babe. You gotta admit we had some fucking magic that night. I thought we had a connection. Was I wrong?”
Her voice is barely a whisper. “No, you weren’t wrong.”
I study the road a long time before I finally can’t hold back the damning admission. “I searched for you, you know that?”
“What?”
“Returned to that dive bar a dozen times.” I huff out another laugh. “Now, here I’ve finally found out the identity of my little Cinderella from that spectacular night three years ago. And if I’m bein’ honest, Tess, I can’t deny the thrill of that, but…”
“But?”
“You want the truth?”
“Always.”
“I’m thinking that flame is still there, burnin’ strong. But fuck—that girl is Growler’s daughter, and getting involved with her again would be nothing but trouble, and it’d be better if I don’t go there. I know it as sure as I know…” I look over and realize I’ve shocked the shit out of her. “Tess?”
Suddenly she lifts a hand toward me and strokes the back of her fingers down my beard. “It’s as soft as I remember.”
Fuck. My dick just went hard. I spot a sign for a rest area and jump over two lanes to take the exit. I pull in the first open spot, far from the building and the other cars, throwing the truck in park.
She scrambles out of her seatbelt and climbs into my lap, her mouth seeking mine. It’s times like these I’m glad for the old Ford F150 model with the velour bench seat.
Her lips are soft and her kiss is eager. In all this time I’ve never forgotten her.
She pulls back and stares into my eyes. “You’re right. We can’t do this.”
“Right now I’m thinkin’ maybe we can.”
“You’re a DK. That’s a deal breaker for me.”
“Ain’t saying you got to marry me and have my babies, Tess,” I argue, even as the thought of her holding a baby—my baby—flashes before my eyes.
To break the tension, she yanks on the door handle. “I have to use the restroom.”
I watch her climb from the truck and hurry away, like she can’t get far enough, fast enough.
I slam my hand on the steering wheel. “Fuck.”
When she comes back, I start the truck and back out without a word.
We’re quiet for the rest of the trip, each in our own heads.
An hour later I pull down the prison road. This—visiting a prison—is new for me, and it’s rattling my nerves in a way I hadn’t expected. It’s only by the grace of God that I haven’t been driven up here myself, riding in the back of a prison van in chains.
I feel my pulse elevate, and just looking at the place, I suddenly can’t breathe.
I pull to a spot and park, gathering myself, and then look over at her. She’s got more guts than I have, walkin’ in that place alone. I’ve never even liked visiting hospitals; I can’t imagine what this is like. “You gonna be okay?”
“I’ll be fine. You can’t stay here. They don’t allow anyone to wait in the parking lot. You have to leave and come back.”
“What time?”
“Come back at ten. I don’t plan to stay long.” With that, she climbs out. I hit the button and roll her passenger window down.
“Hey,” I call as she starts to walk away.
She turns back and leans in the window. “Yeah?”
“Tell your old man to put me on his visitors list.”
She frowns. “Why?”
“Just do it.”
I watch her walk away. The girl is gorgeous, and my eyes drop to watch the ends of her long locks sway above her fabulous ass. Even dressed conservatively, she’s still got the sexiest strut I’ve ever seen.
It’d be so easy to pick back up with her, but she comes with a whole lot of baggage—baggage that’s got MC Princess and Stay Away stamped all over it.
She’d be exactly the kind of trouble I don’t need.
CHAPTER FOUR
Tess—
Gypsy drives off. Out of the corner of my eye, I see his truck pull down the lane. I head inside, puzzled by what he just asked me to do. My mind is a whirl right now. That request threw me. My mother led me to believe the club basically wrote my father off. I can’t help wondering if Gypsy would tell my father anything he wants to know. Surely they can’t sit inside that room under the nose of the guards and talk club business. On the other hand, maybe that would get me off the hook. I’m not comfortable with trying to dig for information