Dizzie shifted the bike into gear. Instead of the steady takeoff she expected, she fought to keep the bike upright.
“Shit!” She dropped her feet to the ground.
What was going on? She lived on her bike and could handle anything on two wheels. Why was this happening now? The only difference now was?—
“That’s what I was afraid of.” Killian flipped up the helmet. “My leg messes with the balance.”
Dizzie shook her head. “I should have thought of that. Thanks.” No wonder he’d been leery of the motorcycle.
Less than twelve hours since she’d ridden Killian like a motorcycle and she’d already forgotten about his cyber leg. It might be made of lightweight advanced metal, but it was still metal. She’d factored in having a passenger, but not one who was unbalanced.
A laugh escaped. They were probably both unbalanced.
She wiggled the motorcycle experimentally.
Yep, there it was. A definite lean to the left.
Hands on the handlebars, she tilted the motorcycle again, this time a bit more steeply. She needed to have a sense of the difference before hitting the street.
Killian’s hands tightened around her waist.
Keeping in mind how his leg would set them off balance, she hit the starter again.
Chapter35
Arms wrapped tight around Dizzie,Killian was hyperaware of her muscles flexing and releasing, the subtle adjustments she made as they wove through Seattle streets. Her strength and confidence were sexy as hell.
For the first few blocks, he’d battled to stay relaxed, knowing his tension could throw off her delicate balancing act. He hadn’t been on a motorcycle since he’d lost his leg. He’d been afraid of, well, everything. Feeling foolish. Crashing.
He was still wary, but Dizzie’s mastery of the machine had allayed most of his fears. As long as he focused on her, he’d be fine.
Dizzie zigged and zagged, cutting across lanes and weaving through traffic.
The city flashed by. He glimpsed billboards and street signs. Familiar buildings blurred with ones he couldn’t identify as they raced past.
No wonder Dizzie craved this freedom.
Killian recognized his surroundings as they headed up Capitol Hill. What kind of safe house did she expect to find there?
Dizzie leaned into another turn, right past the surprisingly good neighborhood sushi restaurant near his neighborhood. His stomach sank.
His unease intensified as they passed by houses on his block.
The gates to his house swung open, automatically triggered by the keyfob in his pocket. What the hell were they doing here?
Killian was shocked that there were no newsies camped outside, but that was secondary to why they were here.
Blood pressure rising, Killian barely waited until they stopped and she’d set the kickstand before he pulled his helmet off. “What the hell are we doing here?”
After an ungainly dismount, he tucked the helmet under his arm and glared at her.
“We needed a place that was safe from Tremaine Security. Somewhere no one would think to look.” Her cool voice and steady eyes reminded him of the night they met. The look of a woman doing her job. “Ta-da.”
He couldn’t fault her logic. He hated it, but couldn’t fault it. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
She rolled her eyes. “Would you have agreed?”
“No way in hell.” He would have argued. Maybe even refused to get on the bike.
