Read Online Always Been Mine by Carina Adams - Free Book Online Page A

but time flew. Matty kept me entertained with stories of Rocker, some which I’d already heard, some that were new. It was easy to picture them now that I’d met the man behind the crazy ideas. I would have stayed there all night, listening and laughing, but when Matty yawned, I realized that he still had to drive us home.
    “Sorry, Jo. I didn’t get much sleep last night,” he told me when I suggested we go.
    I smiled at him, feeling guilty because I’d kept him here so long and because I’d kept him out late last night, too. “Will you be ok to drive?”
    He nodded. “Yeah, once I’m outside, it’ll be better.” He stood, barely stifling another yawn, and then grinned, holding out his hand. “Come on.” I stood, grabbing for his hand when someone in the club caught my eye. I dropped my arm, moving slightly, assuring myself that my mind was playing tricks because I was tired. I gasped.
    Matty slid in behind me and followed my stare. Will was in the bar, and he wasn’t alone. Rachel, his cute coworker had her arms wrapped around his neck, grinding along to the music with him. He turned her then, so she was facing us, and moved into the back of her, running his hands familiarly down the front sides of her barely clad body. Her arms went behind her, as if to hold him close, her head falling back on his shoulder. We were intruding on their very private moment, and I sat down abruptly.
    Had they been here all along? I miss you. I love you . Will’s words from earlier echoed in my head. He’d asked me to go out to dinner with him, why was he here with her? Why was he here anyway? We never came to Portland! I silently willed him to open his eyes, to see me. But, he was so caught up in his moment with her I doubted he’d see me even if I was right there next to him. His bare left hand moved up to grab her breast possessively; the movement stole my breath away. He’d taken off his wedding ring.
    Matty moved suddenly and I caught his arm right before it was out of reach. “Where are you going?”
    He stopped, looking down at me. “I’m going to go kick his fucking ass.” He seemed to barely be holding his anger.
    I shook my head. “Please, Matty. Please just take me home!” He looked back to the dance floor and stiffened. I didn’t want to know what he’d seen. Then he kneeled in front of me, taking my cheeks between his hands. I met his eyes. “Please?” I asked again.
    “Can you ride?” I nodded. He grabbed my hand and pulled me up. Then, he put me on the inside, blocking my view of Will, and walked me out of the tavern. It had gotten chilly and I was shaking by the time we got back to the bike. “Here.” He pulled his hooded sweatshirt out of the saddlebag and slipped it over my head.
    “You’ll need it.” He only had a lightweight black tee shirt on, but my lips chattered as I said the words.
    “Nah. You’ll keep me warm.” He smiled as he lifted his leg over the bike and held out a hand for me. “It looks like we’re gonna get a storm. I’ll hurry.”
    We made it half way home before the rain started. I thought I was cold before I got on the bike, but after a few minutes of riding in the rain, I thought I was going to freezing to death before we made it back to the hotel. I didn’t know how Matty could see a thing. The driving rain felt like hail pounding into my flesh, and it dripped from my hair into my eyes, burning as it did. Matty had told me to lean my head into his back, and covered my hands with his, but he didn’t even have a shirt to protect his arms. Not that clothes would have helped much. My sweatshirt and jeans soaked up the freezing water, and mixed with the cold air, gave me a chill right down to the bone. The trip down to Portland had gone quickly, but the trip home felt like it took forever.
    We were both off the bike as soon as Matty cut the engine. He pushed the kickstand down, and we ran for the door of my hotel. Our clothes made giant puddles in the elevator, but at