Run to You (27 page)

“Em—”

She waved him off. “Forget it. Thanks for the ride.”

Emma woke up the next morning to the ding of an incoming text message, followed by another, and another. Her head ached, and
ugh
, her pride stung even worse. She pressed a hand over her eyes with a groan. A heavy weight plopped onto her chest, knocking the breath from her lungs.

“Meow.”

Emma peeked through her fingers at the gray cat perched on top of her, regarding her from wide blue eyes. “Good morning to you, too, Smokey.”

She shifted the cat to the side so that she could grab her cell phone off the nightstand. The screen showed five new text messages, all from her friends.

Rumor has it you did indeed catch a ride on Ryan's bike
, Gabby said.

Details. We need details!
From Mandy.

I've got fresh cinnamon buns. Come and get
'
em, and let's gossip.
From Carly, who owned A Piece of Cake bakery and made the best cinnamon buns Emma had ever tasted.

I'm in
, Gabby texted.

Be there in thirty. Emma, wake up!
From Mandy.

I'll be there
, she texted.
But the details are less exciting than you're imagining. I'm going to need extra frosting, Carly.

Then she rolled out of bed. Smokey meowed again as she hopped victoriously onto Emma's pillow and sat, lifting a paw to wash her face.

“You are such a diva,” Emma said as she headed for the bathroom. She stepped into the shower, submersing herself in the hot spray. Forty-five minutes later, she walked through the doors of A Piece of Cake, finding her friends already gathered at the counter, drinking coffee and munching on cinnamon buns.

She scowled. “You could have at least waited for me.”

“Long night?” Mandy gave her an assessing look, one eyebrow raised.

“More like too much beer.” She rubbed her forehead as she sat on an empty stool. “What happened with you and Carl?”

“Eh, he turned out to be a dud.” Mandy shrugged. “But we want to hear all about your night with Ryan.”

“Extra frosting,” Carly said, passing a plate across the counter with a cinnamon bun dripping with gooey white goodness. She set a steaming cup of coffee beside it.

“You're the best.” Emma inhaled the rich aroma of cinnamon and French roast, feeling her system starting to perk up already.

“So?” Gabby asked. “What happened?”

Emma held up a finger. She took a big, fortifying sip of her coffee and popped a forkful of sinfully delicious cinnamon bun into her mouth. Once the sugar and caffeine had taken effect, she turned to her friends. “Ryan gave me a ride home on his bike.”

“And?” Carly asked.

“Was it amazing? I've always wanted to ride on a motorcycle,” Gabby said.

“It was great.” So much more than great. A shiver of excitement snaked down her spine as she remembered the feel of the bike beneath her, the wind in her hair, the moon illuminating them like a scene out of a movie.

“Just great?” Mandy gave her a look that said
we want more
.

“It was fantastic. Is that better?” Emma shook her head. “You guys really pushed me last night, and you know what? I loved it. I had so much fun hanging out at the bar, and riding home on Ryan's bike was the most fun I've had in ages.”

“So why the extra scoop of frosting?” Carly asked, leaning her elbows on the counter.

“Because between the dare, the beer, and the motorcycle ride, I completely lost my mind, and I kissed him. Or I
tried
to kiss him.” She pressed a hand over her eyes as her friends squealed in surprise.

“Did you kiss him or not?” Mandy asked.

“I went for it, but, at the last moment, we bonked helmets instead.” She cringed.

“That sounds kind of adorable,” Carly said, a wistful note in her voice.

“It wasn't. It was awkward and embarrassing.” For a moment right before their helmets bumped, she'd been so sure he wanted to kiss her, too. “And then he gave me some speech about how he'd promised Derek he'd never take advantage of me.”

“Really? He promised Derek he wouldn't go after you?”

She nodded. “Which was reasonable at the time. I was fifteen and as innocent as they came, and he was an eighteen-year-old troublemaker who surely would have broken my heart.”

“But Derek never came home from the war,” Gabby said softly.

“That was twelve years ago,” Emma said. “Things change. We're adults now.”

“What are you going to do?” Mandy asked.

She took another bite of her cinnamon bun. “Easy. I'm going to pretend it never happened.”

“But you do have feelings for him?” Carly asked.

Emma spluttered. “Feelings? No! Like, of course he's hot, and I'm sure the kiss would have been great, but feelings? No. No way.”

They were all staring at her. Gabby's mouth dropped open.

“Whoa,” Carly said. “You totally do.”

Emma felt her cheeks start to burn. “What? Don't be ridiculous. I do not have feelings for Ryan Blake.”

“Ever hear that saying about how ‘the lady doth protest too much'?” Mandy said.

“Cut it out, seriously.” Emma gulped from her coffee and scorched her throat, making her sputter again.

“Interesting. Very interesting.” Mandy tapped her fingers against her lips. “Well, I'd say last night's dare was a success. Now we have to keep the momentum going. You need an excuse to see him again.”

“I'm seeing him in a couple of hours,” Emma mumbled, still coughing. “I'm going out to Off-the-Grid to talk about spring landscaping.”

“Something more interesting than talking about work,” Mandy said. “You need to get back on his bike or—”

“Remember last night how you said you wanted a tattoo?” Gabby asked. “Ryan used to manage a tattoo parlor. It would make perfect sense for him to take you.”

“After last night? No way.”

“I dare you.” Mandy grinned. “C'mon. You said you wanted a fling with a bad boy. This is your chance, girl. Don't blow it.”

The Risking It All series

Rock with You
(short story)

The Love to the Rescue series

Unleashed

For Keeps

Ever After

Only You
(short story)

“Lacey's Love to the Rescue contemporary series keeps getting better and better…Olivia's foster dogs, her fluffy kitten, and Pete's dog provide delightful diversions while the humans build their own forever home.”

―
Publishers Weekly
(starred review)

“4 1/2 Stars! Lacey's latest is filled with huge doses of humor and passion…[Her] modern storytelling style, with its crisp dialogue and amusing banter, will keep readers engaged until the very end.”

―
RT Book Reviews

“4 Stars! With one super-hot cowboy, one spitfire of a woman, and several lovable dogs, Lacey draws readers into a tender story that will make your heart melt. An engaging plot and colorful, genuine characters make the author's latest a sweet, enjoyable read.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“Your heart will be captured many times by the genuine scenarios and the happily-ever-after for all, both human and canine.”

—HeroesandHeartbreakers.com

“Lovable men and lovable dogs make this series a winner!”

—Jill Shalvis,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Dog lovers rejoice! The stars of Lacey's cute series opener, set in Dogwood, N.C., have four legs instead of two, and their happy ending is guaranteed.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“Delightful…a great story…You'll fall in love!”

—MyBookAddictionReviews.com

 “Both the man and the dog will rescue your heart. Don't miss it!”

—Jill Shalvis,
New York Times
bestselling author

“Endearing! Rachel Lacey is a sure-fire star.”

—Lori Wilde,
New York Times
bestselling author

  

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