Hot Mess (An Iron Tornadoes MC Romance Book 5) by Olivia Rigal Read Free Book Online

into two mugs. I set up another pot to brew and pick up a couple of donuts. By the time I return to the patio, plate and cups in hand, she's already there, standing by the table.
    She's wearing one of those large dresses my sister favors. It's fitted on the upper part of the body, putting "the girls" forward, then goes wide, hiding the rest. Ice and I never cease to tease her about those, but secretly we're happy she wears them. Where our sister is concerned we're regular cavemen, happy she hides her beautiful figure instead of flaunting it to the world.
    Yet, right now, I find the dress frustrating because it hides too much of this mermaid's perfect shape. Same dress, opposite reactions. The delicious irony of life.
    Kristal's eyes light up as she looks at the plate I set on the table.
    "Sit and eat," I say as I pull out a chair for her.
    The corner of her mouth twitches and I wonder why she's amused. Is it the absurdity of my good manners in our situation?
    "Thank you," she says pulling the chair closer to the cast iron table. She stares at the plate and asks, "Which one do you want?"
    "I'm fine, they're both for you." I take a chair and sit on the other side of the tiny table, directly across from her. She reaches greedily for the Bavarian cream. A bite and she closes her eyes to fully enjoy the savory goodness. A drop of cream stays on her lips and as she licks it away. My pants become awfully tight.
    When she's done demolishing the two pastries, and drinking her coffee, Kristal folds her arms in a protective stance. The joyful demeanor that was hers a few seconds ago when she was attacking the food has now vanished.
    "So what do you want to know?" she asks.
    "Everything."
    My answer is absurd, but it's the truth. My curiosity about her is immense. I truly want to find out everything there is to know about her.
    She gives me a sad smile and starts talking, with her eyes staring at a distant point over my shoulder.
    "You already know my name," she says. "I was born in Florida, but I've spent most of my life in New York. My mother moved there when I was a toddler. She was the headmistress of a private school, and until a few weeks ago, I thought she was my only family."
    She takes a deep breath and unfolds her arms. She brushes imaginary crumbs from her dress as she continues telling her story with a tone so detached, it's as if she's talking about someone else.
    "I had no memory at all of my dad so, of course, when I was younger I asked my mother a thousand questions about him. I could see it annoyed the heck out of her, but I couldn't help myself. I needed to know more. With the bits and pieces she gave me, I built myself a perfect father, a handsome hero. A tragic one, obviously, since he had died young in a motorcycle accident.
    “And even though she kept repeating that if I had any sense I would do well to stay away from bikers, I had this crazy fantasy that one day I would also fall in love with a modern version of Prince Charming, a handsome bikers who would sweep me away on his roaring machine."
    I repress a chuckle. Her mother's advice was sound. I picture her as a wise woman who wants to spare her daughter the hardship she's been through.
    Kristal blushes and waves a hand chasing away the image of her crazy childhood dream she just invoked. For a second, she looks young and innocent. It doesn't last. Her shy smile vanishes as she gets to the saddest part of her story.
    "Last spring, Mom got sick. One day she was fine and the next she felt so bad she couldn't get up. I took her to the hospital and they ran all sorts of tests." Kristal takes a big breath, forces her hands flat on the table in a poor attempt to hide the fact they are shaking. Her emotions are raw. "Three weeks later she was dead."
    I reach out for her hands and she lets me hold them in mine. Has she let anyone comfort her yet?
    Selfishly, I hope not. I want to be her refuge. She gives me no time to analyze this unfamiliar urge as she dives back in