Desire: Big Bear Outlaw MC Romance Book 1 Read Free Page A

’ t know what to call
it, and I had suggested “ Two
Roads ” like Robert Frost ’ s famous
poem.
    When I showed him the poem, which
he had never read before, Jack ’ s fingers brushed
against mine. He said he would call his story, “ Two roads diverged
into the wood, and I took the one less traveled by, and that made
all the difference. ”
    “ Maybe that ’ s too long, ” I had said.
    “ No, it ’ s perfect, ” he had insisted.
    There was no point in arguing. If he had thought it
was right, then it was. What I had wanted to ask instead, and what
I still wanted to know, was whether the story was about him. Was
this the choice that he had seen himself making in the future?
     
    ***
     
    The streets grew darker and darker
as I got further and further away from Hart ’ s Auto Repair. I
passed large office buildings, poorly lit warehouses and boarded up
windows. In this part of town, it was hard to know which buildings
overflowed with people during the day and which stood empty waiting
for their next place in society. About a mile down the road, after
two cars with missing hubcaps slowed down to get a good look at me,
I started to feel as if I had made a mistake. I
shouldn ’ t have stormed off from the party early, my anger had
gotten the best of me. Who knew who was out here? At least, back
there, I had a ride home.
    But the same pride that pushed me
out of the party was the same pride that kept me going. I
didn ’ t dare turn back and admit that something out here had made
me afraid. Instead, I just wished that I had packed that can of
pepper spray that I bought on a whim a few days ago.
     
    A low rumbling roar of a
motorcycle broke into my vacillating thoughts about Jack and my
fear of not getting home alive. I didn ’ t turn around, I
kept my eyes forward and hoped that he, whoever he was, would go
away.
    “ Emma! ” I heard a man ’ s voice. I
didn ’ t recognize the voice, and when I turned, I
couldn ’ t make out the face. The man slowed down and took off his
helmet. As soon as he pulled off his helmet, loose strands of black
hair fell on his face, and I recognized him immediately.
    “ What do you want, Kyle? ” I asked.
    “ I just wanted to make sure you got home
alright, ” he shrugged. “ That ’ s it, I
promise. ”
    “ I ’ ll be fine. I don ’ t live far from
here. Another quarter mile or so. ”
    “ Still, the neighborhood isn ’ t the best, you
know, ” he said.
    “ I know, ” I said. “ I live here, remember? ”
     
    Kyle shook his head. His eyes
looked familiar, they reminded me of Jack, but the way he carried
himself was entirely different. They were both confident
broad-shouldered men, but there was a heaviness to
Kyle ’ demeanor – as if he were carrying a heavy burden. He
wasn ’ t that much older, and I wondered what it was that weighed
so heavily on him.
     
    “ Hop on? ” he asked. I shook my head, no.
    “ Fine, suit yourself. ”
    He got off his bike, propped up the kickstand, and
started walking with me.
    “ What are you doing? ” I asked.
    “ I ’ m gonna walk with you if you don ’ t
mind. ”
    “ Why? ” I asked.
    “ Like I said it ’ s not a good
area, ” he said. I looked at him and that mischievous look on his
face.
    “ Nah, ” I smiled. “ I think you just
want to see where I live. ”
    “ Yeah, you got me, ” he laughed.
    We walked for a bit without saying a word. It felt
oddly comfortable, even though he was a total stranger.
    “ You know, you could ’ ve just asked me for
my address, ” I finally said.
    “ Yeah, but you wouldn ’ t have given it to
me, ” he smiled. I laughed.

    When we turned on my street, I caught myself slowing
down to avoid getting home too soon. There was something comforting
about walking with him and listening to the quiet beating of his
heart.
    Suddenly, I stopped. We were only
a few houses away from mine, but I didn ’ t want to talk to
him in front of my house in case my dad came out.
    “ Why are