Midnight Jasmine (Devil's Hornets MC Book 1) (5 page)

CHAPTER SEVEN

He walked up the same stairs he’d watched her go up less than 24 hours ago, but this time he was happy that it was not going to end with him, blue balls and him thinking about her while jacking off.

She opened the door and had her purse in hand. “You’re on time.”

“I never like to waste anyone’s time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone ready before I even knocked.” He didn’t like to think she was hiding, but for some reason, she didn’t want him to come inside.

“Prompt. That’s how I like to be remembered.” She was a bit off this evening, but maybe it was because of first date nerves.

“I guess we’re ready then.”

“I should have asked you what to wear. I assumed that you’d have your bike, and we’d be riding to where we’re going, so I dressed casually.” She seemed rather flustered, and he wondered what had happened between when she saw him last and now. The fact that she was still going on the date with him said that she probably didn’t find out any information about him, and he was sure that whatever was bothering her would come out.

“Good thinking. Yes, I have my bike. It seemed like you really enjoyed the ride yesterday.” They walked to the curb, and he turned to look at her. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, sure, everything is fine.” Her wide smile looked a bit forced.

He guessed he should be happy that she was one of the worst liars he’d ever seen, but he wasn’t, because everything wasn’t fine. She had decided to still go out with him although she didn’t have his phone number if she wanted to change her mind.

Placing the helmet on her head brought out some weird sort of protectiveness that he couldn’t remember feeling before. This is why he didn’t date fresh, sweet women like this. He’d thought it was because they’d start getting ideas, but it looked like he was the one drawing fantasies in the wind. Finished with fastening her up, he swung up on the bike and waited for her to follow.

It was just like yesterday, but if anything she was a bit more timid which was funny since she’d had his cock in her mouth just this morning and seemed to love it. He took her to a restaurant that specialized in personalized picnics and had individualized tables spread around a few acres of land within a garden like maze. It was private, and he knew she’d like the flowers; plus he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone seeing them. It wasn’t like the boys of the club were going to be heading out for a romantic event at this pricy venue any time soon.

It didn’t take long for them to get to the establishment, and he enjoyed the look on Natalie’s face as they were driven by a fancy golf cart to a circular wooden fixture that was like a room in the middle of the garden. They were let off near the large rose bush, and Natalie looked like she was in a wonderland. This place was pricy, but he knew that a woman who worked with flowers all day would probably love this. Either love it or hate it, it could have gone either way, because she could have thought that she spent too much time around flowers.

“I’ve heard about this place. How did you get reservations? This place has been booked for months.” She wandered around looking at the different flowers on the path toward the five star meal that would be provided soon.

He didn’t know how to explain how he was able to get them in so fast. Would she believe that the manager was on a fast way ride to rehab the way he sucked down cocaine and that the man was in so deep with him financially he could have asked for his soul and been awarded it? This was reason number fifteen million why he didn’t tell her his name last night. It was like they were polar opposites, and he couldn’t see how this would end well, but for some reason he didn’t want to walk away just yet. She had a sexy innocence that intoxicated him, and the things he wanted to do with her curvy body had to be illegal in some states.

“I called in a few favors,” he told her and hoped that would be enough of an explanation.

“It’s easy to do that when you’re well to do,” she said with a smile, but the look of nervousness that had disappeared when she was looking at the flowers returned with a vengeance.

“I wouldn’t say I was well to do.” He watched her eyes get big and remembered that she’d delivered the flowers to his mother herself. Guiding her the rest of the way to the plant covered gazebo, he lead her up the stairs and sat her down. There was light violin music playing, and they had a chilled bottle of merlot by the table. Maybe a glass of wine would calm her down and let the wild cat he’d seen at the shop come back out to play. He didn’t know what to say to make her feel more comfortable about him having money. He’d not grown up with it, so it was something he didn’t really discuss.

She sat down in her seat and looked at him. “What would you call it?”

“Is me being financially stable a problem for you?” He didn’t want to go into it, but since she’d seen his house, he wanted to get whatever problem she seemed to be having with him straightened out. It seemed unlikely that she’d have an issue with him being financially abundant, but people got up in arms about so many things. He didn’t understand how that could be because usually women loved that part about him. Now, if she knew where he got his money and had a problem with it, he could understand.

“It’s not really. I didn’t know what to expect when I got to your mother’s home, but a palace wasn’t it.

“It’s not a palace.”

“You’re right; it’s a kingdom,” she chuckled, and he realized that she’d had been making a joke. Well, good. At least that was out of the way, for now at least. That was another reason it was easier without a steady girlfriend. When he began to spend, she would start counting his money and he wasn’t fond of that.

“Good one, Natalie,” he responded with a laugh.

“Did your mother like her flowers?”

“You tell me. She enjoyed meeting you, and she raved about the arrangement you put together.” He liked seeing the pride she had taken in her work. It wasn’t that he knew much about flowers, but it seemed to be quite an impressive situation she’d put together… very colorful and bright.

“She did seem to like them. I was invited in for lunch when I got there, but I had to leave. It looks like your mother is quite the match maker.”

“You are very intuitive.” He poured both of them a glass of the vintage wine, and he watched her smell and savor the liquid before she took a sip.

“It didn’t have much to do with intuition; she practically had you laid out on a platter,” she said holding her glass to her chest as she sat back in her chair and studied him.

He laughed at the mental picture and felt so light at that moment he thought he really had to do this more. There was a lot of responsibility in his life, and he had handled it all. Pleasure was taken when he needed it and with haste, so he could get back to the nitty gritty of doing what he did well… making money, but he’d missed a few things. Was his mother right? He didn’t want to even think about that. Paying the bills was about as much pleasure as he could afford to want right now.

“She isn’t shy about wanting to have someone in my life, and don’t get me started on grandchildren. My father walked out on us when I was so young I don’t remember him, but when my mother got so sick she didn’t work was when I had to step up and be the provider of the family.”

“How old were you when that happened?” She asked questions, and she made him feel like answering. It was like she was genuinely interested in his upbringing.

“I was about 15 years old.” He didn’t really like to talk about it, because he knew what he’d had to do to support them. It wasn’t like he was embarrassed about it, but for some reason learning about her father, her being accosted on the street yesterday, and hearing her blame the drug dealers made him feel guilty. Not to mention that his job was illegal and if anyone found out about it he could go to jail and a lot of his friends in the club would be going down with him. He didn’t wear the leather jacket that most of the guys wore because he didn’t want to bring any more attention to himself than he had to, but the people who needed to know who he was knew, and that’s all that mattered.

“Well you’ve done well for yourself and your mother. You should be very proud.” She looked him in the eye when she gave her compliment, and it touched him more than he’d ever say.

He didn’t get many accolades for doing the right thing, and he didn’t need them, but he did like the way they made him feel. The smile he was sporting was about as wide and throbbing as another part of his anatomy. This woman just got to him, and that was saying something since he’d already come a few times during the day.

“You don’t have any children?” She asked, and he knew that the sweetly disguised interrogation session was in order.

“No. I’ve never been married, and I’ve never had any children.” He sat up in his chair willing to discuss anything but his occupation or who he works for.

“What about your last girlfriend? How did you break up?”

“Are you always this direct?” He wondered out loud. Natalie shocked him because she had such a soft sweet look, but he liked the direct approach. People always told him he could use a bit of grease when he delivered a boom, but he liked to get his information as he gave it… straight to the point.

“Yes,” she said looking at him in the eye. The ‘I’m an open book’ look made him hard as a pike, and he wondered what else she would be so honest about.

“Good. I like that.” He should have been surprised by the wattage of the smile she favored him with, but it was like he knew it was coming and was waiting eagerly for it. What the hell was going on with him? He continued to watch her as she silently encouraged him to tell her his story.

“Well I’ve never had a ‘girlfriend’ actually,” he said and watched her eyes widen slightly. It was a good thing he was good at reading people for his job, but Natalie was a piece of cake. Her responses were practically a flashing sign on her face. She seemed curious and eager to figure out the answer to that one, and he couldn’t blame her.

“What does the actually mean, because I’m guessing by the air quotations you put up around girlfriend means there have been women. Were none of them serious, or you don’t like titles?”

This woman liked to clarify things and make sure she understood what was being said, but he wanted to learn more about her too. He shook his head trying to clear the rose colored intentions from his mind. This was just dinner and then whatever followed; he wasn’t trying to get into a relationship with this woman. He needed to remember that, but each minute he spent with her was like sinking into quick sand, and he was enjoying every minute.

“I’d like to get to know you too. How about for every question you ask, I get one as well?”

“That sounds fair,” she said watching him in between sips of wine.

“How is a passionate, lusty woman like you still single?” He’d wanted to know the answer to the question since they’d started all of this, and he was interested to find out what she thought the reason was.

There was a deep sigh from his dining partner, and he wondered what she was going to say that would have necessitated such a sad noise. “I’m not that good at dating. I inherited this shop from my mother when she decided to move to Florida to retire, but I’ve grown up in that shop. Running your own business takes a lot of time, so I don’t go out that much. I ask too many questions, and I’m too blunt with my answers.”

She looked over at him like she was now gauging his reactions, and he nodded a bit so she would continue.

“I’m not up on current events because I don’t watch the news or television shows that most people are talking about. I’m content with my flowers and making them grow.”

“You’re the regular Mary, Mary quite contrary, I can see that, but I don’t think you’re too blunt. I enjoy a person who likes to tell it like it is.”

She smiled and nodded her head. “You are right. I’m contrary about a lot of things, and a lot of people don’t like that. I’m glad that you do. The men I meet are usually from my shop. They are typically business men who look at me and see a sweet quiet woman, and I know that’s how I look on the outside so I shouldn’t complain. You are the first person to treat me like a desirable woman, and I want to thank you for that and for saving me the other day.” She finished her glass of wine at the end of her confession, and he wondered how difficult that was for her to get out as he poured her more of the beverage that she seemed to be enjoying so much.