11.

If you send me one more stupid dad joke meme, I will fold your clothes with you still in them.

Text from Amethyst to Tama'i

T AMA'I

I parked my motorcycle and then took a deep breath and blew it out slowly before I threw my leg over to stand up. I hadn't asked Amethyst if she was willing to ride tonight, but since she'd already informed me that I should pack an overnight bag, I had to assume she trusted me.

I sincerely hoped that was the case because I couldn't imagine anything better than having her pressed against me with her arms holding tight while I felt the wind on my face and the freedom of the open road ahead.

Okay, that was a complete lie. I could imagine quite a few things that would be better, but riding with her ranked somewhere in the top ten.

"Focus, dumbass," I muttered as I shook my head. I stepped onto the curb in front of Amethyst's home, a very nice house on the main street of the neighborhood just down from the entrance gates. If I did decide to rent the house from Hawk's cousin, who I'd since found out was actually Amethyst's brother-in-law, I'd live just a few blocks away.

Earlier today when I brought Tameka with me to visit Hawk and his family, I'd gotten a quick tour of the neighborhood from Adam Forrester. He'd shown me the options of available rental homes and even let me tour two that were vacant so I could see the different floor plans. The funniest thing about that scenario was that when he mentioned square footage and what I would need to be comfortable, all I could think of was how many years I had lived in a concrete cell whose walls weren't even far enough apart for me to extend my arms out all the way.

I did appreciate the spacious rentals he had available and assured him I'd make my choice and get back to him early next week. Now, looking at the neighborhood again, I noticed even more things to appreciate about it, including how well-kept the properties were while they still maintained the unique characteristics of the people living in them.

For instance, Amethyst's front yard looked gorgeous with well-maintained grass and flower beds that showcased bright colors and different textures that reminded me of all the facets of her personality - or at least the few I'd had the pleasure of witnessing so far. I knew that there was much more to the woman and planned on taking my sweet time enjoying getting to know every last bit.

I made my way to the porch and pushed the button to ring the bell. I laughed out loud when I saw the doormat. It was black with a simple font that read, "Welcome-ish. It depends on who you are." I made a mental note to ask her where she got it because I knew my sister would get a kick out of the sentiment, and it would be funny to put it on her porch before she returned.

Suddenly, the front door opened, and the sight of Amethyst took my breath away. She had her braids pulled up into an intricate swirl on the top of her head and a dark purple bandana folded and tied so that the ends were in the front. Light purple gems dangled from her ears, and I followed their direction down to see her ample and absolutely fantastic chest covered in a long-sleeved button-up shirt that was tied in a knot at her waist above faded jeans that fit her like a glove.

They molded to her hips and thick thighs perfectly. I had to swallow hard and take a deep breath as I lost the war with my cock and felt it start to rise at the sight before me.

Black leather boots were laced up almost to her knee, and the chunky sole made her at least an inch or two taller so that when my gaze finally traveled up to her face again, I found that her kissable lips were almost high enough for me to consume without getting a crick in my neck.

Those lips I'd dreamed about tipped into a smile before she drawled, "You don't look so bad yourself, big guy."

I cleared my throat and found my voice so I could say, "You look beautiful, Amethyst."

"Thank you. I thought you might be riding tonight . . . Actually, I hoped you would be, so I dressed accordingly."

"Yeah, I took a chance that you already knew I wasn't a serial killer and brought my bike."

"Oh, I know nothing of the sort, but as far as I can tell, you're at least a manageable one."

"A manageable serial killer?"

"Manageable might not be the right word, but you get what I'm saying."

"Actually, I don't," I admitted.

"Do you want to stand in my doorway and discuss word choices, or are you going to kiss me and then sweep me away on your fine metal steed?"

I didn't say a word, just closed the distance between us and swept her into my arms. When her head tilted back at just the right angle for my lips to meet hers, I felt every nerve in my body go off like fireworks at the touch.

Our kiss was more than just a greeting, but a promise of things to come. I knew she was feeling the same way when she tilted her head back to look up into my eyes and say, "We have about three seconds to get out to your motorcycle before I lose my mind, yank you into my house, and ravish your body until you're begging for mercy."

"Am I supposed to argue that because I don't see a single problem with that scenario," I admitted as I nudged her backwards. She shook her head and pushed back with our bodies still molded together. I understood she wasn't quite ready, so I loosened my hold on her and took a step back to put some distance between us as I said, "Dinner first, and then we'll play out that idea you mentioned if you haven't changed your mind by then."

"Let's do it."

Amethyst used the keypad on the door to lock it behind her and then put her hand in mine as we walked toward my motorcycle.

"Oh, that's a beauty," Amethyst said in awe as we walked down the sidewalk. "Custom stretch? That looks longer than a factory Road Glide."

"You know your bikes."

"I may have been around one or two in my life," Amethyst teased.

"It is custom," I answered. "I had to have some specialty work done on it to make it a little more comfortable for my height."

"And your arm span. I'd imagine that you feel like a grown man riding a kid's bicycle on a regular motorcycle."

"Exactly."

"I love the paint job. The flat black suits the style, especially since you've blacked out all the chrome."

"I'm glad you approve."

Amethyst slowly walked around the bike and then bent down to look near the forks at the front. "Even your guardian bell is blacked out!"

"It was a gift from my friend Chef's old lady. She said I needed one, but it had to be as dark and twisted as the bike itself."

"It's perfect," Amethyst said as she stood up again. "I'm ready for a long ride. Maybe after dinner, we can take one around the lake and . . ."

"Can we do that on our second date? I've already made reservations for dinner and our entertainment for this evening."

"Entertainment?"

"I got some input from your sister."

"You have to be more specific," Amethyst said with a laugh as she adjusted her bandana.

As I threw my leg over the bike and got settled, I said, "Pearl helped me out."

"That's not quite as terrifying as the idea of Diamond giving you input, so I'll take it."

"What would Diamond have told me to do?"

Amethyst threw her leg over the back of the bike, settled her boots on the foot pegs, and situated herself on the seat behind me before she wrapped her arms around my waist. "Knowing Di, she'd have you take me to some movie marathon that would be a total snoozefest."

"She likes movies more than you do?"

"She enjoys the fact that people don't talk in the theater. Actually, she enjoys almost anything that includes people not talking to her, which is funny because she's a great conversationalist when she wants to be."

"She seemed pretty funny the other night over dinner."

"Until she bailed because she had plans - which I was right about, by the way. She went home to watch the next episode of one of her favorite shows."

"Are you ready?" I asked as I pushed up the kickstand.

"Words can't even begin to describe how ready I am."

I started the bike and let it idle for a second as I scrolled through the app on my phone and selected a playlist. Once I had the phone secure in the holder I'd attached to the handlebars, I revved the engine just a touch and heard Amethyst laugh out loud.

Before I had a chance to put the bike in gear, Amethyst asked, "Does your bike have a name, Tama'i?"

"No," I said as I shook my head.

"I'm gonna name her."

I looked over my shoulder as I leaned back against Amethyst's chest. We were eye to eye and almost lip to lip when I asked, "What's her name, then?"

"Bubbles."

"What?"

"She's better than a bubble bath."

I was still laughing when I put the bike in gear and pulled away from the curb. I realized that riding my bike alone would never be quite the same again because every time I took a curve or came to a stop, I'd always remember the feeling of Amethyst nestled against my back with her legs bracketing my hips and her arms wrapped around me.

She could call my motorcycle whatever she wanted as long as she was willing to ride with me.

"I've lived here my entire life and never heard of this restaurant," Amethyst admitted as she perused the menu. "To be quite honest, I'm not sure I'd have come if I had."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know the first thing about Polynesian food. I have no idea what to order."

"It's our custom to try a little of everything, so I think you should do that."

"I wouldn't have the first clue where to start, though," Amethyst admitted as she frowned at the menu. "I trust you. Order the things you like most, and I'll try them."

"What if you don't like them?"

"I didn't get this thin, svelte figure by skipping meals, Tama'i. I'll always find something I like no matter where we are."

"And you're willing to try something new?"

"Absolutely. This evening will be a night of firsts."

"Our first date, and our first ride together."

"And the first time I've ever asked a man to order my food for me," Amethyst added.

"Thank you for letting me wow you with the culinary deliciousness of my people."

"Your entire face transforms when you do that."

"What?"

"When you smile. You don't do it often enough."

"You make me smile all the time."

"You should find things other than me that bring you enough joy to wipe the frown off your face."

"Like what?"

"Anything.Everything."

"You'll have to be more specific," I teased as I looked over the menu and chose a few appetizers and four entrees to share. She'd already seen me eat and even helped me finish off my lunch the day we met, so I wasn't worried about her thinking it odd that I would order this much food. "Off the top of your head, name ten things that make you smile."

"That's easy," Amethyst said as the server approached the table. I gave him our order, and as soon as he walked away, Amethyst put up a finger as she listed, "The feel of the wind on my face when I'm on the back of a motorcycle, the smell of warm, freshly laundered clothes as you pull them out of the dryer, how good clean sheets feel that first night after they've been washed, the excitement you feel when your phone rings and you see it's someone you haven't talked to in way too long, fat baby feet, a bee covered in pollen from the flower it just visited, a juicy peach, a handful of peanut M&M's, a big yawn accompanied by a full body stretch while I wait on the coffee pot to work its magic, and a marshmallow that's from a bonfire that's burned black, ready for me to eat the crispy outside before I make a mess enjoying the gooey center."

"I love how I feel when I'm on my bike, I hate doing laundry, but you're right about how good it smells, clean sheets are freaking awesome especially if you've just showered the day away. I like to hear from my friends as often as possible, but I don't wait for them to call me - I call them when I think of something I want to talk about or sometimes just because I can. Everything about babies is a miracle, and I get what you mean about their fat little feet. I remember the first time I got to sit down and really look at Kai - he was just a little over a year old. I remember thinking that his toes looked like little jelly beans."

"Puppy feet."

"What do you mean?"

"The pads of a puppy's feet look like little jelly beans to me."

"And I bet they make you smile, too, don't they?"

"Of course."

"I don't think I've ever seen a bee covered in pollen."

"Well, let's add it to your bucket list because it's just . . . beautiful and awesome and magical all at the same time."

The server appeared with our appetizers, and I watched Amethyst study the food in front of us with an eager expression. I had to admit that I wasn't nearly as open-minded about food as she seemed to be. I wasn't one to try new dishes and always seemed to choose the same food no matter where I ate. I had a specific Italian dish I liked to order and rarely, if ever, strayed from it. I always ordered the same pizza, I never varied my order at Mexican restaurants, and I liked my burgers a certain way.

Amethyst, on the other hand, was excited to try new things and had even trusted me to order for her. It was refreshing. Most of the women I had dated over the years were too busy counting calories or following the newest diet trend. That made it hard to find a common ground as far as food went - and I was a big man with a big appetite.

And after our kisses at her house and the bike ride, watching Amethyst smiling eagerly at me and ready to enjoy our evening together gave me another appetite altogether.

◆◆◆

As we turned into the parking lot, I realized the place we were going to was next to a few other businesses I'd seen advertised around town. The Gauntlet, one I'd planned on visiting soon, was an extension of the gym up the street where I did my workouts almost every day, and an armory and gun range called Protect the Queen shared the same parking lot. Obviously, with my felony conviction and ongoing parole, I would not be visiting that establishment any time soon, if ever.

"I think you must be psychic," Amethyst said as soon as I shut off the engine. I leaned to the side and looked at her, but she was smiling at the side of the building, admiring a mural that depicted a wrecking ball decimating a quaint little town. "After the week I've had, I think this will be really good for me."

"You mentioned that it was horrible, but you didn't give me details."

"I can't," she said with a shrug. "What I can say is that some people aren't fit to care for a cactus let alone a small, trusting child, and those people need to experience long-lasting pain with permanent scarring."

"I completely agree."

"Since I can't do that, I think breaking stuff is the next best option, don't you?"

"Is the child you're talking about safe now?"

"I suppose, but how long will that last?"

"If that ends, I want you to let me know."

"And what will you do about it?"

"Deliver long-lasting pain with extensive permanent scarring."

Amethyst leaned forward and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "I believe you, and I appreciate the offer, Tama'i."

"Just give me a name, sweetheart."

"Someday, I might just do that."