Page 6 of Biker Under My Tree
“Well, I try,” I mumbled, glancing down at the driveway, willing myself to calm down.
Bones took a step closer, his boots crunching on the gravel. “You’re too modest. You run your own bakery out of your house, don’t you?”
“Uh, yeah, I do,” I said, suddenly shy. “Mostly cookies and cupcakes. Some breads, too, when I have the time. Bear claws, Danish pastries, muffins, and when I have more time, turnovers and croissants. I do decorated cakes for special occasions, too. Vanilla cake, chocolate cake, marble, and my favorite, carrot cake.” I finally took a breath from my Forest Gump moment. “I bake things.”
Bones nodded, his gaze steady on me, making my pulse flutter. “I’ve heard a lot of folks around here talkin’ about it. And you. Good things, don’t worry.”
I swallowed, hoping my face wasn’t as red as it felt. “Glad to hear that.” A small laugh escaped that sounded as nervous as I felt. “I mean, I don’t know what they’d say otherwise, other than ‘She must have sugar coursing through her veins.’” I really needed to shut up. I couldn’t get a word out before, and now it seemed like I was going to say all of the words at once.
Bones grinned, and I noticed how it reached his eyes, crinkling the corners slightly. “Sugar, sometimes a little extra sweetness is exactly what you need.”
That did it.
And if he kept calling me sugar in that low, honeyed tone, I was going to need an oven big enough to hide in before I jumped him right then and there.
“Well, uh, glad you think so.” I shrugged, feeling entirely too warm under his gaze.
He chuckled again, softer this time, and I had to resist the urge to fan myself. His eyes flickered toward the garage, and he gestured with his chin. “So, since you made it all the way over here… you wanna come in, meet the guys?”
“Oh, I, uh…” I stammered, caught off guard by the offer. The idea of stepping into Bones’ world, even if it was just his garage, was… daunting. But it was also ridiculously tempting. “I actually am really swamped today. Well, today and for the next like twenty days.” I pasted a trembling smile on my face. “I’m kind of short-handed.” I held up my two hands. “These are the only hands I have right now.” I cringed. That sounded like I normally had four hands, and two of them were chopped off.
Bones raised an eyebrow.
“But these two hands are all I need. Who needs more than two hands? Am I right?” Even I wanted to ask myself if I was okay.
“Rain check then, Sugar. Or maybe you’ll just have to invite me over sometime. I haven’t had the pleasure of tasting your sweets.”
Did he just…? My heart skipped a beat, and my brain went momentarily blank. “Oh, sure. I mean, anytime. Just say the word, and I’ll give you… things.” My brain was short-circuiting being this close to Bones. That was the only reasonable explanation.
He gave me that smirk again, this time paired with a look that felt like it was taking my clothes off. “I’ll hold you to that.”
I was about to say something—probably equally embarrassing—when one of the men in the garage, a big guy with a bald head and tattooed arms, popped his head out the door. “Bones, you comin’ or what?”
Bones glanced back at him and lifted a hand in a “hold on” gesture before he turned back to me. “See you later, Sugar?”
“Yeah, yeah, totally,” I said quickly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt you hanging out with your friends.”
“You didn’t,” he assured me, his gaze lingering on me a beat too long like he was making sure I believed him. “But I should probably head in before they start tearing the place apart.”
“Right, of course, though if they rob the place, let me know,” I said with a laugh to cover my awkwardness. I was going to need a hell of a lot more than a laugh to cover all of this awkwardness. “I’ll, uh, get out of your hair, then.”
Bones’ mouth curved into a small smile, softer this time. “Anytime you feel like coming over to check things out, Sugar, you know where to find me.”
“Sure thing,” I said, though I could barely get the words out.
With one last look, Bones turned and headed toward the garage, but not before he gave me a slight nod with a silent promise that he’d see me again. I watched him go and tried not to focus on the way his shoulders moved beneath his jacket or how he seemed to fill up every bit of space in his jeans.
My lord, he was a fine specimen of a man.
I didn’t want to stare too obviously, but I couldn’t help it. Bones had that rough, sexy biker look that most people only saw in movies. He was real, right here, and a hundred times more magnetic in person.
But then I caught sight of the three men in the garage—Mickey, Nut, and Wick—as they watched me with smirks that made it all too clear they’d seen the way I’d been looking at Bones. Heat crept up my cheeks, and I felt like I’d been caught with my hand in the cookie jar. Great. Just what I needed: Bones’ friends knowing I had the hots for him.
I managed a weak little wave, then turned on my heel and hightailed it back toward the house as I fought the urge to break into a sprint. Once inside, I shut the door and leaned against the kitchen counter. I pressed a hand to my chest like I could somehow calm my racing heart.
I took a deep breath to steady myself.Wow. Who would have thought the biker next door was not only hot as hell but actually… nice?
My mind replayed the conversation, every small smile and teasing look. And I think he might have even flirted with me. Or maybe that was just him being friendly. I didn’t want to read too much into it—he was probably just being polite.