He made quick work securing the helmet to her head. She peered up at him. He wasn't a morning person. Or maybe he was always grouchy.
"Hold on the same way you did last night." He got on the bike. "Understand that as an employee of Killere, riding on the back of my bike is just getting you from here to there. We aren't stopping at the store or going anywhere else. This ride means nothing but a means to get you to work."
She bit her lip to keep from smiling at how serious he'd become as she climbed up behind him. "I understand."
Amusement lightened her mood. It wasn't like he'd rented a limo and planned to take her out on a date and sweet talk her out of her panties.
She wasn't wearing any underwear, which made the situation even funnier. She caught him frowning in the side mirror and muffled her laughter.
Her body quaked with the struggle to hold in the noise.
It only made sense he'd offer her a ride. They were going to the same place. Why would he assume she'd think differently?
"You're a strange one, doll." Romeo started the Harley.
His grumpiness only set her off again, and she let the wind carry her laughter, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear her. By the time he pulled in front of the clubhouse, she'd regained control of herself but struggled to keep her smile from showing.
Romeo frowned at her as she pulled down her short skirt. It amused her that he was in a bad mood.
She got it. She understood. He regretted his decision to take her home, and he had to face sleeping on the couch until she moved out.
In her short life, she'd made a lot of bad decisions. He'd get over it.
She walked toward the diner, letting him have his chance to get away from her. He hadn't planned to have someone else in his house. Onyx sprung it on the whole club. She'd give him time to get used to having a roommate.
She entered the establishment through the front door. Starla noticed her right away and waved. She smiled back, not wanting to disturb anyone. There was a coffee maker in the breakroom. She'd slip back there and—
"Hey, Starla, bring me the usual, huh?" said Romeo behind her.
She looked over her shoulder. There was no getting away from him.
"Make that two." Romeo cocked his brow and then, in a lower voice, said, "You're hungry."
He had no way of knowing if she was hungry or not. She equally hated how he thought he was right all the time.
She crossed her arms.
"Well, you are. Plus, I know you don't have to start working for two more hours. You have time to eat." He pressed his hand against her back and led her to the back booth. "Sit."
She took the purse from around her neck and slid into the seat. Before she could say anything to Romeo, Starla showed up with a pot of coffee and filled two mugs.
But as soon as she was alone with Romeo, she leaned close to the table and said, "Cancel the order you made for me."
"Why?"
"I can't pay for it."
"You work here. You eat for free." He ripped open a pack of sugar and dumped it in his mug. "I'm sure Willow or Onyx told you that."
She studied him. It was impossible to know if he was telling the truth or not. Her interview with Willow was normal, exactly how she'd expect an employer to act. Killere Truck Stop was desperate to hire another waitress. Many of the questions she'd expected never came once she'd divulged that Dice was her father.
"If you're wrong, I'll pay you back on Friday." She pressed her back against the seat.
Along with the first sip of coffee, he lost the scowl marking his forehead, and the return of his gorgeous face gave her something to look at while they waited for their food to be served.
She was glad for the silence. Romeo answered a couple of phone calls, sent some texts, and it gave her an excuse to take out her cell and check for messages—there weren't any, but she pretended to read something on the screen under the table instead of staring at him.
It was easier to talk to customers. She knew what was expected from her. She understood her job. As long as she acted politely and catered to the paying customers, no one bothered to notice that it took everything out of her to work an eight-hour day around other people.
Her anxiety was through the roof.
Half the time, she wanted to sit down and hold her head to stop the numbness from spreading up the back of her neck.
"Here we go." Starla slid two plates onto the table and handed over a ketchup bottle to Romeo. "Yell if you need anything."
"Thanks, hon." Romeo set down his cell and picked up a fork, diving into the scrambled eggs.
As he chewed, he poured ketchup over the eggs and hash browns. Timber's stomach growled. Conscious of how hungry she'd grown, she took a bite and almost groaned at the fluffiness of the eggs on her tongue.
She spent little time worrying about Romeo watching her between eating and taking sips of the coffee. It was the most pleasure she'd had in a long time.
While on the road, Clyde never let her go inside restaurants to eat. He always insisted they stay in his truck and eat in the cab. The only time she got out to enjoy herself was when she refused to listen to him and stepped outside to get some fresh air. That was enough for him to kick her out.
But now she had a job. Soon, she'd have enough money to start over on her own.
When she'd finished everything but her toast, she inhaled deeply, determined to eat every bite. That much food in her stomach would last her the rest of the day.
She leaned back, smothering the moan of overindulgence, and lifted the coffee to her lips. Everything was better now that she'd eaten. Her mood. Her patience. Her strength. She felt normal and energized.
She could seize the day.
She could face Romeo.
Across the table, he tilted his head. "What?"
"When's rent due?"
"We'll talk about it later." He drained the rest of his coffee and slid out of the booth. "When's your shift over?"
"Not until six o'clock."
"I'll be outside. If you want a ride to the house, be out there."
"Just a ride. To and from the diner. Nowhere else. Nothing more. Cause we both know, having me on the back of your big, bad motorcycle means nothing to you." She rubbed her lips together, surprised she'd spoken.
His dark lashes fanned over those pretty blue eyes before he turned and walked out of the diner. She inhaled deeply. Whether he knew it or not, that man stole her breath every time he looked at her.
Starla stepped into her view. Timber shook her head, coming back to her senses.
Picking up the silverware and helping Starla put all the dishes on the tray, Timber softly said, "I'll wait in the breakroom until my shift starts."
"No worries." Starla picked up the tray and balanced it on her hip. "The others who work here should be getting up soon if you want to hang out in Room 15 or 16 with them."
"Maybe I will. Thanks." She stood from the booth.
"Up to you. They're used to company." Starla leaned toward her. "Though, I can't blame you for hanging out with Romeo if he's paying attention to you."
She shook her head. "It's not like that. I'm renting a room at his house. He gave me a ride to work."
"Girl..." Starla bugged her eyes. "Lucky."