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Max nodded eagerly. “Yeah! And did you know they found out its brain was really small? Like, the size of a walnut.” He pinched his tiny fingers together mimicking the right size.
Boiler laughed again. “Looks like you two could talk about this all night.”
I peeked at him and got all cozy. “Guess I’m not too rusty, huh?”
Boiler’s eyes softened. “You’re pretty impressive, Tank. Max, isn’t Tank awesome?” He winked at me.
Max beamed, nodding enthusiastically. “Yeah! She’s almost as awesome as the dinosaur book!”
I chuckled, feeling a sense of pride. “Almost, huh? Well, you’re the expert here, Max.”
Max hugged his dinosaur toy, his excitement bubbling over. “I’m glad you like dinosaurs too, Tank. Can we read more together after my nap?”
“Absolutely, kiddo,” I said, ruffling his hair again. “You can teach me all the new stuff I missed.”
Max held up another dinosaur, his eyes shining with curiosity. “Do you know about the Ankylosaurus?”
I nodded. “Sure do. That armor and clubbed tail? That dino was built like a tank.”
Max giggled. “Like you, Tank! That’s your name.”
Boiler cut in, “I don’t think that’s Tank's real name.”
Max’s eyes got big. “My daddy’s real name is Thomas Parker,” he stated, and rattled off his number and his address. “What’s your real name, Tank?”
I looked to Boiler as I said it. “Vanessa,” I uttered a name that felt useless.
“Just Vanessa, like Madonna?” Boiler joked.
“No, Vanessa Monroe.” That was my maiden name anyway.
We put Max to bed, which was surprisingly easy. Boiler said it had something to do with routine.
Then Boiler showed me his guitar, another unexpected aspect of his life. “I play sometimes,” he said, strumming a few chords. “It’s my way of coping.”
I sat on the couch, watching as his fingers moved skillfully over the strings. The opening notes of "I Want to Know What Love Is" by Foreigner filled the room, the melody instantly recognizable. It was the one that always seemed to bring him to mind.
“Glad you think so. That song always comes on at the club, late at night. It reminds me of you.”
“Comes on a lot at the Roost too,” I said, not telling him about the correlation. “I’ve always liked it.”
Boiler set the guitar aside and sat next to me, his eyes intense. “There’s more to me than just the biker, Tank. I’ve got layers, just like you.”
“Layers, like I’m an onion, like Shrek or something.”
“No, not like that.”
“It’s okay. Because of my size, I’m used to being compared to an ogre. Really, Boiler, I used to be more, but now I’m just a biker bitch.”
“Bullshit, Tank. You can’t fool me. You’re strong and know what you want. You’re breathtaking and fierce. You might seem intimidating to a weaker man, but not to me. Plus, your heart… you saved me. Your enemy.”
“Well, I do bring strays to the shop because I want them to find good homes,” I joked. But it was clear this wasn’t the time. I reached out, touching his arm. “You’re a good man, Boiler. More than I ever realized.”
The tension between us was thick enough to cut with a knife. Boiler’s eyes locked onto mine, a storm brewing in his gaze. “Tank, I want you. All of you," he said, his voice raspy with desire.
I swallowed hard, feeling the heat pooling low in my belly. “Then take me,” I challenged, my voice barely a whisper.
Without another word, he closed the distance between us, crashing his lips against mine in a kiss that was both fierce and desperate. My hands had a mind of their own, roaming over his solid physique, basking in the warmth and power. He responded in kind, lifting me effortlessly and carrying me across the room.
