“I stop here when I need to think,” he says, taking my hand in his. “It’s quiet, and the view is nice. Kind of like you.”
I laugh at that. “Flattery will get you everywhere.”
He continues to watch me, an intense look on his face. “I’ve never brought anyone up here before.”
“Ever?”
He shakes his head. “Never.”
I look out over the city. “Then why did you bring me here?”
He absently rubs his chest, right over his heart. “I don’t know. It felt right, I guess. Like you should be here too.”
I don’t know how to reply to that, so I squeeze his hand, which he threads with his own and continue to stare out at blue sky.
Suddenly he says, “I don’t think I’ve ever just enjoyed silence with a woman.”
I glance at him from the corner of my eye. “Maybe you should learn when to stay silent too?”
He grins, his eyes twinkling. “What I mean is, most women are chatty as hell. Sometimes comfortable silence is the best. When the woman is just enjoying, not angry or plotting.”
I laugh. “Plotting? What kind of women have you been dating, Tracker?”
He gives me a Don’t act like you don’t know look. “Most times a silent woman is an angry one.”
“Some of us are just quiet,” I defend. “And tend to overthink things. Doesn’t necessarily mean plotting.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he says. “I need to take notes when it comes to you.”
“I’m simple enough,” I reply shyly.
“For some reason, I doubt that very much,” he says, smiling. “Do you want to head back?”
I close my eyes, enjoying the feel of the breeze. “A few more minutes.”
When I open them, he’s watching me. He leans closer to me, and tilts his head to the side. “You’re beautiful, Lana.”
I don’t look away this time. “Thank you.”
We ride back and come to a stop at my house. Tracker helps me off the bike, his hands lingering on my waist.
“You liked it,” are the first words that come out of his mouth, a grin playing on his mouth.
I smile shakily. “I did.”
“I knew you would.”
Leaning down, he rubs my cheek with his, his stubble tickling me. Pressing a kiss to my jawline first, he then moves to my mouth, giving me a sweet, gentle kiss, making me yearn for more.
“You fit,” he says simply.
My brows furrow at his statement. “Tracker—”
“I’ll see you Monday morning,” he says, cupping my cheek, then nodding to my door. “Go. I’ll wait for you to get inside.”
I open my mouth to ask him what he meant when he said I fit. But for some reason I don’t think he wants to be pressed right now.
“Thanks for the ride,” I tell him before walking to my door.
He straddles his bike and starts his engine, but waits for me to be safely inside before he rides off.
I look at him disappear down the street through my window, afraid he’s taken my heart with him.
EIGHT
ON Monday morning, I walk into the clubhouse, feeling exuberant. Looking forward to seeing Tracker, I even put in a little effort into my appearance again, wearing a black maxi dress and cute sandals. Hearing noise from the living room, I head there and find Rake watching cartoons with Clover.
“’Morning, Rake,” I say, leaning down to kiss Clover on top of her head. “Where’s Faye?”
“She had to go to work earlier this morning, so I’ve been keeping the princess company. Haven’t I, Clover? I even fed her breakfast.”
He sounds proud.
“What did you feed her?” I ask in suspicion.
“Food.”
“Food from where?”
“McDonald’s drive-through,” he admits, shrugging sheepishly. “And I’d do it again. It was good.”
“Me too!” Clover chirps in, a grin on her face. I grin back and sit down next to him. “Where’s Tracker?”
Rake leans back on the couch, turning to me. “He didn’t tell you? He went to meet up with Sin and the others. They needed him for something.”
I refrain from asking what they needed him for.
“Oh.”
Rake nudges my shoulder. “First Anna, now you. You two used to be such good girls.” He sighs wistfully. “You with your glasses and braces. Anna with her fat little face.”
I smirk. “I remember you before you were a man-whore. Those were good days.”
He grabs me and gets me in a headlock¸ messing my hair. “See? The old Lana wouldn’t be mouthing off like this. Tracker’s already a bad influence on you.”
“Uncle Rake leave Lana alone!” Clover calls out. “You’re both missing the show!”
Rake lets me go and we both glance at Clover, who has narrowed her eyes at us in disapproval.
“That’s enough TV, don’t you think? Why don’t we go to the park?” I ask her. She, like me, is on school break, so I have to think of things to amuse her every day. The pools, park, and animal farm are her favorite places. Pretty sure the kid is a better swimmer than me too.
“Which park?” she asks suspiciously.
I hide my grin. “Whichever park you want.”
“Okay,” she quickly agrees. I know which park she likes, it’s the one farthest away.