challenge.
Dane looks down at the floor, away from her, as if he’s found something intensely interesting at his feet. “You said some things before I left.” He looks back up at her, his dark eyes hardened again, as if he had pulled down the blinds, protection against caring too much. “Were any of them true?”
Elyse rears back as if he had hit her. “Do you even have to ask me that?” She frowns at him in surprise.
The look he gives her tells her precisely what she didn’t want to know. “It’s not like you’ve given me a whole lot of reasons to believe your every word, Elyse.”
She had loved the way that he said her name, as if it were a caress, as if it were beautiful. This time his tone is cold, hard, like it were any other word.
She nods in understanding. “Alright, I guess I deserved that.” She bites her bottom lip, trying not to fidget under his gaze. “It was all true.”
She braces herself for his reaction, prepared for him to scoff, to laugh at her, to shout. But he doesn’t do anything. He remains quiet, looking at her enigmatically, making it impossible for Elyse to know what he’s thinking.
“I told you that I fell for you, for you and the club, for the whole community of it. I couldn’t write the story that my editor wanted. He wanted blood and fear and enough evidence to bring the full force of the authorities down on the Riders. I couldn’t do that, not to you and not to the rest of the guys. That’s the truth, it’s up to you whether you believe it or not.” Elyse spreads her hands open, showing that she has nothing left to give, just the truth. “Take it or leave it, but it is what it is.” She waits for a response from him, something in his eyes that will tell her what he’s thinking. His face is expressionless, not telling her anything.
“Was there something else?” He waits, watching her with those hawk-like eyes of his.
“Yes.” Before Elyse can lose her nerve she asks the question that won’t stay buried. “Why did you get all hot and bothered when you saw me talking to Lance?” She plants her hands on her hips, refusing to accept anything but a real answer. “Suzi told me she had to talk you down.”
Dane looks down at his feet again and a few minutes go by while he considers what he’s going to say. “You two were looking pretty snug in the bar last night.” It’s a challenge more than a statement, and Elyse is taken aback by the fire in his eyes.
“I’m not interested in Lance, not in the way that you think. He’s just a friend now.” Elyse waits for a beat, considering this. “In fact, I’m not sure if he’s even that anymore.”
“And what was he before?” Dane doesn’t miss anything at all from her tone.
Elyse takes a deep breath. She knew that this was going to come out sooner or later, that was why she had come here after all, she had just hoped that it would be later. “Lance is an ex. The one I told you about.” She bites her bottom lip, preparing herself for whatever his reaction might be.
Dane clenches his fists against his sides and stands bolt upright, taking a few steps towards her, stopping just out of reach. “Lance is the asshole that got physical with you? The guy that won’t leave you alone?”
Elyse nods mutely, not trusting her voice with him standing so close to her.
Dane throws his hands up, looking down at her angrily. “Jesus, Elyse, why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Elyse frowns up at him, his accusatory tone getting her back up. “When was I supposed to do that? When you were shouting at me for being at the bar or when you were ignoring me?” She crosses her arms in front of her chest, refusing to back away from his intense stare.
Dane rakes his hands through his hair in frustration, leaving him looking all mussed and
Dane looks down at the floor, away from her, as if he’s found something intensely interesting at his feet. “You said some things before I left.” He looks back up at her, his dark eyes hardened again, as if he had pulled down the blinds, protection against caring too much. “Were any of them true?”
Elyse rears back as if he had hit her. “Do you even have to ask me that?” She frowns at him in surprise.
The look he gives her tells her precisely what she didn’t want to know. “It’s not like you’ve given me a whole lot of reasons to believe your every word, Elyse.”
She had loved the way that he said her name, as if it were a caress, as if it were beautiful. This time his tone is cold, hard, like it were any other word.
She nods in understanding. “Alright, I guess I deserved that.” She bites her bottom lip, trying not to fidget under his gaze. “It was all true.”
She braces herself for his reaction, prepared for him to scoff, to laugh at her, to shout. But he doesn’t do anything. He remains quiet, looking at her enigmatically, making it impossible for Elyse to know what he’s thinking.
“I told you that I fell for you, for you and the club, for the whole community of it. I couldn’t write the story that my editor wanted. He wanted blood and fear and enough evidence to bring the full force of the authorities down on the Riders. I couldn’t do that, not to you and not to the rest of the guys. That’s the truth, it’s up to you whether you believe it or not.” Elyse spreads her hands open, showing that she has nothing left to give, just the truth. “Take it or leave it, but it is what it is.” She waits for a response from him, something in his eyes that will tell her what he’s thinking. His face is expressionless, not telling her anything.
“Was there something else?” He waits, watching her with those hawk-like eyes of his.
“Yes.” Before Elyse can lose her nerve she asks the question that won’t stay buried. “Why did you get all hot and bothered when you saw me talking to Lance?” She plants her hands on her hips, refusing to accept anything but a real answer. “Suzi told me she had to talk you down.”
Dane looks down at his feet again and a few minutes go by while he considers what he’s going to say. “You two were looking pretty snug in the bar last night.” It’s a challenge more than a statement, and Elyse is taken aback by the fire in his eyes.
“I’m not interested in Lance, not in the way that you think. He’s just a friend now.” Elyse waits for a beat, considering this. “In fact, I’m not sure if he’s even that anymore.”
“And what was he before?” Dane doesn’t miss anything at all from her tone.
Elyse takes a deep breath. She knew that this was going to come out sooner or later, that was why she had come here after all, she had just hoped that it would be later. “Lance is an ex. The one I told you about.” She bites her bottom lip, preparing herself for whatever his reaction might be.
Dane clenches his fists against his sides and stands bolt upright, taking a few steps towards her, stopping just out of reach. “Lance is the asshole that got physical with you? The guy that won’t leave you alone?”
Elyse nods mutely, not trusting her voice with him standing so close to her.
Dane throws his hands up, looking down at her angrily. “Jesus, Elyse, why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you tell me?”
Elyse frowns up at him, his accusatory tone getting her back up. “When was I supposed to do that? When you were shouting at me for being at the bar or when you were ignoring me?” She crosses her arms in front of her chest, refusing to back away from his intense stare.
Dane rakes his hands through his hair in frustration, leaving him looking all mussed and
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