Bess
I had never been on a motorcycle before. Sawyer was warm, in command, and had me thinking all the dirtiest thoughts. I never got what it was about a man on a bike that got women hot. Now I understood.
The wind was in my face, we sped along, it was the closest thing to flying as I could imagine.
I almost wished I had not told him my address so quickly. I wanted to keep going, but we were only ten minutes away from my place.
I lived in a neat, clean, and modest neighborhood. I was proud as hell of my little brick bungalow. I had made a home here for Henry and me.
As we pulled into the driveway, I wondered if Sawyer, former outlaw, thought I was trite, or domesticated, boring, or whatever. I probably was.
Raising a kid on your own, taking care of a house, managing a department, that was top-level responsible adult mode. That is who I was. To a biker, I imagined that could not possibly be sexy. Just for one second, I wanted to be something else. Someone else. I decided to ride on Sawyer’s bike.
The bike was huge and I wondered if I was not going to face plant getting off it, but not a chance. This time, instead of offering his hand, Sawyer scooped me up from the bike and onto my feet.
“Damn good service.”
“Let me walk you to the door.”
I was buzzed, no getting around it, and I was aroused as hell. I was also curious and a good bit of lonely completed my hormonal cocktail. There it was. I was lonely.
“Come in for a moment?”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” the way he said it made my toes curl. It had been cold outside but the wine and my rising attraction had me feeling flushed.
In a half-second, we were inside and Sawyer was helping me with my coat. My plan was to get him a beer; he drank beer while I had wine at the restaurant. As he helped me with my coat, I lost my composure.
I turned around and raked a hand across his stubble. He was all man and I had been all alone. Something inside me broke free just a little.
He took my hand in his and leaned in. His eyes locked with mine and I swayed my hips toward his, it was involuntary and primal. The physical longing that I had suppressed started to drive every move.
Sawyer’s lips pressed softly to mine. I held my breath and felt my own mouth opening. I felt his hands slide around to my neck. I was happily locked close to him.
My blood raced and every part of me felt unchained, almost dizzy. I leaned back, closed my eyes, and let his kiss deepen.
I felt high and there was a thrumming in my ears.
I lost my balance and nearly fell to the floor. It was a full on sex induced wine-fueled swoon.
“Whoa, I got you, Bess. I got you.” He whispered it into my ear. His hot breath was out of this world and it was also the sound of my most recent fevered dreams. He was in the flesh but part of me was pretending this was a dream.
I am ashamed to say I do not really remember what came next exactly. The action slowed way down, I know that much.
“When we do this you’re going to remember it,” he said and disappointment washed over me at the same time a curtain came down on my ability to stay awake.
It had to be six hours or so later when all hell broke loose.
I woke up with a start to the doorbell ringing repeatedly and a pounding on the doorframe.
It took me a second to release where I was. I was on my couch. I also realize that yet again I had almost made love to Sawyer McCall.
My head was pounding like the door. Sawyer had covered me with the afghan I had crocheted. I knew I was probably rumpled as hell, but I was dressed. I am sure I had couch texture imprints on my cheeks but the door knocking and ringing did not stop.
“Bess. Open the door. I texted you. You need to take Henry. Now.”
Chris Geary, my ex, was supposed to be here at 10 a.m. after he’d had breakfast with his son, but his weekends were just that, his weekends.
He didn’t worry about Henry’s schedule, mine, or the court. He only worried about himself and his new wife.
“Candice and I have an event. Answer the door immediately.”
Immediately. Yeah, that was Chris Geary. Entitled, rich, silver spoon, demanding, and the father of the most important person in my world.
“Coming, coming.”
I rushed to the door, things had gotten worse since Candice had entered the picture and they were not great before. The upside is that Henry didn’t know anything different. Chris had bolted the minute I got pregnant and we have been separated his entire life.
I opened the door and gave Chris a look as I held out a hand for Henry. Chris shoved Henry’s backpack into my free arm.
“Jesus, you don’t respond to the text and then you look like shit.”
“Can you go put this in your room honey?” I kissed Henry on the cheek and ignored Chris for a second. As Henry made tracks for his room, I responded to Chris. I shouldn’t but he pushed every one of my damn buttons.
“Look, I appreciate if you don’t swear at me in front of our child.”
“I appreciate it if you have a little courtesy and professionalism. Did you sleep in your clothes? And who the hell’s bike is outside? One of your indigent loser clients?”
“Professionalism? How about you have some respect for the mother of your child and not be such a colossal dick?” Henry was out of sight and earshot thank God.
I had gone there, Chris had brought me right to the worst moments of our shamble of a marriage, and it took less than one minute.
“Such class you’ve always had. Candice is so right about you, one step up from white trash, maybe not a step.” He had advanced in on me. He was taller, stronger, and meaner than I was. I, however, was enraged that he made every encounter an ordeal.
“Back the fuck up.”
Out of nowhere Sawyer had appeared, and stood in front of me facing Chris. I had not processed the bike comment; I should have realized he was still here, the blanket and throw pillow on the floor. He had slept on the floor. I actually smelled breakfast, too. He had made breakfast.
Instead of sharing bacon and eggs, he was dealing with wrath and acrimony. The lovely duo that appeared when Chris and I were together. The anger I had at Chris was pushed aside for a moment by embarrassment at the situation.
Hi there potential love interest! This is the shit show of my personal life! How fast can that bike go? Yeah, this was brilliant.
“Oh, the motorcycle, slumming are we?” Chris said but his bravado was fading. He may be a dick but he was not stupid. Sawyer had him on height, muscle, hair, and bad assery. This was an easy calculation and Chris made it quickly.
He looked around Sawyer.
“Candice is right. I would watch yourself, Bess. Good mothers don’t have thugs stay overnight.”
“Get out of here,” I said.
“Gladly.”
Chris sneered in Sawyer’s direction and I swore Sawyer stifled a chuckle. Chris turned and slammed the door behind him. I covered my face with my hands. There is just no recovery from a scene like that.
“I’m sorry you had to see that,” I said through the shield of my fingers. God my head hurt. Could I just be invisible?
“I’m sorry you had to live it.” Sawyer put his hands to my wrists and slowly pulled my hands down. He held on.
I wanted him to hug me. I wanted him to stay. I wanted.
Chris’s words struck at me in my deepest and most terrifying place.
Good mothers do not have thugs stay overnight.
Ever since Candice realized Henry tied Chris and me together, she wanted to get Henry away from me. I knew this. I feared this. Her own infertility was also making Henry more and more an issue.
A leather-clad biker in my living room at 6 a.m. on a Saturday morning was a step in the wrong direction for my custody situation.
“You need to go.” I was cold. I was mean. I was serious. I wanted Sawyer but there was no place for want in my life.
“Bess, it’s okay.”
“Please.” I took a step back from him and crossed my arms over my chest. My ride with Sawyer McCall was over before it began.
That’s the way it had to be.