He needed to know she was all in and committed to him before letting her stay much longer at the Killere parties.
He strode across the room. Timber spotted him heading toward her and stepped away from the others. She slipped her arms around him, stretching up on her tiptoes to kiss him.
He pulled away without letting her go. "I want to take off."
"Okay. Let me grab my purse. I left it in the kitchen." She stepped away.
He pulled her back. "Meet me outside at the Harley."
She kissed him quickly before hurrying away. He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and walked outside. Lighting the smoke, he lumbered down the steps into the darkness to wait for Timber.
He'd like to take her home and fuck the truth out of her. For once, he wanted her to be honest with him. He wanted to know what was happening between them.
He was looking at spending forever with her, and she hadn't spoken a word about how she felt.
Hell, he'd never experienced that before. Women threw themselves at him—mainly for sex. Some had wanted a relationship, but he'd made it clear that he wasn't interested.
He'd claimed Timber. She knew what he wanted. Knew what he expected. Knew what it meant to belong to him.
So why was she standing back and letting him make all the fucking decisions?
"Romeo?"
He turned around, squinting into the darkness. "Hey, Danielle."
One of the waitresses from the diner, Danielle, bounced over to him. "What are you doing outside?"
"Having a smoke?"
"Share?"
He held up the cigarette. Instead of taking it from him, Danielle put her lips around the filter and sucked while he held the cig. He'd had sex with Danielle before when she first started working for Killere—it was good. She knew how to use her mouth.
She tilted her head up and exhaled a stream of smoke up into the air. He watched her lips relax and a smile grace her face. None of the women would care if he had claimed another woman, even one they worked with at the diner.
Except, he wasn't interested in what Danielle offered.
Someone cleared their throat. He looked to his left and found Timber standing there, clutching her purse. He took in the solemn expression. The flat line of her mouth. The inexpressive gaze. Was she unbothered by him standing with another woman?
He brought his hand to his mouth and put the cigarette between his lips. "Ready?"
Someone falling in love with him would react to finding him with another woman. There would be glances exchanged, silent questions thrown about. Timber should be ready to tear Danielle's hair out by the roots, depending on how he handled the situation.
Hell, if he found her alone with a man, he would kill the motherfucker.
Timber nodded and moved to the back of the Harley without questioning him about what he was doing with Danielle. He lifted his chin toward the clubhouse and motioned Danielle to go inside before stepping over to his Harley.
He waited for Timber to hang her purse across her body. Then he got on the motorcycle. She climbed on behind him and wrapped her arms around his middle as if everything was okay. He started the bike and rode away from the clubhouse.
His brothers would be home. He wasn't ready to go there. There were things he had to say to Timber that was better done when they were alone.
Taking the exit before his normal route home, he opened the throttle on the side road that followed the interstate until he took the street going downtown. It took him ten minutes to find his way to Huntington Park. He hadn't been there since he was a kid, running around and causing trouble.
He parked the Harley and toed the kickstand. Timber slid off and stood beside the bike, looking over her shoulder.
The noise of the rushing water falling over Spokane Falls deafened him to anything she had to say. He held out his hand. She stepped around the motorcycle and clasped his fingers.
He led her along the walkway and stopped before he reached the soaker area where the spray from the water splashed observers.
That late at night, there weren't many people wandering around. A couple, here and there, caught up in their world, unaware of him with Timber, passed without any notice.
Timber stepped up to the railing and grabbed the metal barrier. He stood behind her, bringing her back until she leaned against the front of him.
He had no idea why he brought her here. It was impossible to talk with the noise of the water. The deafening roar surrounded them.
Several lights filtered through the night, lighting up the rushing water. Timber shivered. He wrapped his arms tighter around her and leaned his head down. "Are you too cold?"
She shook her head. He hardened behind her. It was impossible not to feel her body against him and know what it felt like to slide his dick inside her pussy.
She turned in his arms and stretched to her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck.
Pulling him down, she shouted, "What is this place?"
"Spokane Falls. River. Dam." He pointed. "There's a bridge over there people can walk across."
"It's beautiful," she mouthed.
Though he knew what she'd said, he said, "What?"
"It's beautiful."
He lifted his hand and cupped his ear, pretending not to have heard her.
She frowned and yelled, "It's beautiful."
Finally, she'd raised her voice loud enough to please him. He shouted back, "When you have something to say..." He pointed his finger back and forth between them. "I want you to say it. Fucking yell at me if it's important to you."
She ducked her chin and stepped away from him. He turned, following her with his gaze. She looked over her shoulder and kept walking, distancing herself from him. Curious to know where she was going, he followed. She gazed back at him every few steps, making sure he was still there.
Timber took him back to his Harley. He sat down on the seat. When she moved to get on behind him, he tagged her wrist and picked her up, setting her on the tank in front, facing him.
It was quieter here. The thrum of the falls in the distance set the mood, giving them a false sense of security.
She looked everywhere but at him. He cupped her face, forcing her to meet his eyes. His chest pounded.
"What's wrong?" She tried to shake her head, but he stopped her. "Say what's wrong."
"You're mad." She never blinked. Her gaze centered on his nose. She wouldn't meet his eyes.
He'd excused her quietness and submissiveness as part of her age. She was quite a bit younger than him and less experienced.
But she was sexually open to him in the dark. She kept nothing back. If she wanted to feel good, she had no problem telling him where to touch her or taking the initiative and doing what she liked.
He thought she was done with the shy routine. She got along with his brothers. But ever since she found out about her grandfather, she'd pulled back.
"Are you always this laidback?" He tilted his head to get a better look at her in the darkness. "Are you going to be okay when I fuck other women or don't come home for days?" He held her in front of him, not letting her step back when she tried to move away. "I live a rough life, doll. I work hard, play dirty, and expect my woman to battle me head to head for what she wants. I don't want a woman who is going to stand at the side and let me walk all over her. That's not what I'm about. Over and over again, I see you doing whatever the fuck I ask of you without an opinion of your own."