Allegiance - Chiah Wilder Page 0,24

through her head. It was time for a swift change in topic. “You must have one hell of a mother to make you so picky.”

A flash of something she couldn’t identify tightened his features before he smoothed out his expression. Maybe she’d hit a nerve. It was bound to happen, given the fact that they were virtual strangers, but the mishap still sat uneasily on her shoulders.

“She raised us as a single mom, so yeah, she’s pretty spectacular.”

“Us?”

“I’ve got a younger brother.” Frowning, he twisted the dewy beer glass in between his fingers. “He doesn’t come around much. What about you? Do you have any siblings?”

“No. When I was young, I wished I did, and then I met Felicia. We’ve known each other since grade school. We’re like sisters.” Lena looked off toward the water. The waves hitting the white sand before receding back into the ocean were hypnotizing. “There’s something about you,” she murmured.

“What do you mean?” Leaning forward across the table, a small smile curled his lips. “You can’t leave me hanging with a comment like that.”

“You heard that?” Damn.

“Tell me.”

Lena inhaled a deep breath and slowly let it out. “Okay. I’m not used to being in the now—the moment. My head’s always jumping around to the next thing I have to do, and it usually involves my business. But being with you kind of slows things down, and I like it.”

Once the words were out of her mouth, she immediately regretted putting herself in such a vulnerable position. Silence—untamed, and full of tension—slipped its way between them. She looked down at her lap, wondering if what Felicia said about taking this guy seriously had influenced her, so she’d let her guard down. A couple of cocktails, a romantic view, and a hot as hell kiss, and I go to mush.

She waved her hand and looked back toward the ocean. “Forget what I said. It’s been a long week at work, and I know I’m not making much sense. I don’t normally act this way.”

“Don’t worry about it. It was sweet.” His tone was reassuring, but she couldn’t look at him.

“Yeah, maybe if we were in seventh grade.” She nibbled on her index finger before moving to the cuticle on her pinkie, then quickly crossed her arms. “Tell me more about you. Let’s take the glaring spotlight off of me.”

Her attention shifted back to him when he readjusted in his chair.

“What? You’re the one who was dying to have this dinner, so do your part and put in the work. You said you were hard-working.” She teased. “Tell me more about you and your family. I want to know the rest of the story.”

“So you don’t want to leave anything on the table for the second date?” He brought the beer to his lips and took a long pull.

She smiled. “Who said you’ll get that lucky?”

“Fuck, you’re a ballbuster.” Shifting again in his chair, he shot her a look that said he was enjoying it. “I like nothing better than a bourbon neat and cranking up my bike for a ride along the coast and inland roads.”

Her eyes widened. “That’s where the bad boy vibe comes from. Let me guess, you have a Harley.”

“Fuck yeah, woman. Harleys are the only motorcycles to have.”

Images of her on his bike, plastered against his firm back, rushed through her mind. “How long have you been riding?”

“Since I was in high school. I worked my ass off my sophomore and junior year to buy a used Harley from this old dude I met on the beach. I didn’t have enough money, but my mom made up the difference. That bike was my first. It was always there for me, ready for adventure anytime. My mom gave me the world with that bike.” She could see the tenderness in his eyes when he spoke of her.

“It sounds like you’re close to your mother.”

He nodded, running his fingers up and down the glass. “My mom worked her ass off to keep a roof over our heads after my dad split, right after my younger brother was born. She never had a fancy education. She worked two, sometimes three jobs to make sure we were fed and clothed. I started helping as soon as I could work. My first job was stacking boxes at Riley’s Liquor Store.” He chuckled. “No one had a clue I was only thirteen. Anyway, I helped a lot because my mom didn’t have anyone else.”

She thought that was an interesting