“You’re at work,” I whisper, backing off. “One day, you won’t be. When that happens, you’ll beg for something else.”
Nodding, she stares at me until I can’t read her again. A part of me wonders if there really is someone else. Is she playing me? Or keeping her options open? I feel like I know Shay, but I’m fooling myself. She’s a stranger who conned Lucky into bringing her to Little Memphis.
Resting my hands on each side of her, I stare into those gray eyes and try to see the real Shay.
“This guy you’re into,” I say, searching her face for answers, “how’s that working out?”
When she says nothing, I lean closer and her hands return to my chest. Again she wants to push me away, but I don’t move.
“He’s out of my league,” she says, sounding sad. “I wish I was who he thought I was, but I’m not. I also wish I knew how to make him understand that I’m not ready. Not because I don’t think of him all the time, but because I’m new to town and overwhelmed by everything. He doesn’t need to wait for me when he has options, but I wish he would.”
With Shay looking so young and vulnerable, I feel like an asshole hovering over her. Fuck, I am an asshole and I usually love this fact about myself. With Shay, I wish I was a better man. Well, a better man who still got exactly what he wanted when he wanted it.
Leaning down, I press my lips against her forehead. I want to kiss her lips, but she’s not ready and I want her to give herself to me. No more hiding or games. I need her to show me everything.
11
Shay
He Calls Me Princess
The next two days, I’m overheated and confused. All because of Ford Reed. I can feel his lips on my forehead and I find myself caressing the spot. He has me completely wrapped around his finger, but I’m not ready. I think he understands, but it’s not like he’s hurting for company.
Arriving home from the store on Saturday, I find a bouquet of yellow roses sitting on the kitchen table. Darby grins at me while cooking at the stove.
“How many women do you think Ford’s ever sent flowers to in his whole damn life? I’m guessing maybe one and she was probably his mom.”
I try to hide how excited I feel at learning they’re for me. The roses are beautiful. I lean over and inhale their sweet scent.
“There’s a card,” Darby says, walking past me. “Don’t be shocked if his writing is awful. Joker said one of the Reed boys is barely literate, but I can’t remember which one.”
I open the white envelope and frown at the sheet of paper. I don’t understand what it is at first. My eyes scan past the printed out info to the handwritten words at the bottom.
I’m ready to ride, princess.
Looking over the info again, I realize I’m reading Ford’s clinic test results for various VDs. Despite my common sense, I giggle wildly. Yes, based on the tests, he is ready to ride.
After I put away my groceries, I sit at the table and look at the roses. I wonder why he picked yellow ones. I like them better than red and pink, but he couldn’t have known that about me. I’m a stranger to him, so he’s either great at reading people or picked the flowers he liked best. Either way, I stare at them for too long to pretend I’m not love struck.
“You can thank him tomorrow,” Darby says later. “He’ll have a list of suggestions on how to thank him, but words will suffice.”
I grin. “He’s bad news.”
“Jenn says the same about you.”
“Why?” I ask, my smile gone.
“She can tell you tomorrow.”
The next day at the barbecue, Jenn stirs her potato salad and shrugs. “You’re a trouble magnet, Shay. I don’t know what to tell you. Some people are born that way.”
I just stare at her. Is she insulting me? Am I really bad news? Is that code for a piece of shit? Should I care what she thinks? Who is she anyway? Could I take her in a fist fight? I know the answer to the last one is no.
“Don’t get all pouty,” she says, grinning at Darby fixing a margarita. “I’m bad news too. It runs in my family, but I turned out all right. You wanna know the secret?”
As Harleys roar up the residential street and more club guys arrive, I lean forward and nod.