a soda.”
He nodded. “Maybe I’ll have the same.”
After we gave our orders, Chris seemed to relax beside me, but he wasn’t. His entire side was pressed against mine, and I felt how tight he was.
“What’s going on?” I waited until our drinks were served before asking.
He raised an eyebrow at me, picking his drink up and taking a sip. “What do you mean?”
“I know you’re not going to tell me why you were really at my school, but you’re tense. And you waited an entire year to approach me.”
His eyes lit up. “You’re cocky.”
I grinned slowly. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
He gave another dry chuckle. “Let’s talk about you. You’re going to college next year?”
I nodded and told him my plans. It was a good school, and I wanted to get a nursing degree. “My mom’s a nurse. When my dad left, she was pregnant with me.”
“You two are close?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s Heckler’s sister, right?”
Whoa. He acknowledged knowing my uncle. “Yeah…”
He caught my reaction. “What?”
“Just,” a shrug, “I never thought you’d talk about, you know.”
I was getting flustered. I never got flustered. This was weird.
He laughed, noting my reaction. “What is this now?”
Why? Why now? Why today? Why at the end of the school year?
Screw it.
I tried to ignore how inflamed my face must have been. “Why were you at my school this year?”
His grin faltered; his voice got quiet. “I can’t talk about that.”
Okay. Another push. “Were you even a student?”
He was studying me, but then a reluctant shake of his head. “No. I wasn’t, but your school’s administration knew I was there and why I was there.”
I sucked in my breath. That was huge. Huge! And what did it mean?
The food came, but neither of us moved to start eating.
He waited until the server had moved from hearing distance before saying, “Let’s just say some people in high positions have a certain fear and debt to the MC.”
And my last question. “Are you a member of the Red Demons?”
He wasn’t as forthcoming, waiting a few beats before lounging back. His arm came up to rest behind me, and he moved so he was facing me. “That’s a complicated answer.”
“Why?”
MCs didn’t like you asking questions about them, and certainly not someone who’d be Red Demon royalty. I was going for broke here.
I was holding my breath until I heard, “I graduated high school last year.”
I was doing the math. “So, you would’ve prospected for the summer, then you were sent here?” That was a whole year, and most of it was spent away from his club.
“We’ll see how it goes when I head back.”
So, he was leaving.
My heart sank.
“Got it. Yeah.”
He paused, then leaned forward. “Hey.” His voice, so soft there.
It wasn’t fair.
“Hey.” Not as soft. He touched my shoulder, hooking his finger under my tank top strap. He moved it down, his finger balling it up.
Sensations were exploding down my body, inflaming every inch, and I was super aware of his body right next to me. So seriously aware. There was a whole throbbing situation starting, and that was making me all sorts of flushed.
“Look, I’m going to level with you.”
That didn’t sound good.
My throat was spasming as I waited, looking over and holding his gaze.
His eyes were all stormy looking, focusing on my lips before looking back up. “I asked for the day. I don’t know what orders I’ll get. I will probably get called back to headquarters, but I don’t really know.”
My tongue felt heavy. “So, you’re saying you have the night?”
Regret flared over his face, tightening his expression. His eyes flared again in sympathy.
I hated that look.
“Yeah. I have tonight.”
One night.
His finger started rubbing over my shoulder, moving under my strap. The food was long-forgotten, and he was watching me, waiting for something. I didn’t know what, but did it really matter? One night. The rest of today.
This sucked.
I asked, my throat hoarse, “Why’d you wait all year?”
He cursed under his breath. “I couldn’t.”
I knew. I mean, I knew. That’s how MCs were, especially if they sent a guy for a long-term mission. That meant he was someone. I already knew that, but he was so young and to be sent away for a nine-month assignment. Those didn’t get handed out lightly. No matter who his uncle was, Chris was meant for big things with the Red Demons.
One night. Damn.
I knew my answer to what he hadn’t asked.
“Got a place we can hang?”
His eyes dipped to my mouth. “Oh yeah.”
SEVEN
Kess
“REALLY?”
I gaped at the house when he pulled into a