Banger's Ride: Insurgents Motorcycle Club (Insurgents MC Romance Book 5) Read Online Free PDF Page A

strands of hair in her face. She tugged them back under her clips forcefully. The red bloom on her cheeks felt hot as she slid her fingers over them, all the while staring at the napkin dispenser.
    He leaned over and said in a low voice, “Your look just told me I’m more than that.” With his finger, he traced her jawline softly, and she instinctively tipped her head to the side, a small sigh escaping through her lips.
    “On second thought, I’ll take my meal to go. It’s getting late.” He motioned the waitress over and in less than ten minutes, a paper bag held a container of stew and three rolls wrapped in foil. He left the money on the table and got up.
    Belle swiveled her legs from beneath the table, but before she could stand up, he grabbed hold of her wrists and pulled her up in one smooth movement, bringing her close to him. She breathed in his scent of clean freshness, letting it wrap around her like his powerful arms had done the previous night. He kissed her cheek and said against her ear, “Later, beautiful.” He winked at her then strolled out of the diner, leaving Belle staring after him.
    The roar of his Harley brought her out of her reverie, and Belle went back in the kitchen to prepare for the evening rush. As she busied herself, she could still feel the touch of him on her skin, knowing the flutter of excitement that ran through her as she thought of him meant bad news. He did something to her; she was drawn to him, but she didn’t want to be. She had her hands full with her children. There was no way she could juggle all the crap going on and add Banger to the mix. It was too much. And he was a biker, the worst kind of man for a woman who’d been betrayed by the men in her life. Nope, she would have to keep it simple and at the diner. A few hellos and winks were about all she could handle.
    The hard beat of the AC/DC song “Highway to Hell” filled the kitchen as Belle ran over to retrieve her phone. Her daughter always rolled her eyes at her mother’s ringtone, but whenever she heard it, it uplifted her. Lately, she’d needed all the uplifting perks she could find.
    “Hello.” Belle walked back to the stove and stirred the gravy.
    “Hi. Are you still at work?” Holly greeted her.
    Belle marked the day she’d met Holly as one of her luckier ones. They’d met at the strawberry festival on a warm, late-summer day six years before. Belle had been manning the school booth, selling homemade fruit pies and jams, when Holly had come up. They’d struck up a conversation, and discovered they shared an interest in cooking and entertaining. Holly had been new to the area, and was feeling lonely without her friends or family. Belle had invited her to join her cooking club, and from then on they’d been close. Holly was like the sister she never had.
    “Yep, still at work. I’ve got a couple more hours to go. What’s up?”
    “I’m calling you in plenty of time so you can let Emily know she has to stay with Ethan this Friday. You and I are going out for burgers. Darren has the graveyard shift, and I’m itching to go out to eat. He’s been so busy that all I do is sit at home. Boring! Anyway, no excuses. We’re hanging out on Friday night.”
    Belle laughed, but her stomach constricted when she thought about asking Emily to stay with her brother. Sometimes she was fine with it, but most of the time she gave her a real attitude. Belle thought it was simpler to stay home than have a fight with her daughter. “I’ll see what Emily is up to. If she doesn’t have plans, then a nice dinner out sounds good.”
    “You just tell her you need her to help out. Fuck, you never go out. You deserve to have some fun. Treat yourself.”
    “I know. You’re right. If Emily can’t do it, I’ll see if Ethan can spend a few hours at Luke’s house. I’ll give Sarah a call.”
    “That’s good. I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll pick you up on Friday at around seven, okay?”
    “Sounds good. See