As she leans into the curves with me, it’s easy to get lost in the ride. Her arms wrapped around me, one of her hands tight against my heart. Her chest up against my back as the steady rise and fall of her breathing lets me know she’s relaxed and comfortable. The loud rumble of the engine, the power of the bike under me, and the softness of a woman behind me is all consuming. Life is not about the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away. This is one of those moments. For this one moment, everything feels right in a way that it never has before.

Without thinking, I reach my left hand down and gently squeeze her thigh. Never before, have I felt the desire to connect with anyone. She relaxes further into me. Her left hand begins tracing circles over my heart. Every minute ticking by feels intimate in a way I’ve never experienced before. My chest constricts at the thought of being close to someone. I don’t live the lifestyle for that. Protect Doll, yes, I will. Beyond that, she’s off limits. Putting those thoughts back into perspective, I quickly remove my hand from her thigh and back to my handlebar.

Feeling me tense and pull on the throttle to accelerate us further, Doll stills her hand and tightens behind me. She feels the sting of the rejection I just dished out. Perceptive, just like her father; I’ll be quick to remember that as well. I’ve got a job to do, and a very serious one at that. My boys rely on me to keep them safe and out of jail, given the nature of our business. For me, this task feels so much more, I can’t explain it, but on a deeper level, this ride feels like it’s everything.

10

On Our Way

At the condo, I stuff a backpack quickly. Knowing Tripp and I shared a moment on the bike, entices me to pack my pretty panties, just in case. Even if Tripp remains honorable to the fact that I’m Roundman’s daughter, I still deserve to feel sexy.

Does the man have to be so honorable though? Seriously, I get it. I’m Roundman’s Doll. I’m so far off limits, I’m on another planet. It doesn’t mean I plan to make it easy for him. He’s hot. Any red blooded woman would want a sample of him. Daddy doesn’t need to know about one hookup.

Knowing that Delatorre could already be watching me causes a moment of insecurity. I’m not naïve enough to ever think the club was perfectly legitimate and safe. Never have I had someone follow me home though. Then again, I was raised to keep my nose out of other people’s business. My dumbass broke the cardinal rule of ‘turn your head and look the other way’. See no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil. I saw it, spoke to it and watched it backhand a defenseless woman who looked like a stiff wind could blow her over.