David nodded. It was almost as if he was eager for an excuse to leave.
“Of course.”
*****
David was glad of a reason to get away. He hated hospitals and while he was worried about his niece, it was better for him to be away from Brittany. If she had her way, he wouldn’t leave her side. She was scared, yes, but David felt it should be Nick Brittany should be hanging onto, not him.
So, when Brittany’s friend Dagmar asked him for a lift back to her car, David jumped at the chance. He had a reason to leave due to work but this worked out perfectly. David wasn’t about to pass up an opportunity to do something for the pretty woman.
And pretty was an understatement. Dagmar Gable was beautiful. Skin as dark as his favorite chocolate with matching color eyes. Hair as black as his, cut short into a pixie bob. Petite with a slim but muscular frame. Not too big around the chest or hips area. She kept herself in shape. David liked how she looked.
And he liked how she took command. The woman hadn’t even blinked at the scene before her and took charge. It was all David could do not to stand there watching her. The cool countenance she had brought with her seemed to bring some relative calm to the chaos. David didn’t know what they would have done if Dagmar hadn’t been in charge.
She was the type of woman he would be taking to bed within moments of meeting. But David didn’t want to push his luck. Not with his brother’s friend. It was an avenue he was willing to discuss, though. The idea was not off the table. It was if Dagmar was up for it.
And from the way her cheeks had flushed her skin even darker, David had a feeling it was.
They made their way into the parking lot and to David’s car. Dagmar climbed in before David could be the gentleman and open the door. He didn’t get the chance. It was as if she was in a hurry. David went around to his side and wondered how to approach it. Should he be subtle or have it out there?
Dagmar didn’t speak until they were pulling out of the parking lot.
“Thank you for this.”
“Thank you for your help. I think all of us would have gone to pieces had you not been there.”
Dagmar snorted.
“I doubt it. Not you, anyway. You’re not one to lose your cool, not in intense situations like that.”
“Evidently, neither are you.” Then it clicked what Dagmar was saying. David took his eyes off the road for a moment to stare at her. “Hang on, how do you know that about me? Does that mean you’ve looked me up?”
Dagmar bit her lip and then gave him a sideways grin.
“I might have Googled you a little bit.”
“Oh, really?” David turned back to the road, resisting the urge to preen. Something about knowing this woman had looked him made his ego inflate. “And what did you think?”
“You want an ego boost, don’t you?”
“Doesn’t any man?”
Dagmar laughed. It was a very nice laugh. David felt his cock twitching and was glad his trousers weren’t tight.
“I’m impressed, Mr. Mach. Abandoned at a young age, adopted by the Mach Machines MC. and made your first million at twenty-five. That is impressive.”
David shrugged.
“I’ve always been a hard worker, even as a kid. And it paid off big time.”
“What I don’t get is you reached your first billion ten years later and yet you still work. I’d be on several cruises sipping champagne and living in the South of France.”
“South of France is overrated.”
“Oh?” Dagmar reached her eyebrows. “And you’ve had a place there, have you?”
“I still do. Just north of Cannes.”
“Nice, is it?”
“Very nice. But, as I said, overrated.” David grinned as he turned the car onto the freeway. “Anyway, I like to work. I’d get bored in a huge house twiddling my thumbs. Not my style.”
Dagmar chuckled.
“I can imagine.”
David glanced at her and saw her watching him. What was it about that look that had him wanting to jump her? He coughed and looked back at the road.
“How do you know Brittany?”
“My sister was friends with her at school. She lives next door to Susie as well. I check on Brittany now and then and Callie keeps tabs on Susie just in case.”
“So, you’ve been in Brittany’s life for a long time, have you?”
“Since she was in middle school, yes.”
“Then how come I’ve never seen you?”
“Probably because I’m always at work.” Dagmar stretched and David saw her shirt ride up a little to show a bit of her flat stomach. “And my ex-boyfriend wouldn’t let me go see anyone unless he came with and Melanie was uncomfortable around him.”
“Ex-boyfriend?” David tried not to sound too hopeful about that. “Sounds recent.”
“Does today count as recent?”
So, she was single. That boded well. David kept away from those who were in relationships or married. He accidentally slept with a married woman in his early twenties and that had ended badly for him. He didn’t want to go through that again.
“Dare I ask why?” he asked.
“No.”
There was a finality about that answer. David knew when to drop something. From the sound of it, the break had to be still painful. He could bide his time about it.
“How close are you with Brittany?”
The question came so suddenly David wondered if he had heard it correctly. He glanced at her and saw Dagmar watching him intently.
“Why do you ask?”
“Because I kept going over and over that she needs a restraining order and she ignored me. Yet as soon as you say it she’s agreeing and practically jumping all over you when you talk. What’s that about?”
David grimaced. He had hoped nobody else would notice. Brittany seemed to be very good at not showing anything around other people other than being warm and inviting. Dagmar was not astute than he gave her credit for.
“She’s my sister-in-law. We get along.”
“I think she’s got a crush on you.”
“She can’t. She’s with my brother.” David snorted. “She loves Nick.”
“A woman can still have a crush. And from the way she was agreeing with you and acting like a petulant child when you said you had to leave, I’d say it’s a very big crush.”
Was she sounding jealous? David considered that a good sign. If she was jealous, maybe there was a chance. He hadn’t taken a woman to bed in some months, having found the bedroom antics rather boring. But now it looked like he had found a potential bed partner.
Now he had to think about how to get Dagmar agreeable enough to get her into bed with him.
His thoughts were knocked away when he realized they were coming up to Nick and Brittany’s road. He turned into the street and parked up behind Dagmar’s car.
“Here we go.”
“Thanks for the lift.”
“No problem.” David paused. He had to think of a way to see Dagmar again. She couldn’t walk away now. “Are you going to see Brittany when Rachelle comes out of hospital?”
“I plan to.” Dagmar had the door open and was halfway out. “With those sorts of injuries, it’s going to be about a week, maybe two.”
“Then I’ll keep you updated if Brittany doesn’t. She can get scatty about things.”
Dagmar flashed him a grin.
“Not when you’re involved, I’m sure.”
“I wouldn’t think so.”
“Okay then.” Dagmar’s eyes twinkled. “Ten bucks says she’ll update you first before anyone else, even Nick?”
Was she actually betting with him? David couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He burst out laughing.
“Come off it, ten bucks is loose change to me.”
“A hundred then.”
David blinked.
“Can you afford that?”
Dagmar winked.
“For this, definitely.” She slid ou
t the car with the gracefulness of a cat, leaning back in enough that David caught sight of the top of her cleavage. “Goodnight.”
“Night.”
David watched as Dagmar walked to her car and got in. He didn’t want to leave so quickly. Besides, he wanted to go in and see his brother and his niece. From their phone call, Nick was still very shaken. As was Melanie. David didn’t want to leave until he knew they were okay.
He was just climbing out the car when something caught his eye. Dagmar had turned around in the road and was going back towards the end of the street. A car across the street turned its engine on and its lights and drove off after her. Normally, this wouldn’t have caught David’s attention; it was a residential street, after all.
But David’s gut said otherwise. He had a feeling that something else was going on. He got back into his car and started up. Dagmar wasn’t his problem, but David couldn’t bring himself to go inside and not check that she got home okay.
Chapter 4
Dagmar was exhausted. It was nearly midnight and she had barely eaten anything since her break. Her body was weak and Dagmar just wanted to sleep, even with her stomach growling at her.
Maybe a call to her local takeout would do the trick. They had her order memorized and knew exactly what she needed. Dagmar was appreciative of that. Even if it meant they had to travel a little further for her now.
There was something strange about coming back to her own place for the first time. Dagmar had lived with Jeremy for nearly a year and had almost forgotten how nice it was to live alone. It was going to take a few days for her to get used to waking up alone and having no one else in the apartment.
But Dagmar was going to enjoy it. No need to get up so early and have someone tell her that she needed to do X, Y, and Z before she headed out to work. No one to pander to except herself.
What more could she ask for?
Dagmar almost fell up the stairs going to her apartment. That was the only problem she had with the place; no elevator. Everything else was absolutely fine. Perfect for what she needed. And Steve’s brother-in-law had minimal furnishings so it was perfect for her.
It hadn’t taken long for Dagmar to unpack. And now all Dagmar wanted was food and bed. She had an early shift the next day. Hopefully, nobody was going to call her with anything untoward. Dagmar didn’t think she could cope with being on call.
She was aware of someone on the stairs behind her, but Dagmar ignored it. People were going up and down the stairs all the time seeing as it was an apartment building. It was nothing out of place. Dagmar barely noticed where they went as she went along to her apartment and unlocked the door.
She wasn’t prepared for the almighty shove from behind, catapulting her into her apartment and sending Dagmar sprawling onto the floor. Dagmar slammed her knee into the flooring and her head bounced off the floor. Stars spun around her and Dagmar could barely lift her head up.
She rolled onto her back and squinted up at the person who had barged her, approaching her from the doorway. He was blurry for a moment but then Dagmar’s vision cleared. Tall, stocky with blond hair and a straggly beard.
Oh, God. Not him.
“Jeremy!”
“I’ve been waiting for you for hours, Dagmar.” Jeremy knelt beside her, helping her to sit up. “We need to talk, honey.”
“There…”
Dagmar pushed him away and scrambled against the wall. Her head was still spinning and there was nothing to help her stand except Jeremy and Dagmar didn’t want to ask him for help at all. He shouldn’t even be here.
“There’s nothing to talk about, Jeremy. And stop calling me honey.”
“I think there is,” Jeremy growled. “And I can call you honey as much as I like.”
Dagmar wasn’t going to split hairs on that part. But she wanted him out and her faculties weren’t completely there for her to stand. Her cell phone was in her bag across the hall, her contents scattered everywhere. She just needed to wait until she was able to stand and run for the bedroom. Jeremy didn’t look as stable as he usually was.
“You should be at the hospital with your mother,” she admonished, narrowing her eyes at him. “And, come to think of it, how did you know where I was?”
“I followed you. I figured you’d be at Brittany’s house so I waited for you. I didn’t realize you’d be so long but it was worth it.” Jeremy looked around him with a sniff. “So, this is where you put yourself. I don’t think much of it. It looks empty.”
Dagmar gritted her teeth.
“You do realize that’s stalking behavior, don’t you?”
“I’m dating you, honey. That’s not stalking.”
Dagmar growled.
“I broke it off with you and that is classed as stalking. Get out of here.” She snarled the last word. “Now.”
“Not until we talk.”
“There’s nothing to talk about! You promised me that you would reduce contact with your mother because of the things she said about me, that you were on my side. But then she goes into hospital and you’ve immediately dropped everything and gone back to square one. I don’t recognize you anymore. And I’m not going to put up with you letting your mother abuse me, whether or not she’s in the chemo ward. Not again.”
Just the thought of being anywhere near Jessie again brought Dagmar out in a cold sweat. Jeremy’s jaw tightened. He looked like he was close to snapping.
“I’m not your ex-husband, Dagmar.”
“You’re as good as.” Dagmar snapped back.
Jeremy’s face was going red. He was getting angry. Dagmar had seen Jeremy’s temper a few times but it had been a while since it had been directed at her. Instinctively, Dagmar shrank back as Jeremy crawled towards her, jabbing a finger at her face.
“I put you first all the time,” he snapped. “You know that. But it’s my mom and she’s ill. Terminally.”
“And you think that changes everything? No, it doesn’t. She’s a racist old lady and abusive towards me. She’s attacked me before with a knife because I wouldn’t leave her home. You pandered to her then and helped her kick me out.” Dagmar swallowed and tried to get her panic under control. “I’m sorry she’s ill and she’s going to die, but I won’t be around.”
This wasn’t how it was meant to be. Dagmar wasn’t supposed to be in this situation. She was supposed to be here on her own, happy in the knowledge that nobody knew where she was. Jeremy wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be at the hospital.
And she couldn’t get help.
“So.” Jeremy swallowed and glowered at her. “You’re abandoning me when I need you most.”
“I’m getting out of there before you drag me in too far.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Dagmar tried not to pull away as Jeremy went closer to her. His face was inches from her and Dagmar didn’t know if she was going to be kissed or smacked.
“It’s not because there’s someone else, is there?” Jeremy hissed into her face.
“No, of course not. When have I got time to have another relationship?”
“It has to be. You can’t be leaving for anything else. That excuse that it’s because I love my mother is pathetic.”
Dagmar glared at him.
“Believe that I am. Now get out. Right now.”
“Not a chance.” Jeremy snaked a hand around the back of her neck. “We’re going to talk.”
“She said get out.”
Dagmar started at the sudden voice. Jeremy looked around. David stood in the doorway, hands clenched at his sides. Dagmar gasped. What was he doing here?
“David!”
“What?” Jeremy stared at her. “You know him?”
“Yes, she knows me.” David advanced into the apartment. “And she said to get out of here.”
Jeremy’s mouth opened and closed. Then he looked angrily triumphant and gave Dagmar neck a little shake.
“I knew it!” he cried. “I knew you were cheat
ing. This is your fuck pad, isn’t it?”
Before Dagmar could respond, David had crossed the apartment and grabbed at Jeremy. He hauled the man to his feet and spun him around, putting himself between Jeremy and Dagmar. Then he pushed Jeremy towards the door.
“Dagmar said get out. I think you’d better listen to the wishes of the woman.”
Jeremy chuckled and flexed his muscles.
“I’d like to see you make me leave,” he challenged.
David sighed. Dagmar then stared as he rolled his shirt sleeves up to above his elbows to show the tattoos along the upper part of his forearm and twisting around his elbow. He held up the arm with the intricate designs to Jeremy’s gaze.
“Do you know what these mean?”
Dagmar had no idea what the glimpse of the tattoos meant but from the paling of Jeremy’s face, he knew exactly what they meant.
“What? You’re…” He stared past David to Dagmar, shock in his expression. “You’re fucking a biker?”
Biker? What was he talking about? David wasn’t a biker. Dagmar crawled over to the couch across the hallway and managed to pull herself to her feet. What had she missed? Brittany had never said anything about bikers. How had she missed that?
“She’s not fucking a biker but a biker will be fucking with you in a moment.” David pushed his sleeves down. “Now, for the last time, get out of here before I make a call to get you out.”
Jeremy didn’t need to be told twice. With one last look at Dagmar that said this wasn’t over, he left, kicking the door on the way out. David followed him and shut the door. Then he turned to Dagmar, who was swaying a little as she straightened up.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Dagmar didn’t feel fine. She didn’t think it was a concussion but it still hurt like mad. She managed to walk to the kitchen without falling over. David followed her. Dagmar could feel the heat from his body close behind and it took all of her self-control not to lean against him. She felt like she needed someone to lean on right now.
“Ex-boyfriend, was that?”
Dagmar didn’t want to discuss anything like that right now. She just wanted to go to bed and sleep. She leaned against the counter and saw David fold his arms, the muscles flexing. He wasn’t going anywhere.
Fallen For A Biker_BWWM Romance Page 4
