Page 45 of The Biker’s Guilty Pleasur

“We need to head out.”

She said goodbye to Bell and walked hand in hand with Reaper toward his bike. The sun glistened off the chrome.

“Where we going? Or is it a secret?”

She got on behind him and he handed her the helmet. He still hadn’t answered her.

Grace held him tight around his waist and they rode out the front gates. They headed in the opposite direction of the city. The views along the way were breathtaking as they drove farther into the countryside. Wildflowers, old barns, cows grazing, and rolling hills. There weren’t many cars on the road besides them.

She wasn’t sure how long they were driving but the bike finally started to slow down and they turned off on an unpaved road. The bumpy ride wasn’t too long until they stopped.

“Where are we?”

“You’ll see,” he said, helping her off the bike.

They held hands again as they walked down the narrow, rocky path toward water. It was a very small lake. She could see the other side easily.

He led her along the shore. “I’ve been in the club for as long as I can remember. I used to come out here when I needed to be alone. Club life is good, but you’re always surrounded by people.”

There were two old Adirondack chairs tucked in the trees in front of the water. Right now, the water looked as still as glass and the sun made it twinkle like a billion stars. He sat down and patted the other chair. She joined him, already addicted to the view and the peace around them.

“I can see why you liked to come here,” she said.

“You know, there’s been a lot going on. I never really got to spend much quality time with you, like I wanted. I hope that all changes soon.”

“Well, it looks like we have a lot of evidence now.”

He tapped her lips with one finger and shook his head. “Let’s forget about all that bullshit when we come here. All we need to do here is breathe. Maybe reflect.”

She couldn’t disagree. Every day they were bombarded with bad news, new threats, and worrying about the future. Franklin Cartwright had thrown a huge wrench into their budding relationship. Or maybe he’d helped push it along. Either way, she couldn’t wait to live life with Reaper without all this life-and-death drama.

Grace settled back in the chair and breathed in the fresh air. The birds were singing all around them, so many different songs.

“What were you running from?”

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“To start coming here. Why did you need an escape?”

He leaned back, too. The man was so ruggedly handsome with a heart of gold.

“In the beginning, I was still angry, still grieving. There were so many what-if moments that gave me nightmares. It took a long time before I realized I couldn’t undo the past, couldn’t stop the suffering my mother endured.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she said.

“I know. I was just a kid. But I want to go back, to do things different. To protect her.”

That’s why he volunteered. Everyone had a story. Sometimes the pain people experienced was actually the catalyst to become all they could be. She still hated to see him suffer.

“Look how you turned out,” she said. “Your mother would be so proud of the man you’ve become. You’ve helped so many women, and you always put others first.”

“And what about you, baby? I know you’re hurting, too.”

“I’m okay,” she said. “My childhood was great compared to what you went through. Things started going downhill once my sister got addicted to drugs.”

“I know you feel alone in the world sometimes, because I feel the same way.”

True, she had no family left, and it could feel incredibly lonely, but things were different now. They had each other.