Red Eyes MC: Books 1 - 3

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Red Eyes MC: Books 1 - 3 Page 36

by Grey, Blair


  I laughed and stepped back to let her in. “All right, fine,” I said. “But what’s going on? We just had a girls’ day the other day; I thought I was going to get to rest today.”

  “And I would let you,” Rachel told me, “except that I can totally tell that you like this Marcus guy, and I can totally tell that he’s into you too.”

  “How do you know that?” I asked, amused.

  Rachel rolled her eyes. “You wouldn’t have introduced me to him if you didn’t like him,” she said in exasperation. “You’re being pretty obvious about how much you like him.”

  “I know that,” I said. “But how do you know he likes me?”

  Rachel snorted. “Because he was uncomfortable as shit around Gavin but still agreed to take him on a couple rides, just because you asked him to. After manning that admissions table for the whole day because you asked him to.” She paused. “Not only that, but he was apparently great with Gavin, and not just with the brownie thing. Gavin told me all about how cool he was on the way home yesterday and says that when he grows up, he wants to have painted arms just like Marcus.”

  I groaned and put a hand over my eyes. “Sorry,” I said. “He was just the first person that I thought of when you said you needed to find someone who would go on the roller coaster with Gavin.”

  “Oh, I don’t mind,” Rachel said, beaming at me. “But I am going to steal your phone and call him and set up a date tonight.” She grabbed my phone off the counter, where I always charged it overnight, and unlocked it. I knew that one day I was going to regret the fact that she knew my password.

  “Don’t do that,” I said, trying to take the phone from her.

  “Give me one good reason why not,” Rachel said, holding the phone out of my reach, her thumb hovering over the call button.

  “Because we already have plans for tonight,” I blurted out.

  Rachel raised her eyebrows, slowly lowering her arm. “You do?” she asked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because I didn’t want to tell you until afterward,” I said. “In case, you know, things didn’t work out between us.”

  “Do you think that’s likely to happen?”

  I shrugged, not looking at her. “I guess I’m just worried that if I keep panicking and running away, eventually he’s not going to wait for me to come back,” I admitted.

  “Then we need to get you to quit panicking and running away,” Rachel said firmly. “And that all starts with a good dress, so you realize just how much of a catch you are.”

  I laughed. “Do you really think that’s what the problem is?” I asked. “I know I’m a catch.”

  “Well, we’re still getting you all dolled up for tonight,” Rachel announced. “And that all starts with going shopping.”

  I rolled my eyes, but I went along with it. “Give me five minutes to get dressed,” I told her, running a hand back through my hair. I wrinkled my nose. “Okay, give me ten minutes to get dressed, fix my hair, brush my teeth, and so on. There’s coffee in the kitchen, I think.”

  “No problem. I’m not in any hurry,” Rachel said, shooing me toward the bedroom.

  Rachel brought me to a little boutique that I’d never been in before. “I used to come here when I was pregnant and look at all the clothes and imagine when I would fit into them again,” she confessed, grinning at me. “It’s kind of been my special place ever since.”

  “I’m honored that you brought me here,” I teased.

  She laughed. “I’m only sharing the secret with you because this could be the most important night of your life.”

  I snorted. “I highly doubt that,” I said. “It’s just a date.”

  “Just a date with a guy that you really like,” Rachel said. “A guy who’s good with kids, even if he’s a bit awkward still. A guy who is handsome as anything.”

  “You’re starting to stress me out about it,” I complained, but I followed her into the store. They had some pretty cute clothes in there, too. More business casual than what I would normally look for, but there were some really great pieces.

  “What about this?” Rachel said, holding up a shimmery blue dress.

  “We’re not going super fancy this time,” I protested. “He let me pick the place, and I’m just taking him to Talentini’s for paninis and gelato.”

  “Aww, that’s cute,” Rachel said. “That’ll be such a fun date.” She frowned. “So this is a little too formal, I guess. But you still need something cute but jaw-dropping. Okay. We can do that.”

  “I don’t know if jaw-dropping is what I’m going for,” I protested. “I went all out last time.”

  “And look where it got you,” Rachel said sagely. “Or rather, look where it got him.”

  I rolled my eyes. “We’re not doing that again,” I told her. “I just want to have a fun date, maybe make out a little, and then go home.”

  I had to admit; there was a part of me (my lady parts, especially) that definitely wanted this date to develop into something more, just like last week’s date had. I didn’t regret sleeping with Marcus, per se. It had been good. Amazing, even. But at the same time, I didn’t want this relationship to be all about the physical attraction between the two of us. I wanted something more. And I was afraid that the more we slept around together, the more we were going to lose that.

  “All right, so not jaw-dropping,” Rachel conceded. “But we definitely want his eyes on you for the whole night, right?”

  “Yeah,” I admitted. “But no heels this time, either.”

  “A cute pair of black flats?” Rachel suggested, holding up a pair.

  “I can do that,” I agreed, nodding and grabbing the pair from her so that I could try them on. They fit perfectly, and even though they were brand-new, they were super comfortable. Not too expensive, either.

  “All right, so we’re looking for something that you can wear with black flats,” Rachel mused, tapping her chin with one finger.

  “I’m not seeing anything,” I said woefully. “It’s not that there’s nothing cute here, I just can’t picture myself in any of it.”

  “That’s because you’re too used to always seeing yourself in either scrubs or jeans,” Rachel said, smirking at me. “How about this?”

  The red lacy dress that she held out to me was definitely not my style or a color I’d be comfortable in. The cut was a little more modest and comfortable than the slinky black dress she’d had me in the previous week, but even with the full skirt, I wasn’t sure I’d be okay with it.

  “You have to at least try it on,” Rachel said, looking exasperated. “You know, you’re not supposed to just grab clothes off the rack, buy them, and head home. Shopping is an experience. Do you even remember that?”

  “I buy most of my clothes online at this point,” I admitted. “Then I try them on in the privacy of my bedroom.”

  Rachel snorted. “Come on; I want to see you in that. Let’s go.” She ushered me toward the changing rooms at the back of the store.

  “It’s not my style,” I protested.

  “Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it,” Rachel said firmly. She pushed me into one of the stalls and leaned against the door. There was no way I was getting out of here without trying it on.

  I rolled my eyes, but I stripped down and pulled the dress on. It fit really well, and it was surprisingly comfortable. Although it was all lace on the outside, the lining fabric was soft against my skin. After a moment, I stepped into the flats as well. The outfit was cute, and it felt casual enough for the restaurant that we were going to, while still being just what Rachel wanted: something that would keep his eyes on me for the whole night.

  But I wasn’t comfortable in it. If it had been any other color, black or green or blue or something, I could have done it. But instead, it was this loud, bright red. A color that I could only associate with sex.

  Rachel pulled open the door to the changing room and gasped. “You look beautiful,” she said, sounding awed. “Not that you don’t n
ormally, but wow. That dress looks amazing on you.” She shook her head. “You have to get it. If you don’t get it, I’m getting it for you. And I’m making you wear it tonight, even if I have to throw out every other piece of clothing that you own.”

  “I don’t know,” I said nervously, running my hands down the dress. “I’m not sure I’m okay with this one. I want to be, don’t get me wrong. But…” I trailed off, biting my lower lip.

  “See, I told you you’re not used to thinking of yourself as an incredible catch,” Rachel said, but instead of sounding triumphant, she sounded sad about it.

  I ran my hands down the dress. I was so far out of my comfort zone, but then again, that was how I felt about everything to do with this relationship with Marcus. I didn’t know why I was so attracted to him, or how he continued to impress me like he did. He definitely wasn’t the guy I had thought he was at first.

  “I think you should give this a try,” Rachel said quietly. “Maybe it’s not a normal look for you, but maybe it’s about time you tried something a little different.” God, it was like she was reading my thoughts.

  Anyway, the dress was comfortable, fit well, wasn’t too expensive, and looked better the more I looked at it. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Okay,” I said.

  “Okay?” Rachel asked, a gleeful look on her face when I looked at her reflection in the mirror.

  “I’ll give this a try,” I said. I think she knew I was talking about more than just the dress.

  21

  Marcus

  Saturday

  I was surprised when Leila agreed to let me pick her up from her house on Saturday. Of course, it was no more surprising than the fact that she wanted to go to dinner with me again. I still felt sort of blindsided by that. Even though the chemistry between us was undeniable, I’d thought she’d made it clear that she wanted nothing more to do with me.

  I whistled under my breath as I drove into her neighborhood. She lived in a nice part of town. Tree-lined streets and everything. I didn’t even know Las Cruces had streets that looked this nice. She’d clearly done well for herself.

  I felt a strange surge of pride inside of me, but I pushed it aside. I didn’t have any right to be feeling proud of Leila. Everything she had done, she had worked for. I had seen some of that work firsthand, and I knew that she was smart and talented, and that she gave herself one hundred and ten percent to whatever project was put in front of her. Really, this was no surprise.

  I started to feel, for the first time, like maybe I didn’t belong here. I was college educated, sure. But I was still a thug for a motorcycle club. She deserved someone a lot better than me.

  I wished I could take that observation and do something about it. Maybe turn the car around, stand her up, never see her again. Or maybe do as Will had done and get myself out of the club. But that wasn’t the kind of man I was. If nothing else, I had commitments, and I was going to see them through.

  I swallowed hard and parked the car in front of her place, drumming my fingertips against the edge of the steering wheel. Then, I headed for her front door.

  I knocked and waited for a few minutes before Leila answered. When she did, it was a moment before I could speak.

  “You like it?” she asked, smoothing her hands down the dress, looking absolutely nervous.

  I put a finger under her chin, turning her face up toward mine. “You look beautiful,” I told her seriously. “You always do.”

  She blushed, biting her lower lip. “Thanks,” she said. She cocked her head to the side, surveying me for the first time. “I thought I told you to dress casually,” she said, her voice accusing.

  I laughed and shrugged. “When I was growing up, someone once told me that even if a woman tells you to dress casually, if it’s a date, you have to dress to impress.”

  “You don’t have to impress me,” Leila said, trailing her fingers down the soft sleeve of my button-down. She shook her head and smiled crookedly at me. “You look nice, though. Consider me impressed.”

  I laughed and leaned in to kiss her. I hadn’t planned to do it, and I didn’t want to scare her off. But she leaned into the kiss for just a second before I pulled away. She gave me another of those adorably shy smiles. “Shall we?”

  She directed me to a little hole-in-the-wall place. Inside, it was all warm colors, vinyl booths, and exposed brick walls. She clearly knew everyone working there, and she greeted them all between the time we entered and the time we ordered. We sat at a two-person booth in the back, one across from the other, and I smiled at her. “You’re like a local celebrity,” I said.

  Leila laughed, looking relaxed for the first time since she had opened the door. “I’ve been coming here forever,” she said. “It’s right down the block from where I lived my junior year of college.”

  “Did you go here?” I asked in surprise. I snapped my fingers. “You know, I thought you looked familiar. When did you graduate?”

  “Well, I got my undergrad, gosh, eight years ago now?” Leila laughed and shook her head. “It’s still hard to believe it was that long ago.”

  “Hey, I did, too!” I said in surprise. “We must have had some of the same classes.”

  Leila raised an eyebrow at me. “It’s not like you studied medicine,” she pointed out.

  “No, but it’s not that big of a school,” I reminded her. “And we would have had the same core requirements and everything.” I paused. “It’s weird to think that I might have met you and don’t remember it, though.”

  “I would have remembered, if I had met you,” Leila said, her eyes twinkling.

  “Oh, you would have?” I asked, just as amused.

  “Those tattoos would be hard to forget,” Leila said, reaching out and tracing the lines along my left arm. She shook her head. “I know you think I didn’t make the right decision, but you were great at the fundraiser. You did really well with the kids, at least. Their parents, well… Don’t worry about them.”

  “The parents were the ones donating the money, though,” I pointed out.

  “Yeah, and it’s not like anyone turned and walked off just because they saw you there at the table,” Leila reminded me.

  “True,” I said, laughing. “That would have been a little awkward to explain to their kiddos, probably.”

  “You were really good with Gavin, too,” Leila mused, her voice quiet.

  We were getting dangerously close to those serious topics again. I was half-tempted to start the conversation, to ask her if she wanted to have kids one day, and how many kids she wanted. If she wanted sons like Gavin or if she was holding out hope for daughters.

  But this was only our second date, and I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. Besides, that raised certain issues of its own. Did I want to have kids? I had never really thought about it. I didn’t really spend that much time around kids. But sure, maybe I wanted kids someday.

  The trouble was with the MC. I knew that any kids I had would be brought up into the same life I had been brought up into. And even though I didn’t regret any of the decisions I’d made in my life, I wasn’t sure if I was ready for that. Especially not if the peaceful lull was over—if it was time to start fighting for our territory again. It would be like raising a kid just to send him off to war.

  It wouldn’t be fair to the kid, but it wasn’t like there was any way I could avoid it. I was part of Red Eyes for life, whether I wanted things to change or not. We couldn’t all do what Will had done.

  Even if I wanted to. And the truth was, as much as I hated certain aspects of life within the MC, there were other things that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

  I steered the topic away from kids and onto something less weighty. Hobbies, that was a good one. “So what do you do when you’re not being Superwoman?” I asked.

  Leila laughed. “What do you mean?”

  “Come on; I saw you yesterday at the event,” I told her, shaking my head. “You’re amazing. And you’re amazing at the hospital, to
o.”

  She smirked at me. “At least, I am when I don’t have non-injured liars taking up all my time.”

  I snorted. “You liked that,” I said airily.

  “I did, actually,” Leila admitted. “I was surprised that you wanted to go on a date with me that badly.”

  I stared at her for a moment, wondering at this self-deprecation. I shook my head. “You’ve been hanging around the wrong guys if you don’t realize how datable you are,” I told her.

  “I don’t hang around that many guys,” Leila said, sounding coy again.

  We chatted for the rest of the meal, and it was just easy with her. I didn’t feel like I was struggling to come up with topics of conversation, except for the few times when I was so blindsided by what she said that all I could do was sit there and stare at her for a long moment in surprise.

  Suddenly, I couldn’t help realizing just how much I wanted to keep doing this. To keep dating her. Hell, I’d even help out at more of her fundraisers, if that was what it took. I wanted to make this work in a way that I had never felt with any relationship I’d had in the past. And although I thought that that should probably worry me, I felt strangely at peace with things.

  I drove her home, a smile on my face even though I expected that as soon as I dropped her off, that would be the end of our evening together. I was already wondering when I could see her again and planning different dates in my mind. I wanted to take her everywhere. Now that I knew we’d gone to the same college together, I wanted to take her on one of those retro dates, back to all of my favorite places. Something like that.

  I had a feeling we had more in common than I had initially assumed.

  Leila paused before getting out of the car, glancing over at me. “Did you want to come in for a drink?” she finally asked.

  She looked so sweet and innocent sitting there in that flattering red dress of hers, her hands folded demurely in her lap. I couldn’t help remembering how the date had ended the previous weekend, in a rush of passion, with her spread out beneath me on the couch.

 

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