Chapter 3

3

DAHLIA

R iding with Fox was a hell of an experience, and not just because we were racing against the storm after it turned in our direction. I had only ever been on the back of my dad's bike before because it was a big deal for a Silver Saint to put a woman on their motorcycle. The feelings being wrapped around Fox's muscular body evoked in me were unfamiliar…and exhilarating.

I hated to give it up, but we couldn't stay on his bike forever with the rain pouring down on us. I didn't ask any questions when he'd pulled off the highway and we drove into a small town. I was just relieved that he had a plan to get us out of the storm. But now that we were safely inside, it struck me that we would be alone for who knew how long. Just the two of us and our intense chemistry.

Looking around to distract myself from the urge to do something wild—like lift his soaking-wet shirt to trace his ink with my tongue—I was stunned by how the inside of the nondescript building didn't match the outside. "What is this place?"

"One of our safe houses."

I let out a low whistle of appreciation to cover my surprise at his answer. Growing up as the daughter of the Silver Saints president, I knew that club business was never shared with outsiders. Hell, information was only given to old ladies when necessary. But here Fox was, giving me the location of one of their safe houses. A place that meant safety and security for the men he'd sworn to protect when he became their president. "My lips are sealed."

"I know, baby." He dropped my backpack duffel on the floor near the door and swept his arm in front of him. "I wouldn't have brought you here if I didn't think you'd keep it to yourself."

I winked at him. "And I wouldn't have abandoned my plans to head to Europe and gotten on the back of your bike instead if I didn't trust you to keep me safe."

"Always."

We'd only just met and had barely talked, but for some reason, I knew deep in my bones that there was a lot of meaning behind that one word. The weight of his promise was thick in the air around us, making me hyper aware of my heart racing.

I was used to seeing life-long romantic relationships forming at breakneck speed, but it was totally different being one of the people falling hard and fast for someone they'd literally just met. A little worried by how quickly my feelings developed, I tossed out another distraction. "If the storm keeps up like this, we'll probably be stuck here until at least tomorrow. Maybe you could give me a tour, and we can check if there are any supplies in the kitchen? I'll probably be starving soon since today didn't go at all the way I'd planned."

That was a huge understatement.

I should've been at Silver Ink all day, but my schedule had been thrown out the window when my mom called to let me know that Cash had stopped at the Iron Rogues compound and saw Molly with Maverick. Of course, he'd immediately called my dad to let him know. The only reason I'd beaten Dad there was because my drive was only two hours while he'd been on a run and was a half day away.

Even with how long it took for word to trickle down to me that he'd found out and was on his way to Molly, I had just enough time to warn her before making my escape. Which was necessary because Mom had also let me know how pissed Dad was with me for covering for my sister. As if he hadn't taught all of us the importance of loyalty every day of our lives. But unfortunately, my dad was too protective of his girls to use logic when it came to us.

"A quick tour before we shower." His gaze raked down my body, making my nipples pebble. "It'll be the fastest way to warm up before we change into dry clothes."

The image of him, naked with hot water beating down his broad shoulders as I soaped up his broad chest popped into my brain. Feeling my cheeks heat, I ducked my head and mumbled, "Sounds like a good plan to me."

The Iron Rogues safe house was incredible. The living space had two black leather couches and a huge flat-screen television. The kitchen pantry was fully stocked with plenty of dry goods. So much stuff that we could stay for a month without going hungry. The bathroom had a walk-in shower that was more than big enough to fit us both, which had me thinking again about all kinds of things we could do naked. And the bedroom was big…but it had only one bed. A king-sized one with plenty of room to do more than just sleep. With the man whose road name was apt since he was a silver fox with that salt-and-pepper hair of his.

It was a good thing we wouldn't be here for long, or else I'd have a hell of a time stopping myself from climbing him like a monkey. Which I was willing to bet would be an even better ride than being on the back of his bike. Not that I'd know for sure since I had zero experience with men because I'd been waiting until I found a man who I could picture being with forever. It was wild to think that I might've stumbled across him while some asshole was trying to kidnap my sister. And that he chased me all the way to Atlanta to make sure I didn't miss out on her first pregnancy. Which reminded me that I needed to charge my phone so I could give her a call to yell at her for not sharing the news with me herself.

I padded back into the kitchen to get away from the temptation the bed presented, and Fox followed right behind me.

"This place is amazing. I have to admit that I'm surprised by how clean it is, though. Unless somebody needed to be here recently?" I shook my head with a shrug. "Which you can't tell me since it would be club business."

"True," he conceded with a grin. "But that's not the reason. One of the prospects does a safe house run each month, ensuring they are fully stocked and spotless."

I laughed softly. "One of the best parts of the biker lifestyle is having prospects do all the dirty work."

"It sure as fuck has its advantages, but we also have another chapter nearby. Mav checked in with one of their guys to make sure this place was ready for us." He jerked his chin toward the door that he hadn't taken me through during the tour. "But while we're on the topic of club business, only go in there if things go to shit and you need a weapon. That should never fucking happen with me around to protect you, but better safe than sorry."

"Yeah, that's what my dad said when he took Molly and me to the shooting range and self-defense lessons. He wanted us to be ready for anything life threw our way," I explained.

"Always knew your dad was a standup guy. Glad he made sure you can handle a weapon."

Holy crap. Even the way he said "handle" sounded sexy. It made me picture his dick in my hand instead of a gun.

Fanning myself with my hand while I wondered what it was about Fox that had turned me into a woman with sex on the brain, I peeked into the pantry again. "Looks like I have plenty of options for what to make for dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow morning before we leave."

"I got some bad news for you, baby." He lifted his hand to wiggle his cell phone. "The river is getting too high, so they're closing the road outta town. Not sure how long we'll be here, but it's definitely gonna be more than one day."

"Oh." I'd never really been one to struggle over what to say, but that was all I could come up with at the moment.

His lips curved into a smirk that showed he knew the impact he had on me, so I was surprised when he didn't call me on it and instead murmured, "You any good in the kitchen, baby?"

I nodded. "Yup."

"That's lucky for me because I'm starving."

The heat in his dark eyes made me think he was talking about more than food. I shivered, and he must've assumed it was because of my wet clothes because he said, "You need to get in a hot shower so you can get warmed up."

"Yeah, that'd be good," I agreed.

"Go on," he suggested, jerking his chin toward the door. "I need to make a call. Club business. But I shouldn't be too long."

"No need to explain, Fox. I get it."

His wording kind of sounded as though he was going to join me in there…which should freak me out. Instead, I wondered how slow I could go while padding over to my bag to bring my stuff into the bedroom.

"Dahlia?"

I paused before disappearing into the bedroom and looked back at him over my shoulder.

"You call me Kye, got it?"

His eyes watched me intensely, and his low and gruff tone sent a shiver down my spine. I nodded, then turned to hide the giant smile that took over my face as I headed to the shower.