“You got it.” Jagger turned to us. “I’m out. See ya when I see ya.”
Jagger led her out, and it wasn’t long before Shotgun and Axel showed up for their shift, so Country and I wasted no time cleaning up our work area. When we finally walked out to the parking lot, it was already the following morning.
After a quick goodbye, I got on my Harley and turned the key. The engine roared to life. That sound alone made the tension from my long, torturous night start to subside.
It was just me, my bike, and the wide-open road winding out before me.
The early morning air whipped around me as I pulled out onto the highway and started towards home. I inhaled a deep breath and took in my surroundings. I’d always thought Nashville was a beautiful city, especially early in the morning before the traffic took over.
I twisted the throttle back, and with the wind whipping around me, it felt as if I was the only man on earth. Hell, I couldn’t think of any better therapy. By the time I made it home, my mind had cleared, and I was ready to get some much-needed rest. I went inside and took a hot shower, then collapsed on my bed and closed my eyes, praying I’d fall right to sleep.
That didn’t happen.
Not by a long shot.
And I had Raelyn to thank for that. As soon as I closed my eyes, I saw her beautiful eyes staring back at me, and suddenly, I wasn’t so tired anymore. I don’t know what it was about this chick, but she’d gotten under my skin—and she’d done it without even trying.
I knew when I saw her in the back of that cop car that there was something different about her—which was one of the reasons why I’d decided to bail her and her friend out of jail. I hoped it would give me an opportunity to get to know her, and it worked like a fucking charm.
When Raelyn showed up at Stilettos, my day was made. After meeting with her at DJ’s, I realized she wasn’t just easy on the eyes, but she was smart, spontaneous, courageous, and easy to talk to.
And damn, the woman could kiss.
There was no doubt about it. She wasn’t like any woman I’d ever known before, completely out of my league, and I had no idea what the hell she was doing in that bar with me.
And I didn’t care.
Win, lose, or draw, I was going to take my shot.
I finally dozed off, and it felt like I’d just closed my eyes when my alarm went off. I rolled over with a groan, thinking I might sleep a bit longer, but then remembered I only had an hour before meeting up with Raelyn. I pulled myself out of bed and took a quick shower.
After I got dressed, I got on my bike and headed over to the restaurant. I’d offered to pick her up, but she insisted on meeting me there. I didn’t mind, figuring she had her reasons. Besides, the restaurant was just a few blocks from my place.
When I pulled up, I found Raelyn waiting for me by the front door, and she looked even more beautiful than she had the night before. She was wearing a short skirt and black boots with a graphic t-shirt and denim jacket, and one side of her hair was pulled back, drawing even more attention to those beautiful blue eyes of hers.
I got off my bike, and as soon as she spotted me coming towards her, she smiled and said, “Hey there, Mr. Good Samaritan. How are you making it tonight?”
“Better now.” I stepped towards her. “How about you?”
“I can’t complain.” She motioned her head towards the front door. “You ready to get your butt kicked in some skee-ball?”
Raelyn had suggested that we try one of the bars known for having a ton of adult games, and while I was a little apprehensive, seeing that smile on her face quickly made me realize that we’d made the right choice. I chuckled as I asked, “I hate to break it to ya, doll, but there’s only one butt that’s gonna get kicked in skee-ball, and it ain’t gonna be mine.”
“Oh, we’ll see about that.”
She winked at me, then walked over and waited for me to open the door. Once I’d opened it, she gave me a sexy little smirk, then stepped inside. I shook my head as I followed her up to the front counter. After I purchased two game cards, I offered one to Raelyn and said, “Let’s do this.”
“You got it.” As we started towards the games, Raelyn looked up at me with an excited look on her face. “Hoops or skee-ball?”
“Ahh, we gotta try hoops first.”
She nodded, then led me to the back of the room where “Nothin’ But Net” basketball games were lined up against the wall. She rushed up to one of the open games, then waved me over. “Let’s see what ya got, big guy.”