Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 28576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 28576 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 143(@200wpm)___ 114(@250wpm)___ 95(@300wpm)
“Will you be okay driving all the way to my place and back again after dinner? It’ll be dark, and you’ll probably be tired if you’ve made the trip so many times in only a couple of days.”
“I feel so at home on my motorcycle that I could ride it for much longer than that, day or night, without any trouble at all,” he assured me with a grin as he put both helmets into his saddlebag. “But I’ve only done the ride twice in as many days since I stayed at a hotel near your place last night. And I wasn’t planning on making the drive tonight. I want you to stay with me.”
My eyes widened as I echoed, “Stay with you?”
“Yeah, but I’ll take you back after dinner if that’s what you want.”
Oddly enough, it wasn’t. But that didn’t mean I was prepared to spend the night with him. “I don’t have any of my stuff with me.”
“I can get anything you need.” He jerked his chin toward a set of stairs that led to a door on the second story of the building. “And you’re more than welcome to wear whatever of mine you’d like. My place is upstairs since I manage the bar. All you have to do is say yes, gorgeous. I’ll take care of everything else.”
7
ROM
My breath was stuck in my throat as I waited for her answer. I honestly wasn’t sure I could follow through with my promise to take her home if she said no.
To my utter relief, she smiled shyly and nodded. “Okay. I’ll stay tonight.”
You’ll stay forever. I decided not to say that out loud yet.
I laced our fingers together and guided her to the back door of the bar. When you walked inside, you could go down the hall, past the bathrooms and the entrance to the kitchen, and you’d find yourself in the bar. However, before that, there was a door on the left that led to my office and one on the right that opened to an indoor staircase that also led up to my apartment.
Someone called out my name just as I opened the door to the stairs. I sighed and turned back to see Ireland hurrying toward me. The purple-haired rocker chick was the old lady of another brother, Breaker. Her hand played at Liquid Silver frequently, and she helped me out by playing bartender from time to time when I was in a pinch. Breaker was never far from her, and I spotted him leaning against the wall at the opposite end of the corridor, watching his woman.
“Hold up, Rom,” she huffed as she hurried…more like waddled, down the hallway. “I can barely freaking walk with the giant babies you bikers put in your old ladies.”
I chuckled. “Hey, Ireland. What’s up?”
She rubbed her swollen belly and started to say something, until she noticed that I was with someone. Her eyes rounded, then bounced back and forth between me and Layla a few times before she grinned.
“Don’t worry. It’s not his,” she said, and I glanced down to see Layla watching her with a shocked, wary expression. At Ireland’s reassurance, Layla’s tension eased.
“Damn straight,” Breaker growled as he stomped up behind his woman.
I rolled my eyes. “Layla, this is Ireland and her old man, Breaker.” I tucked her into my side and looked back at my friends. “This is my woman, Layla.”
Breaker raised an eyebrow, and I nodded, then he lifted his chin in a silent “congrats” sort of way.
Ireland grinned and took a step toward my girl, but I sighed loudly, causing her to halt and throw me an exasperated look. “Janine is out sick,” she informed me, referring to the drummer in her band. “But I called in a favor, and Midnight Run is going to take our place this weekend.”
My jaw practically hit the floor. Midnight Run was a multiplatinum group of rockers who were currently touring with Stone Butterfly, the hottest rock band in the world. “Midnight fucking Run, Ireland? You serious?”
“Yep. They happened to be stopping in town to visit Nixon’s sister.” Nixon was the band’s drummer.
“How the fuck…?”
Ireland smirked. “I know people, bro.”
Breaker snickered.
Ireland tossed him a disgruntled frown. “Okay, I know the best friend of the lead singer’s girlfriend.”
“Wow.” Layla stared at my friend with the same shock and awe I was sure showed on my face.
“Damn, Ireland.”
Ireland grinned and winked at me. “I would ask if I’m the best ever”—she glanced at Layla—“but I have a feeling I’ll always be at least number two from now on.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Baby, you said five minutes to talk to Rom. It’s been six,” Breaker grunted as he curled his arm around her. “You need to get off your feet.”
Ireland pressed her lips together in a half-annoyed, half-amused expression. “Almost done, babe,” she responded sweetly. “Also”—she looked at me again—“you’re out of silver tequila. I put in an order for the same amount as last time since I wasn’t sure what else to do.”