Ride Rough (Raven Riders 2)

She couldn’t help but smile back. “Really good time.”

“Good.” He dismounted the bike and raked his hands through his hair, and everything about his actions was so freaking sexy. The way his big body moved. The way his T-shirt rode up, revealing a sliver of toned abs and a dark blond happy trail just above the waistband of his jeans. The way he grinned at her all smugly and annoyingly and knowingly when he caught her watching him.

Alexa turned toward the open garage door, needing a break from touching and admiring Maverick freaking Rylan. She scanned her gaze over his house and yard. “Your place looks great, Maverick. You’ve been doing a lot of work.”

He came up beside her. “Checking things off my project list one at a time.”

The house had always been charming, but the TLC he’d put into updating it gave it a curb appeal it never had before. “It really shows.”

“Yeah?” he asked, pride clear in his tone. “You should see the inside.”

Truth be told, the designer inside her was seriously tempted. As was the woman who’d spent many nights here in another lifetime. But Alexa had told her mother she’d be back in less than a half hour, and a part of her also wasn’t sure it was a great idea to be alone with Maverick at his place. Not after what she’d been feeling while riding with him. What she was still feeling . . . “I’d love to, but—”

“Right. I know,” he said abruptly. “We gotta get back. Another time. Maybe.” He turned toward the pickup.

A ribbon of guilt curled inside her belly. “Yeah,” she said, not at all believing there’d be another time. Which was probably for the best.

Heading to the driver’s side of his old truck, Maverick said, “Well, hop in and we’ll take off. Not as fun as the Night Rod but it’ll get the job done.”

Alexa slid into the passenger seat and closed her door. “That’s all that matters. If I don’t keep things under control at the house, Mom will just fill it up. So it’s good to get rid of what we took out right away. I can’t afford for her to lose this place, too.”

Maverick gave her a hard look. “Why would she lose it? I thought Slater owned her place.”

Alexa didn’t bother to ask how he knew that. The one thing Grant and Maverick had in common was that they were both networked into just about everything that happened in Frederick. Grant because of his business activities. And Maverick because of the Ravens’ businesses, not to mention the club’s long history in the area. “He does,” she said. “But he doesn’t know just how bad it can get. It makes me worry.”

Maverick frowned. “Well, there’s no way he’d ever put her out on the street. She’s your mother. He has to know how much she means to you, so I can’t imagine you need to worry. You’re finally set where she’s concerned, Alexa. I know that means a lot to you.”

The words nearly stole Alexa’s breath. Mav didn’t like Grant. It didn’t take a genius to figure that out or know why. So it was a really generous thing for him to say about her fiancé—and really . . . mature, too. She wasn’t sure the old Maverick could’ve offered her that kind of understanding. It meant a lot to her. More than that, it almost sounded like he understood why she’d made the choices she’d made. Or maybe that was her wishful thinking reading into what he’d said. She hoped he did understand. Because Alexa had never wanted to hurt Maverick, even though she knew she had.

Hell. She’d hurt herself, too, hadn’t she? She knew that. Now. Being around him again made her wonder how she’d ever forgotten just how much.

Alexa just hoped Maverick was right about Grant. She wished she knew for sure. The fact that she didn’t know? She refused to analyze too closely what that meant. So she just said, “Yeah. Thanks.”

“Don’t have to thank me,” he said, turning the key. The engine echoed inside the old garage as he backed out of the spot. Then he was putting the truck in Drive and pulling around past the front of his house.

“I do,” she said, studying his roughly handsome profile as he sat behind the wheel. “You didn’t have to do all this today. I appreciate it.” She hadn’t realized how much she needed some support in taking care of her mother until she had Maverick working at her side.

Mav gave her a long sideways glance. “You know I’m always here for you and your mom, right? You and her and Ty were like family to me for a lot of years. That didn’t end just because we didn’t make it. Understand?”

After a moment, Alexa gave a tight nod, and then she had to look away, out her window at the passing trees. So that Maverick didn’t see just how much his words meant to her. Or ask why she suddenly had tears in her eyes.