Page 14 of Tempting the President (Oro Nero MC)

Dear Ashton,

You wouldn’t believe what happened tonight. Well, actually, I think you would. Because I bet you had something to do with it. Didn’t you? Prankster!

Love, Your Big Sis

KC: WAS HE CUTE?

Me: I told you. I didn’t look at him.

KC: You are so HOPELESS.

Me: Oh, you’re one to talk.

KC: Let’s change the subject.

Me: Thought you’d say that. Gotta go now. Eddie’s back and we still need to pack up our stuff.

KC: Don’t forget – lunch tomorrow with Lace.

Me: Yep.

I let my phone fall back against my hip. It was chained to the belt loop of my uniform, my only recourse since my waitress uniform didn’t come with pockets.

Again, I cursed Bobby inside my head. Evil redheaded queen. I was pretty sure she had chosen the uniform with me in mind. Not only was it super tight, the lack of pockets also meant I couldn’t have my portable whiteboard with me.

My teeth gnashed at the thought. Super evil redheaded queen.

She always did the most outlandish things just to get me to talk.

Thankfully, just blinking my lashes had done the trick for the guys while playing dumb did it for the girls.

Take that, queen. I managed not to utter a single word the entire night.

“Aria?” Eddie was looking at me questioningly. “You need me to do something?”

I pointed at the crates at the other end of the industrial-sized kitchen.

His brow furrowed. “Yeah, I see them. So?” Aside from being one of NH’s beneficiaries, the eighteen-year-old also suffered from a learning disability, one that prevented him from processing information as quickly as others.

Realizing that I had to elaborate, I pointed to the crate again and then tried acting my message out by squatting down halfway and clasping my arms over my shoulder.

Eddie’s eyes lit up a few moments later. “Heavy! You’re saying it’s too heavy for you to carry on your own, so you’d like me to help you with the crates?”

I gave him a thumbs-up.

Eddie gasped. “You’re smiling. ”

It was my turn to gasp, silently, and I hastily covered my mouth. I was? That wasn’t good!

He said cheerfully, “You should smile more often.”

I tried not to frown. It was only because this was Eddie that I didn’t. I pointed to the crates again.

“Yes, I got it. I’ll get them to the truck.”

I nodded. Good.

“Do I wait for you?”

I shook my head.

“You’ll go home alone?”

Yup.

“Is that okay?”

I curled up my arm. I’m strong.

Eddie grinned. “Okay.” His brow furrowed again, and I waited patiently, knowing he was trying to remember something. “Oh!” His eyes lit up again. “Bobby says please wait for your paycheck.”

I nodded. Got it. As he loaded the crates on a trolley and headed for the exit, I waved at him.

“Bye!”

When Eddie left, that was the only time I allowed myself to frown. I had smiled. For the second time in the day, I had smiled.

I didn’t like it. I really didn’t like it. Ashton, if you’re the one making me smile...I don’t like it.

Behind me, I heard the kitchen’s main door swing open. A second later, someone was tapping me on the shoulder, and I turned around, expecting it to be Bobby with my paycheck—-

But it was not.

The guy standing in front of me was easily recognizable since he figured in a lot of MJ and Bobby’s photos.

Kellion Argyros.

He was the Vice President of the Afxisi, and as with virtually all members of the bike club, his every feature reminded me of a Greek god. Tall. Shiny black hair. Fierce green eyes. Bronze skin. And , I thought uneasily, a body that was hard all over, a body that strangely made my throat dry.

I badly wanted to wet my lips but I didn’t since he was still staring at me. Usually, the way he was staring at me would have been repulsive, but when it was Kellion Argyros doing it—-

I mentally shook my head. Vigorously . No, no, no . I had to stop thinking about the biker that way. Men like him were jerks. If there was one lesson to learn from everything that my friends had gone through when they fell in love with bikers, then it was that.

Bikers were trouble on wheels. Period.

Intent on saving my sanity, I started to turn away—-

But then I saw him do something I had never imagined he’d do.

My eyes widened.

Still, his fingers moved.

He was signing at me ?

Every movement of his fingers was precise, and the way he so confidently and speedily signed was impressive. I didn’t understand a word of it, but I had been around enough Deaf individuals to know the difference between someone who knew how to sign and someone who was pretending to.

As the biker continued signing at me, I wondered when it would be the right time to tell him I was not Deaf. That I didn’t even know how to sign.

ASAP probably. I didn’t like the way this Greek biker was making me feel, didn’t like the way he was making the world around me less blurry with every moment that passed, every instance his fingers moved.

The door to the kitchen opened again. “Aria?”

I automatically turned towards the sound, recognizing Bobby’s voice. The moment I did, I cringed, realizing how I had just given myself away.

Busted.

“Thanks for all the hard work for tonight. MJ wanted me to tell you that she loved everything you prepared! I have to go, there’s some fiasco with the wedding cake and I promised MJ I wouldn’t let anything happen to it.”

Before I could get a word in edgewise, Bobby had already switched her attention to the biker, wary surprise in her gaze as she asked, “Umm, what are you doing here?” Bobby shook her head. “Oh, never mind. I really have to go. Don’t flirt with her, Kellion!”

Wait—-

I wanted to call out for Bobby, but the girl had disappeared as quickly as she had shown up, leaving me all alone again with Afxisi’s VP.

Behind me, Kellion Argyros drawled, “Well, fuck. You’re not Deaf, are you?”

I froze.

The whole world froze.

It couldn’t be. No, it couldn’t be. But I knew my ears weren’t deceiving me.

It was him.

It was him.

The one who had saved the Deaf person from being bullied.

The one who had saved ...me.

Trembling, I turned to face him. I looked at him, really looked at him, and every thought I had of Kellion Argyros disintegrated, turning him into something both beautiful and abstract.

His green eyes were on me, intense and watchful. Did he look at all girls this way? Did he know that the way he looked at me made me feel like I was the only girl in the world that existed for him?

Muscles in my throat, unused for years, started to work. It took me several tries, but in the end I got it out.

“No.”

My first word in such a long time.

My first step away from the past.

My first step towards the future.

In front of me, life blazed brightly like a ray of sunlight. The radiance of it hurt, but the pain was vibrant and beautiful, like the first time I saw Ashton and his tiny hand had gripped my little finger.

Oh God,

Ashton.

Is this your work again?

As a sob tried to claw out of my throat, I whirled around, snatching my paycheck from the counter before running away, never looking back.

I’m sorry, kiddo, but I just don’t want to start living again.