I didn’t want Ryatt to feel like I did, that something—or someone—else would come before him.
But I missed Cruz, too. I didn’t want to hurt either one of them. I’d been honest with Ryatt. Tomorrow, I’d be honest with Cruz. I wasn’t sleeping with either one of them, not yet. I still didn’t trust myself with Cruz, and it was getting hard not to do more than make out with Ryatt.
I was so confused. Love sucked.
“You’ll be the only single one tonight,” Pippa said.
“She won’t be for long,” Hana said. “Chrome will be packed. No bro code with the guys tonight. Cruz won’t be there, and she looks way too good tonight not to have fun.”
“It won’t matter if Cruz is there.” I took another shot of cherry-flavored courage. “I’m not exactly single.”
“Did you and Cruz make up?”
I smiled at Pippa. “No. Listen, it’s nothing serious.”Yet.“I have a date with Ryatt tonight.”
Hana’s lips formed an O. “Girl, you’re going to need backup if Cruz finds out.”
“He’s going to find out,” I said. “I’m not keeping Ryatt a secret.” I already knew how that felt. “I don’t know what will happen with Cruz. We’re complicated, and being with Ryatt is easy. I like him.”
“Talk to Pip,” Hana said. “She has experience juggling two Hellers.”
“Boundaries,” Levi said, but without any angst in her tone, but a giggle bubbling out of her.
“Agreed.” Pippa knocked her glass into Levi’s and they both downed another shot. “And Ryatt isn’t a Heller.”
“Not yet,” Levi clarified.
A bike pulled into the driveway, not the rumble of a Harley, but the high-pitch whistle of a street bike.
“Are you sure this looks good?” I asked Levi. I wore her halter top. The black fabric clung to my breasts and showed off my abdomen above the jeans riding low on my hips. I’d added a touch of my own style with high-top canvas kicks.
A knock sounded at the front door.
“I’ll get it,” I said with butterflies tumbling in my belly. Cruz’s friends had become my friends, but I wouldn’t have scripted this scenario. Romeo had loyalty to Cruz because he was a Heller. But his connection to Ryatt was just as deep.
Cruz struggled with his insecurities. I didn’t want Hellers picking sides. I didn’t know where this was going with Ryatt, but I wasn’t going to pretend we were just friends. We’d become more. We went on rides, hung out here with Levi and Romeo, and we snuggled on the couch in the loft of the garage while binge-watching Netflix. And we kissed. A lot.
I’d asked him not to say anything about us if he went to the MC. I wasn’t being fair to him, but I was honest.And so was he. Ryatt wanted to prospect whereas I couldn’t be back at the MC and not ache for what I’d lost with Cruz.
Just because I’d caught feelings for Ryatt didn’t mean I’d fallen out of love with Cruz.
Anticipation zinged through me as I opened the door. Ryatt paused in his step into the house, and his gaze took a slow trek down my body setting off tiny explosions of heat.
He looked past me toward the voices coming from the kitchen. “Can I kiss you?” he whispered.
I stepped into him, wrapped my arm around his neck, and pulled his mouth to mine. “You can.”
A riot of emotions did a dance inside me. My heart pounded, sending hard pulses through my limbs. His lips were soft, but his intent was all fire. Threading his fingers into my hair, he positioned my head. My lips parted and our tongues touched.
His other hand slid along the bare skin of my waist. His low growl vibrated into me. “You taste like cherries.”
“Do you like cherries?”
He bent and kissed me again, sweeping his tongue into my mouth and crushing my body to his. “I fucking love cherries.”
“Did you get a pass on curfew?” I asked against his lips.
He released his hold of me. “I did, but I had to sign an agreement with Treena. She knows I’m working extra to save enough money to get my own place. As long as I’m still checking in with my PO, she’s being cool.”
