Page 56 of The Price of Love

After taking a deep breath, I put my bike in gear and pull onto the road. When we start moving, she scoots closer so her chest presses against my back. The ride is much too short. I could stay in this position for hours—forever. Would she notice if I headed for California?

She puts her hand on my shoulder. “It’s that three-story apartment building up to the right.”

Hers is a typical small town in the Adirondacks, slightly depressed and grungy since tourism hasn’t kissed it. As we approach the building, I note that it needs a coat of paint and the roof is missing several shingles. Pulling into the lot, I have to dodge several rim-bending potholes.

“That’s my car there.” She points to a cluster of cars. “The red Camry.”

“Red? Bike’s red. Car’s red. I thought shadows were supposed to be dark and mysterious.”

She shrugs. “It’s the only flashy thing about me.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised how much flash you’ve got,” I mutter.

“Huh?” she asks.

I shake my head. “Nothing.”

CHAPTER 24

SHADOW

If I wasn’t so excited to see my kids, I’d be bummed that our ride was over. I don’t like sitting on the back of someone else’s bike. I prefer being in control, but it was comfortable being behind Storm. Not just comfortable but comforting. She has a quiet confidence. There’s no doubt she has full control of her bike and can handle whatever the ride throws at her.

“Would you like to come upstairs and wait with me?” I give her a half smile. “I don’t have any beer. I don’t keep it in the house, but I can offer you some lemonade. I need to make some for the kids.”

She rewards me with a smile. “I’d love a glass of lemonade.”

Walking toward the building, my nervousness returns. My building is rundown, and my apartment isn’t much to look at. Margot took everything, leaving me to furnish my apartment with secondhand items. I only invested in the bare necessities, choosing to save all my money for a lawyer.

When I unlock the entrance door, I look over my shoulder. “I’m on the second floor.” I make a beeline for the stairs. “The elevator is out of order more often than it’s working. We don’t want to get stuck in it.”

Her footsteps echo behind me as I jog up the steps. I wonder if she’s checking out my ass. I swing my hips a little extra as I continue up. What’s wrong with me? She’s a Thorn. Besides, my life is too complicated for a relationship. Hell, it’s too complicated to even date, forget a relationship.

I’ve known her for all of four hours, and I’m thinking about a relationship. What the hell? The first woman who shows me an ounce of kindness, and I’m shaking my ass for her.

By the time I reach my apartment door, I’m beating myself up. I’m making an awful lot of assumptions. Storm has been nothing but courteous. She’s not acting like she’s trying to get into my pants, and from what I’ve heard, Storm isn’t shy about getting what she wants.

I push open my apartment door, and I’m pleased that I can still smell a hint of the sage and lavender candle that I’d burned last night.

“Um, smells good,” Storm says from behind me. “Lavender and…” Her words trail off.

“Sage.” I hold open the door and motion her in. Once she’s inside, I say, “I’m surprised you recognized it.”

“Lavender and lilac are my favorites. And purple is the best color.”

I chuckle. “I bet if we asked people, they’d tag you for red and me for purple.”

“Why do you say that?”

I lead her through the living room; thankfully, it’s clean. With only a chair, love seat, and end table, keeping it tidy is easy.

“People look at red as dangerous.” I pull a pitcher from the cabinet and motion to the small, pockmarked table against the wall. “Have a seat.”

Storm walks toward me instead of the table. “Do you need help?”

I smirk. “I think I can handle making lemonade.” When she continues to stand near me, heat rises up my neck. I thrust the pitcher at her. “Ya know. I could make some trail mix for the girls. You could do the lemonade.”

I toss a lemonade packet toward Storm, and she snatches it from the air.