“You should tell your biker about this. He’ll make sure you don’t get hurt.”
Cara laughed dryly. “Hawk? He doesn’t give a shit. His case is over, and he’s history.”
“He’s not history. I’ve seen the way he acts around you and looks at you. I’ll bet he’s not ready to throw in the towel. You need to tell him what happened. You need his help.”
Cara wanted to call Hawk. Even though she made light of the encounter with Viper in front of Asher, she was damned scared—she didn’t want to draw attention from a ruthless group like the Nomads. She remembered those creeps who’d bought drinks for her and Sherrie at Rusty’s were wearing the Deadly Demons Nomads rocker on the back of their leather jackets, and they were gross.
Tired to the bone, she yearned to go home, curl up on the couch, and forget about bikers, especially Hawk. If she were to tell him about Viper, he’d laugh at her and tell her it wasn’t his problem. Why would he care? He didn’t have any feelings for her. She was nothing more than a good fuck. No doubt, the brothers at the club cheered and whistled when he’d told them he’d fucked his lawyer. I’m sure it made for good biker conversation.
She’d opened her heart to Hawk, and what a big, foolish mistake that had been. What could she say? He didn’t have a clue how to love a woman or have a real relationship, and even though she knew he was hardened, she stupidly let him get to her. She’d slipped up big-time. He didn’t give a shit about her, so no, she wouldn’t call him. Why should she? If he cared even an iota about her, he’d call her, but she bet she’d never hear from him again. So be it.
“Asher, after this next appointment, I’m going home. I’ve decided I’m done with all this biker crap. I’ll let Jim know what happened.”
“Good. I worry about you. I really think you should tell Hawk about this,” Asher said.
“No worries. I’m done with all of it. The old Cara is back.”
Staring at the phone, she sighed, picked it up, and dialed. After the third ring, she said, “Hi, Luke, this is Cara. Are you free for dinner tomorrow night? … You are? Great.”
Chapter Seventeen
The charity event was at the Palace Hotel. Built during the Silver Rush of 1893, the Palace was one of the oldest hotels in Colorado. Dignitaries and presidents had graced the lobby and hallways, and the hotel still held its charm, its glitz, and its opulence. It was the place where actors, musicians, politicians, and plain old rich folks flocked to during the thriving ski season or the bluegrass festival held every August. During off-season, the rich gentlemen and their much younger mistresses rented rooms to indulge in a bit of pleasure.
No matter how many times Cara came to this grand hotel, the atrium, with its stunning, Victorian stained glass and four-story crystal chandelier, impressed her. Passionate about history, the Palace Hotel, in its splendor, epitomized her love for the Victorian era.
Smiling at her, Luke slipped his arm around her waist. Handsome in his dark blue Armani suit, with his short, wavy brown hair, clean-shaven face, and his killer Neiman Marcus tie, Luke was the type of guy she should stick with. For the few weeks she had been pulled into Hawk’s seductive web, she had put Luke on the back burner, but since that was behind her, Cara had decided to give him a fighting chance. As far as boyfriends went, he checked off all the boxes, and her parents had been thrusting Luke in her face for the last two years.
“Hey, beautiful. Sorry I’m late.” He leaned in to kiss her, and she turned her head. His lips brushed her cheek and his jaw tightened. Crap, why did I do that? She had kissed Luke before, like the other night when they made out at Rocky Mountain Lake. Noticing his pursed lips and deep frown, Cara didn’t blame him for being perturbed with her. She wanted to embrace him wholeheartedly, but something was missing. Even when they were at the lake groping and kissing each other, she hadn’t felt anything spectacular, not like she had when Hawk kissed her.
Dammit. I need to stop thinking about him! Feeling guilty, she was aware she dated Luke in hopes that he’d make her forget about Hawk. She had to exorcize the biker from her mind and body, but it wasn’t working too well.
While scanning the lobby, Luke asked, “Is your dad here yet?”
“No. He’ll be here soon. We’re sitting at my parents’ table.”
“That’s fantastic.” He looked like he’d won the lottery—he was so kissing her dad’s ass.
Rolling her eyes, Cara feared it was going to be a very long night. Although she’d decided to give whatever she had with Luke a try, she longed to be alone—after all, she was busy with her career, and her clients took up so much of her time. She enjoyed hanging with her friends, working, and being on her own, but the nighttime was the hard part. When she was alone, Hawk invaded her thoughts and her body tingled in remembrance of their coupling.