Suddenly, a strange look crossed her face. "Yes. At least in every way that counts, she was."
"I always thought a lot of her."
"You knew Hallie?"
"Yeah. We crossed paths a time or two. She was one of those rare people who didn't judge a book by its cover."
She smiled. "No, she didn't. She gave everybody a chance and always managed to find something good about everyone she met."
"Even us bikers."
"Yes. Even bikers," she giggled.
I walked over to her and asked, "Need a hand?"
"Umm … You could put some ice in the glasses. They're in the cabinet beside the sink, on the left, and the sweet tea is in the fridge. I also have a beer or two in there if you'd rather have that."
I nodded, then headed over to the cabinet for the glasses. As I made our drinks, she went over to the stove and pulled out a large pan of lasagna and garlic toast. I leaned towards the food to get a better glimpse. "Looks good."
"Hopefully, it'll taste as good as it looks."
After she'd fixed us both a plate, I helped her bring everything over to the table, and once we were settled, we both started eating. Neither of us spoke, but the silence didn't bother me. It was something I'd become accustomed to. She, on the other hand, wasn't. I could tell by the way she was fidgeting that she was feeling uncomfortable, which started to make me feel the same way right along with her. I wanted to be normal for her, to be the kind of man that she deserved, but I knew that just wasn't possible. I wasn't that man, and even if I could change, I simply didn't know how. I would need help to change, and unbeknownst to me, I was about to get my first and most memorable lesson. After taking a sip of her tea, she shifted in her seat and asked, "So, what made you decide that you wanted to join Satan's Fury? Was it just because of the motorcycles, or did you like the idea of being part of a gang?"
"Satan's Fury isn't a gang. It's a club."
Clearly unnerved by my response, she started to ramble. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by the gang comment. I don't really know much about motorcycle clubs and what they're all about. I'm sure there are lots of differences between you and all those gangs that are around here."
"I guess some would say we have our similarities, but we consider ourselves family and we give our all to the club, even if that means putting our lives on the line."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "Hmm … Lives on the line? So, I guess some of the stories I've heard about Satan's Fury are true."
"Depends on what you've heard."
"That's a vague response."
I shrugged. "I'll tell you this … As a member of the club, I always know my brothers have my back, no matter what the circumstance."
"I guess that would be kind of nice. Hallie was always that for me. There was nothing she wouldn't do for me, and I really miss having that. I have Jason and his sister, Daphne, but it just isn't the same."
My back stiffened at the sound of Jason's name. I'd never considered the fact that Alex might have a boyfriend, and while the feeling might've been irrational, the thought of her in another man's arms annoyed the hell out of me. I tried to keep my cool as I asked, "Jason?"
"Oh … where do I start?" A smile spread across her face as she continued, "Jason and I met a year or so after I moved here, and I guess we just kind of hit it off. We started hanging out, and it wasn't long before we were together all the time."
It wasn't exactly what I wanted to hear, but seeing that he made her happy made it somewhat easier to bear. "You seem to care a lot about him."
"Definitely. He means the world to me. When Hallie passed, he never left my side … I don't know what I would've done without him."
"So, you two have been together for a while?"
"What? Wait … No!" She shook her head feverishly. "Jason and I aren't together. He's just my friend … a really good friend, but that's it. Nothing more. Besides, I wouldn't have invited you to dinner if ..."
Her voice trailed off, and her cheeks suddenly turned a bright shade of pink. She'd just revealed something to me, but it took me a moment to realize exactly what she was saying. Damn. The dinner was more than just a way for her to thank me-much, much more. Feeling relieved by her confession, I replied, "Good to know."
Alex
Sitting across the table from me, Shadow looked like every fantasy I'd ever had wrapped into one incredibly sexy package, and even though I tried my best to hide it, he was making me a nervous wreck. I knew a man as good-looking as Shadow could have any woman he wanted, and even though I tried to tell myself that he was just a man-no different than any other-I knew that wasn't true. Shadow was a strong, enigmatic force with a ferocity that couldn't be denied, and at times, he could be more than a little intimidating. That alone should've had me running for the hills, yet it was the last thing I wanted to do. Instead, I longed to touch him, feel his strength beneath my fingertips, and completely submit to my attraction to him. But there was something else I wanted even more. I wanted to get to know the man behind the walls he kept so guarded.
Hoping to gain a little insight to the man behind the leather, I said, "I've noticed that you stop by the bookstore quite often. Have you always been a big reader?"
"I guess you could say that." He glanced up at me as he continued, "I picked it up when I was younger. And you?"
"It came later for me. I guess you could say that Hallie rubbed off on me." I giggled. "She had me read a few of her favorites, and after that, I was hooked. There's nothing like the escape you can get from a good book."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
"What is your favorite genre?"
"When I was younger, I was all about mystery and suspense, but now, I'll read just about anything." He took another bite of his lasagna before saying, "I like to get different perspectives on things. You know?"
Remembering the book he'd left on the table, I answered, "I do. I totally get it."
"Who knows? I might actually learn something from some crazy author one day."
"You never know." Hoping I wasn't crossing some imaginary line, I asked, "When did you join Satan's Fury?"
"A while ago … right after I got back from Afghanistan."
"Afghanistan? I didn't realize you had been in the military."
"It was a long time ago."
I couldn't help but wonder if his time at war was the reason why he'd been reading a book about PTSD. I wanted to ask him more about it, but it was clear from his tone that he didn't want to talk about it. Deciding to go another route, I asked, "What about your family? Are you close?"
"My parents and sister died in a house fire when I was ten."
"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how hard that must've been for you."
"It was tough, but I got through it." His tone was lightened as he said, "My brothers are my family now."
"I'm glad you found them, especially after all you've been through."
"One of the best things that ever happened to me." He took another bite of his garlic bread before turning his focus back to me. "What about you? You close to your folks?"
"Hmm … not exactly." I was walking on shaky ground. I didn't want to lie straight out so I decided to be vague with my response. "My mother died a few years ago, and since then, my father and I have kind of lost touch."
"Sounds like you've had a pretty rough go of it, too."
"I guess we all have our crosses to bear, but like you, I got through it."
"Yeah, I'd say you were doing pretty well."
"I wouldn't go that far." I chuckled. "It's not always easy being on your own."
"But, you've got Jason," he teased.
I shook my head and smiled. "Yes. I do have him, and his sister, Daphne."
Since we'd both finished eating, I stood up and took our plates over to the sink. I was just about to turn around when he came up behind me with the rest of the dishes. He set them down on the counter next to me and said, "You're a good cook."
"Not really." I shrugged. "I was just following Hallie's recipe. She was the cook."
"Either way, dinner was delicious."
I looked over at him and smiled. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Can I get you some more tea or maybe a beer?"
He ran his hand over his stomach and almost chuckled. "No, thanks. I'm good."
As soon as I finished putting the leftovers in the fridge, I started to feel anxious. I hadn't had many experiences with men. In fact, I'd only been intimate with two men in my life, both of which were a long time ago-too long ago. I'd all but forgotten how to show a man that I was interested in him, which only made matters worse because I was definitely interested in Shadow. While I knew it was impossible for me to have a real relationship with him, I still found myself drawn to him. I'd been attracted to him since the first day he'd walked into my bookstore, and here he was, just a few feet away. I finally had my chance to get closer to him, and I couldn't just let the opportunity pass me by. "Would you like to sit and talk for a while?"