“Babe. Talk to me.”

  She doesn’t look up or speak, just keeps chewing with her eyes on my boots.

  Lifting my hand, I place my fingers under her chin and force her head upward. “Talk.”

  Her breathing almost stops as she stares up at me with those wild eyes I first saw six months ago. Her hand falls away from her lips, and our gazes lock. “I don’t know how I’m going to get home or back to my car tomorrow. I haven’t made too many friends since I moved here. At least not any I can call for something like this.”

  “Well, you got me or Uber.”

  “I can’t Uber,” she whispers, her gaze still locked with mine. “They’re not safe.”

  “They’re safe, Arlo, but you still got me,” I tell her, but I like the idea that she doesn’t feel comfortable riding in a car with a random stranger. I’d much rather have her fine ass on the back of my bike, even if it’s just for a few rides. She’s cute as hell and quirky as shit, reminding me of half the crazy women in my family. “I’ll bring you home and pick you up tomorrow to take you to Mammoth’s garage.”

  “Why?” She blinks.

  “Why what?”

  She furrows her eyebrows. “Why would you help me?”

  “Are you suspicious of everyone?” I ask her, loosening my hold on her chin but still keeping my hand there.

  She stays silent.

  What would cause someone to be afraid of almost everything? She seems strong, but there’s something about her that causes her to pause or see the worst in almost everything.

  “Because I’m nice and don’t like to see a woman in trouble.”

  Her response is to stare at me, blinking and confused. “But what do you want out of it? I’m not sleeping with you,” she says softly.

  Normally, I’d lean forward a little, trying to lure her in, but I don’t know this chick—and from the little bit I do, she wouldn’t dig it. I’m not the type of man who pushes my way into and onto people, especially not scared little creatures like Arlo.

  “If I wanted pussy, I’d go on my way to the one waiting for me. I’m not here to get you into bed, babe. I’m here to help, which is what I’m offering and not my cock.”

  She blinks a few times, all in rapid succession. “Well, I…”

  “So, you want a ride or not?”

  She stares at me for a second, her eyes searching mine as I do the same. “Yes,” she whispers, and I drop my hand.

  “Good. Fuck, you’re difficult. Was that really that hard?”

  She crosses her arms, guarding herself from me or the entire conversation. “More than you’ll ever know.”

  “Why do you always say you can do shit yourself and you’ve been alone your entire life?”

  She shrugs one shoulder. “Just have.”

  “You’re alone?”

  She unfolds her arms, spreading them wide and looking cute as fuck, along with a bit crazy. “See anyone else around here?”

  I laugh, shaking my head. “Babe, by your logic, I’m alone too. See anyone around here for me?”

  “Well, no, but you had a Mammoth to call.”

  “I’m sure you have a Mammoth of your own even if they don’t have a garage.”

  “Nope,” she clips. “Just me, myself, and I, baby.”

  I tilt my head, crossing my arms, and stare at her. “You forgetting something or maybe someone?”

  She shakes her head. “Nope.”

  I point at my face. “Me. I’m here.”

  “You don’t count,” she tells me before she starts pacing in front of her Mustang again. “You’re a passerby.”

  “I’m more than a passerby. This is twice I’ve saved you.”

  “I don’t need saving.”

  “Fine. I helped,” I argue, but damn, she’s saucy, a little bitchy, and filled with so much attitude. Her eyes slice to me, and I can’t stop a smile from hanging on my lips. “You always this difficult?”

  “Are you always this nice?”

  “No,” I grunt.

  “Then, no, I’m not always this difficult.”

  “Doubtful.”

  “You can go,” she dismisses me, wearing a path in the gravel on the side of the road. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure you have better shit to do than stand here with me and wait for a tow.”

  I reach out and snag her arm, halting her movement because the woman needs to stop for half a second. “Babe.”

  She turns, all forward momentum gone, but doesn’t pull away from my grip.

  “If I wanted to be anywhere else, I’d be there. I’m not driving away, leaving you out here in the dark to wait for a tow alone. I have nowhere important to be, but if I wanted to be there, I’d be there. And if you meet a man who’s willing to drive away, deserting you on the side of the road, then they aren’t any man worth knowing. And once the tow comes, I’ll give you a ride home, where I know you’ll be safe.”

  She blinks, staring at me again like I’m speaking a foreign language. “You’re way too nice. There has to be a catch.”

  “No catch, babe. Just me. If you knew my family, you’d understand.”

  “I don’t have one of those.”

  “One of what?”

  “A family,” she whispers.

  “Really?”

  She nods. “You’re lucky, honey. Count your blessings.”

  “I do almost every day, but they can be a pain in the ass, too.”

  “Pain in the ass trumps loneliness any day.”

  “Finally something I can’t argue with you about,” I say with a small smile. “Why don’t you get your things together so when the tow comes, we can head out and get you home.”

  “On that?” she asks, ticking her chin to my bike as she moves her eyes over my shoulder, looking like the hunk of metal is going to reach out and bite her.

  “Yeah, babe. On that. Never been?”

  She shakes her head. “They’re incredibly dangerous.”

  I chuckle. “I’ll drive slow, and I guarantee you’ll fall in love.”

  She stares at me again, blinking at me like I’m the weirdest human being in the world. “With you?”

  “With the bike, but me too, possibly. There’s a whole lot to like about me.”

  “You’re a whole lot of trouble too. Don’t need to spend your life surrounded by people and family to know trouble when I see it. And you, mister, are covered in it.”

  I release her arm, knowing I shouldn’t have my hands on her. “Get your shit, babe.”

  She stares at me for a beat, smiling back at me as I smile at her. “Fine,” she mutters without argument. “But I’m still not sleeping with you.”

  “Not all men are about pussy,” I lie, but at least I’m not when it comes to her.

  “Oh, okay,” she mumbles, not believing me, and rightfully so.

  “At least, I’m not right now.”

  “There’s always later,” she corrects me.

  “Fuck. You’re so difficult,” I mutter as she stalks toward the driver’s side of the car. “Grab your keys too.”

  My phone vibrates, followed by a message that reads Be there in five.

  “He’s almost here,” I tell her as she reaches into the car, gathering her things. “Call and cancel your other tow so this doesn’t turn into a clusterfuck.”

  For once, she doesn’t argue. She slides her finger across her phone screen, taps a few times, and lifts the phone to her ear. She turns her back and starts to pace up and down the side of the car, far enough away that I can’t stop her movement. “Um, hi,” she says, her voice small and unsure. “I wanted to call to cancel my tow.”

  I step back toward my bike, resting my ass on the seat, feet crossed at the ankles, waiting.

  This is the shit I get for being a good person. A beautiful but supremely complicated chick. But unlike the other pains in the ass in my life, she doesn’t want anything from me, not even the shit I’m offering.

  “Now what?” she asks me.

  “We wait,” I tell her, crossing my arms as she puts her ass on her hood again, staring back at me.

  The next five minutes will no doubt be the longest of my life.

  3

  Arlo screamed most of the way back to her place, holding on to me like she’d fall off at any moment.

  “Jesus!” she screeches, jumping off the bike before I even have a chance to cut the engine. “Were you trying to kill me?”

  Getting her on the bike in the first place was an issue. She’d never ridden, and I promised her I’d go slow and take every precaution to get her home safe.

  I did as I promised, too.

  I barely went above the speed limit, and I didn’t switch lanes unless absolutely necessary.

  I haven’t driven that slow and careful since my first ride, but I did it for Arlo because she seemed to stress out about everything.

  “Babe, I went slow. We could’ve walked faster.”

  She clutches her chest, bent over, almost hyperventilating. “I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes.”

  “Are you always this dramatic?” I ask, smirking at her. She’s cute as fuck even if her neurotic level is off the charts.

  She glares at me, still holding her chest like she is willing her heart to slow down. “I’m not being dramatic.”

  “Dramatic and difficult.”

  “You’re a jerk sometimes, even when you’re being sweet. It’s completely maddening.”

  “You haven’t spent enough time with me to know that, but we could change that, darlin’.”

  “No. No.” She backs away, moving up her driveway. “It’s late. I’m tired.” Her hand comes to her mouth as she lets out a fake yawn.

  “Be back tomorrow before noon for you,” I tell her, glancing at her small house with the lush landscaping.

  “I’m going to call a taxi.”

  I swing my eyes back to her. “You ever see any taxis around here?”

  She squeezes her eyes shut. “No,” she mumbles. “Fucking small towns.”

  “Just have your cute ass ready to roll.”

  “That’s it?” she asks, staring at me strangely.

  “What else would there be?”

  “Most guys would ask to come in at least a few times before they leave.”

  “I’m not most guys, Arlo. I saved you twice, something no one else did, and I’m leaving you at home, knowing you’re safe, without wanting anything else in return. Give me your phone.”

  Her eyes widen. “Why?”

  “I want to put my number in it in case you need to call me tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” she whispers, reaching into her purse and retrieving her phone, unlocking it, and then handing it to me.

  I dial my number, letting my phone ring once before hanging up and saving myself in her contacts. “Or call me whenever.”

  “If I order a car service, I’ll call you and let you know.”

  “No, babe. Don’t do that. It’s a waste of money. I live close, and I want to go to Mammoth’s shop with you to pick it up. The number is for any other time you need to call me—for save number three or anything else.”

  “Oh,” she says, her mouth staying in an O after the words finish coming from her lips. “Thanks.” She finally smiles. “I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome,” I tell her, staying right where I am, straddling my bike in her driveway.

  She looks over her shoulder at the house and then back to me. “You can go now.”

  I dip my chin and shake my head. The woman is bossy and skittish. “I know, but I’m going to wait until you’re inside, and then I’ll hit it.”

  She lifts her hand to her lips, chewing on her nail again, staring at me. “Do you want to come in for a drink?”

  I raise my eyebrows.

  “I really mean a drink, though, and not sex.”

  “Wasn’t looking to get laid, babe.”

  She drops her hand, and her lips flatten. “Seriously?”

  “Seriously,” I tell her. “Never entered my mind.”

  Her lips turn down at the sides. “Oh, well…”

  “I mean, it entered my mind, but I’m a gentleman. I’m a man, but not a creep. Although I appreciate the offer, I’m going to head home, and I’ll be back tomorrow.”

  Her frown disappears, and she stands a little straighter. “You sure?”

  “Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

  She lifts her hand and waves, her feet still stuck to the same spot.

  I lift my chin toward her house. “Go, babe. I told you I’m not leaving until you’re inside, and I’m not leaving until you’re inside.”

  “Night,” she says softly.

  “Night.”

  She moves toward the door, stopping on her front porch to unlock the door, but before she goes inside, she glances back and smiles.

  The woman is drop-dead gorgeous. Devastatingly beautiful, in fact. Her self-confidence is in the toilet, and she reminds me of a scared mouse, thinking everything and everyone is out to get her.

  I wave back before firing up the bike but staying put, giving her a chin lift. “Inside!” I yell over the engine.

  She rolls her eyes but does as I say, disappearing inside. The lights in the house flip on, and I see her dark silhouette move around the room.

  I don’t linger, taking off and heading toward home instead of heading to Victoria’s. There’s no doubt she’d give me attitude for being late, and I’m not about to be bitched out by a woman who isn’t even mine. The pussy isn’t worth it tonight.

  I’m in my driveway ten minutes later, and when I reach for my phone in my pocket, there’s a message waiting.

  Arlo: Thanks for the save again tonight. Please don’t feel like you need to take me tomorrow. I’ll figure something out. You’ve already done enough.

  I shake my head, lifting my eyes toward the dark sky and sighing before shooting her back a message to set her straight.

  Me: Babe, last time I’m saying it…stop. I’ll be there at 11:30 to pick you up. End of discussion.

  I barely make it to the door before there’s a return message.

  Arlo: Okay. Okay. I don’t know what to say.

  Me: You already said enough. We’re good.

  Arlo: Why are you so nice?

  Me: Aren’t most people nice?

  Arlo: I guess I know the wrong people.

  I stare at the screen, wondering if I want to know and if she wants to tell me. It’s really none of my business, and unless she’s offering the information, I’m not asking.

  Me: You do. Night, Arlo. See you tomorrow.

  Arlo: Night.

  I don’t even have a beer in my hand when the messages start rolling in.

  Victoria: You’re an asshole.

  I can’t argue with her, and I don’t want to. She wants to engage because to Victoria, any attention is good attention. I silence her texts, wanting to leave her in the past instead of letting her invade my future.

  Tamara: Mello met a chick.

  Gigi: What?

  Lily: Whoa. Whoa. Whoa. Who?

  Rebel: For real?

  Jo: Ooooh. This is going to get good.

  I grunt, collapsing into my favorite chair, beer between my legs, watching their nonsense in our group chat fill my screen.

  Mammoth: Princess, don’t start bullshit where there isn’t any bullshit.

  Tamara: You fixing her car?

  Mammoth: Yes.

  Tamara: …

  Me: She’s no one to me. She was broken down, and I helped. What was I supposed to do?

  Gigi: Hmmm. Solid point.

  Lily: True.

  Rebel: Is she pretty?

  Me: What’s that matter?

  Jo: That’s a yes!

  Tamara: It’s so a yes.

  Me: It’s not a yes. I’m asking why it matters.

  Gigi: Well, would you help someone who wasn’t pretty?

  Me: I’d help anyone. Looks don’t matter when there’s a person in need.

  Rebel: Mmm-hmm.

  Gigi: You seeing her again?

  Me: I’m giving her a ride to the shop tomorrow.

  Tamara: I’ll make sure I’m in the office tomorrow.

  Gigi: I think we should all go.

  Me: No. Absolutely not. You guys need to stop. She’s a stranger, and I’m never going to see her again.

  Rebel: She’s ugly, then.

  Me: No, she’s not, but she’s not my type.

  Lily: You have a type besides ready, willing, and able?

  Pike: Why are you ladies ragging on him for helping someone? If he says he’s not going to see her again, he’s not going to see her again.

  Jett: Does he see any of them again?

  Rocco: Good point, Jett.

  Me: You’re all assholes.

  Nick: Birds of a feather.

  Me: Listen, she’s a nice girl. She’s the type to catch feelings, and she doesn’t need or want a guy like me in her life.

  Tamara: Ding. Ding. Ding. She’s hot.

  Lily: Yep. 100%.

  Gigi: Snap.

  Rebel: Mello’s never going to settle down.

  Rocco: Never say never, babe. Look at me. I’ve never been happier, but that was because I saw you again.

  Rebel: I think a trip to the shop is in order for all of us tomorrow.

  Me: Don’t you dare.

  Gigi: How are you going to stop us?

  Me: Someone has to run Inked.

  Gigi: Tomorrow’s our late day. We don’t open until two, so there’s plenty of time to go to the shop and make it to Inked to prep.

  Me: You’re ridiculous.

  Gigi: Who’s with me?

  Lily: I’m in.

  Jo: I’ll be there.

  Tamara: Of course, I’ll be there.

  Rebel: Count me in.

  Me: You all seriously need to get a life.

  Gigi: We have one, but it’s time for you to get one.

  Me: I have a very nice life.

  Tamara: You have to settle down at some point.

  Me: Says who?

  Lily: Says your future children.

  I grimace as images of family life flash before my eyes. Someday, I want a family, but that day isn’t today.

  Me: Not yet. I’m enjoying life too much.

  Mammoth: You think you’re enjoying life, but there’s something better about having that one person to be by your side and then the babies.

  Me: Y’all are nuts. I’m going to sleep.

  Jo: It’s not even ten, buddy. You’re old AF but just haven’t come to terms with it.