I drew in a careful breath, forcing the guilt back down and masking my reaction as best I could. “Yeah.”
My entire purpose had shifted, and now, instead of plotting how to use Aubrey to hurt him, I had to figure out how to convince them both that she had become the most important thing in my world. She was everything to me, and the idea of losing her was unthinkable. Somehow, I had to make them understand the depth of what had changed for me.
When Tripp finally turned and left, I stood in the quiet clubhouse corridor, suddenly feeling restless and incomplete. Right then, all I wanted was to see Aubrey. I needed to ground myself again in her presence.
Before I could second-guess myself, I pulled out my phone and called her, pacing quietly as I waited for her to pick up.
“Hey.”
The warmth in her voice immediately eased some of the tension that had gathered in my chest. It brought clarity to the chaos and anchored me again.
“Can I see you again tonight? I know it’s late, but?—”
“I’d like that,” she replied softly. “I’ve been thinking about you.”
Her admission sent heat pulsing through my veins, and I closed my eyes briefly, letting her words wash over me. “I’ve been thinking about you, too, sunshine. Probably too much.”
“I’ll be ready whenever you get here,” she offered with a laugh.
As I ended the call, I was painfully aware of the precarious ground beneath us. Eventually, everything would detonate, and I’d have to face the truth about Tripp, my original intentions, and how I’d planned to use Aubrey. But right now, none of that mattered as much as being close to her again. I needed her with a hunger that had taken hold of me so deeply I knew there was no turning back.
I headed toward my bike, each step filled with the resolve that had settled deep into my bones. No matter what lay ahead, Aubrey Cullen belonged to me. And I wasn't letting her go.
9
AUBREY
Canyon pulled up in front of my apartment right on time for our third date. And he started it with a fantastic surprise.
“We’re going to ride to the beach tonight.”
I took the helmet from him with a grin. “You won’t get any complaints from me.”
“Good, but I am gonna get a kiss.”
That was all the encouragement I needed to lean in. He took control from there, stealing my breath in yet another kiss that left me feeling breathless.
He helped me fasten the helmet and get settled on the bike. As I wrapped my arms around his waist and pressed against his back, that familiar solid heat of his body grounded me. When the engine roared to life, we pulled out onto the road and headed down the coast.
The ride was beautiful. The ocean air whipped around us while the fading sunlight painted the sky in soft oranges and pinks. I loved the steady vibration of the bike beneath us and the way Canyon felt so strong in front of me. Every now and then, he would drop one hand to squeeze my thigh or brush across my knee, like he needed the contact as much as I did.
I smiled against his back, overwhelmingly happy in a way I hadn’t experienced in a long time. Riding with Canyon made me feel like I was exactly where I was meant to be.
As we neared the coastline, he pulled off the road and parked outside a small market with a weathered sign. “Gotta pick up some supplies.”
I followed him inside, wondering what he was up to when he handed me a couple of bottles of cold drinks as I trailed him. “You’re being awfully bossy again.”
He glanced over at me with a quick grin, his bright blue eyes amused. “You complaining, sunshine?”
“Just making observations,” I teased, bumping my shoulder against his arm. “ You like being in charge, don’t you?”
He added a couple of steaks to the basket he was carrying. “When it comes to taking care of you? Yeah, I do.”
The words were simple, but I was coming to understand how much he meant them.
We moved through the market together easily, picking out a few more ingredients that made me think he planned to grill for me.
“Why do I have the feeling you’ve got something up your sleeve?”
