Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 81584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81584 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 408(@200wpm)___ 326(@250wpm)___ 272(@300wpm)
I left her in the camper to get her stuff together while I cleaned up the smoker and made sure it was covered for the night. She wasn’t ready to go back home, but she was doing it.
I hoped Myla had sent everyone home by the time we got there. Frankie didn’t need the third degree from everyone and their brother. They could ask their questions later when she had the energy and backbone to tell them to go to hell if she wanted.
My phone rang as Frankie stepped out of the camper.
“Hey, Ma,” I answered, watching her pause with her hand on the door.
“Sweet son of mine, I need my car back at some point.”
“I’ll drop it off tonight.”
Frankie let go of the door, swinging it shut behind her.
“You can just drop it at the club when you get your bike,” Mom replied. “I’ll ride in with your dad tomorrow morning and grab it.”
“You sure?”
“I hope you realize how nosy I want to be,” Ma mumbled. “But I’m not.”
“I’m aware.”
Frankie looked up, and our eyes met.
Mom sighed. “Love you. Put gas in the car before you bring it back.”
“Will do. Love you.”
I hung up the phone and let my hand drop down by my side.
“You ready?”
“Yeah.” She nodded.
“Let’s take the truck,” I said, moving toward her. No reason to cause more questions if we pulled up in my mom’s rig. I set my hand on her lower back and led her over, opening the door.
“You have a penis truck,” she said as she used the running board to get inside. As soon as she’d settled, she stuck her hand out, making the universal gesture for something small with her pointer finger and thumb.
“You’ve seen my dick,” I replied dryly, shutting her inside. The hard shell was already building up around her, and we hadn’t even left my place yet.
“You must be a grower, not a shower,” she continued as I climbed into my seat. “Have a hard time in the locker room?”
“Need the big truck to tow the camper.”
She was quiet for a few minutes as I turned the truck around and pulled onto the driveway. We were a few miles down the road when she spoke again.
“I haven’t had orthodontia,” she murmured. “Just good genetics, I guess.”
“Good to know.”
“And I don’t tuck my hair behind my ears because they’re too big, and they stick out, and it makes them more noticeable.”
“Who the hell told you that?”
“I can see them.”
“There’s nothing wrong with your ears.”
“Says the guy whose ears are a respectable size and lay flat.”
I looked at her incredulously.
“I’m not wrong.”
“You’re fuckin’ gorgeous.”
“I know.”
I smiled.
“Especially with my ears covered.”
The closer we got to her house, the more antsy she became. She shifted in her seat. Took ibuprofen without anything to wash it down. Straightened the hood on her sweatshirt. When she began to tap the center console with her fingers I reached out and covered her hand.
After a moment she turned her hand over and laced her fingers through mine.
I was playing a dangerous game.
Nothing had changed. Frankie was fun as fuck, and I liked pretty much everything about her, but she was still part of the Aces community, and things could get messy quick if I went there again. I’d already overstepped the line I’d drawn too many times to count. I needed to get my shit together.
Frankie was healing. A man she’d been dating had flagrantly abused her trust, and it had serious consequences that she’d dealt with alone. He continued to harass her. From the way she’d spoken about the situation, she hadn’t even realized yet that none of it was her fault. It would be a long time before she was ready to mess around with anyone else.
Starting something with her would be selfish and stupid as fuck.
Knowing all that, I still tightened my hand around hers.
When we pulled up in front of her house, Frankie let out a long breath. There weren’t any familiar cars out front beyond the ones that belonged there.
“Are you coming in?” she asked as I let go of her hand so I could parallel park on her street.
“You want me to?”
“No, that’s okay,” she said quickly.
“Francesca.” I waited until she looked at me. “You want me to walk you in?”
“It’s not like they’re going to attack me or something,” she said dryly, throwing open her door. “I’ve already taken over your entire day. It’s fine. You can go home. Thank you so much for—”
I shut the truck off and hopped out mid-sentence.
“You’re coming?” she asked in surprise when I met her on the other side of the truck.
“Let’s go,” I murmured, taking her hand as I locked up. I tugged her forward and led her up the sidewalk. I couldn’t exactly be her getaway driver if I didn’t know whether or not she needed one.