“That’s fantastic.” He framed her face with his hands. “Let’s celebrate. I’ll take you to dinner.”
Brek couldn’t look away from the hope reflected in her eyes. “Let’s go have dinner. Then we’ll go for a ride,” he suggested.
She adjusted herself on his thighs and smiled against his mouth. “That sounds perfect.”
* * *
“It’s beautiful.”Velma nudged Brek and scooted closer to him where they lounged on the boulder. He slipped his arm around her.
She probably should’ve changed out of her skirt and twinset, but he’d insisted they celebrate immediately. He’d been weird ever since he’d given her the lace, mumbling something about his band. After dinner, they’d taken the long road up to Red Rocks on his bike. There wasn’t a concert tonight, so the roads were pretty much empty. He’d driven past the amphitheater to one of the dirt parking lots overlooking the lights of the city.
“I saw my first concert up here.” He nodded to where the amphitheater sat beyond the road and the canopy of trees.
“When you were a kid?”
He squeezed her tighter against his side. “Yeah, it lit the fire. I wasn’t good enough to go pro, but knew I wanted to be involved in music.”
“I like it when you play.” He’d play for her at night, before they went to sleep. It was her favorite part of the day.
“You’re biased.” He didn’t give himself enough credit, she thought.
“I never went to concerts. Claire did. I was too busy with school and debate club.” Of course she hadn’t gone to concerts. She’d been a good girl all through high school. She’d behaved. Done everything asked of her, and more. “I guess that makes me kind of boring, huh?”
“V, one thing you are not is boring.”
That’s not what her ex, Tommy Jordan, had said the night they broke up.
“It’s okay, you know.” She shifted a little away from him. “I can’t really change who I am.”
His arm tightened around her waist. Apparently, he wasn’t about to let her scoot away. “Who said you’re boring? I’m gonna kick her ass.”
“Not ‘her.’” It’s not like Tommy had lied. What he had said was true. “‘Him.’”
Brek raised an eyebrow. “Amended. I’m gonna crush his skull.”
She rolled her eyes toward the stars. “Your readiness to defend my honor is duly noted.”
“This guy really got in your head, didn’t he?” Brek shifted her so she had to meet his gaze.
He had. His words had embedded themselves in her psyche all this time. Brek made her believe she might be different. Maybe she wasn’t the boring financial planner with the choppy bangs and the turtleneck sweaters anymore. Heck, she was practically a biker chick these days. “Brek?”
“Yeah, V?” He snuggled his nose against the hairline at her temple.
She traced a finger along a rip in his jeans. “We’re all alone here.”
“Yup.”
“And your bike’s over there.”
“What’re you gettin’ at?” His warm breath against her forehead sent little pops of fire through her bloodstream.
“Maybe we could…ah…you know. That thing we started the one time, at…” Fudge, she couldn’t exactly say “at your mom’s house” when she was propositioning him.
He pulled away and frowned. “You wanna hook up on my bike?”
She made a noise in the back of her throat. This was a bad idea then and a horrible idea now. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
He stood and offered her a hand to help her up.
