As she popped off the helmet, that signature cocky smile was already lifting her cheeks. My heart fluttered as she flicked her chin at me. “Morning, gorgeous.”
Warm morning sun lit her face like a spotlight, emphasizing the harsh cheekbones and jawline and bringing out the flecks of light brown in her hazelnut eyes. It was like nature itself was conspiring in her showboating, giving her an unnatural advantage in charm over the rest of us mortals.
But I wouldn’t let her off so easy — not after she left me locked up in that dull old room all night.
Crossing my arms over my chest, I feigned indifference over her little show. “Did you haveanyintentions of coming back for me? Or do you get off keeping an innocent woman locked up?”
“I think we both know that you’re not so innocent, Bunny.” Spencer’s legs were still spread over the bike as she flicked her eyes over me.
Fighting down my rising blush, I lifted my chin. “I resent that accusation.”
“And yet you’re not denying it.”
She was too good at this game. I’d have to get better if I wanted any freedom around here.
But if playing on her horniness wasn’t going to give me the upper hand, maybe pulling on her heartstrings would.
Letting my bottom lip pout ever so slightly, I shot Spencer a look meant to induce guilt. “What kept you gone so long?”
She let her gaze drop for just a second, tongue teasing the corner of her lips as she forced the flirtatious mask back on. “What, you worried I might be giving all my love to someone else? Not a chance.”
I resisted the urge to crack a smile, rolling my eyes instead as she continued.
“Work ran late last night. By the time I got back in, you were already long asleep, and so was Leo. Didn’t wanna crash your party without an invite, so I headed back to my room for a quick nap before dealing with some family stuff this morning. But don’t worry, Bunny, I was itching to get back to you the whole time.”
I narrowed my eyes at her for a moment. She might call me Bunny, but Spencer was the real bundle of energy, always bouncing off the walls, always running somewhere new. Whatever she’d been doing this morning felt different, though — the weight of it dragged down her shoulders despite the relentless grin on her face.
Setting my attempted guilt trip aside, I searched her eyes for a clue. “Everything okay?”
The question seemed to catch her off guard. She tilted her head, the smile morphing into something more nervous than charming. “Yeah, for sure. Just… tired.”
Her answer hung thin in the air between us, a veil begging to be peeled back. All it would take was a gentle nudge to peek behind that curtain. But I was still a stranger, and I had no clue what lurked behind her words — if it was worth pushing my luck.
Before I could open my mouth to speak, Spencer’s bike broke the silence for me.
BANG!
The bike shuddered and gurgled, a small burst of fire shooting out of the exhaust pipe.
“Holy shit!” I flinched, half-expecting the pipe to blow.
But Spencer didn’t seem surprised by the explosion — she seemed annoyed.
“Goddamn it.” She banged her heel against the frame of the bike, like she was spurring an unwieldy horse.
Leo stepped forward, arms crossed. “That’s not going to fix it.”
“No shit.” Spence shot back, letting her head rock back against her muscular shoulders.
“How long’s it been doing that?”
“A week?”
“Spencer!” Leo shot her a glare. “It can’t be safe to drive it like that.”
“Chill, Major. Been fine so far. She’s just a little gassy.” Spence tried a teasing smirk, but it wasn’t working. Leo had slipped into full-on protector mode.
“Why didn’t you bring it to me earlier?”
