He chuckled softly, brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ll find you tomorrow.”
Her smile grew, but there was something mischievous in her eyes. “Next time there won’t be any distractions, there won’t be any interruptions. Just us.”
His gaze softened as he cupped her face, his thumb lightly tracing the curve of her jaw. “Just us,” he repeated.
She shoved her feet into her boots as she kept her eyes on his. Straightening up, they stood there, the weight of the worldfalling away. All that mattered was the promise in his voice, the unspoken connection that bound them together.
Chapter Sixteen
Diamond strippeddown to her underwear and pulled on her t-shirt. She barely pulled the blanket over her when she heard Nova.
“How’s Sayer?”
Closing her eyes, Diamond should have known she couldn’t get anything past Nova. That was why the girl was her veep. “He’s good.”
“Diamond, will the Bastards be a problem for us come tomorrow?”
That was a good question. She wanted to say no; the truth was she had no idea. “We’ll make sure they aren’t.” It was the best she could tell Nova.
The tension in the tent hung thick as Diamond tried to steady her breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. Nova always had a way of cutting through the surface, finding the cracks beneath. Diamond admired that about her.
But right now, there was no room for second-guessing. She couldn’t afford to let anyone, especially Nova, see how uncertain she really was. The Bastards were still an uncertain complication. And as much as Diamond hated to admit it, she wasn’t entirely sure where they’d stand on what the Harlots were doing.
“We’ll handle it,” Diamond said, her voice firm, but the slight catch in her throat betrayed her confidence. She pulled the blanket up, trying to shake off the lingering unease. “It’s gonna be fine.”
Nova didn’t press. She never did, but Diamond knew her well enough to know Nova wasn’t convinced. Still, there was nothing more to say for now.
“Get some sleep, Nova. Tomorrow’s gonna be long.”
Diamond’s thoughts raced as she lay there, the soft rustling of the tent flaps doing little to calm her mind. Sayer’s kisses lingered like a warm, impossible ache, a reminder of what could be—and what she couldn’t afford to have. Every instinct screamed at her to pull away, to let the moment pass and bury it deep. She couldn’t get caught up in something that had no future.Could it?
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the emotions to dissipate. It was a fleeting thing, just a distraction. Tomorrow there would be no room for soft moments or fleeting connections. There would only be the mission, the task at hand.
Her breath hitched as she imagined Sayer’s gaze, the way his hands had felt on her skin.Get it together,she thought.There’s no time for this.But even as she told herself that, part of her wondered if it was too late to turn back.
Sayer rolled into the Royal Bastards’s campsite, with the party in full swing. Parking his sled amongst the other bikes, he shut it down and climbed off. Grabbing a beer from the ice chest, he headed for a spot by the firepit.
Sayer leaned back against a tree, nursing his beer but barely noticing the chill of the can in his hand. He listened to the brothers telling stories about rallies past. Tipping his beer back, he took a long pull on the cold liquid. The raucous laughter and loud stories filled the air. But they felt as distant as the moon. His mind wasn’t on the stories, the laughter, or anything else happening around the campsite. His mind was on a petite blonde with dark chocolate-colored eyes, and the perfect lips. His focus was entirely on Diamond, her image still burned into his mind.
She was all sass and heat. And he couldn’t get enough of her.
He couldn’t forget the way she looked when she’d stood in front of him earlier, full of fire. Her eyes flashing with a challenge he had no intention of backing down from. There was something about her that was magnetic: a storm wrapped in a sharp, enticing package. He could feel the heat from her kiss all over again, the way she’d pulled back just enough to leave him craving more.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wanted to see her again, wanted to feel that electric charge between them. But it was dangerous. She didn’t seem the type to get tangled up in anything.
He took another swig of beer, shaking off the thought.Focus, Sayer,he told himself. The rally, the brothers, this damn party—it should’ve been enough to keep him distracted. But it wasn’t.Not when all he could think about was Diamond, and the wild, irresistible energy she carried with her.
The sound of a voice calling his name pulled him back to reality. “Sayer! You gonna just stand there or join the fun?”
He smirked, tossing the empty can into the campfire. “I’m here, aren’t I?” But even as he said it, his eyes were searching, looking for any sign of her, the one who was already turning his world upside down.
Sayer knew Diamond wasn’t around. He’d made sure she went back into her tent before riding off. Come tomorrow his brothers would know he’d seen her. Especially when she returned his jacket.
“What’s got you lost in your head?”
Looking at Teller, Sayer could only chuckle. The brother knew where his head was at. Hell, Teller probably knew where he’d been. “A blonde,” he said, taking the beer from his Prez.
Teller raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk pulling at the corner of his lips as Sayer took the beer. “A blonde, huh?” he teased, his voice low but laced with that familiar brotherly amusement. “That aspecialblonde, or just another one to add to the list?”
