I don’t see anything in here worth being scared of,” I reply sharply.
He scoffs into his pint, wiping his lip as he places the glass on the table, amused .
“Maybe you haven’t seen anything yet.”
“Meaning?”
Dean looks at me, and I see a line pull across his forehead. Reaching into the inner pocket of the leather he’s wearing; he pulls out a knife from a leather strap. Placing it on the table slowly, my eyes wander to his.
My brain ticks over. Perhaps I should be scared. Perhaps I should shut my mouth and just get back to the farm. The only person I know, I barely know at all, and he ditched me because I embarrassed him. I could be in danger here, given the state of most of the men here and their social status.
Still, all things considered, my shoulders pull back and my eyes train resolutely on his. “All I see is possession of a knife in a public place.”
His eyebrows lift.
“Tell me, would four years in prison be worth it? All so you could scare a few people.”
His silence is comical. So big and tough yet stunned by my tone.
I stand grabbing my bag, deciding that I want to leave. Whether I want to or not, I’ll need to find Travis first and let him know.
“You’re a lawyer, aren’t you?”
My eyes dart to Dean’s. “No.” Not an actively working one, anyway, I think to myself.
“That what you want to be?”
No. But it’s all I know. “What’s it to you?”
Dean smiles at me, and I give him a confused look. “Means nothing to me. But you’d be handy to keep around. Plenty of bad guys that we need to scare off.”
I scoff on a laugh. “I do what I want. I’m not here to please anyone.”
With a mild shake of his head, Dean picks up his pint.
Another man walks over to us and takes a seat beside Dean, effectively ending our conversation.
No bother. I’m leaving. “Where can I find Travis?”
The man next to Dean smirks. “Follow the screams.”
The pair exchange a weird look, and I eye roll them both, turning to walk away.
“I wouldn’t interrupt him if I were you, sweetheart,” the man shouts over the drum of the music.
Looking back, I catch the man shaking his head as he turns to Dean .
Dean’s eyes remain on me until his attention is pulled, and I’m left standing at the top of the stairs feeling a little lost.
With a turn, I take the first step, slowly making my descent. The exit comes into view. I could walk straight out and call a taxi to take me home, but what about Travis? He brought me here and he’s been drinking too. How will he get back to wherever he stays?
Scanning the crowd, there’s no sign of him. He’s easily one of the tallest men I’ve seen in here tonight. He would tower over everyone.
A bang comes from my left making my head spin. Hesitantly, I turn down the corridor at the bottom of the stairs, a few eyes watching me as I go. I try to ignore them, making it appear like I know exactly what I’m doing.
There’s no screaming like the man said. In fact, I can’t hear anything other than the noise from the main room. It drowns out the further away I walk, but that’s it. I let my shoulders slump seeing another exit ahead of me. Screw it. I’ll ask the man behind the bar to let Travis know I’ve gone, then I’ll get the hell out of here. Mick said he wanted us back early doors, and I’ve drunk way more than I should have. If I go to bed now, I should be okay for tomorrow.
Just as I turn, a woman’s moan echoes from behind the door I’m standing in front of. I lift my foot to keep walking, but when I hear a loud crack and another painful moan, intrigue keeps me rooted to the spot. Is she okay?
A man grunts, and I hear the soft voice of the woman moan again. She’s panting lustfully, but she doesn’t cry out when another crack of what sounds like a palm landing on skin sounds, making me jump.
I can’t explain why my feet take a sidestep towards the door. Even more so, I can’t explain why I stand there and listen.
Maybe it’s the fact that my cheeks feel hot? Or maybe it’s the sudden tightening in my stomach, but I push my ear flat to the door. Wet slaps and rhythmic thuds of clearly a bed rocking sound louder, making my skin prickle.
I’m hot and needy, and I’m standing here listening to two strangers having sex. What a creep.
Another crack and the man’s voice is undeniable when he cries out. “You don’t get to come yet.”
Travis?
I jerk away from the door instantly, only for the bastard thing to creek open a fraction.
Shit. Shit. Shit. My entire body tightens. My legs turn to lead. My heart leaps to my throat making it hard to breathe.
“You like that?”
Every part of me knows he isn’t talking to me, but I want to answer, yes.
Crack, and the woman groans long and drawn out.
My legs begin to shake.
“You want to watch, Baby Doll?”
That’s his name for me. He is talking to me. Unless he calls all the ladies that? Fuck. What do I do?
With my palms sweating, I go to push away from the door again.
“Watch how well I fuck this little pussy.”
My head rolls back and my eyes close. Shifting my weight, I know I’ll regret what I do next, but I can’t stop. His words are an invitation, calling for me to look around the door. Pushing it with the very tip of my finger, it’s silent as it opens an inch.
The inch is all I need.
Travis has a girl on her back, both legs bent and pressed down against her chest. Her hands are bound underneath her and her head’s thrown back. She looks in pain, but at the same time, she looks like she’s enjoying every single thrust of his hips.
Biting my lip, I see Travis take a pause. He can’t surely know I’m here? Unless he wanted someone to see, otherwise, why didn’t they lock the door? He flips the girl over, and I notice it’s Sophie, the girl I met earlier in the ladies’. Travis raises her arse, slapping it harshly, leaving his handprint across one cheek. Her skin instantly reddens.
Sophie lifts her head slightly, and I see she’s gagged. No wonder she didn’t scream when he spanked her. His strong hand bares down on her again, and her eyes roll into the back of her head, a soft grunt leaving her throat.
I’m jealous. I shouldn’t be, but the way he commands her body, eliciting the most seductive of moans from her again, I want that. No, scrap that… I need this to happen to me.
I tighten my thighs, licking my lips as I watch how he bangs into her. It’s so hot. His hips thrust and he throws his head back, his butt cheeks clenching. He’s going to come.
Before he does, Sophie’s grunts and moans quicken before she sighs, over and over, her release relaxing her.
My own arousal flutters as I watch Travis quicken his pace, guiding her through her orgasm.
Gripping her hips, his movements become unrelenting, each one hitting her with manic lust. He draws back, and I bite my lip, eager to see him lose control. He’s so close to the edge. In one swift movement, he quickly withdraws, removing the condom, and comes all over Sophie’s lower back and arse, low mumbles and vibrations escaping him.
Sophie pants as he winds down, and I straighten my back knowing I’ve made a grave mistake. Not only have I perved on a private, intimate moment between two people, I now—more than ever, want him to do to me what he just did to her. It’s wrong on so many levels.
He can never know I was here. He can never know how much seeing him so in control and dominating turned me on.
Knowing I have to leave before I’m caught, I lift my foot to walk away when I catch his darkened eyes looking toward where I’m standing. Fuck. Do I move? Do I risk him knowing I’m here? What if he already knows it’s me? How? The door’s barely open, no way he could possibly know it’s me stood here. The hallway is also dark. No. As soon as he looks away, I’ll make haste and get the fuck out of here, once and for all.
Then, surprising me, the prick smirks, and I know he knows I’m here. It was a show. For me? To punish me for embarrassing him. Oh my God. Poor Sophie.
Feeling anger bloom in the pit of my stomach, I run, grabbing my phone from my bag. I dial the only person who I can guarantee will come and get me at the drop of a hat.
“Hello,” Henry answers.
“Hi, it’s me.”
“Everything okay?”
I hot-foot it to the main exit, barging my way past the men and women in my way. I’m not rude, but I certainly am not mindful of who these men are. They look at me with sheer disgust. “Uh, yeah. I need a lift, that’s all.”
“Sure. Where are you?”
I make it to the door, pushing it open with a huge sigh of relief. “I’m in Preston. At the biker clubhouse.”
Henry scoffs. “What the fuck are you doing there? ”
“Long story. Henry, please, can you come and get me or not?” My hands are shaking, my breath wobbles.
“You’re lucky. I’m actually not that far away. I’ll leave now. Wait somewhere I can see you.”
“Okay.” I look up seeing a bus stop a bit further down the road. “I’ll wait at the bus stop nearby.”
“Alright. I’ll be fifteen minutes.”
He hangs up, and I sigh, placing my phone in my bag.
My head feels heavy. My emotions are colliding with each other. Throwing my head back, I take in a breath of the cold night air. Fuck. What a disaster of a night. I should never have watched Travis. As much as I hate him for what he did, I can’t deny how watching him made me feel.
I zip up my jacket then make my way to the bus stop. After five minutes, the rain begins to pour. I shut my eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of each drop landing on the ground. It’s relaxing. Car headlights pass, and maybe because this was supposed to be a fresh new start for me—I don’t know, but I stand and step into the rain. My head drops back, and I let it wash away the poor start I’ve gotten off to.
I let it cleanse away the past twenty-four hours as if wiping the slate clean, deciding that I can start again tomorrow. It’s peaceful. Calm.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
Until it’s not.
I freeze, my head turning to the voice coming from behind me. I blink, my lashes heavy from the rain. “Travis?”
Water soaks my lips as he strides towards me, angry lines creasing his forehead. “Get back inside.”
I shake my head. “No.”
He blinks rapidly. “See enough, did you?”
I frown, and his face tightens. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
There’s a small smile, but he quickly drops it. “Right. Well, you need to get inside, you’re soaked and I need to get you back.”
“No need.”
On cue, Henry’s BMW pulls up alongside us.
“Who’s this?” Travis asks, his voice low.
“Mollie, what the fuck are you doing? Get in the car, you’ll catch your death.” Henry runs to my side, flinging off his jacket and placing it above my head as if that will keep me dry. But there’s no point. The damage is done.
“She’s not going anywhere,” Travis states, his voice so matter-of-fact, it’s authoritative and dark. It does nothing to help the attraction I’ve developed towards him.
“I beg to differ, friend.” Henry sounds so posh compared to Travis as he turns me towards his car. Both men from two different worlds. He’s no threat to Travis, at all. But he did come to help me, and after what Travis did, I know I have to go with him.
“Travis?” I hear Sophie’s voice holler, making me look back. She doesn’t step closer, but she watches the three of us. Why are they out here?
“I said , she’s not going anywhere,” Travis says again, this time grabbing my arm.
“Get your fucking hands off her or I’ll have you done for assault,” Henry throws at him.
Travis smiles menacingly. “That right, princess?”
“Leave it,” I interject, hoping they both simmer down.
“Travis?” Sophie shouts again. The rain is getting worse. The way it lashes down does nothing to calm me now. It’s adding to the growing tension running between us. “Who’s that with you?”
I step out from under Henry’s coat. “Go back to the clubhouse, Travis,” I tell him, feeling myself getting irritated.
“You’ve got work in the morning.”
My face scrunches. “I know that! I’m not fucking stupid.” My voice has raised. I feel my cheeks heat.
Travis leans in closer, and like a fool, my eyes glue to his lips as he speaks. “Then why’d you pot the ball?”
I sigh with annoyance. At him, and at myself. Taking a long blink, I then meet his electric gaze. “Go back inside. Sophie’s waiting for you. Again. ”
The bastard smiles, leaning in closer, causing my breath to catch in my throat. “Tell me, Baby Doll, did it make you jealous watching me fuck her the way I did?”
“No,” I lie, trying to swallow, nervously biting my lip.
He smiles wickedly, seeing right through it. “Liar,” he whispers quietly. My teeth grind. “The idea of me touching you the way I did her just made you forget how to breathe. Imagine what the real thing will do.”
Fuck. I can imagine it. Can picture it before my very eyes. But deep down, I don’t care that he’s right. It’s his arrogance that annoys me, that makes me want to get as far away from him as possible. My knickers may be soaked, but I make sure to leave him as angry as I am.
Standing on tiptoes, I feel nothing but warmth radiate from his large body. “Thank God my knight in shining armour’s here to save the day,” I purr.
Travis growls. My words leaving him standing motionless.
When Sophie shouts him one last time, I step back under the coat Henry’s still holding open, and I let him guide me to the car.
I quickly climb in, shaking my numbing fingers to help warm them up. Every part of me wants to look back at Travis, but I can see him still standing in the rain in my peripherals. Just go back inside already.
Henry saves me by pulling away fast. The entire journey is quiet. I’m glad. Only one thought is running like a movie through my mind as I watch the streetlights pass me by.
Why did I pot the ball?
Almost an hour later, we pull up outside his place. I knew he wouldn’t take me straight back to the farm. “Come on. Let’s get you some warm clothes.”
I nod and open the door, following him inside.
His place is paid for by his parents. It’s over the top and ridiculously oversized for a bachelor. Unlike most men I know, though, Henry doesn’t show it off. He’s humble about it. That’s why I’ve always been drawn to him over anyone else.
Until now.
“Can I use the bathroom?” I ask him.
“Sure,” he replies, letting me help myself to his place. I’ve been here before; I know where I’m going.
I make it to his room and strip down to my underwear. Taking a long look at myself in the mirror, my mascara has run down my cheeks and my hair makes me look like a drowned rat. I smile at myself and how ridiculous I am to think I could pull this off.
Reaching for my bag, I take another ginger sweet knowing I really do have a full day of work ahead of me tomorrow. I can’t afford to show up hungover. I swallow it down with some water from the tap before I stand staring at myself again .
Pull yourself together.
No matter what has or hasn’t happened between Travis and me, only I can decide what happens next. I could reach for the safety that comes with going home, but that’s too easy. I want to be who I want to be, regardless of the danger that may come with it.
I sigh then take off my bra and knickers. I walk to the large shower and turn it on, running the water much hotter than I probably should. It burns my skin as I step under it, bringing my body out in goosebumps. All I can think about is Travis and how he looked whilst with Sophie.
His powerful muscles dominated every inch of her. And how he had her tied up… my breath hitches as I close my eyes, picturing it. Sophie was drowning in him. I can see her eyes running wild whenever he hit her. It wasn’t aggression or violence, but pure, animalistic instinct. He was fucking her like a man should fuck a woman.
My bottom lip curls under my teeth as I tilt my head under the spray, allowing it to clean me like the rain. The heavy drops ricochet off my breasts and I can’t help myself. My hand slides over my stomach, lowering to between my legs. Adjusting my stance, I massage my clit, the image of Travis and Sophie coming into view again.
I wanted to be her.
I wanted him to do that to me.
Hearing a bang from outside, I stop, the heavy beat of my heart thumping in my ears subsiding. I quickly use Henry’s products then open the shower, looking for a towel. There isn’t one.
Ringing the water out of my hair, the bathroom door opens, and Henry stands there holding out a towel for me.
He must sense my heightened state because we stare at each other, his eyes then dropping over my naked body. It doesn’t take a genius to work out what’s running through Henry’s mind when I see his jeans tighten the way they do.
He may not be the man I want, but he is the man who has always been there for me, and I him in our hours of need.
Leaning back against the shower, I cross one leg across the other, placing my hands behind me, my intentions clear.
Henry slowly walks towards me, his eyes dropping to where my legs are crossed. He’s breathing heavy as he slowly lowers his hand to my pussy. “Let me see it,” he says.
Not moving my hands from behind my back, I begin moving my leg, opening it out to the side. My neatly trimmed pussy is on show for him, and he stares at it, desire and want smeared all over his face.
I don’t stop him when he drops to his knees and hooks my leg over his shoulder.
Instead, I throw my head back as his tongue begins fucking me.
He licks with delicate, tender strokes, occasionally slipping it inside me before moving back to my clit.
Hot heat dances in my blood, but I need more. “Wait,” I half pant.
Henry looks up at me, my arousal on his lips.
I place a finger under his chin and pull up. “Take me to bed.”
With a smile, he stands, taking my hand in his and leads me to his room. I was wanting him to throw me over his shoulder, but that isn’t his style. He’s more of the gentle kind.
Stopping at the end of the bed, I trail my hand down the front of Henry’s shirt. I feel his nipples harden as I make it to the bottom button. Untucking it from his jeans, I run the tips of my fingers through the small trail of hair sat just above his belt. He moans, and I undo it, slipping my hand into his briefs.
“Fuck, Mollie.”
“Shh,” I hush him, sliding his jeans down over his waist.
His erection springs free, and I sit on the edge of the bed, spreading my legs wide so he can see my pussy. Leaning forward, I take him in my mouth, wrapping my lips around his shaft. I run my tongue over the tip of his cock, pulling a deep grunt from him.
His hands place gently either side of my face, and I can’t help but smile when I look up to him. He lets me move, forward and backward, each time taking him further and further down my throat.
His arousal coats my tongue, and I pull back, rubbing my lips seductively as he pants before me. When I stand, his eyes follow my movement to his bedside drawer where I know he keeps his condom stash. I grab one, then make my way back to him.
Ripping open the foil, I put the condom on him, his chest rising and falling fast. “You know what I want you to do next?”
He smiles, still breathing heavy. “Yes.” His words come out all breathy .
With a slight nod of my head, I turn in front of him, crawling onto the bed, my arse and pussy on show to him. I stay on all fours, waiting for him.
He takes a tentative step closer to me, then lines up his cock with my entrance. “You’re so wet. Has my flower missed me?”
“Yes,” I purr, needing his cock inside of me right now.
When he drives, it doesn’t steal my breath, but my back curls, my body feeling lighter. Satisfied.
Henry holds my hips tight, his hips slowly thrusting into me.
“Harder,” I instruct.
Henry chokes when he next drives forward, his base coming flush with my arse.
My body tightens around him, and as much I wish it weren’t true, the more he drives, the more I see the face of the man I watched earlier. The man so dominant and possessive and in control. I close my eyes, biting my lip. “Henry!”
I need him to move. I need him to be unrelenting, to take everything I have and own my body.
When I start rocking against him, feeling him deeper, his hips really begin to move, reading what I want. But he doesn’t pull my hair or slap my arse. Instead, we both come, and unlike every other time we’ve fucked, I’m left feeling unsatisfied.
“Shit, flower. Fucking you is my favourite thing to do. Was that good for you?”
My face scrunches, knowing he can’t see it. “Yeah. You’re the best, Hen.” It’s not a total lie.
He grips my hips tighter, then slips himself out of me. He walks into the bathroom, coming back a few moments later.
I’m already dressing.
“Wait,” he says sounding lost. “You’re not staying?”
I smile at him, trying my best to put my wet clothes back on. “I can’t. I have work first thing. I need to get back.”
“You sure this isn’t you running again?”
My eyes snap up. “What do you mean?”
Walking to me, he sits on the edge of the bed by my side. “Don’t play coy. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
My eyes jump between his .
“Dad says your father is so confident you’ll be back before the year’s out; he’s already arranged a celebratory party for your return.”
What? “Well, he’s wrong. I’m not going back. Not until…” My voice fades into the silence.
“Until what, flower?”
His words irritate me. “Urgh stop, Hen. I hate it when you call me that.”
Henry’s eyes widen at my tone. I never snap at him. “What?”
I roll my eyes. “ Flower, I hate it.”
He huffs incredulously. “Right. I see what’s really going on here.”
“I beg your pardon?”
He stands off the bed. “You and that… that oaf from the biker place. I saw the way you two stood-off against each other. Got the hots for him have you, flower—sorry, Mollie ?”
The way he mockingly speaks my name has me standing off the bed. “Fuck you,” I snap at him.
“No, fuck you!” He spins facing me, and I recoil, having never seen him so angry. “You used me tonight, just because you couldn’t have him.”
“That’s not true!”
“Isn’t it?”
I step back, the backs of my legs hitting the edge of the soft bed. “No!” Not entirely. “He annoys the shit out of me, but I have no choice to have to see him because he’s the nephew of the man I work for.”
Henry runs a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “Whatever, fl—” He cuts himself off.
After a short, uncomfortable silence, I carry on pulling on my clothes, struggling to do so.
He sighs. “Stop.”
I look at him.
His eyes soften, seeing my struggle. “Let me wash them. I have a tumble dryer; we can use that.”
“No, it’s fine.” I pull up my tights, the end tearing when I pull them with too much force. I rip them off as quickly as I tried to put them on, throwing them to the floor as hard as I can. The fact they make no noise when they hit the carpet, riles me further. “Bollocks!”
“Alright, alright,” Henry says, trying to settle me. “Sit down.”
I deflate, doing as he says, letting his soft hands guide me. I place my head in my hands, wishing I could forget our argument. “I’m sorry.”
He doesn’t reply immediately. All he does is subtly dip his chin. Eventually, he looks at me. “What’s going on with you?” he asks.
I want to cry out, to tell him I don’t ever want to go home. “I need to find out who I really am. I can’t do that under my dad’s hold.”
He smiles. “But you could have everything and anything with him. You’d have money, endless amounts of money and wealth—”
“—that’s not what I want!” My gasp comes out as more of a sob.
“Hey.” His soft voice is calming as he places his arm around me.
“I need to know what I’m capable of, not what other people tell me I’m capable of.” I shake my head. “Does that make any sense?”
“Yes… but,” he stalls, taking a breath before he speaks again, “your father’s right. You’d make a damn good lawyer one day. Plus, you haven’t worked as hard as you have to just throw it all away in some backstreet, hell bent for leather, joint.”
I can’t help but laugh at his words. “Hell bent for leather?”
“Yeah, you know. All those guys strutting around as though the leather makes them strong and mighty.”
I purse my lips, thinking back to how my stomach flipped when I saw Travis put his on. He’s not wrong.
“All I’m saying is, please don’t throw it all away just to spite your father. He only wants what’s best for you. We all do.”
When I look at Henry, his eyes reflect a kindness I yearn for. “Is that what you want, Hen?” I ask him, hearing the way my voice suddenly sounds needy.
“Of course, it’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
Our eyes dance. “Will you kiss me?”
He looks at my lips, slowly leaning forward.
I shut my eyes, waiting for them to touch mine.
“No,” he whispers, his warm breath hitting my lips.
My eyes snap open.
“I want to, Mollie. But, I don’t think you really want me to.” He stares at me, and I know what he means. “I’ll make a deal with you.”
What is it about this night and making deals?
“If after a year you decide to return home, I’ll gladly go with you.”
“Hen? ”
“Shh.” He pulls me into his arms. “I’ll wait for you. And if I wait and you decide you don’t want to come back, then I’ll move on, find a job and keep my head down.”
Pulling back, my misty eyes meet his. “You’d do that?”
Kissing my head, he keeps his lips close to my head. “For you, yes.”
I let a tear slip. “You’re too good for me,” I tell him.
“Probably.”
I nudge him playfully, wiping my eye.
“You and me, we have something pure. I can promise to love you with everything I have until the day I die, but only when you’re ready to let me love you. Until then, you need to focus on you.” Kissing me once again, he then stands and walks to his wardrobe.
I blink rapidly. I really don’t deserve his friendship, let alone his love.
“Here,” he says, passing me a white polo hoodie and a pair of his comfy trousers.
I hold my hand out, accepting them. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Once I’m dressed, Henry drives me back to the farm. I had half expected to see Travis’ bike here, but then considering how much we drank earlier, he really shouldn’t be riding anywhere tonight.
Henry pulls to a stop, keeping the engine running.
“Thank you for dropping me back,” I say, clutching my things as I lift my hand to the door.
“Stop thanking me,” he playfully scolds.
“Sorry.”
“And stop apologising.”
My lips part to apologise, but I stop myself, raising a smile instead. “I’ll wash these and message you?” I say, dipping my chin towards his clothes I’m wearing.
“Keep them.”
I raise a brow at him.
“They’re yours. I only want them back if you come with them.”
My heart drops, and I lean closer to him to give him a kiss. He doesn’t advance closer to me, so I drop my kiss on his cheek instead. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
He smiles. “No more calls or messages for me to come rescue you, okay? I’ll see you at Tim’s wedding. Then that’s it.”
I’ve tried to forget about the wedding coming up, knowing I’ll have to see my dad. But no more Henry? “Nothing?”
With a heavy sigh, he says, “I can’t have you needing me one minute and not the next. I’ll always be here, like I told you. But the next time you call me, make sure it’s the last time. My head and my heart simply can’t take anymore rejection from you.”
As much as his words make me feel like the world’s worst human, his honesty and openness are to be admired. I know exactly where I stand with him. Deep down, I’ve played with his emotions for far too long, even if I’ve only really been truly made aware of them for the first time tonight.
“Okay, Hen. I understand,” I tell him because it’s the truth.
Opening the car door, I give him a small wave as he pulls away. It takes me a few moments before my heavy feet start carrying me to the house. Once inside, I slump against the door, feeling dejected. Do I really want biker boy? Maybe I’m just acting out because this place is new to me? Either way, once I’m alone in my room, there’s only one face I see before falling into blissful sleep.