Chapter 11
Lynch
“Rebecca and I had quite an interesting chat when you left yesterday.”
“Oh, really.”
“Mm-hmm.” Mischief marked Rae’s face as she told me, “She was quite informative.”
Since Rebecca was Viper’s ol’ lady, I trusted her more than anyone to know what she should and shouldn’t say, so I wasn’t worried about the conversation she’d had with Raelyn—I was simply curious. “And what was this enlightening discussion about?”
“Oh, just some basic dos and don’ts of dating a biker.”
“I see.” I offered her my spare helmet. “And you found this information beneficial?”
“Oh, absolutely.” A wicked grin slipped across her lips. “And the advice she gave me was extremely advantageous. Rebecca is wise beyond her years.”
“Advice?”
“Mm-hmm.” Raelyn looked stunning as she put on the helmet and fastened the chin strap.
Her hair was pulled back, and she was wearing a pair of slim-fit jeans, tall leather boots, and a black jacket that hugged her curves.
With a sexy smirk on her face, she sassed, “But don’t expect me to share any of it with you. It’s all top-secret intel.”
“Whoa, hold on now. That’s not right.” I helped her climb on behind me. “You can’t withhold information about me.”
“It wasn’t just about you.” Her smile grew even wider as she continued to tease me. “I mean, it was a lot about you, but not exclusively.”
“I think I get the picture.” Before I turned the engine, I asked, “Are you all set?”
“I think so.” She leaned forward as she asked, “So, where are we going?”
“You’re not the only one who can withhold information.”
I sent a message to Hawk and Widow, letting them both know exactly where I’d be, then started up my Harley and eased out of the parking lot.
Raelyn was a natural when it came to riding. She knew just when to lean and when to still, and she rarely tensed—even when I kicked up the speed. I was enjoying the ride and tempted to keep at it, but I didn’t want to be late for the big surprise.
I was both surprised and pleased that she didn’t realize where we were going until we pulled into the race track’s parking lot. As soon as we parked, Raelyn quickly removed her helmet, and her voice was riddled with excitement as she hopped off my bike and said, “You didn’t!”
“I did.” I removed my helmet and swung my leg over the seat. “I remembered you telling me how much you loved going to the races with your grandfather, so I thought we’d make memories of our own.”
I glanced back to make sure Davies, one of the club’s prospects, was there to keep an eye on things, then I led Raelyn inside.
She was practically beaming as she followed me through the side doors and down to the track.
It wasn’t a drag-racing track like we both were accustomed to but much better suited for what I had planned.
As we got closer to the track’s base level, I was glad that Stephen, my sister’s husband, had done like I’d asked and dropped off my father’s car.
He’d left it parked at the paddock for us, and in no time at all, Raelyn spotted the bright red Camaro.
She immediately turned to me with wide eyes and gasped. “Is that your dad’s car?”
“It is.” I walked over and opened the passenger door, then said, “Hop in.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Once she’d climbed in, I closed her door, ran around to the driver’s side, and slid in. I lifted the floor mat to retrieve the keys and, as soon as we were buckled in, started the engine and pumped the accelerator like my father used to do. Turning to her, I asked, “You ready?”
“Absolutely.”
I whipped out onto the track and hammered down on the accelerator. It had been years since I’d been behind the wheel of my father’s car, and it felt incredible. With each lap around, I picked up the speed, which instantly had Raelyn screeching, “Oh my God! This is awesome!”
“I thought you might like it.”
“Like it? I love it!”
After a few more laps, I coasted back to the paddock. Once we were parked, I turned to her and asked, “You ready to take the wheel?”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“Nope.”
I opened the door and waited for Raelyn to come around, but she didn’t. Instead, she crawled over the seat and quickly buckled in. Once she was all set, she looked up at me with a bright smile. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
“I’m coming.” I chuckled as I made my way to the passenger side and jumped in. “Okay, wild one. Let’s see what ya got.”
“You might wanna hold on.”
Without further warning, Raelyn put the car in gear and whipped out onto the track. She pressed her foot against the accelerator and never let up. I was nervous about her taking the track for the first time, but she managed to keep the car steady and never came close to wiping out.
After several times around, she pulled back to the paddock and parked. “That was amazing!”
“I gotta say, you’re quite the driver.”
“I might’ve learned a thing or two from all those races my grandfather took me to.”
“You definitely did.” I motioned my hand towards the track. “You up for another go?”
“Heck yeah!”
We spent the next hour or so taking turns driving around the track.
When we’d finally had our fill, I gave Stephen a call and let him know we were done.
After assuring me he was on his way to pick it up, I hid the keys back under the mat, then led Rae out to my bike.
As I handed Rae her helmet, I asked, “You hungry?”
“Yeah, I could eat.”
“Me, too.”
I swung a leg over my Harley, then waited for her to get on behind me. Once she was settled, I sent another text to Widow and Hawk, letting them know we were leaving the track and heading to my place.
I lived on the outskirts of the city near the lake. The house wasn’t nearly as impressive as Viper’s, but with two stories and a huge backyard, it was nice enough. I’d always liked its barn-style look, and apparently, Rae did, too.
As soon as we parked, she got off my bike and asked, “Is this where you live?”
“It is.”
“It’s so cool.” Her eyes were wide with wonder as she made her way down the walkway and up the front steps. “I always see these barn-style homes online, but I’ve never had the opportunity to see one firsthand.”
“Well, now’s your chance.”
I opened the door and motioned her inside.
Once she’d stepped through the doorway, I looked out front and was glad to see that Davies was out there. Knowing he was keeping an eye on things, I closed the door and watched as Raelyn checked out the house.
She spun around, taking in the large open floor plan and everything from the living room furniture to the loft railing. “Oh my, it’s amazing.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“I love it.” She continued into the kitchen and ran her fingertips across the granite countertops. “It reminds of me of you.”
“Oh, and how’s that?”
She giggled. “It’s cool and sexy but also comfortable and functional.”
“Cool and sexy, I can get behind.” I smiled and stepped over to her. “Not too sure about the ‘comfortable and functional’ part.”
“Well, you should be.” A soft smile crossed her face. “You have a way of making people feel safe and at ease. But there’s another side of you that’s all strength and dependability and leaves no doubt you can get the job done, whatever it might be.”
“You seem to know me pretty well.”
“Not really, but I’m working on it.” Raelyn walked over and sat down on one of the bar stools, then asked, “So, what’s the plan for dinner?”
“I thought we’d go all out.”
“Oh, really?”
“Well, yeah. Gotta do what I can to impress.” I stepped over to the fridge and grabbed the hot dogs and brats, then tossed them down on the counter. “I thought we’d have an old-fashioned cookout. A couple of hot dogs, some chips and dip. Maybe some toasted marshmallows for dessert?”
“That sounds perfect.”
“Good deal.” I grabbed two wire coat hangers from the hall closet, a lighter from my pocket, and headed for the back porch door. “Give me a second to get the fire started, and then we’ll get dinner going.”
“Need any help?”
“You can get us a couple of beers from the fridge and pick out the chips you want.”
“You got it.”
While Rae was busy in the kitchen, I went outside and tossed some wood into the fire pit.
Once I had the flames rolling, I brought over two chairs, then unwound the coat hangers and forged them into long skewers.
I was about to go back inside and get Rae when she came out holding a tray loaded with our beers and all the food.
I stepped over to help her, but she placed it down on the table.
“I would’ve gotten all that.”
“Now, you don’t have to.” She glanced down at the wire hangers and smiled. “Wow, you really pulled out all the stops with this fancy cookout of yours.”
“Mm-hmm, only the best for you, babe.”
“Aren’t you just the sweetest?” Raelyn giggled as she opened the pack of hotdogs, then pulled one out and slipped it on the end of the wire hanger. “I haven’t done this since I was a kid.”
The flames illuminated her beautiful face as she extended the hot dog over the fire.
I watched her for a moment, then grabbed myself a hanger, poked it through the hot dog, and held it over the flame.
“I enjoy this kind of fine dining at least a couple of times a month, especially in the summer when my sister and her kids come out.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun.”
“Always.” I found myself smiling as I thought about Reece and Matt roasting their marshmallows by the fire. They always had a great time talking and cutting up, which was always good to see—especially when it came to Reece.
She was just twelve years old, and every moment—every breath of her life—had been plagued by cerebral palsy. Even though there were times when the symptoms were unbearable, she always tried to put on a brave face.
It pained me that I couldn’t do more to help out, but Reece took things in stride.
Even when times were at their worst, she always found a way to push through it, and I admired her for that.
“You should meet them sometime. They’re quite a pair—always into something, and their mother isn’t much better.
She has a thing for making up crazy stories, especially ones about me. ”
“Really?” A bright smile crossed her face. “What kinds of crazy stories?”
“Oh, things like I had a speech impediment when I was a kid, that I’m afraid of clowns, and I can’t sleep without my favorite blanket.”
“Those sound oddly specific.”
“Maybe, but I assure you they’re all bullshit.” I slightly chuckled, then added, “Except for the clown thing. I’ve never been a fan. They’re creepy as shit.”
“Yeah, clowns can definitely be a little scary—especially when they laugh.” A mischievous smirk slipped across her full lips. “Might make a person want a security blanket to protect them.”
She cocked that sexy eyebrow, and it was all I could do to keep myself from pulling her into my lap and kissing her, long and hard, but that wasn’t going to happen.
I knew how incredible her body and her lips felt against mine—how she tasted—so if I got too close and physically touched or kissed her, I wouldn’t be able to stop.
I couldn’t let that happen. So, tonight, I’d keep my hands and mouth to myself.
I did my best to keep a straight face as I warned her, “Don’t start with me, woman.”
“Or what?” She gave me a fierce look as she sassed, “You’ll take my blankie away?”
“Oh, no you didn’t.”
“Yeah, I kind of did.”
I propped my coat hanger on the edge of the fire pit, then reached over and grabbed the bag of marshmallows. After I opened it, I took out a handful and tossed them at her. She shot up out of her seat and gasped. “Hey!”
“I warned you.”
“Yeah, y-yeah... y-you, y-you, you sure did,” Rae teased with a giggle.
“Oh, you little—” I grabbed another handful and tossed them at her. “I never stuttered!”
Sounding like a six-year-old missing their two front teeth, she poked, “Oh, it was a wisp, wight?”
“You’re walking on thin ice, woman.”
“Bring it on, tough guy.” She reached down and scooped up a handful of marshmallows from the ground, then chucked them at me. “I can take it.”
As soon as the words left her pretty little mouth, a full-on marshmallow war ensued, and it was one to remember. We chased each other around the backyard, laughing and taunting one another while tossing marshmallows back and forth. It was a good time—a really good time.
Finished with our little war, we returned to the fire to eat our hot dogs and drink our beers. We talked about everything from silly pet peeves to our most embarrassing moments in high school. The night turned out better than I could’ve imagined.
But like all good things, it had to come to an end.
We both had an early morning, so I took Raelyn home and walked her up to the front door. Her eyes locked on mine as she smiled and asked, “Do you want to come in for a bit?”
“I should really get going.”
“Oh.” Disappointment marked her face. “Well, I had a really good time tonight.”
“I did, too.” I couldn’t begin to describe how badly I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to take her inside and spend the entire night showing her exactly how much I didn’t want to go, but instead, I said, “We’ll do it again sometime soon.”
“I’d like that.”
A heaviness filled the air as we stood there staring at one another.
I knew what she was thinking. It was written all over her beautiful face. Raelyn was wondering if I’d kiss her.
I didn’t.
I took a step back and said, “I gotta get going.”
“Oh, okay.”
The urge to reach for her was almost too much to bear. I had to get the hell out of there before my resistance broke. Disappointment flashed through her eyes as I whispered, “Night, Rae.”
“Good night, Conor.”
I turned and forced myself to walk off that porch. I got on my bike, started the engine and, with Davies following close behind, pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the clubhouse. As I rode, I couldn’t stop thinking about Raelyn and our night together.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this woman would turn my entire world upside down in ways I couldn’t imagine. That thought should’ve been enough to send me running.
It wasn’t.
I wasn’t going anywhere—not until I made her mine.