5 Bikers for Valentines

“That’s the thing,” I said. “I don’t want to believe he would use, but he does have a past. He did drugs when we were teenagers, remember? That was a huge part of why he went to military school. I thought he put all that shit behind him but maybe not.”

“What did he say about it exactly?” Stephanie asked.

“That he wasn’t abusing his prescription,” I said. “He said he lost the bottles. I pushed him, and he flipped out. He got pissed and tore into me. We didn’t talk for a few days after that, and when I saw him again, he claimed he hadn’t taken anything but Tylenol in three days.”

“It is possible that he lost them,” Stephanie said with a shrug. “It happens.”

“Not often,” I said. I finished my glass of whiskey and shook my head. More than anything, I wanted to believe Caleb. Doubting him only made me feel worse and yet, I couldn’t help it.

“You need to talk to him again,” Stephanie said. “Calmly this time. Don’t accuse him. Don’t fight. Just let him explain what happened.”

“Do you think that will do any good?” I asked, slightly surprised that she was being supportive.

“Well, you’re about to find out,” Stephanie said, looking behind me.

I frowned and spun around on the barstool. Caleb was walking toward me with a determined expression. My stomach flipped at the sight of him.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“Looking for you,” he said. “I’ve been trying to call you for hours.”

“You have?” I frowned and looked down at my phone. I’d been so distracted by my own issues that I hadn’t bothered to check my phone. Sure enough, I had four missed calls. “Sorry about that. I’ve just been out of it today. What’s up?”

“Well,” he said, glancing nervously at Stephanie. She got the hint and turned around, walking quickly to the other end of the bar. “I was worried about you. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay,” I said. “Really. I feel fine today.”

“Good.” Caleb sighed, clearly relieved. “I also wanted to tell you that I found out what happened to my pills.”

“You did?”

“My mom threw them away,” he said. “She was at my place cleaning, and she didn’t realize what they were, so she tossed them.”

“How did she not know what they were?” I asked suspiciously.

“I put them in my old matchbox container so I wouldn’t lose them again,” he said. “She thought it was junk.”

I stared into his eyes while he spoke and I believed him. It hit me suddenly, but once it did, I couldn’t believe I’d ever doubted him. Of course he was telling the truth. Of course he just lost them. Caleb wasn’t the same messed up kid he used to be. He was a man now. A gorgeous, sexy, intelligent man who I could trust.

“I’m sorry I doubted you,” I said.

“With everything you have going on, it’s understandable.”

He smiled, and I felt all the tension leave my shoulders. My stomach tightened, and my body leaned into his. We kissed, and it sent desire shooting through my body. I moaned against his lips.

“Let’s get out of here,” I said.

I waved goodbye to Stephanie and let Caleb lead me outside.

***

Caleb was gentle with me that night. It was almost like he was afraid to hurt me. He kissed me softly, barely pressing his lips against mine. When he took off my clothes, his fingers were light against my skin. They sent chills down my spine, but I wanted more. I wanted the same rough desperation we’d shared before.

“Stop it,” I said as he slowly kissed my breasts, lightly tracing my nipples with his tongue.

“What?” he asked.

“You don’t have to be careful with me,” I said. “I won’t break.”