Chapter Seven
Violet
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth as I eyed the clock. It was something I always did when I was nervous, but I wasn’t sure why I was nervous right then. It might have had something to do with the fact that in less than ten minutes time, Luke would be arriving to take me out to dinner. I’d been checking the clock every five minutes for the past half an hour, which was a pretty pointless exercise considering I wasn’t going out to dinner with him. No way.
The fact that the jeans and boots I had on were suitable attire for a motorcycle was completely coincidental.
Naturally.
When the annoying ringtone on my cell phone that I’d been meaning to change for ages started chirping, I grabbed it off the coffee table then checked the screen.
Adam.
I groaned and ignored the call.
A moment later, a text message came through.
Vi, we need to talk. Please call me.
Why was he bothering me all of a sudden?
What the heck did he want? Whatever it was, he wasn’t going to get it. I didn’t want anything to do with him ever again. He’d get the message eventually.
Hopefully.
And if he didn’t, well, that was his problem.
I grabbed the television remote and began flicking through channels, but I didn’t find anything that held my interest for more than a few seconds. At seven on the dot, there was a knock on my front door.
My breath caught in my throat.
I was uncharacteristically tense as I went to answer the door, even though I had nothing to be nervous about because I was definitely not going out to dinner with Luke Chase.
When I pulled the door open, Luke greeted me with a wide, beaming smile that was as disarming as it was captivating.
“Hey, beautiful lady,” he said before dragging me in for a long, passionate kiss.
It was so intense, it made my knees shake.
I was so stunned I hadn’t even had time to object.
He leaned back then looked me over with what appeared to be appreciation. Naturally, I ignored the warm happy glow that gave me and rearranged my features into a scowl.
“Good, you took my advice and wore something sensible,” he said. “Which also happens to be sexy as hell. You look great.”
“I always dress like this,” I said offhandedly.
It was mostly the truth.
Jeans were a staple in my wardrobe. The form-fitting top I was wearing with them was a little tighter than I might usually wear, but I’d only grabbed it because most of my other go-to tops were in the wash.
Luke’s mouth twitched. “Sure you do. Well, let’s go. Rossella’s won’t hold our table if we turn up late.”
My eyes practically bugged out of my head. “Rosella’s?”
He nodded. “Is that okay?”
I gawped at him. “Rosella’s is my favorite restaurant.”
“Yeah?” His grin widened to epic proportions. “Admit it. I did good.”
I would admit to no such thing.
“Come on.” He took hold of my arm then started to pull me outside. “We need to leave or we’ll be late.”
“Wait.”
I quickly grabbed my purse and cell phone before sliding my arms into my jacket.
“This isn’t a date,” I informed him as I stepped outside then turned to lock the door.
Luke nodded solemnly. “Of course it isn’t.”
I’d go out with him, but only for the Pollo Parmegiano.
It would have been a crying shame to lose out on a table at Rosella’s because they were always booked up weeks in advance.
But it still wasn’t a date.
Definitely not.
Twenty minutes after roaring off down the street, Luke pulled his motorcycle to a stop in the parking lot of the restaurant which was situated in the next town over. I threw my leg over the bike and got off. I loved riding on the back of a motorcycle. It was exhilarating. My high school boyfriend had a bike, but we’d split up when I was seventeen and I hadn’t ridden on the back of one since.
I was surprised to realize how much I’d missed it.
I hated to admit it but Luke looked amazing. He had on black jeans, a smart blue shirt, and a really nice black leather jacket. It had to be the first time I’d seen him without his cut and if I was being honest, I kind of missed it because it was like it was part of him—an extension of who he was as a person and as a man.
“I thought the brothers in a motorcycle club weren’t allowed to ride without their patch,” I said as Luke grabbed hold of my hand and lead me to the door.
Luke barked out a laugh. “You’ve been watching too many television shows that turn MC clubs into some sort of romantic fantasy. Our club isn’t like that.
“I’m not a kept man, you know. I wear whatever the hell I want to wear. I like wearing my patch to support the club—it makes me feel proud and like I’m part of a big family, but I don’t have to wear it, not all the time.
“Besides, this is a fancy restaurant. I didn’t want you to feel uncomfortable while you were here with me.”
I stopped dead, pulling Luke to a stop.
He turned to meet my gaze. “What?”
“Uncomfortable? Do you think that I’m ashamed to be seen with you?”
He shrugged.
“I’m not,” I said with feeling, annoyed that he would think that. “I like the way you dress and I like you in your cut.”
Luke got an intense look in his eyes right before he pulled me to him then kissed me soundly. I’d never have told him how much his long beard scratching against my chin turned me on. I was all worked up by the time he let go and more than a little flustered. I was tempted to ask him if we could skip dinner and head back to my place instead, but I thought better of it.
“This is still not a date,” I said as we headed for the restaurant door.
Luke’s laughter followed me all the way into the building.
We were shown to a table near the back of the small room. It was in a dark, quiet corner and there were candles flickering softly on the table. I looked at the set-up then narrowed my eyes.
“How did you manage to get this table at such short notice, anyway?”
Luke pulled out my chair then waited for me to sit down before taking a seat himself. “The owner is a customer of mine.”
I did a double take at that.
“A customer? What sort of customer. Do you mean at the garage?”
Luke shook his head. “I do some work on bikes as a bit of a sideline. Building them, customizing them, that kind of thing.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that.”
He shrugged. “It’s a hobby more than anything, but it does give me a nice little second income.”
“I can imagine.”
A moment later, the owner of the restaurant appeared at our table. He was a wide, portly, Italian American man in his late fifties. He had an expressive face, but he still talked with his hands.
“Luke,” he greeted, in a warm, friendly manner. “Welcome to my restaurant.” He glanced at me then said. “And you can come back any time you please if you bring this beautiful woman with you.”
Luke got up then shook the owner’s hand. “Paolo. Good to see you again. How’s the bike?”
“She rides like a dream,” he said with a swish of his hand. “Perfetto. I bring you the wine list?”
Luke nodded. “Thanks, that would be great.”
We ordered a bottle of dry white wine plus a bottle of water, but as we perused the menu, Luke only drank from his water glass.
“What’s good here?” he asked, over the top of his menu.
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “You’ve never eaten here before?”
“Nope, never.”
“Why not?”
He raised one of his shoulders. “Never had anyone I wanted to bring and this is not exactly the sort of place you come with the guys.”
I lowered my gaze.
I was touched that he liked me enough to want to bring me to a fancy restaurant, but I didn’t want to give him false hope that something was going to develop out of this thing that was going on between us. It wasn’t.
“Everything’s good,” I said, answering his earlier question. “But the Pollo Parmegiano is to die for.”
He closed his menu. “That’s good enough for me.”
After we’d ordered dinner and Paolo had left again to talk to his other customers, I took a few sips of wine for Dutch courage then cleared my throat.
“Luke, there’s something we need to discuss.”
“Okay,” he said amiably. “Shoot.”
I sighed. “Look, this is great,” I said, nodding over my shoulder to the restaurant, “But about I wouldn’t want you to think that this is something…more than it is.”
“More than what?” he asked.
“More than casual.”
He leaned back in his seat and stared at me steadily. “We’re back to this?”
“We were never off it,” I said. “We are not dating, Luke. We’re…” Honestly, I didn’t know what we were. “Friends,” was the only thing I could come up with.
Jesus, I was starting to sound like a broken record, even to my own ears, but I couldn’t think of any other way to get my point across.
“I like you,” I went on. “I do, but this thing between us isn’t going anywhere. I need you to understand that.”
Luke took a piece of bread out of the basket, broke a piece off then dipped it in the little pot of olive oil before popping it into his mouth and chewing. Slowly.
“Luke!” I said, exasperated. “I’m being serious. Aren’t you listening to me?”
After he’d finished chewing, he swallowed his mouthful then leaned forward across the table. “I am listening,” he answered. “I just don’t like what I’m hearing. Let me ask you something. Did you enjoy what happened between us the other night?”
Heat rose in my cheeks, but I wasn’t going to lie. “Yes, I did, but…”
“And would you like it to happen again?”
I sighed. “Sure, but…”
“Then I don’t see a problem here.”
“The problem is that you’re not looking for casual.”
“And you are?”
I lifted my chin. “Yes.”
Was I?
I didn’t even know what I wanted any more, but I had to stick to my guns. There was a reason I hadn’t wanted to get involved in a relationship with Luke and that reason still stood. I could easily fall in love with Luke and that would be bad. Very bad. I’d already had my heart broken once that year. I wouldn’t survive it a second time.
“So am I,” he said, making me blink.
“Huh?”
“You just admitted to me that you enjoyed what happened between us the other night. You also admitted that you’d like it to happen again. Perfect,” he said. “Because I want to it to happen again too.
“So this is my price.” He nodded to the restaurant at large. “I don’t want to just turn up at your door and fuck you up against the wall.”
I gasped and cringed at the same time, turning in my seat to ensure no one had heard him.
“However,” he continued as if he hadn’t noticed my unease. “And I’ll make myself perfectly clear here. I am looking for a relationship, but if you don’t want one, that’s fine. This is my price. I want to be friends.”
I eyed him dubiously. “Friends?”
He nodded. “I want to bring you lunch now and then and I want to enjoy a nice dinner together. I’ll fuck you all you want if that’s what you’re looking for, but you’ve got to do something for me and this is it. This is my price. Take it or leave it.”
He leaned back in his chair with a satisfied expression as if we’d just resolved everything, but we hadn’t resolved a darn thing.
“You’d be happy with a casual relationship?” I asked, unconvinced.
“I can get behind that.” He grinned broadly. “What should we call this casual relationship we’re having? We’ve already established that we’re going to be friends so, friends with benefits?”
I frowned.
I felt as if I was walking into a trap, but I couldn’t work out what it was exactly.
Why would he offer me this if he wasn’t happy about it?
“Friends with benefits?” I questioned.
He nodded. “That’s right.”
“Okay,” I said hesitantly.
He nodded. “Good. That settles it.”
I blinked. “It does?”
“Yep. Ah, look, here’s our dinner.”
I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth then leaned back in my seat.
I let the subject dropped as dinner was served and also while we ate, but I wasn’t convinced that the issue was fully resolved. Luke had done a one-eighty. He seemed adamant that he wanted a relationship so could he really be content with something casual? And should I have been questioning his motives, or should I have grabbed the gift that had been handed to me with both hands?
Because at the end of the day, I was attracted to Luke.
Very much so.
And I did want to sleep with him again.
In fact, I wanted it more than I wanted my next breath.
Perhaps I could have something casual and mutually beneficial with Luke without my heart getting in the way. Other women did it so why couldn’t I?
I was feeling marginally more optimistic by the time we arrived back at my house, and, if I was being honest, I was looking forward to the benefits part of our new friends with benefits relationship. As Luke walked me to the door, butterflies danced in my stomach and an image of the other night flashed through my mind. I could hardly wait for the repeat performance.
I walked in then stepped aside for Luke to follow. I was about to make a joke about the fact that this would be the second time he’d see more of my house than the hallway when his cell phone started ringing.
Luke groaned as he checked the caller display then nodded to the phone. “Sorry, I need to get this.”
I shrugged then switched on the light in the hallway.
“Yeah?” he said into the phone. “What? Oh, come on, you’ve got to be shitting me. Now? Dude, you have got some bad motherfucking timing. Yeah. I get it. Alright, I’ll see you in ten.”
I’d only heard one side of the conversation, of course, but it was enough to know that our night had come to an abrupt end. Luke slid the cell phone back into his pocket then lifted his head to meet my gaze.
“Vi, I’m sorry. I gotta bail. Coop needs me at the clubhouse. He’s called a meeting.”
I shrugged as if the information wasn’t all that important, but I was actually kinda bummed. I’d been looking forward to getting him out of that jacket and shirt all night. I couldn’t believe that I’d had sex with him, but I still hadn’t seen him naked. I’d felt his muscles moving against me, but I’d hoped that on our second time together, I would actually get to feel them moving on top of me.
“It’s cool,” I said, unsure if I was trying to convince myself or him. “I’ve got some work to be catching up on anyway.”
Luke leaned in and kissed me long and hard. I groaned as he pulled back. How did he get me so breathless with one little kiss?
“You’ve really got to go?”
“Yeah. We’ll catch up again soon, okay?”
“Sure. Thanks for dinner. I enjoyed myself.”
Luke raised an eyebrow. “Can I have that in writing?”
I slapped his shoulder. “Very funny. I do actually enjoy your company, you know. I just…”
“Yeah, yeah, I know. You’re just not looking for anything serious. I’m good with that, remember?”
He kissed me again then headed back out to his bike. “Catch you later,” he said over his shoulder.
As I watched him speed away, I tried to assess how I felt about the night and realized that I was pretty positive about the whole situation, all things considered. I’d enjoyed dinner. I enjoyed Luke’s company and I was fairly certain that I’d been about to enjoy certain other activities with Luke.
But we weren’t dating and were definitely not in a relationship.
Friends with benefits.
Huh.
Perhaps I could do casual, after all.