“Just lean with me, and hold on. That’s all there is to it.” I keep my voice low, simple, sanding the edges off my usual gravel so I don’t scare her. The truth is, I think I’d wage a war just to see her smile.
I swing a leg over the bike first, the familiar creak of leather a comfort in the constant chaos she’s stirring in me. I beckon her. Her first touch is tentative, just her hands clutching my bad shoulder, a grip that sends a twinge through the old injury. Then she settles behind me, and her arms slide around my waist.
Fuck.
Heat sears through the layers of denim and leather, leaving my cock twitching in yearning. I swallow down what feels like the start of a groan, a sound that has no place here. She fits against my back as if she were designed for it.
“Where are we going?” She leans forward, her voice a whisper against the shell of my ear, her breath a warm ghost on my throat.
The effect is instantaneous. My cock swells, then hardens, a relentless and demanding ache. I have to shift on the seat, my jaw clenching.
“Town. Judge says we have to enjoy ourselves for the next few days before shit hits the fan. That’s what we’re doing.” Revving the engine, I give her a second’s warning before we’re off.
Her gasp is sharp in my ear, a mix of terror and thrill that plucks at something deep in me. I push the bike faster. And then it comes—not a scream, but a laugh. It starts as a nervous burst and transforms, weaving into the wind until it’s pure, unadulterated music. It’s the best sound I’ve ever heard.
Then it hits me, a truth so profound it nearly knocks the wind from me and makes me lose control of the handles.
Fuck, this is love, isn’t it?
The thought should terrify me. It doesn’t. It feels like coming home. When Diesel started bringing his girl around, I thought he’d lost his edge. Then Ghost went full stalker on his, and Ripper, of all people, softened.
I thought they were fools. Men like us, men who wear blood and ink like a second skin, who trade in violence and sleep with one eye open… we don’t get this. We don’t find the other half of our tainted souls.
But this… this can’t be explained any other way. This isn’t just want. It’s a fundamental rewriting of my entire being. These feelings are tearing me open and pulling out a man I don’t even recognize.
I take the long way to town, every detour and back road a stolen minute with her arms around me. I’d ride until the tank ran dry if I could, living forever in this suspended moment. But reality looms, and we eventually roll to a stop outside Bake Me Happy.
I dismount first, turning to watch her. Her legs tremble as she finds her footing, weak from the ride and the adrenaline. But despite the unsteady limbs, she’s smiling. A real, genuinesmile that reaches her eyes. When she looks at the pastel-colored building, her face softens into something more awe-struck.
Women love sweets, and I know the clubhouse, with its high demand for fried-foods, has nothing to offer her in this form.
“This is where you wanted to take me?” A soft snort leaves her as she pulls off the helmet, her hair a glorious, chaotic mess. “You don’t look like someone who is a fan of sugar.”
She hands me the helmet, her fingers brushing against mine. A simple touch that makes my heart beat twice as hard. Quicker than a man could with a weapon in his hand.
“I’ve had a craving for something sweet lately. That’s all.” Approaching the door, I open it for her. “Enjoy yourself.”
Hoping she won’t hold back, it’s almost laughable how seriously she takes my words. Once she gets an eyeful of the display, she doesn’t moan and groan about being unable to make up her mind. Instead, she orders more than she could ever eat.
Watching heroohandahhat the sweets when we take up a table, she moans when the sugar hits her tongue.
After a few bites, she pauses, catching herself enjoying this far too much. “Wait, this is a trap, isn’t it? What do you want?”
I’ve laughed more these last few days than I have my entire life, I swear. A chuckle rumbles through me as I beckon her to keep going. There’s no way I’ll be able to take them on the bike, not without resulting in sticky leather.
“Don’t want anything, really.” Leaning back, my heel bounces against the ground. “Just thought we could use some fresh air. Wanted to enjoy myself a little.”
“But you haven’t taken a single bite…” Her mouth pinches into a line, and a faint flush comes to her cheeks. “You always look angry, too. Are you really enjoying yourself?”
“Every minute.” As the truth rolls out of me, I let it keep going, unable to stop myself. “Being near you is all it takes. Idon’t know what it is about you, I’m still figuring out the details about that, but this is enough.”
Her lips part, her skin growing pinker. “Just watching me? Come on, you have to give me a little more. We both know you want more.”
So, she can read me now, is that it? Does she have a clue what’s going on in my head?
I shrug a shoulder, and I feel her foot tap my boot. The tables are small enough that I could reach out and touch her beneath if she allowed it. “Touching would be nice.”
She sputters, coughing on cookie crumbs. “Hammer.We’re in public.”
