My sister shakes her head. “He’s a stranger, Noe. That might be dangerous.”
Yeah, I didn’t think that through. “He has my number, too.” I wince at her sharp look. “Hey, I’ll be careful. I’ve got a great security system, remember?”
My sister snorts. “Like that would stop an outlaw.”
I don’t tell her she’s probably right. I also don’t mention the kiss. “Sorry for today. Nothing like that will ever happen again.”
“Hey, I know. I’m not upset with you.” She sighs. “It’s scary, isn’t it?”
“You have no idea. I thought I would have a panic attack.”
“I did,” she admits. “Never told you before now, but I lost her once. Terrified me so badly I shook for hours afterward.”
My jaw drops. Amy? The perfect mom? “Wow.”
She pulls me in for a hug. “I love you. Thanks for always being there for us.”
“Of course! I love you both.”
“I know.”
I walk with her to the door and hug my niece before they both leave, plunging my little two-bedroom house into silence. I love the quiet. It’s how I can get so many words in and finish books as quickly as I do. Living alone facilitates a healthy working environment for me.
I enjoy it. I really do.
But . . . sometimes I wonder if I’m missing out. If I should go out more and embrace my wild side.
I’m a good girl who always does the right thing. Responsible. Perfect credit score.
About the only indulgence I have is my sweet tooth.
Would it be so bad to find out if Torque is the guy who can help me find balance in my overly organized and bland life?
Chapter 4 Torque
I’m fucking in love with this woman. She’s gorgeous, sweet, makes the perfect hot cocoa, and her cookies are better than any I’ve had since childhood. I don’t want to leave.
It’s just my luck that I get a text from Storm. When I check the message, I frown. It’s not typical to order us to church on a Saturday evening. Something must have happened with Hangman.
Shit.We don’t need another headache with the Crimson Heretics. I’m hoping this doesn’t mean we have to remind them this is our territory. Summit Hill belongs to the Vipers.
When I say goodbye to Noelle, I can’t resist kissing her. She feels so fucking right in my arms. I can’t fight the urge to deepen the kiss, tasting hot cocoa as I explore her mouth. By the time I release her, she looks dazed. Her pretty green eyes have darkened, and they’re hooded as her flushed cheeks prove her arousal.
Fuck yeah.
This won’t be the last time I see her or taste that pretty mouth.
I head outside, noting that her sidewalk and driveway need to be shoveled. I’ll come back for that with some ice, so it isn’t slippery for her or Ainsley. It’ll have to wait until after church.
Now that I have Noelle’s number, I can give it to our tech expert, Blaze. He’s a fucking genius when it comes to hacking or forging documents. He can spot a fake faster than anyone I’ve ever met, but he’s detail-oriented. The type of guy who’s so good at what he does that he’s left on his own most of the time. Storm doesn’t worry about Blaze. He’s loyal as fuck.
Plus, Blaze, or Gage as his family knows him, is obsessed with his stepsister. That’s a whole other set of concerns I stay out ofsince Storm is the president. Of course, Blaze and his stepsister only became siblings a few years ago when his dad married her mom, so technically, it’s not really that taboo.
None of that matters since I only want him for one reason: to put a tracker on Noelle’s phone. Yeah, I’m a dick and a stalker. It’s for her safety. My connections to the club and being a member of the most notorious biker club in the Midwest mean I have enemies. I need to be able to find her or know where she is at all times.
Will I tell her? Not fucking yet. Probably not until she’s already in love with me.
I climb in my truck and start it up, backing down the driveway and heading to the Grid Iron. The club owns the bar and clubhouse. Same with the land it sits on. Storm bought the properties around us over the years until we spread across 50 acres. Our property has a lake spanning nearly 25 acres. Forest borders three sides since we’re on the outskirts of town.
