Ride Rough (Raven Riders 2)

“I promise,” Alexa said, making her words strong and sure when her insides felt a whole lot like someone was taking a mixer to them. But she was going to have to face Grant some time. No sense in putting it off, and doing it in public had all kinds of advantages over doing it privately.

He gave a tight nod. “I’ll be here when you come out at five.”

“Okay.” She resisted the urge to lean over and kiss Maverick, because despite the couch, she had no idea what they were or weren’t. She opened the door and climbed out. Hesitating, she looked back in. “Thanks, Maverick. You didn’t have to do all this for me, and . . . yeah . . . just, thanks.”

“That’s bullshit,” he said, eyes blazing with an intensity she didn’t really understand. “You’re family. It’s what we do. But you’re welcome.” He winked.

For some reason his expression and his words made her ache with yearning—a yearning that there was more between them than just history. “Okay.” With a little nod, she pushed the door shut and headed inside.

Alexa’s nerves were on high alert as she entered the building, part of her sure some sort of trap would spring on her the moment she walked through the doors. But there was only Christina, smiling at her but her expression also a little concerned. “Hey. Your mom okay?”

Confused, Alexa nodded.

“It’s just that you’re never late unless your mom has an appointment,” Christina said.

“Oh, uh, no. Mom’s fine. Thank you, though.” She debated what to say, and then decided it would be better not to say a word. Not yet. “I’m sorry to run, but I’m late for something.” She thumbed over her shoulder as she moved away from the desk. “I’ll see you later, though?”

“Okay,” Christina said, clearly catching on to her weirdness. Not that Alexa could worry about it just then.

She made her way to her office, sure that everyone knew what’d happened, like everyone could just look at her and see that her world was falling apart. But she pasted on a smile, offered greetings as she passed her colleagues, and finally made it to her desk.

A gigantic over-the-top bouquet of fresh flowers in a thick crystal vase filled one whole end of her work space. Three dozen flowers in bold, bright colors, leafy foliage, and baby’s breath made an arrangement so big it could’ve been for a wedding. Or a funeral.

She opened the card.

Alexa—

Come home to me where you belong.

Love, Grant

She sighed. It almost didn’t matter that he hadn’t given the flowers as an apology, because him apologizing wouldn’t change how she felt. The note bothered her for other reasons. She was worried that it revealed Grant’s stubborn unwillingness to hear what she was saying. That he was ignoring the fact that she’d taken off her ring. And it bugged her that he’d put her in the position of having to keep the flowers in her office or else give her coworkers a reason to wonder why she wasn’t keeping such an exquisite gift from her fiancé less than two weeks before their wedding. She moved them to the credenza to get them out of her way and then dove into all the work the model home and a few of her smaller projects required.

Maverick texted her throughout the day making sure she was okay, and who knew that the word fuck could sound so sweet? I’m fucking worried about you. He’ll fucking pay if he hurts you. IS IT 5 OFUCKINGCLOCK YET? That one came complete with a winky face. And when a big tough biker dude sent you shouty caps and a winky face, it could make you smile.

Otherwise, no one disturbed Alexa all day. It was four o’clock before she knew it. And she was both relieved and anxious about not yet having seen Grant.

Of course, his knock finally came.

“Alexa,” Grant said, stepping into the office wearing an exquisitely tailored blue suit. His gaze cut to the flowers off to the side before he closed the door. “Did you like the flowers?”

“They’re beautiful, but you shouldn’t have,” she said, not trying to hide the edge in her voice. She clasped her hands on top of the desk.

Grant came closer until he stood right in front of her, forcing her to look up to meet his eyes. “Of course I should. I’d do anything to make things right.”

Her stomach dropped. “Flowers can’t fix what’s broken between us, Grant.”

For a moment, she would’ve sworn the narrowing of his eyes and the tightness around his mouth foreshadowed building anger, but then it was gone from his expression and he shook his head. “I know. I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you, wanting you.”

Nerves made her knees feel like jelly, but Alexa stood up anyway, needing to be on a more even playing field while she said what she had to say. “You need to stop wanting me, Grant. I know you found the ring.” She shook her head and gathered her thoughts. “We’re over.”