“How old were you,” he asked quietly. “When she left?”
“Five.”
He nodded slowly.
I hadn’t meant to blurt out my past, but if we were going to get to know each other, then I had to be real with him. I hoped by being honest, he’d do the same. Open up just a bit and show me he was more than a rolling stone who’d only come back because he’d wanted to sleep with me again.
“You’re welcome to try and unpack that,” I said with a strained laugh, wishing I hadn’t said anything at all.
“Don’t need to,” he said. “It’s pretty self-explanatory.”
“What about you?”
“What about me, what?”
“What about your parents?”
He paused for a long moment, and then he said, “Look, we’re just starting to get to know each other, yeah? We don’t have to dive too deep right off the bat. Let’s ease into it.”
“You know, when you’re mysterious and evasive it makes me want to know more.”
“Good. It’ll keep you interested.”
Though his tone was light, I knew there was something deeper he was concealing. I felt uncomfortable, having shared something so personal without Slash reciprocating.
“I need to go to the restroom.”
Slash got up out of the booth. I grabbed my purse and brushed past him. I asked a server the direction of the restroom and nodded my thanks when she pointed the way.
Thankfully, the bathroom was empty, so I had some privacy. I pulled out my cell phone and dialed Jazz.
“How goes the date?” she asked the moment she picked up.
“It’s not—”
“A date, right. What’s wrong?”
“It feels like a date that I don’t want to be a date because how the hell do you date your one-night stand who is suddenly the father of your child?”
“Sounds harder than sudoku.”
“You know what the biggest problem is?”
“This feels like a trick question.”
“Even though I’m scared of the future, I’m starting to ask questions that include Slash in my future. What happens when my hormones hijack my body and my mind?”
The door to the restroom opened.
“What are you doing in here?” I demanded.
“Who’s in where?” Jazz asked.
“Slash,” I said. “He just walked into the women’s restroom.”
“Who are you talking to?” he asked.
“My friend and business partner,” I said.
He raised his brows. “You had to do that right now? During our date?”
“It’s not a—for the love of God,” I muttered.
Slash stalked toward me and gently grasped the phone and put it to his ear. “Hello, friend and business partner.” He paused, and I could clearly hear Jazz telling him her name. “Nice to meet you, Jazz. Brooklyn’s gonna have to call you back. Yes, I’ll be gentle with her in her delicate condition.”
A flash of a smile flitted across his face, and I couldn’t stop the groan.
“I look forward to meeting you, too.” He hung up and handed me back my cell.
“You’re not supposed to be in here,” I admonished.
He shrugged and then he stalked closer to me, pinning me against the sink.
The door to the bathroom opened and a woman walked in. Her gaze went from me to Slash, then back to me. “Get it, girl,” she said before leaving.
Slash’s crack of laughter echoed through the restroom.
“This isn’t funny.”
That only made him laugh harder.
When I tried to move around him, his hands shot out and settled on my hips. “Hey.”
I froze, feeling the heat of his touch even through my clothes.
“Come back to the table. Let’s order dinner, then we’ll say goodnight.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
“Eating is pretty easy.”
I rolled my eyes. “You know what I mean.”
“It’s only hard if we make it hard.” He pinned me with a stare. “Were you having fun tonight? Before you got too in your head about how all this shit is gonna work?”
I shrugged and eventually nodded.
“Then focus on that. The rest will take care of itself.”
“But how can I—”
“I’m gonna tell you something right now. There are things in life you can control, and there are things in life you can’t. You want to waste your time worrying? You can, but for what? You need time to get to know me? Fine. I’m all about that because like it or not, you’re about to be the mother of my child.”
I bit my lip. “It’s just—”
“Yeah, I know. I’m the big bad biker. You’re the sweet little baker. By all accounts, I’m the one to be worried about.”
“Are you really bad?” I asked with a quirk of my lips.
His hands slid up my curves and then he cupped my cheeks. “What do you think?”
“Oh yeah. Bad. Trouble. And really good at it.”
Slash gently slid his lips across mine. Just a taste, just a tease. But it made my hands grip the counter. I wanted to spread my legs and cradle him against me.
His hand grasped the back of my neck. “Look at me, Brooklyn.”
My lids fluttered opened and I stared up into his hazel eyes.
Suddenly, he smiled.
I didn’t know what that smile meant.
“You’ve played this game before,” I commented.
“This isn’t a game. Not this time.”