Free Wild Nights (Hell's Highway MC) by Blakeley Wilde

crazy things all in the name of love.
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER 10
     
     

     
    The rest of the afternoon was a hazy blur of clients and hair, and I found myself aching to get home. I couldn’t believe it, but I was dying to see Blaze. I wanted to see his face. I wanted him to greet me at the door with a hug and a sweet kiss. I wanted to see his face light up the moment I walked into the room. Those were the things I’d missed the most since being single. Those are the things everyone takes for granted.
    Fuck worrying about not having a wedding date. Fuck worrying about when you’re going to get married and have kids. Loneliness was a bitter pill to swallow, and sometimes companionship was all that really mattered.
    I finished up my last client a little early and got the hell out of the shop. As I walked out, I could hear Tess asking Raquel where the hell I was scurrying off to. They knew it was out of character for me to ever leave work early. I was always the first one to volunteer to stay late or talk last minute walk-ins.
    I drove home mostly in a daze, fantasizing about the moment I’d see Blaze. I felt silly for feeling the way I did. My head told me it was wrong, wrong, wrong. But loneliness had gotten the better of me, and I was throwing caution to the wind.
    “Hey, hey,” I said with a smile as I walked in.
    He was still sitting on the sofa, right where he was when I left that morning, only he seemed to be freshly showered and wearing clean clothes. He was in a different pair of jeans and a clean, blue t-shirt with some bar logo on it. His hair was still a little damp and was slicked back with some sort of product.
    Just as I’d hoped, his face lit up when he saw me. It felt so good to light up someone’s face just by walking in the room. It made me feel like a million bucks right then and there.
    He stood up and walked over to me, cupping my face in his strong hands. He leaned in and kissed me, softly. I closed my eyes and breathed him in. He smelled delicious, and his kisses were minty fresh.
    “Ready for dinner?” he asked. “You pick the place. My treat.”
    “Sure, just let me change,” I said as I threw my purse down and went upstairs.
    I tried to get ready as fast as I could, but I still wanted to look decent for him. I stared at the smiling face in the mirror trying to make sense of how I could switch gears so quickly in the last twenty-four hours. A day ago, I was terrified of him. I wanted to show him I was strong. I wanted him to leave me alone and go about his merry way. Now I just wanted him to think I was pretty and to kiss me and keep me company. I was confused to say the least.
    I slipped on some jeans and a cream blouse, pulled my hair back into a low chignon, and touched up my makeup. I finished with a spritz of gardenia perfume and trotted down the stairs.
    “You look beautiful,” he said as he flashed a smile.
    He grabbed his keys to his truck and we headed outside. I locked up and followed him, climbing in on the passenger side. It really was like a real date, and that was something I hadn’t experienced in a long time.
    I suggested a quaint little Italian place on the south side of town, and he plugged it into his GPS and away we went. Halfway through the ride, he reached over and held my hand. It was a sweet gesture, and although I knew I was sending him mixed signals, I returned it. It felt good to have that connection with someone again.
    “Where’s your motorcycle?” I asked.
    “Back home in Tulsa,” he replied.
    “I’m surprised you didn’t take it here?” I replied. “I thought bikers and their bikers were inseparable.”
    “It just wasn’t practical for this trip,” he said. I could tell he didn’t want to elaborate. “So what’s good at this little restaurant you picked?”
    “Everything,” I gushed. “It’s amazing. You’ll love it.”
    We pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant a few short minutes later and walked in hand-in-hand. Things were