Even when the man it beats inside is a fucking liar.
One day the truth will catch up with me. But today isn’t that day.
“Prospect!” I yell to the newest recruit. “Take her SUV home. Get someone to bring you back for your bike.”
“Will do.” He holds out his hand.
Dani tosses him the keys, and he catches them effortlessly, flashing us a grin. “Thank you!” she calls after him.
He salutes her, then jogs toward the SUV.
“Come on.” I hook my arm around her shoulders, drawing her against me as we head toward my bike. At the end of every day, this is what I crave—her body close to mine. Her calm to my chaos.
“It’s been a while since I’ve ridden with you.” Her voice is muffled against my shirt and the leather of my cut.
The heat of her breath raises goosebumps on my arms. Around us, the night is thick and humid, crickets chirping loud in the quiet. The parking lot is nearly empty now, which is why I don’t bother holding back when I lean down and whisper into her ear, “Been a while since you’ve ridden me, too.”
She giggles, her fingers tightening in my shirt where her arm wraps around my waist. “Maybe we could fix that when we get home. Or... on the way home. I’m not picky. And I know you aren’t either.”
My cock hardens instantly. It has been a while—longer than either of us prefers. The weight of running the club and my meetings with Chief Harrison have drained me. Every day I wear a mask. There’s only one person who sees the real me—Dime. But Dani? She sees parts no one else does. Still, some truths I keep locked away for good reason.
One day, the mask will fall.
But not tonight.
“Oh yeah?” I murmur, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I’d be down for that if you are.”
She purrs low in her throat. “Yeah. I’ve missed the fuck out of you.”
I’ve missed her too. The way her body clings to mine. The scrape of her nails down my back. The way her voice gets breathy when she’s close.
“Missed you too, babe. Let’s go.”
We mount the bike, and I make sure she’s secure before starting it up. Her arms wrap around me tight, her body snuggling into my back. There was a time when the only peace I found was in a patrol car, patrolling small-town Alabama. Now? It’s here. With her behind me, pressed close.
It’s dangerous.
How much I care.
But I can’t help it.
“You good?” I call over my shoulder.
Her helmeted forehead rests against me, and she nuzzles like a cat. That’s all the answer I need.
“Hold on tight.”
We take off, the engine growling beneath us. The club falls into formation behind me as we ride the two-lane road just outside Laurel Springs. No streetlights out here—just darkness, humidity, and the faint glow of the city on the horizon.
Back when I was courting Dani, we’d come out here, park, and make out like teenagers. Her dad was always around, always watching. I respected it—but all I wanted was my tongue in her mouth and my dick buried deep.
Crude, but honest.
She digs her nails into my stomach when I take a turn a little fast. That pinch of pain shoots straight to my cock. I want her—bad. If I could, I’d hit the throttle and be home in seconds. I’ve let the job consume me, and I’ve neglected our marriage in the process.
No more.
I love her.
