All Chapters of Road to Desire: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

DanielleI stared down at my dashboard console and willed the check engine light to stop the infernal red glow. How I got where I was, I had no freaking clue, which meant I had no freaking clue how to find the freeway entrance to get home. “You are an idiot, Dani,” I whispered out loud.As if on a mission from the devil, my nineteen ninety-nine Honda shuddered, then back-fired, slowing to a crawl as I inched forward down a non-descript side street. Why Portland didn’t have better signage was beyond me.I jumped as my cell phone pealed in the silence of the car. Without looking at the screen, because really, I was trying not to end up dead in some obscure place I’d never been before, I flipped it open. “Hello,” I whispered.“Why are we whispering?” Kim, my best friend of more than ten years, whispered back.I cleared my throat and took a deep breath. “I’m kind of lost and my stupid car won’t go over nineteen miles an hour.”“So, no different than any other day,” she quipped. “How did t

DanielleI bit my lip. “Will you please let me by? You’re making me nervous and all I want to do is call someone to pick me up and take me home.”“I’ll take you home,” Booker said as he walked back inside, a scowl on his face directed at “big biker man” in front of me. “And get the hell away from her, Mack. You can see she’s freaked.”“Did she tell you her brother’s a cop?” Mack demanded.“Detective, actually,” I corrected and then dropped my head. I needed to shut the hell up.“Move the hell away from her,” Booker repeated. I took a minute to look at him and his expression was a little scary. He gave his friend a look like he would kill him if he didn’t do as he said. Instead of making me nervous, it made me feel protected. Another clear indication there was something inherently wrong with me.Mack grinned, raising his hands in surrender as he stepped away from me. I skittered around the desk and back out in the open, keeping my purse in front of me… for what I’m not sure. I just fel

DanielleI dropped my head back and stared at the ceiling. “If you must know, an ex stole my savings and my identity. I have spent the last four years trying to clear my name and get him prosecuted, and now I’m lucky enough to get a hundred bucks a month in restitution. He apparently spent the money he stole… or more likely, hid it… and spent thirty days in county. Bonus, he got three years’ probation. I, on the other hand, have a credit rating that’s in the toilet and have to use the credit card my daddy gave me in order to deal with emergencies, which this certainly is; however, I don’t really want him having to pay five-grand for a car that’s not even worth that much.” I groaned. I couldn’t believe I’d just shared all of that with a virtual stranger, particularly because outside of my family and the asshole who stole my money, Kim was the only other human being who knew the story. “Sorry. Too much information.”“How much did he steal?” Austin asked…no, demanded.“I’m sorry?”“How m

DanielleAustin grinned, setting his beer on the coffee table and rising to his feet. He took my wine and set it next to his beer.“What are you doing?” I asked, leaning back as though I could achieve some space. Silly me.He reached down, sliding one arm under my knees and one behind my back, lifting me like I weighed no more than a small child, and sitting back on the sofa, me in his lap.“Austin?” I squeaked.“Yeah, babe.”“What are you doing?”“Well, I was drinkin’ a beer.” He stroked my hair, grinning like a loon.I tried to scoot off his lap, but he held me tighter. “You are really confusing me.”“I get that.”“Then why are you doing it?”He chuckled. “Because it’s fun.”I sighed. “Will you take payments on my car?”“No.”“I can’t pay you without making payments, Austin.”He ran a thumb over my lower lip. “I know.”I pushed his hand away. “Are you expecting me to sleep with you?”“Not because I fixed your car, no.”“What?”“Babe,” he said with a sigh. “We’re working shit out her

DanielleAustin joined me, setting the food on the counter as I opened the fridge, but before I could grab him another beer, he wrapped an arm around me and turned me to face him. His hand went to my neck again, his thumb to my pulse, and he studied me for several seconds. “I wasn’t expecting you.”I sighed. “Same.”“Will you be patient with me, Dani?”I shook my head. “We can’t do this.”“Yes, we can.”“We can’t.” I pulled away from him. “My family’s all about the law, Austin. Your club’s not. It’s a total conflict of interest.”He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. “My club’s clean.”“Clean, clean, or just untouchable?”He frowned.“Club business?” I snapped.“What the hell do you want me to say, Dani?”“I want you to tell me something, anything. But I want the truth.”“Babe.”“Forget it,” I said.“Don’t shut down on me, Dani. Just tell me what you’re thinkin’.”“I just want you to be realistic. It’s obvious we’re attracted to each other, but you can’t base a relations