Wild Open Hearts (Bluewater Billionaires) - Kathryn Nolan Page 0,48
to be embarrassed by.”
“Not embarrassed,” he corrected. “Respectful.”
Except the look I’d caught in his eye—the raw, naked lust—had been anything but.
“Suit yourself.” I tossed the wet tank top onto his bike and dropped the tent-sized shirt over my head, knotting the ends around my waist. “If only I’d brought my back-up supply of flower crowns. How do I look, boss?”
“Beautiful,” he said hoarsely.
I bit my lip, smiling, desperate for this lightness after my dark hopelessness earlier. “Doing what we did today is good for the soul. I can feel it.”
“It shows,” Beck said. “You, um… you have the kind of face that’s easy to read.”
“Very true,” I agreed. “I’m an open book.”
He kicked at a stone in the sand, looking seconds away from calling it a night.
“Can I buy you a drink?” I asked.
“Me?” he said, startled.
“No, the other terrifying-looking biker,” I deadpanned.
His mouth tipped up on one side.
“I have a million hours of emails to tackle tonight and I think a drink would help. Just one. We can watch the sunset, my second favorite time of day.”
“What’s your first?”
“Sunrise. When the world paints herself pink and gold for us.”
He stared at me.
“Come on,” I said, “I’m not going to force-feed you kombucha.”
“You’re sure?”
“I’m going to force-feed you kale.”
Beck chuckled—but it was a surprised sound. A delighted sound. I was delighted.
“There’s a dive bar I used to go to right over there, actually,” he said. “It’s like the last shitty thing still standing on this fancy block.”
I peered over, saw a low, dark building that looked moments away from being formally condemned. “Love it.”
“You sure about that?”
I lifted my chin, winked. Beck didn’t have to know that I now frequented clubs you had to be wait-listed to get into. Not that I waited anymore. I was a bottle-service-VIP girl now.
“Your old MC friends go there?” I asked, purely out of curiosity.
But Beck’s jaw tightened, jumping into protection mode. “I used to go there after I left. The Devils can’t be down at Lummus Park anymore without the cops getting involved. They go inland for their bars. At least, last I heard.”
“Well as long as I’m not going to be the reason why a bar fight breaks out… why not? First round’s on me, Mr. Mason.”
27
Beck
This was a bad idea.
I didn’t need to be going to a place that sold alcohol with the rainbow billionaire. Didn’t need to be in a place that forced you to speak close together. I was still distracted from watching Luna strip her shirt off—her full breasts swelling against that hot-pink sports bra, the delicious nip of her waist, those lean muscles. When she’d tossed her hair back, she looked like a mermaid. I wanted to press my tongue to her tan skin.
Yet she had been the one to suggest the drinks.
She’d clearly been upset by the state Sunshine was in. But beyond that, her mood had been classic Luna: teasing, funny, happy.
Teasing me. Flirting with me.
“Here we are,” I said, walking up to the piece-of-shit bar frequented by people who had a looser understanding of the word legal. I used to drink here back in the day, when I was processing my life before and my life after. Elián and I had spent plenty a night after a tough day at Lucky Dog here. Their busted sign read Dean’s but half the letters were scrubbed off.
Luna’s eyes widened. But then she straightened her spine and yanked open the door. The patrons glared, but it didn’t affect her. Her feet did stick to the floor and she winced, examining whatever had ended up on the bottom of her expensive-looking shoes.
“It’s decades of old gum and spilled beer,” I admitted. My hand rested on her lower back as I guided her to the bar, the light touch sending heat rolling through me. Every person in there stared at Luna—she wasn’t a regular and she sure as shit didn’t look like she belonged in a dive bar. Even wrapped in her hippie clothes, she screamed first class all the way.
She held up two fingers for the bartender—a surly man named Stu.
“I can get this,” I said, reaching for my wallet.
“Don’t you dare,” she protested. “Heineken, right? With a kombucha chaser?”
Stu walked over—furious, as usual, that someone was brave enough to ask him for a drink.
“What?” he barked at Luna. My hackles went up until I saw her shine that mega-watt smile his way.
“Hey there, I’m Luna.” She extended her hand, glittering with gold rings.