Free Road to Passion by Piper Davenport

you’re my woman. You’re beautiful and funny and I want to show you
off.”
    I bit my lip. “Really?”
    “Yeah, baby, really. We would
have talked about the club party, it just came up a little differently than I
expected.”
    I settled against him with a
sigh. “It’s just that sometimes I still feel like the chubby kid who no one
likes. I’m half-expecting you to figure out I’m not only overweight, but a dork
as well, and run far and fast away from me.”
    “You’re beautiful, baby, and even
if you gained a hundred pounds that wouldn’t change.”
    I let out an inelegant snort.
“Yeah, right. No one likes the fat girl.”
    “Hey.” He gave me a squeeze.
“First off, you’re not fat, second off, I like women with some meat on their
bones. It’s sexy.”
    I stared up at him. “You really
mean that, don’t you?”
    “Yeah, I really mean that.” He
leaned down and kissed me gently. “Now, you gonna eat?”
    “Yes. I’ve got a hundred pounds
to gain.”
    Mack laughed, kissing me quickly
before we grabbed our food and spent the rest of the night on his sofa watching
a movie (and making out). It was awesome.
    * * *
    Saturday night
rolled around and I was a bundle of nerves. I’d changed outfits three times. I
pulled my hair up, hated it, so styled it down, hated that , and now it
was somewhere in between. I almost bailed completely, but Millie talked me down
off the ledge. I wish she was coming with me, but she worked early on Sunday
mornings, so I was destined to go it alone.
    Mack arrived at six and I was in
the middle of changing my earrings (again), so I had only one in when I opened
the door. “You ready?” he asked.
    “Do I look ready?” I snapped. I
secured my earring and focused on him. “Is this okay?”
    “Are you gonna wear two different
shoes?”
    I glanced at my feet. “Shit!” I’d
put one black and one brown on.
    Before I could make a rush for my
room, he grabbed my arm. “Hey. You look beautiful, Darien.”
    “I feel totally out of your
league.”
    And I was. Gone was his suit,
replaced with jeans that fit him entirely too well, a tight, white T-shirt,
black motorcycle boots, and a leather jacket with the Dogs of Fire logo
on the back. He was illegally gorgeous.
    He grinned and leaned down to
kiss me. “You’re being clueless again.”
    “Am I?”
    “Yeah, baby, you are. You’re
perfect just the way you are. Trust me?”
    I nodded.
    “Then trust me to tell you the
truth.”
    I sighed. “Fair enough.”
    He smiled. “Good girl. Change
your shoe and we’ll go.”
    “We’re in the car, right?”
    He laughed. “Yeah, baby, we’re in
the car.”
    “Thank you.” I smiled and kissed
him quickly. “Be right back.”
    I opted for the other black shoe
and then followed him to the car.
    “Will you get in trouble?” I
asked once buckled.
    “For?”
    “Us being in the car and not on
your bike.”
    Mack raised an eyebrow. “Honey,
what kind of club do think I’m apart of?”
    I shrugged, feeling the heat
crawl into my cheeks. “I just know how important motorcycles are to motorcycle
club members and I don’t want you to be looked down on because your girlfriend
is afraid of them.”
    He chuckled. “You’ve been
watching too much television.”
    “Maybe,” I said. “But I can try
again if it’ll help.”
    We stopped at a red light and
Mack took my hand. “Baby, we will try again, but not on a wet day. It’ll happen
in a place that has next to no traffic so you feel safer.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yes, Darien, I’m sure.”
    I squeezed his hand. “Thanks,
honey.”
    He smiled. “Don’t mention it.”
    We drove to the club compound and
I was a little awed by the bikes on display. Even though I was terrified of
them, I still loved them.
    Mack parked the car under the Big
Ernie’s Body Shop sign and faced me. “You ready?”
    “Not in the least.”
    “Dani and Kim’ll be here and
you’ll meet Payton and Cassidy, so you’ll be in good hands.