“You aren’t my type, despite that sexy package.” I laughed too. “And in case you’re deaf, I’m not into sex for money. Some of us have standards.”
He grinned and scooted over. “Come here.”
I didn’t move for a minute, deciding on the wisdom of sitting so close to him. He was lethal with his mouth.
“I’ll be back after I see Dare.” I hurried into the hall and the room where we’d always ended up—I figured that was where he’d be. The room stunk of stale whiskey and sweat, but Dare slept fully clothed half across the bed, his phone on the floor where he’d probably dropped it after calling me.
I headed to his bathroom to rummage for supplies. I found Tylenol, ibuprofen and vitamin C. I considered heading out to the main area to rummage for what I needed but instead I called MJ. She told me I’d find industrial-sized bottles of vitamin B under the bar.
Heading up front, I grabbed the bottle of vitamins, five or six bottles of water and a few bananas. I dumped it all in a sack from the kitchen before I headed back through the club room to Dare.
Bikers called out all kinds of jokes, mostly offers for their services since my guy was out of commission. I laughed and kept going, not wanting to get into any conversations while my guy was down. Better safe than punched again.
I turned on the lamp and he groaned, but I don’t think he woke up.
“Hey, babe, need you to wake up.” I spoke in a low voice.
“Don’t yell.” He moaned. “Fucking head is killing me, and my stomach thinks it can climb out of me.”
“I have a secret cure.”
He opened one eye.
I handed him four pills to swallow before giving him the opened bottle of water. He swallowed and I gave him four more. At the third set of four he frowned but took them as well.
He started to set the water down.
“Drink it all and go back to sleep.”
He grunted and drained the bottle before he moved to the center of the bed. I ran my hand over his forehead and through his hair until he was asleep again. Taking one of the full bottles with me, I headed out to Bear, deciding he was safer than the other bikers.
“So is this how you become a saint?” He cocked that one eyebrow at me.
“Nope, it’s by sitting with mean assholes like you.” I elbowed him.
He chuckled. “Told you he couldn’t get it up.”
“I gave him some vitamins and painkillers so he’ll wake up feeling better.”
With a tilt to his head, he studied me a long time. “Why do you do this shit? Cook here, give him hangover cures, do every damn thing he wants—you know he’s just gonna crush you in the end.”
I didn’t know that, or not for sure.
“Do you think I’m dreaming of white picket fences and happily ever after?” I snapped. Really I should leave before he hurt me more, but I needed to hear this.
“Yeah. And he doesn’t have it in him, no matter what he feels, if he feels.” This wasn’t said like the rest, but with sincerity. I think he was even trying to warn me.
My body stilled and my mind accepted what he said because I suspected, or feared, Bear was right. “Did you ever consider I’m just holding onto happy while it lasts?” I blew out a breath. “Not everyone even gets a single minute, let alone a lifetime.” I stood, staring down at him until he looked away. “I’m just enjoying the ride because it’s my first, and probably last, moment of happy. I’d be stupid not to take all I can before it’s gone.”
I walked away.
“Hey,” Bear called after me. “Sorry, Mama. I’m out of line.”
I spun to him. “You don’t know me, let alone respect me, so just drop the Mama, okay.” I stormed away to my SUV and back into town, but I didn’t go to work. Instead, I headed to Rachel’s.
I knocked and knocked and knocked on her door until she opened it half awake. “Bitch, get dressed, we’re going out for lunch, maybe all the way to Mars.”
“Give me ten.” She shut the door in my face. I stared at the closed door, laughing. So she still didn’t want to introduce me to her girl toy.
True to her word, she hopped in my vehicle in exactly ten minutes. “So you need grease, salt or sweet stuff?”
“I need a change of scene, so where should we eat in Ardmore?”
We ended up at this hole-in-the-wall Mexican diner with a single woman who spoke barely any English, but Rachel spoke Spanish so it was all good. She ordered us both tamales and then stared at me.
“I’m a fucking idiot. You know that, right?”
She nodded. “Yeah, figured that out first time I met you.”
I flipped her off.