“He left years ago. Haven’t seen him since we moved from Ireland.”
Why can’t I keep my mouth shut? I don’t know why but I hunger to find out more about Hunter. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to—my parents are dead too,” I spill out as if that will somehow comfort him.
“You want to see it?”
I snap my head up. “What?”
“The bike.”
Relieved he’s given us a way out of this awkwardness, I nod eagerly. “Definitely.”
He leads me through the kitchen and out the back of the house to the garage. “Do you ride?” he asks as he opens the garage to reveal a gleaming black Harley.
“Wow.” I shake my head. “No, but I had a few, uh, boyfriends who did.”
There’s a slight smile on his face and I see how much he loves the bike. Stepping into the garage, I skim my hand over the leather seat. The bike looks a little old but well cared for.
“Used to be my dad’s. A Harley Sportser. Mam had it shipped over from Ireland. Not sure why. Guess she wanted to keep something of him with her.”
“It’s beautiful.” I come around to stand behind the black motorbike and when I look up, he holds me prisoner with his gaze, something he seems to do a lot.
The proud smile is gone and in the dim light of the garage, his expression could almost be considered menacing. A furrowed brow and penetrating eyes suck the breath from me. He flicks his gaze from me to the bike and back again.
“Hunter…” I start, fumbling for a way to break the intensity.
“You want to go for a ride?”
“What?”
“A ride?”
“Well, I…”
“We’ll grab some breakfast on the way. You’ll be safe with me, I promise.”
The man doesn’t give up easily that’s for sure. And while I trust him with my life, I’m not sure I trust him with my heart. My ex, Pete, taught me the hard way that even those you love don’t always accept you for who you are. After losing my job, my home and my friends, I can’t go through that again. And this time there is more at stake. I have a proper job and an apartment instead of drifting from hostel to hostel. Christ, I even spent time on the streets when I had to outrun my past. I just can’t do it.
Hunter edges closer, breaking my thoughts. I gaze up at him and see only sincerity. His eyes spellbind me, the blue of them dark in the shadows and the green bit almost black. How can I say no to this man?
“Sure, why not?”
“Wait here.” He turns sharply and stalks across the garage.
God, the man is so unpredictable. It’s hard to tell what he’s going to do next. I’ve never met a man so complex or confusing. Or fascinating. He lives in a house that is trapped in a time warp, he clearly cared deeply for his mother, he reveals little about himself but tells me how attracted he is to me without any preamble. Brash honesty combined with an air of mystery. I long to figure him out.
I run a hand over the leather seat again and imagine him riding it. I won’t have to picture him soon enough but I know this is him. Where he belongs. Maybe I’ll be one step closer to understanding him after this. I imagine being on a bike is about control for him. His take charge attitude appeals to me, I have to admit. There’s only so much independence a girl needs. Sometimes it would be nice to rely on someone else to make the decisions.
Hunter returns to my side and I shudder as a thrill makes itself known.
“You cold?”
“No, I’m fine.”
He eyes me and thrusts a leather jacket and helmet at me. “You’ll need these. The jacket might be a bit big.” He glances down. “At least your trousers will do.”
I finally take notice of what he’s wearing. Leather, a black T-shirt and more leather. Seriously? My knees threaten to give way completely. Then he helps me peel off my thin jacket and shrug into the leather one. It feels soft and well worn. His fingers skim my shoulder and I tighten my muscles so I don’t shudder again. The tangy scent of leather and Hunter encompasses me and my mouth dries. I stand, frozen while he does the jacket up as if I’m a helpless child. He takes the helmet from my limp fingers, swipes a finger over my nose and places the helmet on.
“What do you want to eat?”
I lift a shoulder. You. Shit, where did that come from? “I don’t mind.”
“We’ll pick something up and find somewhere nice to sit and eat.”
“Sounds good.”