Chapter Fifteen
Steele
Claire didn't want to keep my secret, it was hard for her to bite her tongue. As an ER doctor, she knew the value of the whole, ugly truth as it often helped save her patients' lives. She struggled to stop herself whenever any of my upper-class friends mentioned road trips or even hobbies. I knew it wasn't going to be long before she got tired of lying for me, and when I saw her hurry out of the ER, I worried she was done.
"You're worth it." Claire's words still rattled around the aerodynamic interior of my sports car.
I thought I had only heard what I wanted to hear, but then I saw Claire's bright smile. "You don't have to lie for me. I can't ask you to do that," I told her.
Claire glanced meaningfully at the on-ramp ahead of us and settled into her seat. She wanted the speed and loved how fast it took her away from her stressful job. The thrill of racing down the highway at top speed was her own little secret.
"It's not lying if I just keep my mouth shut, and your friends seem to think I shouldn't be talking that much anyway," Claire said.
My 'friends' had noticed Claire and me together and speculations had started. Claire's whole life had been unearthed by the country club gossip set. I now knew that Claire's parents had passed away in a car accident and the only family she had was her brother. That fact gained her no sympathy in high society circles as her family name had no cache and she had to work for a living. It didn't matter to them that she saved lives every day.
"They just don't know what to say," I told Claire. "You're too smart to get entangled in their gossip and too busy to care about their silly obsessions like fashion and interior design."
Claire frowned. "I'm not so poor I don't know what those things are."
I laughed. "Are you saying you want to talk about the latest tile that just arrived from Italy?"
I pressed down the gas and shot us through traffic, Claire pressed back in the passenger seat. She forgot about the awkward conversations and enjoyed the speed.
"All I'm saying is that I get it," Claire said. "I get why you have the tattoos and why you head out with your club whenever you can. It's an escape from the every day grind. We all need something like that."
"So you're going to get some tattoos now? I know a guy," I said.
Claire swatted my knee and smiled. "Maybe I already have a few and you just never noticed."
My foot slipped off the accelerator. Claire moved her hand away but I caught it and entwined my fingers with hers. I slowed down and took the nearest exit, just so we could wind around and take the long way.
Most of the women I had dated fell into two categories: women I wanted to show off and women that were after my family fortune. Claire was different. I proudly took her out on the town, but as soon as she smiled at me I forgot about all the curious eyes pointed in our direction. And Claire insisted on paying for an equal amount of her dates, something I suspected she kept organized count in her head.
When I was with Claire all I wanted to do was whisk her away and keep her all to myself.
"Would you be okay if we didn't go out tonight?" I asked.
Claire shook her head. "I don't mind your friends, Steele. And I don't have a problem keeping your secret."
I raised her hand to my lips and kissed it. "What if I want you all to myself?"
Claire leaned over the center console and kissed my cheek. "Sounds good to me. Let's keep driving."
I was tired the next day, yawning during my early morning meeting, and Ross noticed right away. He rolled his chair closer and jostled me with his elbow.
"Late night last night? I didn't hear you made an appearance at any of the clubs. Got a new hot spot?" he asked.
"You could say that." I couldn't stop the smile that spread across my face.
"Playing doctor?" Ross asked.
A few curious faces turned our direction. I shoved back from the conference table and adjourned the meeting. Ross followed me to my office per usual but his mind wasn't on business.
"You've seen her almost every night this week. First I heard you were at Le Cirque. Then another night you were having martinis at The Bow Bar. You and the doctor have been spotted all over town," Ross said.
I thought of all the times in between when Claire and I slipped the tight noose of society and drove off on my motorcycle. I had seen her almost every day for a full week. As far back as I stretched my memory, I couldn't remember having done that with another woman. Not even my mother.
"You can't possibly disapprove," I said.
Ross shut my office door and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not that I disapprove. As far as I can tell Dr. West is a wonderful person. I'm just not sure she's your match."
"Financially, you mean." I paced back and forth behind my desk.
Ross held up both hands. "Not that it matters with the Channing fortune at your fingertips. I just want you to be cautious. My first wife didn't reveal herself as a gold digger until after the prenup was signed."
"Claire is not a gold digger," I snapped.
"But you are that serious about her. Has she met your family?" Ross asked.
My parents had fortunately been out of the country for the last two years. Daily reports through various channels kept them up to speed and I had already fielded a hundred questions about Claire from my mother. My father refused to talk about her because she was not on his list of advantageous matches.
"Claire can't fly to meet them in Dubai. She has to work," I said.
Ross wiped a hand dramatically across his forehead. "Whew. So it hasn't gone that far. You're still young, Steele. There's no need to rush things."
I pressed both fists to my desk and glared at Ross. "I'm not the one that's rushing things."
"But you are falling for her." Ross had the last word and then dodged to the door before I could throw a crystal paperweight at his head.
Then I sank into my desk chair and put my head in my hands. As much as I hated to admit it, Ross was right. I was falling for Claire.
The trouble was I couldn't tell if she felt the same. Claire loved spending time with me, no matter what world I was in at the time. High society and the motorcycle club were both outside her normal life and she enjoyed both as a respite from her stressful career.
What if I was just a fun escape for her?
I brought it up over brunch the next day and Claire almost spat coffee all over her bright sundress.
"You're not exactly relaxing, if that's what you mean," Claire said. "I never know what to expect when you show up."
"You want me to call ahead so you can approve our itinerary?" I asked.
Claire tipped her head to one side. "Well, it would make it easier to know what to wear."
"Is that why you were standing half-naked in your window when I drove up this morning?" I asked. "Gave my driver quite a thrill."
Claire kicked me under the white linen tablecloth. "All I'm saying is that you are not just a fun escape for me. I like spending time with you, no matter what we're doing."
"Then how about you come with me to meet my parents. I have a private jet so the trip would be no problem. We can leave whenever you want," I said.
Claire sloshed her coffee on the white tablecloth and swore under her breath. From the way heads whipped around, we both knew her behavior would run through the gossip mills all afternoon.
"Or you could introduce me to your brother," I said.
If Claire introduced me to Reese, there was a chance I could deal with his debt without Claire ever knowing I interfered. She'd find out that Reese and I had met before, but I thought we were far past our rocky start. I wanted to introduce her to my parents after all.
"My brother's not so good in your social scene. Or am I, for that matter," Claire said. She dabbed at the coffee stain.
I was pushing too hard. "Want to get out of here?" I asked.
With one wave to the head waiter, I whisked Claire out of the elegant restaurant. She laughed as I tugged her into a run and we fled the shocked, snooty faces in the window. Two blocks over was a custom car mechanic and I pulled Claire inside the busy workshop. The familiar mechanics waved and showed us their latest projects. Claire studied custom fenders and frenched headlights while sipping at a paper cup of very thick, black coffee. She looked much happier than she had at the restaurant and I didn't bring up meeting my parents again.
My driver arrived fifteen minutes later in the black pickup he despised. I unlatched the trailer and showed Claire my motorcycle hidden inside.
She tucked her sundress between her shapely legs and slipped over the back of my motorcycle. Work in the mechanics' shop stopped as the men shot appreciative glances at Claire. She didn't notice as she eagerly patted the seat in front of her. My chest swelled until it was hard to breathe.
"She's something special," my driver said. "Don't screw it up."
I slapped Max on the shoulder. "Believe me, I don't plan to."
The rest of the afternoon flowed past like a daydream. Claire cruised along with me yelling her funny observations over the roaring wind. I pressed her hands to my chest and wondered if she could feel the fullness around my heart.
I had driven us toward the Rebar Roadhouse without thinking. Claire was still at ease even in the dusty, arid countryside, but I tensed. It was Sunday and the Claws would be out on the road.
It was impossible to turn around on the two-lane road without having to explain to Claire. Instead, I poured on the speed and hoped I could blast past the roadhouse without seeing any other riders from my club.
One more bend around the road and it was too late. Hack was heading toward us with a cloud of dust billowing behind him. I knew it was him from the lowrider and the way he drove recklessly with only one hand on the high handlebars. He revved his motorcycle as a greeting and I had to greet him.
"Is that one of your motorcycle club members?" Claire asked. Her arms stiffened around my waist.
I nodded and gave Hack a spinning gesture. He saluted and blasted by in order to do a spraying u-turn.
"Aren't you going to introduce us?" Claire asked.
The Rebar Roadhouse was rushing into view. I could see Hen and a half dozen of the other guys milling around the parking lot. Hack past us with a roaring rev of his engine. Everyone looked up and saw us coming.
I raised my hand and waved but poured on the speed and passed the roadhouse. Claire and I could both hear the Claws yelling and jeering as we drove off. Her arms relaxed but she said nothing for the rest of the trip.
When I finally slowed down to drop her off at her condo, Claire tried to walk away without saying goodbye. I caught her on the front steps.
"What's the matter?" I asked. "I just didn't feel like putting up with those guys today."
Claire shook her head; her feelings were hurt. "Face it, Steele. I don't fit in either of your worlds."
She slipped inside without another word.