Twisted Scars (Comanche Sons Motorcycle Club Book 1) (2 page)

“I get it.” He nodded. “No worries.”

“You’re just wasting your time.”

“It’s mine to waste.”

She ran a hand through her hair, feeling a lot more than frustrated. Why couldn’t he leave well alone? “Fine, great.” They walked in silence. When they reached her building, she hugged Ryan. “Bye, thanks,” she said to him. Then, she whirled to face Chance and said, “And as far as you’re concerned…” She lost her train of thought, as she glanced into his eyes. His gaze seared through her mind. Jesus! The man had some kind of an effect on her that she’d not experienced before. “Bye.”

She’d expected that he would ask her out again, but he merely thrust out a hand. “Good night, Riley.”

She shook his hand and the current of electricity that frizzled through her muscles and veins made her drop it quickly. Riley opened her mouth and then closed it. He laughed, and since she didn’t have anything to say, Riley simply turned around and walked inside. Damn the man! Why did he have to tie her into knots?

There was something about Chance that intrigued her. Sure, she’d seen him plenty of times before, but this was the first time that she actually thought about him. She wanted to believe that she would be able to shrug off this encounter with ease, but Riley prided herself on being honest with herself; she may or may not see Chance again, but he wouldn’t ever be far from her mind from now on. The man had managed to hook her, and now it remained to be seen whether he would reel her in or let her go.

For some strange reason, she had the nasty feeling that whatever he decided to do, she would fall in with his plans without any protest. He was just that kind of a guy—and for better or worse, she’d caught his eyes.

Chapter Two

He’d always noticed her, but Chance never really saw her until that night when she was kind to the new waitress. Most people didn’t take the time to train someone with kindness. She made the effort, solely because she wanted to help. Her sweet streak charmed him, but what kept him intrigued was her constant battle against a date.

Hell! He’d dated plenty of women in his life. He didn’t have a shy bone in his body, and he plain liked women. He liked their attitude, spunk, ego issues, and obsession with dresses and shoes, but most of all he relished peeling back the layers to discover the person who was hidden behind that complicated façade. He would enjoy seeing Riley and the woman whom she really was.

Sure, she was prickly. She’d a kickass attitude, but—more than that—he saw the hurt behind those eyes. She was someone who had seen life and knew it well. He wanted to know what made her tick, and the fact that she had said no only made the game more interesting.

The next night, he was back in the bar. Chance enjoyed the way she handled the men without breaking into a sweat. Nothing appeared to faze her, not the whistles and winks, not the nods and nudges, and not even the constant and relentless work. She was calm, composed, and graceful. Although he didn’t take a table in her corner, Chance was aware that she wouldn’t be able to resist the lure. Sure enough, an hour later she sashayed by the bar where he’d taken up position. He had been nursing the same bottle of beer for the past forty-five minutes and knew that she’d noticed.

“What are you doing here?”

He held up his beer. “Just chilling.”

Her eyes narrowed. By God, she was beautiful. He’d seen his share of women, but this one topped the list. At five feet four inches, she was a good six inches shorter than him, but her raven black hair and sparkling green eyes drew his attention. Her skin was smooth as cream and glowed with health. Her lips were full and her nose straight. If he’d been an artist, he would’ve have liked to draw her. She could be his muse. Of course, he didn’t quite know how to hold a paint brush properly, but just this once, he wished that he’d learned the art. He sure would’ve liked to capture that gleam of suspicion in her eyes and the way she tilted her head to look at him.

“I’m not going out with you.”

“Didn’t ask you again, love.”

She huffed; he smiled; and she whirled to march back into the fray.  Chance resumed his vigil. It didn’t take her too long to wander back his way. By that time, he’d ordered a steak and was talking to Ryan. “You still here?”

“I’m not leaving soon,” Chance said.

She sighed, rolled her eyes, and glanced down at his nearly empty plate. “Should I get you a drink?”

Although most bikers liked to chug down beers as it was water, Chance wasn’t the same. His father had been an alcoholic, and he longed to not repeat the same mistake. “No, love. Thank you.”

She tapped her fingers on the counter. Her hands were smooth and pretty, and he liked the way she’d coated her nails a pretty peach. He appreciated a woman who took time to take care of herself. “You’re…not hoping that I would change my mind if you stuck around.”

“Maybe.” He grinned. Chance liked the confusion in her eyes. She was a woman who was too sure of herself, and once in a while it was good for her to be surprised. He might want to do this more—once he got to know her better. “Would you change your mind?”

“Not a chance in hell.”

He laughed, and she snarled deep in her throat and then walked off. “It’s a risky game that you’re playing,” said Ryan. “I’ve never known her to date a man. She takes a man in only to drop him like a hot potato the next day. Isn’t much for settling, our Riley.”

“You’ve known her for long?”

“Only about a few months. She came in from another city, said that she was looking for a place she could stay in for a while.”

“A while?”

Ryan shrugged. “Her words, not mine. From what I’ve gathered, she has been all over the state and doesn’t stay in one place for long.”

Was she running from something, or someone? Was there an abusive husband or boyfriend in the background? Chance didn’t peg her to be the sort who would take any blows. She wasn’t the sort to take any shit. Why would she then feel the need to move from one place to another? He didn’t quite get her, and that’s what made her so interesting. If he was determined to break through her obstinacy before, he was even more resolute now.

Once the bar closed, Chance sauntered out and waited. As expected, she marched out. Seeing him, she stopped. Ryan came out from the door behind her. He laughed. “Are you walking us back again?”

“That was the plan,” Chance said.

“This is such a waste of time,” said Riley.

“It’s mine to waste, remember.” He repeated the same words as they fell into step with each other. “It’s good that Ryan walks with you. This isn’t the safest neighborhood in the city.”

“I know how to take care of myself.” She patted her bag. “And I’ve got a pepper spray.”

She sure was prepared. “That’s nice. I’m glad that you take your safety seriously,” said Chance.

“Just last week a woman was abducted while she walked home from walk and murdered. This city’s going to the dogs,” said Ryan.

“They found the guy,” Chance said. “I read in the papers in the morning. Son of a bitch imagined himself to be some kind of an avenging angel. An abusive mother, shattered family, some kind of shit. I hate this psychobabble. Doesn’t matter if you were beat up as a child; you take responsibility for your shit when you grow up.” Riley gazed at him, and Chance sucked in a deep breath. “Sorry. Sometimes I get carried away. There’s never any excuse for violence.”

“I agree with you,” she said.

They marched on in silence. She dug into her purse to take out her keys, ran a hand through her hair, and gazed at him. “Bye, Chance.”

“Bye, Riley.”

She walked away and Ryan slapped a hand on his shoulder. “Real smooth, hero. At this rate, you should be able to ask her out in a year’s time.”

Chance laughed, as he waved bye to Ryan. “You don’t know me, dude. Wait, watch, and learn from a master.”

“If there was a bet, I’d put my money on her.”

“That’s because you don’t know that my innate charm and persuasive skills are legendary.”

“Sure, man, sure.”

Chance went home, feeling a little happy now that she was actually talking to him. He couldn’t understand his reasons for pursuing her. Sure, she was pretty, smart, and kind, but she wasn’t the only woman in the world. He would have a far easier time with another willing woman, but he wanted her. She was the one he’d set his eyes on, and even though his mind told him to leave this alone, his heart just wasn’t convinced. He was convinced that with Riley, he’d hit pay dirt. She was special. He just knew it.

Of course, he wasn’t ready for a committed relationship either, and she appeared to agree with him, but this wasn’t about getting her into bed. Although he was attracted to her, he wanted an opportunity to get to know the real her. For some reason, he felt compelled to do so. He didn’t know why his heart was so bent on her, but he was a man of instincts.

Perhaps that was the reason why he showed up at the same bar for seven days in a row. It was always the same. She came around to ask if he wanted a drink. He stuck to one beer, had his dinner, and then walked her home with Ryan.

On the eighth night, Ryan bent forward and clasped Chance’s hand. “I don’t know about her, man. But I’ve decided to date you. Take me instead of her.”

With a smile, Chance tugged his hand free. He sure was becoming the butt of a joke. Even some of the regulars had noticed him and were taking bets on whether she’d agree to a date. So far, the odds were not in his favor. “Shut up.”

“You might as well give up, dude. She’s not thinking along those lines, and the more persistent you are, the more she’s thinking to stay away from you. This ship has sailed. You should’ve taken her home the first night, spent some time in bed, and gotten over this itch.”

“It’s not an itch; it’s more like a slow burn that’s consuming my body.”

Ryan peered into Chance’s eyes. “You’ve gone mad, dude. Trust me...it’s better to see a psycho guy now than later.”

“A psycho guy?”

Ryan picked up Chance’s empty beer bottle. “You know, one of those guys who wear those fancy suits and sit in these comfortable offices and charge you three-hundred dollars just to listen to you babble about your overworked mother and absent father.”

“A psychiatrist,” said Chance. “I might need one if this doesn’t pan out.”

Ryan shook his head and walked off. That night, they marched in silence back to her building. It was becoming quite a ritual now, but something made Chance stick to the routine. He liked being with her, walking with her, and talking about the day. If not his girlfriend, at least they were slowly becoming friends. Maybe once she was comfortable, she would actually agree to go out.

Chance waved a hand when her building came into view. “Good night.”

“Wait!” She glanced at Ryan and perhaps realized that he wouldn’t move away. Ryan was just as invested in this strange courtship as Chance was. “How…about you come up for coffee?”

Ryan whistled. She slapped him on the shoulder, and Chance shook his head. Everyone knew that coffee was code word for hot, insane sex. A part of him wanted to rush upstairs with her and get his hands on her nubile, curvaceous body, but another part of him wanted to take it slow. “I want a proper date. You and me, lunch or dinner, some conversation, the works.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Hard ass!”

She bit her lip, as her gaze locked with his. He saw her fingers tremble, as she adjusted the strap of her dress. “Tomorrow’s my day off. Lunch?”

Chance resisted the urge to pump his hand in the air and dance, but he smiled instead. “Great. I’ll pick you up at twelve. Dress casual.”

She waved a hand and disappeared inside her building. He took a moment to savor the sweet victory. “Gotta hand it to you, dude, you’re insane. She wanted you to come in and tango in the bed, and you turned her down.”

Chance couldn't quite explain his reasons to Ryan. He was aware that when he got together with Riley in bed, it would be dynamite. She was sure to rock his world, but he didn’t want just that. He wanted more. Why? Even he couldn’t understand his reasoning. Why did he care about this woman? Why did he want to discover what made her tick? He could just walk away and save himself all this hassle. He’d never gone to such lengths for any woman, and sure, no woman had given him this hard of a time before, either. Riley was different, and what’s more, he was different with her.

“When it’s right, it’s right, and this isn’t that time.”

“You’re mad.” Ryan shook his head and walked off. Maybe he really was insane to turn down a beautiful woman who wanted to take him to her bed. Perhaps this was the stupidest move of his life, but it was his choice. He desired it to be this way—and now that he’d finally cracked through her security walls, he was all the more willing to be patient and savor the fruits of his effort.

Tomorrow was their first date—and somehow he knew that it was just the beginning.