“Have you had enough to eat, Cara?” I ask her as she sits back in her chair. It looks to me like she’s in a food coma.
She nods eagerly and touches her belly. “I’m full. It was so yummy!”
“So no room for dessert then?” I tease, grabbing my bag and sliding it over my shoulder.
She pouts. “I always have room for dessert.”
I grin.
We order ice cream.
TEN
TIA and I intertwine our arms as we leave the bathroom and re-take our seats. Tonight isn’t something that happens very often for us, but Tia’s mother is visiting for the week and offered to stay at home with the kids so we could enjoy a kid-free night together. After drinking a bottle of red wine and watching movies, we decided we might as well make the most of it, so we got dressed up and jumped in a cab. When the driver asked us where we wanted to go, I realized that I only know two places, Rift and Knox’s Tavern. There was no way in hell I was going to the former, so here we are at the latter, enjoying a drink and enjoying the view.
“Why haven’t I been here before?” Tia asks for the fifth time, flicking her blond hair over her shoulder and giving Ryan Knox her “sex eyes.”
“They’re all taken, Tia,” I tell her, scanning the bar, just people-watching.
“All the good ones are,” she grumbles, wrapping her arm around me. “I’m glad we’re out of the house though. It feels good to let loose a bit, doesn’t it?”
“Since getting back in touch with Anna and Lana, I’ve been going out more than I have in the last few years put together.”
“That’s true.” Tia giggles. “It’s great though. You can be a good mother and still get to have some fun. The happier you are, the best you give to your child.”
I look at her with a raised brow. “I think you need another drink.”
“I think you’re right,” she agrees, standing up. “I’ll order them.”
“He’s taken!” I say, trying not to laugh.
“I can still look,” she huffs, picking up her purse. “Nothing wrong with enjoying the view.”
I roll my eyes as she walks to the bar, hips swaying.
“Looks like tonight is my lucky night,” comes a sexy deep voice, making me jump slightly.
“Talon!” I say in surprise as he takes a seat, looking particularly happy with himself for some reason. I take in his extremely light hair, crystal-green eyes, and all black clothing, his shirt rolled up at the sleeves. Why did that instantly make men more attractive?
I like Talon, I do, but I know that hanging out with him isn’t a good idea. I really don’t need any more drama, and adding more bikers into my life is going to bring nothing but that. Still . . . It’s not in me to be rude to someone who has been nothing but nice to me thus far.
“I’m surprised you’re not at Rift,” he says, nodding his head at a passing man.
“New stomping grounds,” I joke, glancing around. “Where’s your partner in crime?”
“Slice? He’s around here somewhere,” he replies, smirking. “Where are yours?”
“Anna and Lana? They’re not here; I’m with another friend. My neighbor, actually. She’s at the bar,” I say, nodding my head in that direction. When I think about it, Talon is just Tia’s type, another reason why I wish we hadn’t run into him tonight.
He doesn’t look in Tia’s direction, keeping his green gaze locked on me. “Rake know you’re here?”
My eyes narrow. Deciding to deflect, I ask, “What’s the deal with you two, anyway?”
I had felt the tension between them. Adam didn’t seem to like Talon, but I had no idea how Talon felt about him. To me, it seems like there’s mutual respect between them, but something else simmering underneath.
Talon stretches his neck to the side. “No deal. Just seems to me that Rake thinks he has some kind of claim on you, and I don’t want to cause unnecessary shit.”
“He was my boyfriend in high school,” I say drolly. “And it didn’t end well. So I don’t know how that can transform into him having a claim on me. No one has a claim on me.”
Talon nods his head, looking contemplative. “I think you’re a beautiful woman.”
My eyes flare. “Well, thank you.”
“I don’t have a woman in my bed right now,” he continues, making my eyes narrow. Sometimes men don’t know when to stop.
“So, what? The position is open?” I ask, trying to keep my tone even.
He nods and licks his bottom lip. “I’d like nothing more than to take you home, spread those legs, and—”
“And who is this sex god?” Tia asks, sitting down with wide eyes. She slides my drink to me while still looking at Talon. “Fuck me. We’re coming to this bar every chance we can from now on.”
Talon grins, eyes running over my best friend. She’s beautiful, almost ethereal, until she opens that mouth of hers.
“Talon,” he introduces, reminding me that I’m kind of being rude right now. Before I can introduce Tia, she does it herself.
“Nice to meet you, Talon.”
She slides her straw in her mouth seductively.
“This is Tia,” I tell Talon, nudging Tia.
“What?” she asks me.
I sigh and sip on my drink. “So, Talon, what were you about to say before Tia returned to the table?”