That said, I worried that if I complained he might insist on calling a ride or something, and, well, I didn’t want that.
Because while riding a bike itself was every bit as terrifying as I had imagined, riding a bike with Remy was worth every stabbing sensation to my ribs.
Did I scoot in close and hold on tight?
You bet your ass I did.
The man smelled like salt water and that stupidly intoxicating banana and coconut lotion he must have slathered all over himself after his showers.
Did I spend too much time thinking about him doing that? Yep. Yep, I did. Could anyone blame me? What, with him being as gorgeous as he was.
By the time I was carefully tucking the new sheets on the bed, wondering if the old ones should just be burned, the room was looking altogether… habitable.
“Lark and I were going to grab some tacos,” Remy said after coming back from the dumpster for the third time. “You want us to get you something?”
“Busy,” Arty said, as he cracked open another energy drink with one hand as he scrolled with the other.
“Bud, you need to eat something. Nothing in here looks like it is recent except the energy drinks and coffee.”
“I’m fine,” Arty insisted, getting a small sigh out of Remy as he made his way to the door, stopping to wait for me.
“We should pick him up some anyway. If he sees it there, he will probably eat it. Most of those containers in his trash were empty,” I said, falling into step with him as we walked down the street.
“He looks like he lost ten pounds since the last time I saw him,” Remy said, worry slipping into his voice. “He didn’t have it to lose. He must be busy. And he doesn’t turn anyone down.”
“Because he needs the money?”
“Because he needs to be working. It keeps him calm. He gets anxious when he doesn’t have something to do. Harmon can sometimes get him to play games with him to keep him occupied but not so focused on work. Harmon is…”
“Huck’s woman,” I filled in. “The fan page,” I reminded him. “Though it is much more heavily focused on you guys than the women.”
“Harmon moved next to the clubhouse. She brought my dog over one night and had a seizure by the pool. Huck fished her out.”
“Interesting meet-cute.”
“I mean, it isn’t quite as thrilling as being kidnapped and coming down with Stockholm Syndrome…” he teased, shooting me a smirk as he held the door open for me to the Mexican restaurant.
“This is the best one in the area,” I informed him.
“I know. I worked here once upon a time.”
“No way.”
“For about a week when I was sixteen. I ended up owing the company money, I ate so much. So the boss man told me that it maybe wasn’t the job for me.”
“Hey, look what the cat dragged in. How you been, man?” the older man behind the counter greeted Remy, immediately reaching for his hand. “This man once tried to put me out of business with how much he was eating while on shift,” he added, rapping Remy on the back in a fatherly way. “How you been?”
“Good. Good. Got away from the hustle and bustle a bit. But you know I have to visit you when I am in town. How’s the wife and kids?”
“The wife has a name!” a woman called, coming in from the back, wiping her hand on her apron, then reaching for Remy over the counter, pulling his face in for a kiss to each cheek. “Oh, you are handsome as ever. Did you bring your appetite?”
“Mine and Lark’s,” Remy said, nodding over toward me. “And some to go for a friend of ours.”
“Oh, Lark. Oh, you are gorgeous,” the woman said, giving me a warm smile. “He better be good to you.”
“Oh, it’s not… we’re not…” I said, fumbling over my words.
“We’re working together,” Remy supplied, saving me.