Benefits of Friendship (Black Mountain Bikers 1)

“You didn’t sound so convincing to me; you didn’t sound so convinced either.” He didn’t look at her but kept working.

After a few moments, the silence grew uncomfortably large between them and she noticed that the music had been turned down to almost zero volume for some reason. “What did you need help with, Gage? That’s why I came up here, isn’t it?”

“Is that the only reason you came up here? If it is, I’m rather disappointed.”

Jazmyn hated reading between the lines. She hated trying to figure out what men wanted, what they thought, if they were flirting or not, whether they were serious or not. Exasperated, she huffed. “Okay, why did you call me up here, Gage?”

Gage eyed her levelly and laid the wiring on the floor at his feet, the movement making his arm and shoulder muscles ripple and bulge perfectly.

“Maybe I really only wanted your company. It didn’t seem as though you were going to come up here of your own free will, so I asked you to join me.” He walked toward her table. “I didn’t know we were going to get lube tossed at us when I cracked the joke about you coming, though. I thought they were all oblivious to what we were saying and doing, to be honest.”

Breathing was a difficult task with Gage standing so near to her. His masculine scent, the lack of pulsing lights—he’d flipped off the breaker upstairs and it was standing in shadow for the moment—and her vodka shots mixed with her undeniable desire for him was all mixing and mingling in her mind, rendering her almost speechless.

Nodding, she looked up at him. The way he looked down at her with a mixture of good humor tinted with lust took the rest of her ability to breathe and she had to clear her throat and avert her eyes to gather enough wits to say anything. “Fair enough.”

Did he know about the bet between Jazzy and Pepper? How could he? He’d only just arrived minutes before and no one had spoken to him other than Jazmyn. But, the way events had played out, she wondered.

Gage went back to the faulty lights and Jazmyn followed him, holding a strand of wire when he offered it. Looking at his expressions and actions, she couldn’t tell if he knew anything or not.

Chapter 4

“It shouldn’t take more than ten more minutes to get this section back on grid with the rest of them. Do you have to stay here after that or could I interest you in a drink up at Harley Heaven?” He never took his eyes off the wires he was stripping so carefully and so skillfully.

He had to know something. Jayda had just offered her the rest of the night off and now he was offering to take her to his bar for a drink. Coincidence? She thought not.

Frowning, not liking the idea of all this possibly being planned behind her back, Jazmyn said, “I think I should stay the rest of the night. Maybe some other time, though. You know, like when nobody is planning shit without me knowing.” The more she talked, the madder she became. “You know, if I’m going to get laid, I’d like to be the one deciding when and by whom—not a group of so-called friends. What did they do? Did they pay you to come in here and play along? Did they pay you to have sex with me because they think I’m a prude and not worthy of being a member of their little group after all these fucking years?”

Jazmyn saw red as Gage goggled at her, seemingly shocked. Boy, he was a good actor, for sure. They hadn’t wasted their money—or whatever they’d paid him with. No telling what they had done to procure his services. Did none of them think she would eventually find out?

She flung the wire toward him and put her hands on her hips. “Well? I’m waiting. Go on, tell me what they did. I can take it; trust me when I say you won’t hurt my feelings by telling me the whole thing.” Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at him, tears of rage prickling in her eyes.

“Jazmyn. I honestly have no fucking idea what you’re talking about. I swear. I see that you’re mad as hell, but I’m not in on any plan behind your back. And, I completely agree: if you’re going to get laid, you should choose who, when, and where. I’m not sure I know what you meant by all that, but you’re absolutely right.” He reached for the swinging wire that she had flung but didn’t break eye contact.

Studying his eyes, his expression, his every single movement, Jazmyn detected no lie, no deceit. He was telling the truth. Or, at least he thought he was telling the truth.

“What exactly did they pay you to do here this evening, Gage?” She held her stance but the tears had stopped prickling.

“They didn’t pay me anything. Jayda had told Drake about these damn lights still being on the fritz and he asked me the other day if I’d come down and fix them next free day I had. I told him I would and here I am. Drake called Jayda and told her what time I’d be coming by. I haven’t even talked to anyone here except you.”

The world shifted and nausea flooded Jazmyn’s midsection. She had just made the biggest ass possible of herself—and in front of, and to, the one man she thought she might actually hook up with in the foreseeable future.

There was no way to go back and fix any of what had just transpired between them. Sitting heavily in the seat, Jazmyn heard a retching sound. Realizing it came from her, she turned away from Gage as he approached.

“You all right? Are you going to be sick?” He offered her a plastic bag from his saddle bag.

Pushing it away with her hand, she remained turned away from him. “I’m fine. I’m sorry, Gage.” She tried to look at him and couldn’t do it; shame and embarrassment kept her from it. Turning in his direction, eyes down to his knees, Jazmyn said, “I’m so sorry that I said those terrible things. It just seemed as if you were in on it with Pepper and the others maybe. Things happened before you got here that…that…well, mixed with the things you were hinting at and saying to me, seemed like I was the butt-end of some bet, or something.” She stood and ran for the stairs. “I’m sorry, Gage.” She yelled from halfway down.

Madison intercepted Jazmyn in the lounge room. “Hey! What’s wrong, Jazzy? Are you okay?” She stepped in front of Jazmyn, impeding her escape. “Hey, what did that asshole do to you?” She shook Jazmyn by the shoulders. Not getting an answer, she turned on her heel and headed for the door. “You stay right there. I’ll take care of this.”

“Where are you going, Maddy?” Jazmyn found her voice. Maybe Madison hadn’t been in on the thing, but Jazmyn was sure that at least Pepper had planned some, if not all, of what had happened this evening.

“I’m going to throw him off the balcony. I don’t know what he did or what he said to you, but I’ll make it right.” Madison grabbed the doorknob and jerked the door open.

“No! Maddy, come back here. He didn’t do or say anything. It was all a huge misunderstanding. Everything that has happened here this evening with Pepper and then with you letting some cat out of the bag that I still don’t know about, to Gage showing up and hitting on me out of the blue all just melted together and felt like a conspiracy of some sort. Let it go. It’s not him, I promise.” Jazmyn grabbed her purse and tote bag. “I just want to go home and forget today ever happened. I just made the biggest ass of myself up there. I’ll never be able to face him again.”

“Was it because of Pepper throwing that damn lube up there? Tavia took her out back and is still out there with her because of it. None of us knew she was going to do that, Jazzy. She’s being a dick for some reason today. Maybe Tavia will get it out of her what’s going on.”

“The lube was only part of it, Maddy. Pepper and me making that bet and then Gage showing up after you said whatever it was you weren’t supposed to say. When he was flirting with me, he asked if I wanted to go to H.H. with him and get a drink this evening. He knew I had to work, but asked anyway. Jayda had just told me to take the rest of the night off and take Gage for a ride when he was finished with the lights.” She shrugged and gave Madison a look that said the rest.