Diesel (Devil's Mafia Brotherhood Motorcycle Club Book 1) by Sophia Hampton Page B

to send desire careening through his heart. He wanted to carry her back to bed and make love to her. His body ached to feel her skin, her hands, and her delicious curves.
     
    “No problem. After all, you are the one who cooked me a breakfast. I don’t remember the last time someone did that for me.”
     
    Good. That meant that it wasn’t often that she woke up with a man in her house. He liked it. “Any time, sweetheart.”
     
    “Why do you keep calling me that?”
     
    Riley raised an eyebrow. Why, indeed? Sure, it was a term of endearment that he used sometimes, but he never actually did so for any of his girlfriends or the women he slept with. But he couldn’t admit that to her without confessing that the way he felt towards her was so much more different than his feelings for other women who came before her. “It’s because you are sweet, and because you are after my heart.”
     
    “You can keep your heart,” she snapped. Startled by her tone, he turned to face her. She didn’t look up. Instead, she washed her hands and then wiped them on a towel. Carefully, she glanced at him. “Sorry. It’s just…this whole thing is making me nervous.”
     
    He knew exactly what she meant but he wanted her to say it. “What thing?”
     
    She glowered as if she could tell that he was being deliberately obtuse on purpose. “You and me…this thing. This strange relationship that we have developed.”
     
    “There is nothing strange about it.”
     
    “Maybe you are in the habit of falling in bed with strangers, but I am not,” she said in an abrupt manner. “This is new territory for me and, frankly, I don’t like it.”
     
    Delighted as he was by her words, Riley couldn’t take too much pleasure in them. He felt pretty much the same. “I don’t pick up women at random. You’re…a different ballgame even for me.”
     
    “So what are we going to do?”
     
    A good question, indeed. His instinct was to tell her that they should call it quits. Nothing good could come out of it. “The easiest thing would be to not see each other again. You don’t have complications, and neither do it.” Was that disappointment that gleamed in her eyes? Or perhaps relief? He couldn’t be sure. “I’ve steered clear of such issues all my life. You can say that I’ve made a career out of it.”
     
    She put a hand on the counter. “So have I.”
     
    He stared at her, not sure what she was really thinking. If he put his heart out there and she stomped on it, he would lose his dignity along with his sanity. But the woman was well worth the pain. He would never ever find someone quite like her. It wasn’t just her beauty that held him captive, but also her inner strength, her sharp mind, and her attitude. If there was someone for whom he could risk his independence and freedom, she was the one.
     
    “But if we were to try and see how this ended, it would be far more exciting.” There he said it. She didn’t speak. He felt compelled to add something. “Not that I am sure where it would lead us, but I am just saying that it might be a good idea to continue to be together for some time. What do you think?”
     
    The silence stretched out, long and heartbreaking. Maybe she thought that he was an idiot. Perhaps inside, she was laughing at his audacity. He gave up hope as she didn’t say anything. It was a mistake. He should leave now while he still had some shreds of his ego.
     
    As he turned to collect his things, she spoke. “I think it’s a good idea.”
     
    He whirled to face her. What did she just say? “You do?”
     
    She nodded, and he could the see the amusement that lurked in her eyes. She could sense that he was desperate to hear this. Was she toying with him? “I want to see how this ends. I like you, Riley. A lot. It’s kind of crazy because I’ve never let a man become so important to me, but, now that we’ve reached this juncture, I want to continue the journey.”
     
    He whooped, picked her up,