stay in one place very long.”
“Relationships aren’t easy, but I guess you just have to weigh whether you’d be happier without that person around. Me, I couldn’t bear to think of my life without Reno in it. And it almost came to that. He thought it best if he was out of my life, thought he’d bring me nothing but trouble. I had to fight hard to get him to see that I couldn’t bear to be apart, that he’d become my world, my everything.” She chuckles. “Men can be stubborn asses sometimes.”
“True that.”
We both giggle.
Her phone lights up on the table, and she leans to read the screen.
“It’s a text from Reno. He says they’re on their way back.” She looks at me with wide eyes. “We need to get back to your place, quick.”
I take a sip of my drink, teasing, “Maybe now’s a good time to test all that understanding you were talking about.”
“I never said he was understanding.”
I chuckle. “You have just as much right to have a life as he does. He can’t keep you locked in a cage.”
“He doesn’t. I went out the other night with my friends.”
“What? You had me believing you were never allowed to go out like other young people.”
She makes an oops face. “Sorry. I just wanted to get you to come out tonight.”
I roll my eyes. “See if I trust you again.”
“Oh, come on, you had fun.”
“I did. And it was nice getting to know you.” I take a sip of my drink and tease, “Too bad Reno’s going to kill you.”
“Are you seriously not going to drive me back, so we can beat them home?”
“Are you seriously going to lie to him about going out tonight?”
“Not lie exactly, but what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him.”
“How about you find out? Maybe he won’t care. After all, what was all that talk about him just wanting you to be happy?”
She gives me a death look.
I smile back. “Tell him we’re up here. I dare you.”
She lifts her chin. “Fine, I will.”
I lift a brow.
Her shoulders deflate. “Come on, don’t make me.”
I pick up my phone. “I’ll just tell Rusty where we are.”
“You wouldn’t dare!”
“Kara, where’s your backbone? What’s the worst that can happen? You have angry makeup sex? Believe me, when he takes one look at you in that dress, he’s gonna forget every thought in his head.”
She bites her lip. “Well, the angry makeup sex does sound kind of appealing.”
I giggle. “So? You want to tell him or you want me to?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Rusty—
Reno sits astride his bike, his head bent, his thumbs moving over his phone.
“Who you texting?” I ask.
“Kara. Lettin’ her know we’re headed back.”
I sit on my bike at the rest stop outside of Atlanta, parked in the spot next to him, and wait.
“What the fuck?”
I jerk my head toward him. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s at some club.”
I frown. “What the hell do you mean? Did she leave Ashlynn’s to go out clubbing?”
“She can’t go out clubbing, she’s pregnant!”
“I’ll call Ashlynn and find out what’s going on.”
“Ashlynn is with her.”
“Where?” I’m already lifting my bike off the kickstand.
“Club Apex. New place.”
“Wait a minute, I know that place. Guy named Evans just opened it. I just did a custom bike for him. Let’s go.”
Both bikes thunder to life, and we take off.
Thirty minutes later we’re standing in front of the bouncers.
“Is Todd Evans here tonight?” I ask.
“Who’s asking?” the thick-necked guy on the right asks, his eyes dropping to my cut.
“The guy who built his custom chopper.”
He doesn’t say anything, but puts his hand to his earpiece and talks into his headset.
A minute later, he’s moving the velvet rope aside and waving us through. We walk in the doors, and I already see Todd cutting a path through the crowd to us.
He extends his hand. “Rusty, how are you, man?”
“Good. Our girls are up here tonight. Just came by to pick them up.”
“Sure. Stay as long as you like.” He motions over a waitress. “Felicity will get you whatever you want.”
“Thanks, man. But we can’t stay.”
Reno taps me on the chest with the back of his hand, then points to a section against the wall. “There.”
I turn to look and spot the girls immediately. They’re like matching bookends. Both dark haired in sparkly short dresses, Kara in silver and Ashlynn in gold.
My eyes sweep over my little Hot Rod. Sitting up on the dais, she’s on display for half the club. Her short dress shows off her sexy legs