***
“That was delicious, thank you.” I put my trash back in the bag before sticking my legs out in front of me. Cactus would never let me on his bike wearing my uniform. He’d thought of everything, bringing me a pair of my jeans and a sweatshirt.
“It’s hot deli from the grocery store. Nothing special.” I wouldn’t argue with him over food, but it was better than anything I would have had tonight. The microwave had officially died, and I was living on delivery. There was only so much saloon food I could eat after serving all day.
Quiet settled around us, and I thought about testing a new limit. I wanted to feel the softness of his lips against mine. We’d come close several times before but had never crossed that line. I didn’t think he’d say no, but kissing was more intimate than touch. He’d never made me feel uncomfortable, and if he turned me down, I’d respect that.
Tapping his leg, I waited, but he studied me out of the corner of his eye. I sat up on my knees and faced him, tapping his leg again. He needed to follow my lead without my asking.
His legs shifted, creating enough space for me to sit between them. I reached out to smooth the lines of his forehead. I traced the bridge of his nose, over to his cheek—the skin weathered from years of riding. His mustache twitched as I followed it from the top of his lip to the end, where it curled slightly. Using my other hand, I trailed the same path on the other side.
This was it. The intensity of his gaze held me captive. I’d never had someone see me so clearly, and it was overwhelming. I leaned forward, touching my lips to his before quickly pulling back.
“Kiss me,” he exhaled.
I placed my hands on his shoulders, leaning in. This time, I licked his lips, begging for something, anything. He granted me entry, parting his lips to connect with mine. I wanted to remember every detail, no matter how small.
Everything was blurry in the heat of his kiss. I grabbed fistfuls of his T-shirt, anchoring myself to him so that I wouldn’t float away. I had been the one to start this, but he kissed me like he needed it. Deep, slow, and then demanding. When I gave in, his control slipped, only making me want him more. It should have scared me, knowing my dating history, but Cactus would never hurt me, and I believed that with every fiber of my being.
“Grant,” I breathed into the space between us. He buried his hands in my hair, lightly tugging at the roots.
“Say it again.” His voice was hoarse.
I kissed him, lips pecking until we found the right combination. He’d attack until I whimpered against his mouth, pulling back until I reignited our heat. “Grant.” When I couldn’t breathe, I laid my head against his shoulder as he held me.
He shifted me in his lap until his chest pressed against my back. His arms wrapped around me tight as he placed a kiss on my temple. “Tell me about today.” His voice rumbled in my ear.
“There were four of them,” I started, watching as the sun set in bright orange. “They walked in with their helmets still on, but that wasn’t the weird thing. They ordered the same meal, cooked the same way, and when I brought the food, they all ate with the same hand.” I shifted, trying to get closer to his body. “This was the worst part. They all had the same tattoo on the inside of their wrists.”
“You said you thought they stiffed you,” he prompted.
“Yeah, I went to run another table’s food, and when I turned around, they were gone. I thought I was going to owe Angelica, but on the table was $150. I kept the $50, and the rest paid for their bill.”
“How did they look?”
“Black clothing, but I’m sure they wore contacts and dyed their hair the same shade. They even held their helmets while they ate.” His body tensed as I talked. “Is something wrong?”
“Not sure, but if they come back, call me.” He placed a kiss on my neck, sliding his tongue up to my ear. “I’ll fight for you.”
I thought about reigniting the fire from our kisses, but a raindrop hit the back of my hand.Does it really rain in Arizona?A few more scattered across the sleeve of my sweatshirt, leaving dark spots behind. The rain felt like the promise of something brand new.
“Yes,” he chuckled, answering me. I must have asked out loud. “It does, but we need to go. There’s only one road on this mountain, and if it rains, we could be stuck in a flash flood.”
He turned onto the main road as the rain poured. It felt like a clean slate, washing away the part of me that used to hurt. I no longer needed to brace for disappointment.
Chapter twenty-four
Let The Rain Fall
Roxy
We rushed through the motel room door, soaked through after riding the entire way back from the overlook. There hadn’t been a single overpass to shelter under. I ran straight for the bathroom, gathering as many towels as I could find.
“Here.” I threw one at Cactus. He’d already taken off his club cut, letting it hang off the back of the chair, but his gray shirt clung to his skin. It highlighted the tattoos in bright colors. If they had been shades of gray, I would have understood, but the color had been the fun he’d been suppressing for a long time.
He peeled his sodden T-shirt off, flinging drops across the room before it landed on the floor. The faint clink of his belt snapped me out of it. I startled, not realizing I’d been staring.
His jeans hit the floor next to his shirt, the muscles in his thighs flexing as he shifted his weight. Quickly, I stripped off the sweatshirt and jeans, revealing my uniform underneath. I hadn’t wanted to waste time earlier, preferring to pull the jeans over the shorts in the parking lot. They were tight enough I had had no trouble smoothing the fabric out underneath the denim.
