“I can’t thank you enough.” I pushed my arm in one side and swung it around my back, tugging down on the front and spinning back to the mirror. “How does it look?”
“Gorgeous.”
All of the self-consciousness I’d been feeling suddenly bled away as I looked at myself. It wasn’t like I dressed like that every day, and as long as it had been since I’d gone out on a date, Libby was right about one thing: this was Drew. He loved me, and no matter where we went or what we did, it was with him. That was what I had to focus on. The rest I could deal with in the morning.
“What time is it?”
“Seven fifty—” She put up one finger, her breath firmly held. “Nine.”
I gave her a grin and checked the door in the mirror, realizing I had no idea where I was supposed to meet him. With one last hug to Libby, I sucked in as much oxygen as I could manage and headed to the door. It took everything in me to step out and head down to the bar, the heels marking every step I took with a small clip. When I finally made it out there, I found almost every guy in the place congregated at the bar, most of them hiding behind their beers as their eyes widened and followed my progress across the room. The looks they were giving me only succeeded in making me more nervous.
I was practically hyperventilating by the time I reached the door. All the eyes of the MC were burning holes into my back as I forced myself to focus on balancing with the heels, my hands tugging the bottom of the leather like a nervoustwitch.
All of that was forgotten as soon as I walked outside. The chatter started the moment it slipped back into the frame, but my eyes were on the man that stood at the base of the porch steps, his handsome face angled up at me, his eyes bright as they drank me in.
He looked amazing. The white shirt he had on under his cut was made for him. Where my sweater hugged my curves, his shirt clung to his muscles. Not that I could blame it. I would have been clinging to him if I was that close, too.
As my eyes met his, his smile grew to the one that made my stomach tighten in want while his fingers twisted the most perfect long-stemmed rose I’d ever seen in my life. There were a thousand thoughts running through my mind as I memorized the image, but only one stuck out.
I was in so much trouble that night.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Drew
All the thoughts of the rose in my hand being a little too much fell away the moment she stepped out onto the porch. I couldn’t tear my eyes away and I couldn’t stop them inspecting every single inch of her curves. The backlight that the bar provided made her look like some kind of fucking angel, and as I let my attention finally rise to meet her… no,mybaby blues again, I was grinning about as subtly as a kid in a candy store.
Damn, she looked fucking good.
I stalked up the steps slowly, the sound of the wood creaking beneath my heavy, black boots. Ayda’s eyes never left mine, not even when she hitched in a breath and held it tight in her chest. Her chest which looked slightly bigger than my memory and my hands remembered it looking before.
There I was in a crisp, white shirt and there she was looking finer than I’d ever imagined she could. I thought I’d seen all Ayda’s looks already. I’d checked her out in lingerie, dresses, sweats, the whole lot… everything except that version before me.
When I finally reached her, I stayed one step below and placed the rose between my teeth. The small smile that started to creep onto her face spurred me on as I held out my hand forhers and slowly began to guide her down the steps. The second her feet landed on the gravel path, I saw the look of horror flash across her face. I was no chick, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that Ayda, plus heels, plus uneven surfaces could result in more bad than good.
Not giving her time to argue, one arm wrapped around the small of her back while my knees bent and I hooked my other arm under her legs, pulling her up tight against my chest with a smirk plastered on my face.
“‘Ha‘ose,” I tried to get out, encouraging her to take the thing that was now tasting a little too green out of my mouth for me.
With a small giggle, she plucked it away and replaced it with her lips, her eyes meeting mine as she relaxed back into my arms and kicked her legs out. “Drew Tucker, a romantic. I’m kind of digging it.”
Smiling down on her before I set her on steady feet, I unhooked the helmet from the front and held it out for her to take.
“I’m full of surprises, darlin’. I promised you a date, so you’re getting the full works. I’m pretty sure I must have a little bit of gentleman in me somewhere.”
Ayda’s cheeks flushed as she stared into the helmet, her lips moving, but the words barely audible. Whatever she said was complimentary. I could tell by the look in her eyes as she glanced up at me again.
All I could do was raise my brow in question and take a step closer.
Pulling the helmet over her head and straddling the bike, she watched me with her lips curled into a smile.
“So, where are you taking me, Mr. Tucker?”
Slipping in front of her, I grabbed her arms and pulled them tight around my waist, turning to look over my shoulder when I spoke. “I’m taking you to the bright lights of Babylon to show you off, the way any other boyfriend would do. Then…”
Shuffling closer, she rested her chin on my shoulder, her hands clasping tightly against my abs. “Then…?”
It was my turn to torment her. Facing forward, I started up the bike and began to back out of my space. The small sound that escaped the back of her throat only made my smile grow wider, and soon enough, we were riding out of the gates and heading to the one place I never thought I’d see myself go, to do the one thing I was pretty fucking certain I would never do.
