I nodded and looked over at my daughter who was messing around on her phone.
“I’m going to give Reina a ride home then I’ll take you back to your mother’s. That okay with you?”
“No, no, I took a cab here, and I planned on taking one back home,” Reina insisted.
“You don’t drive?” Lacey asked.
“I used to. I got rid of my car after…” she paused, “I need to get a new one,” she explained. Bianci had mentioned when he connected the dots between Reina and Danny he had discovered my brother had leased a car for her in his name.
“Have you met Pipe? He’s the mechanic at the Satan’s Knights car lot. I bet you he’d hook you up with a decent car. Right Dad?”
I looked at Reina.
“I didn’t know you were looking for a car. When you’re ready say the word and I’ll hook you up with one. Pipe runs the lot but we all have a piece of it,” I explained, before turning to Lacey.
“You okay with me dropping her off then coming back for you?”
“Actually, Gia is ten minutes away. We are going to catch a movie so she can pick me up,” she said.
“All right then,” I turned back to Reina. “You ready, Sunshine.”
“If you’re sure.”
“Oh, I’m sure,” I assured her, grabbing her leather jacket from the newel post and holding it out for her to slip into. She slipped her arms inside of the sleeves and looked over her shoulder at me.
“Truck or the bike?” I questioned, biting back the urge to lean down and press my lips to the tip of her nose. I cleared my throat and stepped away, grabbing my jacket off the back of the couch. I turned to face her, watching as she chewed sheepishly on her bottom lip.
“Bike,” she murmured, her eyes glowing with excitement. I blew out a ragged breath as I stared at her, vowing that a ride on my bike wouldn’t be the only thing that elicited that look in her eyes.
“Come, Lacey. Give your old man some sugar,” I demanded.
Lacey threw her phone onto the couch and made her way to me, wrapping her arms tightly around me as she reached up on tip toe to kiss my cheek.
“Happy birthday, Dad. I love you,” she said as she pulled back from me.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out a hundred and handed it to her.
“Lock up when you leave,” I ordered.
“I will, thanks,” she said, shoving the money into her pocket and turning to Reina, throwing her arms around her. “I had fun tonight. I hope you’ll be around more often,” she hinted, giving her a slight squeeze before pulling back from the embrace.
“So did I. Thank you for inviting me,” she said with a smile.
“All right, let’s move. Love you Lacey,” I said, holding open the door for Reina. I pointed to my daughter. “Text me when you get home.”
“Okay,” she said, rolling her eyes.
“Just do it, girl,” I grunted then sighed and gave her a wink before I closed the door.
I followed Reina down the front porch, walked around her toward the driveway and watched as she stared at my bike. I straddled the Harley and glanced at her.
“You coming or what?” I asked, handing her the helmet.
“Oh, I’m coming,” she said, walking toward the bike. She grabbed the helmet, fitted it to her head and placed her hand on my shoulders as she hopped on the back.
“That’s what I like to hear,” I grinned, flicking on the headlights. She pressed her body into mine, wrapped her arms around me and for a fraction of a moment I knew happiness.
Chapter Twelve
Reina fumbled with her key, fitting it to the lock but pausing before she turned it. I raised a brow as she leaned her forehead against the door before she spun around and set her eyes on mine.
“Do you want to come in for a minute?” She asked, biting the inside of her cheek.
I didn’t like her living in a seedy apartment complex with drug dealers and low-life’s as neighbors. When I pulled up to her building I followed her up the stairs and told her I’d see her to her door. She didn’t argue, knowing that by now it was just a waste of time. Yeah, I could rest easy knowing the deadbolt on the door had her safely locked away. But I walked her upstairs anyway because I wasn’t willing to let her go just yet.
“Is this the part where you offer me coffee?” I asked her, cocking my head to the side, as my eyes left hers and traveled the length of her body. “Or you going to be straight with me and ask me in because you want more of what you had last night?” I lifted my eyes back to hers and stepped closer, close enough to feel her breath hitch.
“How do you do that?” She whispered.
“What’s that?” I questioned, running my fingers along the collar of her leather jacket.
“Make me feel things I’ve never felt before,” she confessed.