Page 16

Smoke

I was awake.

The sun streamed through the window, and a bird whistled somewhere outside.

Last night had been fucking amazing.

Dani lay beside me, passed out on her stomach, with her face half-buried in the pillow. Her soft snoring filled the quiet room. Her hair was a tousled mess and spread out around her like a halo. My chest tightened as I watched her and felt something I wasn’t sure I could name.

Satisfaction? Yeah.

Something more? Maybe.

My phone dinged from where my jeans were crumpled on the floor.

Dani stirred, and a soft murmur escaped her lips. Slowly, she pushed her hair out of her face, and her eyes blinked open. They landed on me.

“Morning, angel,” I whispered.

A sleepy smile tugged at her lips. “Morning, Casanova.”

I leaned in and pressed a lingering kiss to her lips. She sighed against me, and her fingers curled into my hair. I could have stayed like that forever.

My phone dinged again.

Dani pulled back with a chuckle. “You’re popular early in the morning.”

Another ding.

Her brow furrowed. “Maybe you should get that.”

I groaned but gave her one last kiss before I rolled away. As I sat up, I watched Dani roll into the warm spot I’d left behind and bury her face in my pillow. A contented sigh slipped from her, and the sight made me grin.

I shook my head and reached down to fish my phone out of my jeans. A string of messages lit up the screen.

“Fuck,” I muttered.

Dani lifted her head, and her hair was a wild mess around her face. “What’s wrong?”

I ran a hand through my hair and grabbed my jeans. “I’ve got to go, angel.”

She pressed up off the mattress and adjusted to sit on her haunches. “Did something happen?”

I pulled my jeans on and buttoned them up. “Nothing yet, but I’m pretty sure Yarder will flip his shit if I’m not at the clubhouse now. The camera crew is coming this morning.”

Dani’s brows drew together in confusion. “There’s a ton of you. I think it’s okay if you’re not there the second they pull up.”

I tugged my shirt over my head. “We didn’t really talk much about the TV show last night, but my ass needs to be there. It’s not just about me; it’s about the club. We all agreed to do everything we can to get the filming done. Pretty sure if I miss the first day of filming, Yarder will kick my ass out of the club.”

She stood, wrapped the comforter around her, and walked over to me. “I get it,” she said softly and ran her fingers lightly down my arm. “You have responsibilities.”

I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll make it up to you later.”

“You better,” she teased, though there was a flicker of something in her eyes. Disappointment? Maybe.

I grabbed my boots and sat on the edge of the bed to pull them on. Dani watched me, and her expression was unreadable.

“You’ll call later?” she asked.

I nodded. “Promise.”

She smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Go. Do your thing. I need to get ready for work anyway.”

I stood and pulled her into one last embrace. I inhaled the scent of her hair and took a beat to memorize the feel of her body against mine. It took everything in me to step away.

“Lock the door behind me, angel.”

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Casanova.”

With one last grin, I grabbed my keys from the dresser and headed out. The morning air hit me as I stepped outside. I glanced behind me and watched Dani lean against the open door with the blanket still wrapped around her. “Have a good,” she called.

“I will once you shut that door and lock it,” I called.

She rolled her eyes and made me grin despite myself. She shut it with a soft but firm thud. I didn’t move for a second and just listened. The click of the lock sounded. That was when I called out, “Bye, angel.”

I swear I heard something. Her voice floated back to me, soft but too low to catch the words. It sounded like she was saying something—maybe a curse or something else—hell, I couldn’t be sure. But it made me chuckle.

I took one last glance at the house and then turned on my heel.

I tucked Dani’s helmet in my saddlebag and then swung my leg over the bike. The engine growled to life when I turned the key.

My eyes flicked back to the house as I revved the engine. My gaze lingered on the windows, and I wondered if she was watching me through the blinds.

I kicked the stand up and headed down the driveway and onto the road. The sun was still climbing the sky, and a big part of me wished I was still in bed with Dani.

The wind hit my face as I picked up speed, and the cool morning air was sharp and fresh. My mind was already on the clubhouse and what was waiting for me there.

The camera crew.

I was going to do everything I could to make sure they got their footage and then got the hell out of Dodge.