Free Force: Blacktop Sinners MC by Evelyn Glass

for him last minute.
     
    She eyed him, and he appreciated the way her nostrils flared as she appraised him. “No, you clean up great. I guess when you see someone nurse to patient, neither of us are exactly dressed to the nines.”
     
    “Nope,” he said, reaching out with his other hand from behind his back and passing her a bouquet of roses.
     
    It was a bit of a cliché, and nothing he’d ever do for the sweet butt of the club, but Tess wasn’t just anyone auditioning to be an old lady. She was better than that, and some things were standard date protocol for a reason. Namely because they worked.
     
    Like now, when she broke into a wide, genuine smile and scurried off quickly to shove them in water. Tess was efficient with that as he waited. When she appeared back, she had a black satin jacket clenched in one hand and a beaded purse in the other.
     
    “So, where can you possibly take me in little old Boone? The sushi place? That one steakhouse by Kroger? Hell, maybe the bowling alley? Problem with getting dressed up is that I never feel like there’s anywhere to go.”
     
    Derek grinned. “Oh, believe me, I know a place, and it’s very exclusive.”
     
    “Then lead away.”
     
    “I’ll be happy to.”
     
    ***
     
    Tess didn’t know what to make at first of the set up before her on the mountain side. They’d driven his old Ford up the passes, quite a few miles past the campus and heading straight out towards the tourist attraction peaks of Whistling Rock. They’d not gone all the way to Whistling Rock, of course, because that was a state park and closed at night. Still, this particular crest of mountain was quiet and looked out on the shining collection of stars in the night sky. As she stepped out of the car and made her way to the clearing, Derek was a few paces ahead of her, already setting out a large, comfy-looking flannel blanket and a picnic basket.
     
    Quirking her head at him, she walked carefully over the uneven terrain and then sat down, cross-legged, on the blanket. Taking her shoes off, she set those damn heels out of her way and curled her feet even closer under her now that they were free. It was definitely not what she’d been expecting. Hell with a biker type, she wasn’t sure what she expected. Her brother had ridden a bike but also loved fishing with the best of them. Maybe Tess needed to park her preconceptions at the door because the only thing she was certain of was that Derek was unlike any man she’d ever met.
     
    “What did you bring for us to eat?”
     
    Grinning wide, his face highlighted by the moonlight, Derek pulled out a plate of sandwiches, a bag of sour cream and onion chips, a small bottle of wine, and two glasses. “I made the sandwiches, myself. Some are PB&J and some are chicken salad, my own recipe, and I promise onion free but heavy on the relish. I can’t cook much, so I apologize it’s not super fancy.”
     
    She smiled back at him as he poured her a glass of white wine and handed it to her before sitting down next as well. Holding her glass up, Tess waited for him to pour his own and match her toast. “To an unexpected night. This is sweet. I have to admit I’ve lived here since I was a kid, and no one’s ever done something this romantic for me.”
     
    “Don’t say anything until you have my sandwiches. If I’m rusty on cooking and give you food poisoning, then I’ll feel pretty shitty.”
     
    She rolled her eyes and bit into a PB&J first, her eyes widening with shock at the pleasant jolt of honey hidden at its center. “That’s amazing. I never would have thought to add that other stuff!”
     
    He sat a little taller at that and opened the chips, bringing a few to his mouth afterwards. “It’s a quick trick to jazz it up. Same thing gets boring day in and day out; you find different ways to make it better. Cinnamon can help a little, but honey’s best. Uh, once I tried some cloves, and that was a huge mistake. Puked for an hour