My gaze is drawn to his lips briefly, before returning to his eyes. “Oh, we can do that in the shower after. I wanted to know what you did before taking over your father’s business, and if whatever it was is what caused the scars on your leg and knee?”
He goes limp, his expression sagging. I feel like I’ve just opened an old wound.
“After university, I took a year out to travel. On my way back home, I stopped off at a racetrack not far from here. I loved racing as a kid and competed a few times. There, a team approached me and asked if I’d be interested in racing. So I did. I wasn’t ready to commit to the station, so I did the training, the hours of work, and nearly won all the amateur races.”
“But?” I ask, my stomach sinking.
He forces a chuckle. “But… I was a race away from being entered to partake in the Moto Grand Prix. I had just hit a bend when the guy I was up against, who was also in the running for being picked, clipped the back of my wheel. Our bikes spun, flinging us both off. I dislocated my knee, which caused nerve damage. My wrist needed surgery and pinning into place.
“Although I could still ride after months of physical therapy, I’d never have gotten to that level again. Health and safety restricted me too. That, and it hurt to ride for long periods of time. So the year before last, I decided to finish the training I needed to start working with Dad. I’ve been doing stuff behind the scenes for just under a year now.”
“You miss riding,” I surmise.
He watches me for a moment, stewing on his thoughts. “Yes and no. I loved riding, don’t get me wrong, but it was never my end game. I knew I couldn’t do it for the rest of my life. Taking over for my father is what I’ve always wanted to do.” He inhales, shaking his head slightly. “It was hard to let go of that part of my life, but I did. I was lucky to survive that accident. It could have been a lot worse.”
“What about the other guy?” I ask gently.
“He was paralysed from the neck down.”
“Fucking hell.”
His expression lights, the corner of his lips pulling up slightly. “You know, you’re the first person I’ve told who hasn’t reacted with ‘I’m sorry’.”
I push my head back a little, my eyebrows scrunching together. “Why would I be sorry? I didn’t do anything. Plus, if it hadn’t happened, we wouldn’t have met, and you wouldn’t have had the best sex of your life last night.”
“Best sex of my life, huh?” he asks, smirking.
“Don’t act like it wasn’t,” I tell him, running my finger down his magnificent chest. He tenses beneath me.
“How about you remind me in the shower?” he orders, rolling over me and jumping out of the bed. I squeal when he pulls me up, throwing me over his shoulder.
“I would have gone willingly,” I yell through laughter.
*** *** ***
“You smell of sex,” I mutter as we head up to the café.
Laughing, he says, “Because I can wash that away.”
“Well, it would have been had you not jumped me while I was pulling my knickers up.”
“I couldn’t help it. You looked fucking hot, rolling them up your legs,” he admits, shrugging.
“I miss the days when you were rude and bossy,” I grumble, pulling open the door. “God, I’m starving.”
I’m not just hungry, I’m tired, and me without food is like a smoker without fags. Combine the two and I’m a volcano ready to explode.
“Hey, guys,” I greet, waving.
“Mum is pissed. She left with Aunt Harlow to get the others from the police station this morning,” Liam greets, snickering. “She didn’t get your message until this morning.”
I hadn’t noticed they weren’t here until now. In fact, I’d completely forgotten all about last night’s adventures.
“They aren’t back yet?”
“No, but Harlow texted to say they were on their way back. What happened last night?” Uncle Maverick asks.
I glance at Clayton, who looks panicked. I don’t blame him. Maverick is a scary dude. He makes it a point to intimidate people. My uncle Malik, however, many underestimate, because he’s quiet.
“I’ll go order our breakfast.”
Chicken!
“Didn’t Charlotte or Hope fill you in?” I ask, noting that Charlotte is passed out, her head resting on her arm on the table.
“No.”
“Well, um, there were two cops and you know how Dad is. One thing led to another. I tried to stop it, I swear,” I tell him.
“And they didn’t arrest you?” Landon asks, seeing right through my lie.
My grin stretches across my face as I take a seat at Uncle Maverick’s table. “Nope, we left.”
“You left?” Liam asks, leaning between Maverick and Teagan, laughing.
I shrug, sticking my tongue out at Sunday, who is sitting in a highchair. “Dad would have done the same. It’s like I said, I did all I could.”
“I feel sick,” Faith moans, looking worse for wear as she falls against Beau, who doesn’t seem much better.
The door opens, the wind causing it to smack against the wall. Mum and Harlow storm inside.
“Ut oh,” I mumble, ducking my head.
Dad, Mark, Malik and Maddox dawdle behind at a slower pace, all looking like they’ve been through the wars.
Mum sits down at the empty table beside me, puffing out a breath. “I cannot believe your father.”
“What did he do, other than the obvious?” Landon asks.
“Apart from manage to run up a food bill at a police station?” she growls, shaking her head. “He wound up a group of other guys being processed, and all hell broke loose. It seemed the ones who got hurt weren’t happy, and as we were leaving, your dad pulled one of his stunts and had them all arrested again after he caused another brawl.”
“Did he?” Maverick bites out, glaring at Dad, who is still making his way over.
“Apparently it gets boring on desk duty, so he had them playing hot potato and watching YouTube videos while they tried to find a single room for him. Everyone they put him in a room with ended up losing it.”
“You okay, son?” Maverick asks Mark when he plops down in the chair over by Mum.
Mark lifts his head, his bloodshot eyes landing on his dad. “Yeah. I don’t know how or why we were arrested. Everything is still a blur. They put me in a cell on my own, so I passed out almost immediately.”
“Tell him the rest,” Dad orders, grinning as he takes the seat to the right of me.
Mark glares over at Dad. “Fuck off.”
“What happened?” Aunt Teagan asks, biting her lip.
Dad laughs as he steals Maverick’s coffee, taking a sip. “He woke up naked, and it wasn’t exactly a warm floor we were on, if you know what I mean. Bright spark there stripped off his clothes and woke up to a female officer.”
“Was she hot?” Liam asks.
“She was old,” Mark snaps, placing his head on the table when everyone begins to laugh at his discomfort.
Clayton places the plates on the table before pulling out the chair next to me, taking a seat.