Page 7 of Riding Hard
Flicking on the lamp in the living room, I settle into the armchair closest to my laptop and let out a groan. It’s been a long day and every muscle in my body is aching. I should call the doctor back about the chiropractor he wants me to see in the Springs, but I can’t bring myself to do it. Why is it that people reject age so vehemently?
I should go to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long one too and I want to be on top of my game for whatever Bella might need. Unfortunately, insanity has me sitting up thinking of the ways I want to wreck Nico DeMarco.
“Hey.” Her voice is soft and sweet as she steps into the room. “You’re up late.”
“Sorry if I woke you. I—”
“Are you kidding?” A sweet smile lifts onto her face as she grabs a blanket off the back of the couch and tucks in like she’s been here a thousand times. “This house is massive. I wouldn’t hear a jamboree if they were marching through the kitchen. I had a stupid nightmare, and I saw the light was on. I hope I’m not messing up your peace.”
There’s a familiarity in the way she talks to me and the way she acts. It’s like we’ve skipped over all the bullshit and gone straight to the parts that matter.
Fuck. I need to get my damn head on straight.
“No. Not at all,” I finally say. “What was your nightmare about?”
Her eyes roll to the side, and she lays back on the couch, stretching her legs out until her painted pink toes peek from the bottom of the blanket. “It’s nothing. I’ll be asleep again soon. I have them every night lately.”
“What about?”
“Really? You want to know?”
I nod and stand from the chair, settling again on the end of the sofa. Her feet are now on my lap, and while I’m not one hundred percent sure what I’m doing here, it feels right. “I did a few tours overseas when I was young. I woke up with nightmares almost every night for a year. The only thing that helped was talking to a buddy about them.”
She sits up and stares toward me, her bright eyes searching me. “You were in the military? I didn’t know that. What branch?”
“I was a fire control specialist in the Army, butyou’reansweringmyquestions, remember?”
She sighs. “The dream isn’t all that interesting. It’s just recurring.”
“Okay, what about?”
She sighs and leans back, dragging in a deep breath. “I’m alone in this room. A really, dark room. There’s no light getting in except for a small crack under the door where I hear this couple laughing, talking, and having fun.” She pauses and widens her eyes dramatically. “You know… sexual fun.” She looks away then back again, folding her arms over her chest as though she’s nervous. “At first, I’m filled with excitement for them. Then, I want to leave and find my own happiness… except I can’t. There’s no way out of the room. The door is boarded shut and I’m doomed to this cold, dark room to listen to this couple for eternity.”
I have to say, I was expecting something about Nico chasing her, or maybe a psychotic clown.This… is a surprise.“What do you think that means?”
She shrugs. “When I look it up on those online dream journal things, it says I’m feeling stuck. Anyway, the dream is super weird because I always wake up feeling all depressed, lonely,” she sighs, “and it was nice to wake up and have someone nearby for a change.”
I hate the thought of her alone. My hand brushes over her ankle in comfort. I’m trying to make her feel safe, but instead I feel like a creepy old man the second my rough skin rubs against her, and I pull away.
“You’re okay.” She reaches out for my shoulder, her gaze on me. “I like the reassurance…unless that’s weird.Then you should stop.”
An anchor drops into the pit of my stomach and waves of hesitation swell over the top of me. She’s inviting me to touch her.
I want to touch her. Fucking hell, I want to touch her.
“Of course, I love touching you.Liketouching you. I’mhappy to touch you if it makes you feel cared for. You know what I mean.” I’m rambling like a teenage boy. I hold her small foot in my hand and rub gently as she cuddles into me.
“No wonder you get lonely up here. You have all this empty space around you. That’s the one good thing about my tent. There’s no room for anyone else, so there’s no one to miss.”
“When I built the place, I had a family, and we’d planned on expanding. Now, it’s become a landing spot for our MC meetings and a place for holiday parties. Which… are few and far between. Having you here tonight has been a blessing for me, too.”
Her smooth hand glides down my arm and into my hand as her head nestles against my shoulder. “You’re sweet to bring me here, Diesel. I know I was all‘girl power’out there in the tent, but having you around makes me feel really safe.”
God, that makes me happy.
I nod slowly, trying not to let her words go to my head. “It’s no big deal. You’d do it for someone, too.”
She shrugs. “Maybe, but I don’t know if I’d carry them out of the woods. That was excessive.”