“But what you don’t understand,” she said, “is that not everyone has the means to have a well-written business plan. Do you have any idea the number of people who pay for someone to write them a plan that’s pretty much guaranteed to get them the loan, versus the people who do it themselves? The people who write their own might not write it very well, or make it complete, but it’s done with passion. They’ve done the best they can. They believe in their ideas, and I believe in them. It’s not fair that because of some software program where I insert numbers into blank spaces, they can be approved or not. It’s not fair because sometimes the idea is really good.”
Claudia stopped for a second to suck in a breath, and when she continued, her accent was thicker than I’d ever heard it. “In fact, sometimes the idea is really good. But the computer says no. And I’m required to tell them no. It breaks my heart, actually hurts my feelings to tell good, hard-working people that we can’t help them. When all they’re trying to do is better themselves.”
Her color high, she pressed her lips together tightly as she breathed through her nose, apparently waiting for me to respond. When my lips turned up into a smile, she narrowed her eyes.
“I have no argument,” I said with a slight shrug.
Claudia glared at me. “Really? You have nothing to say to all that?”
“I have something to say, but it has nothing to do with your work.” I thought about how turned on I was hearing her talk like that. How her good heart and passion for helping others ignited a fire inside me and fueled the connection between us.
“Ugh, you’re so typical.” She groaned.
“I can’t help it. You’re fucking hot when you’re fired up. And this crazy thick accent comes out of nowhere. It’s sexy as hell.”
That got a laugh out of her. “Clearly, we need to change the topic.” She cleared her throat, possibly trying to tone down her accent. “Tell me what you like to do in your spare time. Shoot, do you even have time off?”
I thought for a second about letting her know that I usually had a standing day off on Thursdays, but then she’d expect me to ask her out. And I couldn’t. I shouldn’t even be sitting here talking to her like this, getting to know her better, but here I was, breaking all of society’s rules. Not to mention my own.
“Not often, to be honest. I spend the majority of my time here. But I like to go for rides on my bike, clear my head, get away.”
Her eyes flew open wide. “Your bike?”
“My motorcycle.”
“Oh, thank God. For a second there, I thought you meant a bicycle. I’m sorry, but I can’t see all this,” she waved her hand toward me, “riding a bike around.”
I glanced toward Ryan. “What about him?”
An adorable laugh bubbled out of her. “Definitely. Probably a beach cruiser. With a basket and a bell.”
My own laughter burst free, matching hers. We sat there for a few seconds, both laughing at the thought. Knowing Ryan had no idea he was the butt of our joke made me laugh even harder.
When the laughter died down, I asked, “Do you like motorcycles?”
“I’ve never been on one before.”
Of course, my mind instantly went there. I imagined Claudia’s body pressed tightly against my back as I navigated us through the Hollywood Hills, or up the Pacific Coast Highway toward Malibu, my favorite spot to unwind.
Without thinking, I said, “I’ll have to change that one day.”
It was too late to take the words back, too late to stop them from tumbling from my stupid lips. I had no self-control when it came to this woman, and it was going to get me into trouble. Hell, it was already getting me into trouble. I was walking a dangerous line and I knew it, yet did nothing to stop it.
Claudia smiled at me. “I’d like that.”
“The idea doesn’t scare you?”
“Why would it scare me?”
“I don’t know. Some women are scared of motorcycles.”
Shelby hated my bike and refused to ride on it with me, no matter how hard I had begged her in the past. I’d stopped asking a long time ago, but also stubbornly refused to consider any other mode of transportation.
“Well, I’m not.” Claudia leaned forward, her silky black hair falling over her shoulders. “And I trust you to keep me safe.”
She trusted me.
She trusted me to keep her safe.