Page 36 of The Biker and the Loner

Leyana:That's not my home.

Me:IT IS NOW. GET YOUR ASS HERE LEY.

Leyana:Screw you!

Me:I WILL. LATER. PROMISE.

Leyana:*eye roll emoji*

Leyana:Never again. Go to hell.

Tired of this texting shit, I ring her number. She ignores the call. I ring again. And again, and then again until she picks up.

"Leave me alone, Scratch."

"Peach, I'm sorry, okay? I was a dick yesterday."

"You were," she agrees.

"Forgive me?"

"Why should I?"

"’Cause I'm your man and you’re my baby."

"You're not my—"

"Finish that sentence, Ley, and we're gonna have bigger problems."

After a long pause, she sighs. "On my way."

Some seventeen minuteslater, her cherry red X6 pulls up to the curb. I straighten up from the porch chair Cookie delivered earlier and move to the top of the steps, waiting. She’s taking so damn long to get out of the car I half expect her to reverse and give me the finger.

When she finally climbs out, my heart skips an anxious beat. As always. This woman is so goddamn sexy it kills me. Every time.

Most of her face is hidden by the red ball cap and mirror aviators she's wearing. Curve-hugging jeans and a red top with laces at her bosom, exposing her well-endowed cleavage. A subway sandwich bag in hand, she keeps her head down as she walks toward me.

Stop hiding from me. I'll never hurt you. Can’t you see how crazy Iam about you?

I block her path as she climbs the steps. She looks up at me, but her eyes are hidden. "I'm here. Happy?"

I reach down and remove her aviators, exposing those beautiful whiskey-brown eyes. Buried inside them are sadness, pain, and loneliness. "Areyouhappy?" I redirect.

Lowering her gaze to my throat, she thrusts the Subway bag at my chest. "Just so you don't go around telling people I starved you today."

She's not supposed to be feeding me. Should be the other way around. But she’s Ley—a giver, not a taker. For as long as I've known her, she’s always been giving. Onyx told me that every Christmas eve she would drive onto the compound and dole out gifts from her trunk like she was Mrs. Claus or something.

I take the sandwich. "Thanks, Peach."

"So? Are you goingto let me pass?"

Fist under her chin, I tilt her face up so I can better see her eyes. "You good?"

She chomps down on one corner of her plump lower lip. "I'm fine, Scratch."

"I don't believe you. But I'm gonna let it gofor now‘cause I've got a meeting to get to."

"Perfect. Can I pass now?"