Helping her to her feet, he reached to loosen the knot holding her towel in place. “Ooops.” He tugged the fabric free of her grip, dangling it in the air behind him. “Sorry about that.”
Instead of the light shyness of only a few moments ago, she found there was a power in knowing she was in the presence of someone who loved her and liked the way she looked. Myrt sauntered towards the bathroom, putting a little extra sway in her hips as she disappeared inside, closing the door behind her. She managed to hold in her laughter until he exited the hotel room, cursing all the way.
At the diner, Deloris was their waitress again, seemingly the only one the diner employed. Myrt smiled at her and the woman gave her one right back. Once their orders were placed, Deloris leaned a hand on the table. “I know your sister, Marian.” She paused and Myrt stared up at her, unsure what to say. “Tell her I said, ‘Good for you,’ for her getting out of this town. She’ll be better off anywhere but here.” Rapping her knuckles against the table, Deloris pushed upright and walked away. “Cake and coffee, with a side of cheesy scrambled eggs, coming up.”
Bane showed her a little more of his playful side during the meal, teasing her with a forkful of cake, offering it, then swooping it away to place between his lips instead. Myrt found there was a different power in her expressions, as a playful pout from her turned into him dishing up another bite immediately, following through with delivering it to her tongue. He let her eat it, watched avidly as she swallowed, then closed in for a kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth in ways that had her core tingling and her breaths coming heavy.
“Mmmm. Always knew you were sweet.” He rubbed his thumb across her lips. “Never knew just how sweet you could be.”
Meal complete, he left money on the table for Deloris, who waved them out the door. Myrt stood on the steps near the curb and looked around at the little town square. When she’d left the first time, she’d been ducking down inside a stranger’s car, hoping no one would see or recognize her. This time—she let her gaze travel over Bane, marking the broad shoulders and wide chest, faint cleft in his chin, and a sweet smile he reserved for her alone—she was leaving because the man she was with mattered more to her than anything. This time she wasn’t running from anything. She was headed straight towards the future and whatever it held for her.
When he lifted a hand to her from where he sat on the bike, she didn’t hesitate to lay her palm on his, balancing on the seat behind him as she adjusted her helmet. He leaned back, his weight solid against her, and turned his head for a kiss she gladly gave him. “Ready,” she said without prompting.
“And away we go.”
Her arms tight around his waist held her in place as he pulled away from the curb. Two turns later, they were on the highway headed out of town, and Myrt stretched to put her chin on his shoulder. She could see the courthouse roof in the mirrors, growing smaller with every moment. Myrt turned her eyes away from what was behind them and looked ahead at the road, stretching into the distance, and settled in for the ride.
***
Bane
He stifled his grin as he helped Myrt settle into a hot bath. She groaned as her ass hit the water, then groaned again when she leaned back against the tub. She’d found out today that four hundred miles on a bike was vastly different from making a trip twice the distance in a car or truck—even with stopping every hundred miles for a breather and bathroom break. When they’d ended their day at a hotel, she’d been so stiff he’d carried her to their room. Ground floor this time, thankfully.
“You good, baby?” She nodded and rolled her head to look at the back wall of the shower enclosure. Well, that won’t do at all. “Myrt, honey, look at me.” She didn’t, instead arching her neck farther to keep turned away. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
He crouched down next to the tub and cradled her cheek in his palm, pulling her face around so he could see her. Tears streamed from her eyes, a steady rivulet of wet rolling down to drip off her