Riding Into Love. Nicki Night

an amazing evening and you ignore me half the night. Then, all of the sudden, you pull me to the dance floor and kiss me, but when we leave, you don’t say another word to me. What the hell, Alana? What’s all of this about?”

      “What does it matter?” Alana stood and walked over to the sink. “It’s not like we’re dating or anything. Why do you care?”

      Drew sat back down. She was right. He started to question himself for even coming over. Alana wasn’t his girlfriend. She didn’t owe him any explanations. Why did he care?

      “I’m sorry. That was mean.” Alana joined him at the table again. “I’m having a hard time trusting men right now. Whatever it was that you and I shared, it didn’t end well. Besides that, I just broke up with someone so my wounds are somewhat fresh.” She looked up toward the ceiling and breathed deeply. “I’ll be completely honest—I thought things would have been different between you and me, but when your ex came back into the picture, you cast me aside.” Alana shrugged and fingered the rim of her coffee cup pensively. “I acted as if it was no big deal...but that stung.”

      Silence ensued, allowing Drew to absorb the weight of her feelings. He hadn’t realized how he’d affected Alana. He cared as much about her now as he did before, but he always assumed that their relationship had been a casual one. Drew knew then that if Alana was to ever trust her heart with him again, he needed to prove himself.

      “When James came along,” Alana continued, “I thought I’d found everything I was looking for. Our relationship started out great.” She paused for a moment. “Then things changed... And now, a year later, he’s gone. He actually broke up with me by text.”

      “What?” Drew’s brows creased. “What kind of grown man breaks up with his woman by text? How old is this jackass?” Despite the hand that Drew had previously played in mincing Alana’s heart, he was genuinely annoyed by James’s juvenile act. Now he understood Alana’s behavior a little better. He felt a need to lighten the atmosphere. “Were you robbing the cradle?”

      Alana laughed. “It’s pretty ridiculous, isn’t it?”

      “Yeah. Please don’t tell me that was the guy at the premiere the other night.”

      Alana straightened up. “What guy?”

      “You’re such a bad liar. Now I know why you suddenly wanted to dance with me.” Drew shook his head. “That’s why you kissed me.”

      “Drew, I—”

      Drew held his hand up. “Don’t bother. I’m the master at this game and I don’t miss much. I saw him way before you did.”

      “You did?”

      “So you admit it? That was him.”

      Alana tucked her bottom lip into her mouth and looked down.

      “He’d been watching you from the time he walked in with his chick. I know her. She’s a talent scout. It seems you didn’t notice him until the end of the night and that’s when you pulled me into your little game. You wanted him to think you moved on.”

      Alana nodded.

      “Don’t get all shy on me now.”

      “Jeez, Drew!” Alana rolled her eyes. “You’re right. Everything you said was right.”

      Drew laughed. Alana blew out a breath. They sat in silence for a while.

      “Do you still care about him?”

      Alana twisted her lips and stared pensively into space. “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

      Drew looked at her in that intense way he’d become accustomed to doing, studying her as if he were trying to see inside of her. She turned away. Alana may have perceived it as scrutiny, but Drew found more to admire about her every time he set eyes on her.

      “Is this why you’re avoiding me?”

      Alana’s face became serious. She stood and began carrying the empty plates to the sink. Drew followed behind her. When she turned to go back to the table, she ran right into him.

      “Answer me.” He wasn’t letting her get away again. “And tell the truth.”

      Alana closed her eyes and breathed in and out slowly. “I needed time. Dating wouldn’t be good for me right now.”

      “I didn’t ask you to be my woman. I asked you to dinner.”

      “I know, but...”

      “But what? I don’t understand.”

      “Drew! You’re not good for me.”

      He reared back. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

      “Listen. I don’t have any luck with relationships.”

      Drew opened his mouth and Alana held her hand up.

      “Let me finish. Yes, I enjoy hanging out with you, but I don’t want to subject myself again to what happened between us. I’m done with players and casual dating.” Alana threw her hands up, punctuating her sentence to show how finished she was with those concepts. “I want more than that and I don’t believe you’re capable of more so I’d rather not waste our time. I really need to work on myself right now.”

      Drew held his hands up in surrender. “Okay. I can understand that.”

      He had other things to say as well, but didn’t want to make promises that he wasn’t sure he’d be able to keep. He’d heard the same story from many women before, but this was the first time that it felt like a blow to his gut. Alana didn’t want to be bothered with him and he found that troubling. But what could he do when he was about to be on the road for the next nine months? He’d gotten the answers he’d come for, but despite that he wanted to kiss her again, like he had on that dance floor. He had suspected she was up to something, but he’d still sensed the hunger in her kiss and proudly left her with swollen lips.

      Alana leaned against the counter and traced imaginary circles. “So now you know. It’s not anything personal.”

      “That’s cool.” Drew watched her fingers, unable to take his eyes off her.

      The atmosphere became tense and their conversation turned laborious.

      “When is your first race?” Alana folded her arms in front of her but didn’t look at him as she spoke.

      “Beginning of March.”

      “Where?”

      “Qatar.”

      “Oh. Wow.”

      “Yeah. I’ll be heading there next week to get ready.”

      “How does a motorcycle racer prepare?”

      Drew welcomed the change of subject but still wished he could somehow convince her that things were different with him now. “By working out and practicing certain skills.”

      “What kind of workout?”

      “Well, arm, leg and core strength is important when it comes to handling the bikes, but bulk is not very good because it adds weight. There’s a delicate balance. We schedule track days to practice. You should come to one of my races someday.”

      “But you don’t race in the US, do you?”

      “Sure we do. We have one at a track right outside of Austin in April. It would be cool if you came to a race overseas. That is, of course, if I’m not too horrible to hang with.”

      Alana pressed her lips together and swatted at him.

      Drew laughed. “You’d like it. I’ll get you your own hotel room so you don’t have to worry about ending up in my bed having casual sex or something like that.”

      “Drew!” She swatted him again. This time she missed completely.

      After a few beats