4. Sutton

4

SUTTON

The short walk to the steakhouse went smoother than expected given the way things started, but I still spent a healthy chunk of it kicking myself for that kiss. Or maybe I was kicking myself because I lied about why I'd done it.

It wasn't for show. When I realized that asshole was blocking June from leaving, my protective side reared its head. The old me might have shoved the guy aside and told him to quit being a dick, but all my attention was on her.

I kissed her because I already knew I wanted her. I'd been dying to taste her since the moment she'd sauntered up to my table, and I wanted to lay my claim in front of everyone in that bar. But it wasn't like I could tell her that. Not after agreeing to be her pretend date for the next few days.

By the time the ma?tre d' showed us to our table, a subtle tension had infused her curvy frame.

Yeah, I'd definitely fucked up with that kiss. The question now was, what could I do to fix it?

"So, June, do you work? Or are you independently wealthy?" I asked.

She huffed out a laugh. "Not independently wealthy, I'm afraid. But if I were, I would still work. I love what I do."

"And what is that?"

Mouthwatering scents of seared steak and buttery potatoes infused the air as she told me about being an emergency relief coordinator. Her job sounded rewarding, but I imagined it could also be stressful as hell.

"Tell me the truth now, are you one of those super organized people?" I asked. "Do you label everything in your cupboards and have back up plans for your back up plans?"

She leaned back in the leather seat and lazily stirred her fresh gin and tonic. "Is there something wrong with that?"

"Not at all. I can think of a few times when having a backup plan would have made my life a whole lot easier."

She perked up. "Care to give me an example?"

The first moment that came to mind was one I didn't normally share with people, but maybe giving her a glimpse of the man I used to be would give her a reason to soften towards me a little more. If not, well, we were supposed to be faking it, right?

"I was really into racing dirt bikes when I was in my early twenties. As in, I was on my way to making a career out of it. I competed in every race I could find, landed a couple of big sponsors, and I was working my way up through the ranks in the professional circuit. I had the gorgeous girlfriend, the money, the cool ass job. I was living the dream. Until the Pro Motocross Nationals."

Her expression turned to concern. "I feel like I know where this is going." She tipped her head back with a little shake. "You crashed, didn't you?"

I grabbed my drink by the rim and spun it slowly to buy myself a few seconds. It was a moment in my life that I hated even thinking about, let alone talking about. "Another bike caught my back tire at the bottom of a big jump, and I went down hard."

June's hand drifted up to her neck, drawing my attention to the slender lines that were just begging to be sucked and nipped. "How bad?" The look of impending doom in her eyes brought me back to my story.

"It was a tight race, but the video footage showed I was hit by at least four other bikes coming over the jump before the officials intervened. All I remember is a world of pain and then nothing. I broke my leg in three places, fractured my pelvis, broke or cracked just about every rib on my left side, punctured a lung, fractured a couple vertebrae..." The list went on, but from the expression she was wearing, she got the idea. "I lost count of how many surgeries I went through, but I was in the hospital for weeks and in physical therapy for almost two years afterward."

"Damn," she breathed. "You're lucky to be alive from the sound of it."

"Very, but I didn't think so at the time. Riding and racing dirt bikes was my life. Except, while I was laid up, the motocross world moved on. My sponsors dropped me, most of my friends stopped coming around, and that pretty girlfriend I thought loved me broke up with me because—in her words—it was all just too hard for her to process."

June's eyes slipped closed for a beat like she could feel my pain. Her brow pinched. "I am so sorry. I can't even imagine what that would be like."

"It was miserable. I'd never even considered what I would do if my career ended, and it took me a long time to pull myself together. I still had my parents, who were and are amazing. And Brandon and his family were there for me. They were godsends helping us out when I had to move back home during my recovery, which was another blow to my already fractured ego."

"I bet, but I can definitely see why you would agree to come on this cruise when he asked."

I shrugged. "It's what friends do, right?"

She nodded. "Did you ever start riding again after the accident?"

"Nah. Not dirt bikes, anyway. I'm strictly a road guy these days, and no more racing."

She arched a brow. "You still ride motorcycles though?"

"Yep. I kind of have to since I build custom bikes for a living."

June's sad expression lifted. "Seriously? That sounds like fun."

We spent the rest of dinner swapping stories. She told me about her work and her family, and how she loved to run but didn't sign up for races because she never knew where she'd be from week to week. I told her about my life, what it was like building custom bikes, and I might have talked a little too much about Finley, my fireball of a blue heeler, but that little monster was the light of my life.

"That is one thing I feel like I'm missing out on," she said. "I would love to have a dog, but when I get called out on an emergency, I never know if I'll be gone for a day or a month. That wouldn't be fair to them."

"Is that why you volunteer at the rescue place on weekends?"

She nodded. "I tried volunteering at an animal shelter, but it was just too heartbreaking. I wanted to take them all home with me. With the wildlife, that part is a little easier, at least. Seeing what happens to them when they've been caught in a trap always hits me right here though." She touched a spot on her chest just over her heart, and my fingers twitched, longing to reach out and caress that same spot.

My initial attraction to the woman was enough to knock me off balance, but the more I got to know her, the more irresistible she became.

"I think that's enough about me." She cupped her empty glass in her hands. "I'm sorry if I talked your ear off. I swear, I'm not usually this chatty."

"I have enjoyed every moment," I said, and I meant it.

June was genuine, engaging, and kindhearted. The fact that she shifted between funny, serious, teasing, and thoughtful so easily kept me on my toes the whole evening. And when she smiled at me, it was like she was shining a warm light on a place inside me that hadn't seen the sun in over ten years. Not since my accident.

She let out a sigh and turned to survey the restaurant. "We should probably get going."

"Am I wearing you out already?" I teased.

"You're adorable. I'm a runner, remember? I've got all kinds of stamina." She dropped me a playful wink. "But it's getting late. I really should check in with Missy."

I shot a glance toward the dining room and realized she was right. The steakhouse had been bustling with wait staff when we'd arrived, the air filled with the low hum of quiet conversations held over dinner. Now, it was just us and two other tables lingering in the dim light. "Yeah. Of course."

Once we were out in the corridor, I gave in to the urge to ask, "Can I walk with you to your deck, or would that be weird?" I could pretend it was for her safety, and maybe it was, in part. The other part, though, was pure, selfish desire. I wasn't ready for the night to end.

She inched her head from one side to the other, weighing her options. "That depends. Are you sure about this whole fake dating thing?"

No, I wasn't. In fact, a tendril of dread swirled deep in my chest at the thought of faking anything with June. I already wanted her in a very real way, but I nodded anyway. "Absolutely. It's a win for us both."

She might not have anything to lose, but if we were going to do this, I needed to do a better job of protecting myself from her bewitching personality.

"In that case, yes, I would love for you to escort me to my deck. It's a very old school thing to do, and I'm a sucker for old school manners," she confessed.

"Good to know." I would be filing that little detail away for later use. We walked in silence for several minutes before I asked, "What time should I pick you up for our excursion tomorrow?"

She stared at me like she had no idea what I was talking about.

"Back at the bar, you said I was taking you on an ATV tour of Nassau. I'm thinking it would be a convincing second date, unless you have other plans?"

Her brow lifted in surprise. "I'm impressed you remembered my little lie."

I was pretty sure my memory of this night would be crystallized in my mind long after I'd forgotten my own name. "If you're not up for it..." I taunted.

She rolled her eyes. "Please."

The elevator dinged, and we stepped on together. There was a part of me that wanted to keep prodding, to goad her into agreeing, but we'd both been drinking. Maybe it was best not to push.

I pulled in a breath and let it out slowly. "I was kidding, anyway. I'm sure you have other things to do on day two of your first cruise."

In the polished reflection of the sliding doors, I watched June pull her bottom lip between her teeth. Was she really considering it? And if she was, was I even up for it? When I mentioned I stuck to paved roads, I meant it. I hadn't been on a dirt bike, four-wheeler, ATV, or even a mountain bike since the accident that altered the course of my life.

She didn't say a word, not even when the elevator doors hissed open. She also didn't move.

I swung my arm out to keep the doors from closing. "Everything okay?"

June studied me, her gaze sliding down to my mouth before drifting back up. I might not be able to tell exactly what she was thinking, but that look was filled with sensual mischief. At least until she slipped past me. When I went to follow, she pressed a hand to my chest.

"Right here, eight a.m.," she said. "And the excursion is my treat."

My half-dead heart leapt at the idea of getting to see her again, but I couldn't let her pay. "Fake dating or not, I should be the one footing the bill."

"Maybe, but I'm the one who already has an ATV shore excursion booked."

"Is that so?"

She smirked up at me, and I couldn't tell if she was aware of the way her hand trailed down my chest. Or the powerful effect that soft contact was having on me. Then she backed up a step, stealing her delicious touch away. "Yep. Take it or leave it."

The thought of getting on an ATV stirred up memories I thought I'd buried a long time ago. My scars were visible reminders of what I'd gone through with my accident, but it wasn't those wounds that cut the deepest, it was everything I'd lost because of it.

For June, though, I might be willing to take that risk.

"I'll see you at eight."