Total pages in book: 17
Estimated words: 15617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 78(@200wpm)___ 62(@250wpm)___ 52(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 15617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 78(@200wpm)___ 62(@250wpm)___ 52(@300wpm)
“Need a ride, doll?”
I looked over, my lips tilting up at the corners when I spotted Harlan straddling his bike, his visor flipped up on his helmet. “A ride would be nice, yeah,” I told him as I made my way across the small parking lot to him. He held out a helmet to me that matched his. “Um, thank you, by the way,” I quietly told him as I wrapped my hands around it. The only response I got was one of his eyebrows lifting. “You went out of your way to help me. That means a lot. So, thank you.”
He shrugged. “Told you I’d help you, doll. Just keep trusting me, yeah?” He patted the spot behind him. “Hop on. Mikayla wants you at the gym.”
I swallowed thickly. “She’s not firing me, is she?”
Harlan snorted. “No. Not a chance in hell she’s firing you, Lennox. Stop thinking of the worst-case scenarios. Now hop on.”
I pulled the helmet on my head and clicked the straps in place before swinging my leg over and sliding on behind him. As soon as my arms were wrapped tightly around his waist, he backed out of the spot and took off for the gym.
I relaxed against him, a smile tilting my lips. My thighs squeezed his hips, and in response, he dropped a hand, resting it on my knee. Sparks shot through my knee and up my thigh at his touch.
Harlan had come through for me. And if anything could make me fall for a man, it was them giving me a reason to believe I was worth something.
And Harlan was leading me to believe I was worth it.
He eased to a stop in front of the gym doors and flipped his visor up as I slid off his bike. Once I had my helmet off, I held it out to him, but he waved it off. “Take it in with you,” he told me. “You’ll need it tonight when I pick you up.”
I pursed my lips. He’d already done so much for me. I couldn’t expect anything more. “Mikayla can drive me home, I’m sure.”
He shook his head. “I’m picking you up, doll. End of discussion.” He jerked his head in the direction of the gym doors, and I laughed a little when I saw Mikayla impatiently waiting on me. She waved, easing some of my anxiety about facing her. I doubted she would wave if she was upset with me.
“Mikayla has your phone,” he told me. “And she packed you some clothes so you could shower before starting work. I’ll be here at nine.” He gripped my hip then and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Stay out of trouble and call me if anything happens. I’ll be here in a heartbeat.”
There went my fucking heart again. I was so screwed.
“Okay.” I stepped back. “Be safe.”
He winked at me. “Always.”
I waited until he rolled off, heading for the highway, before I stepped up onto the sidewalk and opened the door to the gym. Mikayla grabbed my arm and towed me to her office. “First, get a shower,” she told me, handing me a small duffel. I grabbed it from her before she dropped it. “I packed your toiletries and a change of clothes. Then, we’ll talk about what the fuck happened last night.”
“Are you mad?” I blurted.
She shook her head and then surprised me by drawing me into a hug. My throat went tight, and I quickly hugged her back, squeezing my eyes shut. “I’m not mad,” she assured me. “But I am worried about you, Lennox.” She pulled back. “Shower and then meet me back in here. I’ll order food.”
“Thanks,” I rasped, my throat still a bit tight with emotion.
She waved me off, and I took my cue to leave, heading for the gym showers. As soon as I was under the spray of water, I let my emotions crash through me. Tears streaked down my cheeks.
My parents had been shit individuals that couldn’t hold jobs and took their rage and bad luck out on me. Years of therapy still hadn’t undone what they’d managed to do to me, though I’d come a long way. So when people showed they gave a fuck about me—like Harlan and Mikayla—it wrecked me.
They had no idea what their kindness did to me. None at all.
And this… these feelings… I could never repay them. Because this was something I’d wanted all my life. Now, I was finally getting it.
Four
Lennox
“Hey, I’m about to head out,” I announced, poking my head into Mikayla’s office. She should have been home by now, but someone filed a fucking lawsuit against her because they were too stupid to attach the clip to their clothes if they fell, so when their feet slipped out from under them, they went flying backward and got pretty badly injured.