Rock Chick Regret (Rock Chick #7)(141)

I still was not going to put on a tank.

Therefore, coming to a verbal stalemate, we locked eyes and went into stare down mode.

This lasted a long time, so long, I quivered internally and was about to give in when Hector blew out a sigh.

“You’re not gonna give in, are you?” he asked.

“No,” I lied, I was so going to give in.

He looked over my shoulder and muttered, “Fuck.”

I tried hard not to smile. It would be bad sportsmanship.

Instead, I said, “Painting’s hard work, I’m hungry.”

His eyes came back to mine and I was pleased to see he wasn’t angry but I couldn’t say he wasn’t annoyed.

I could handle annoyed.

“Let’s go.” He pushed me back, jumped off the counter in front of me and tagged my hand, walking me to the back of the house rather than the front where he always parked his Bronco.

We went into the little mudroom off the kitchen that was full of more boots (yes, more boots!), more renovation equipment and other masculine detritus. He reached up on a shelf and pulled down two, black, visored motorcycle helmets and he handed me one.

I stared at the helmet in my hand then up at Hector, my heart beating a little faster.

“You have a bike?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he replied.

My heart started beating even faster and I could feel my lips forming a smile.

“I’ve never ridden on a bike.”

His hand came to my neck and he lost his annoyed look.

“Tonight’s your night, mamita.”

Then he put a hand to the small of my back and turned me to the door.

* * * * *

“I’m gonna get us more beers,” I told the table which included Luke and Ava who were at Lincoln’s when we arrived. They’d only just sat down and got their drinks so Ava told us it was perfect timing. They did a seat shuffle, Luke sat by Ava at the tall table by the bar, her on the inside by the wall, Hector sat by me, I was across from Ava.

We ordered “Cajun Popcorn” as an appetizer (battered, deep-fried crawfish) and I got a meatloaf cheeseburger with fries. Even after the Cajun Popcorn, I ate every last bite of my burger and every single fry and I didn’t even care. Manual labor made you ravenous. Blanca would be thrilled.

I loved Lincoln’s. There were interesting people there, not just bikers but also urbanites, probably from the local neighborhood. It was worn in but not worn out and the waitresses were super friendly.

I also loved Hector’s bike mainly because it meant I could get transported from one place to the other with my front plastered to Hector’s hard, hot back, my arms around his tight abs and the wind hitting me everywhere. I decided the minute we hit the road and picked up speed there was nothing in the whole, wide world better than that.

I grabbed my wallet out of my purse and popped off the barstool, rounding Hector but I only got a step away before I was halted by fingers curling into the waistband of my cords. I looked back as Hector pulled me to him and his mouth came to my ear.

“Give me your wallet and put it on the tab,” he muttered in my ear.

“I’ve got money,” I told him.

“Mi cielo, wallet.” His tone didn’t invite discussion.

I figured I was lucky to get away with the “Fred and Wilma” argument so I wasn’t going to push my luck. I cocked my arm so my hand with the wallet was over my shoulder. He took it from me then kept talking in my ear.

“This end of the bar, I wanna be able to see you at all times.”

I turned my head, nodded to him and he let me go.

I smiled to myself on the way to the bar, that warm, happy glow mingling with the lovely, safe, snugly comfort.

It felt good to be looked after.

“Four Fat Tires,” I called to the bartender when he jerked his chin at me.

I felt a presence slide in beside me and I looked to my right then over the shoulder of the beautiful, dark-haired woman there to ascertain if I could still see Hector. I could so my body settled.

“I’m Natalie,” the woman said and my surprised eyes went to her.

Wow. She was nice. Walking right up to me and introducing herself.

“Hi. I’m Sadie,” I returned the niceness.

“Saw you with Hector,” she said to me.

I blinked at her, not certain sure where this was going and thinking it might not be nice at all.

“Yes,” I said hesitantly.

She leaned in. “Not bein’ a bitch or anything, but, girl to girl, be careful.”

I blinked again.

“What?”

“Hector. Be careful. He’s a dawg.”

“A dog?”

“A dawg,” she repeated.

My eyes narrowed and my back went straight. “He’s not a dog. He’s a man.”

“Not a dog, a dawg, d-a-w-g. Dawg. A player.”

I knew what a player was.

I looked back over her shoulder at Hector. He was listening to Ava, however Luke, I noted, was watching me.

My eyes went to Natalie. “Maybe you’re thinking of a different Hector,” I tried.

“Nope. He’s nailed me and half the women in this place. Girls look at him as a challenge, I know because I did it too. He’s got the reputation for bein’ good, as in good, which, by the way, he was, off the f**kin’ charts. He’s also got a reputation for not hangin’ around, at all, not even spendin’ the night in most cases. Every girl here probably thought she’d be the one to get a return visit but, far’s I know, he never went back twice, not to me, not to anyone.”