“Um, okay.” That is weirdly specific. I pretend to think about it. “Nah, not necessary. I just want him to back off. I was just thinking you could walk me over there and pretend to be my date. Just for a few minutes.”
“Your date,” he repeats.
Oh God. It was a stupid idea. I’m embarrassing myself horribly here.
“That’s what you want?” The man raises a dark brow.
Here it comes, my blush, rolling up from my chest. Fortunately it’s night, and the dim plaza lights should hide my bright red face. “If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t know.”
“That’s okay.” I want to turn away to escape this humiliation, but the biker ducks his head close. He smells like leather and clean male skin. My senses tingle. “Seems more efficient to make it permanent.” I can tell by his tone he’s joking.
I let out a hysterical giggle. “Could you do it my way?” I whisper back. “As a favor?”
“A favor, huh?” He tucks a bit of hair behind my ear. At his touch, my legs go wobbly, and I lean back against the building.
It occurs to me that approaching a huge and scary-looking man in a dark alleyway was probably not my brightest move. What made me think he was safer than Scott? But I can’t find it in me to be afraid. The flutters in my belly, the ratcheting of my pulse—they aren’t from fear. No, they’re from excitement.
“What’s your name?” I ask over the pitter-patter of my heartbeat.
“Deke. Yours?”
“Sadie.”
“Sadie,” he murmurs in his deep voice. He rests an arm above me. For a moment, his big body cages me against the wall.
I’m still not scared.
Instead, I feel small and safe, hidden from the world.
Then he steps away. “Okay, Sadie. Let’s do this.”
Sadie
I sense Deke’s big hand hovering at the small of my back as I stroll across the plaza with him at my side. Deke’s twice as big as me and almost twice as tall, but when he walks he makes no sound.
“My ex’s name is Scott,” I tell him as we walk toward the drop off spot.
“Scott.” Deke’s lip curls.
“We dated for three years.” I don’t know why I’m babbling, but I can’t stop. “I don't know why I was with him so long. He was nice in the beginning, but…”
Deke’s broad chest vibrates with another rumbling sound. Automatically, I put my hand on his shoulder, and the sound cuts off. He stops in his tracks, and so do I, turning to face him.
“He didn’t hurt me,” I clarify. “We broke it off when I found out he was cheating on me. But now he wants me back.”
“And you, Sadie?” Deke studies me in a way that sends little shivers up and down my spine. “What do you want?”
My heart sighs at the question. When was the last time a man asked me what I want? “I want him to leave me alone.”
“And then what?” We’re face to face and chest to chest, close enough I can feel his heat soaking into my skin. There's an ache growing in my lower belly, a deep hunger I haven’t felt in far too long.
“I want to be happy. I want to be free.”
Deke puts his hand on my arm, and for a moment, it’s just the two of us. His fingers circle my forearm and slide down, shackling my wrist. His thumb brushes over my pulse, and I'm this close to giving up our mission and finding a dark corner to explore the promise of this stranger’s touch.
Then I hear Scott’s voice echoing across the parking lot. He’s on the phone but not bothering to keep his side of the conversation quiet. He always did that, even when we were at home, as if he wanted to make sure everyone within twenty feet knew how important his call was.
I turn, but Deke doesn’t let go. He slides his hand down further to take my hand and thread his fingers with mine. My heart hammers at the excitement of it. The audacity of holding a stranger’s hand so intimately. It feels wild and rebellious and fun. I smile up at him, and his lips kick up a bit at the corners. We walk the rest of the parking lot like that, hand in hand.
Oh God, I hope I haven’t made a mistake. I pick up my pace and trot out a little ahead as we approach my ex.
Scott sees me and pivots. “Sadie.” He touches his headset and loudly tells the caller he has to go, instead of making me wait five minutes for the call to end naturally—like he used to do when we were dating. He gives me his toothpaste commercial smile as if to say See, baby? See how important you are to me? I resist the urge to roll my eyes.
Then Scott notices Deke, and his eyes narrow. It’s so obvious what he’s thinking. Another man on my turf.
I brace myself for a pissing contest. Not exactly a proud moment for me, using another man to intimidate my ex. But then Deke squeezes my hand and steps forward to face Scott, and I realize just how small and plastic-looking Scott is. Fake tan and perfect hair. He looks like a Ken doll next to a souped up G.I. Joe.
I’m going to enjoy this.
“Scott,” I say. “I got your texts. All of them.”
“Sadie.” Scott looks down his nose at Deke. An impressive feat, considering Deke is taller than him. “Is this a friend?”
“Nope,” Deke says. “I’m Sadie’s new man.” And he drapes his arm around my shoulders. I step close and lean against his chest. His very firm, muscular chest.
“This is Deke. We just met, and…well, we hit it off.” I smile up at Deke. Our gaze locks for an extra long second, and I forget to breath. Wow, he really is stunning.
I almost forget Scott is standing right in front of us. He clears his throat three times before I return my attention to him. Scott’s nose wrinkles like he smelled something rotten. “Sadie, this isn’t like you.”
I give him a mock innocent expression. “What isn’t?”
“I mean… you just met? You’re holding this guy’s hand?” He gives his head a shake, like he’s trying to erase the whole thing from his mind. “I was hoping we could talk. Alone.”
I stay quiet, and Deke squeezes me gently. I realize my fake biker boyfriend is waiting for my cue. He’s going to let me stand up for myself first.
“That’s not necessary. It’s over, Scott. I’ve moved on.”
“Sadie—” Scott steps forward, and that rumbling sound comes from Deke’s chest again. It’s a growl. A literal growl.
Scott freezes midstep.
“Take a hint, Sears,” Deke uses Scott's last name. Maybe Deke knows Scott better than I thought. “She’s over you. Listen to what Sadie’s telling you and move on.”
Scott starts to sputter, and Deke gently turns me, so our backs are to my ex. “Ready, babe?” Deke asks me.
“Yes,” I say, though I have no idea what he’s talking about. He keeps me nestled in the crook of his arm as he walks me back across the plaza towards his bike. When we reach the giant motorcycle, he releases me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Scott still watching us.
“Here.” Deke hands me something. A black helmet.
“What’s this for?” I ask.
“Your head.” Humor laces his tone. “You want to go for a ride? Just to rile him up?”