I scoff. “Fast, huh? Prove it.”
That gorgeous smile of his broadens. “Careful. You might have a little speed on me with that thing, but I’m a hell of a rider. I’ll out-maneuver you easy.”
My bike growls as I rev my engine, a challenge lying between us. “On a straight stretch? Please. I could do this in my sleep.”
“Let’s go, then.” He points to the overgrown wheat fields in the distance. Now that the sun has set, they’re near black. “Can’t see it from here, but there’s a white farmhouse at the end of the stretch. Big tree in the front yard. First one to pass it wins. Let’s see what you got, Gracie.” He snaps down his visor and rolls slowly over the tracks.
I follow suit and line up my front wheel with his. Then I exhale a deep breath. I may not know these roads, but I know my bike, and I sure as hell know how to leave a man in the dust.
“I’ll count us down,” he yells with a rev of his engine.
I do the same, matching his volume.
“Three!”
I adjust my grip and squeeze my handlebars, laser focused on the road ahead.
“Two!”
Then he’s gone, blasting ahead of me.
I yank on the throttle and race after him, a string of curses escaping me.
Asshole.
With my eyes glued to the red glow of Decker’s taillight, I slice through the space between us, wind whipping past me, my engine screaming. Adrenaline surges through my veins as I shift gears and ramp up my speed.
We’re both punching well over a hundred as I catch up. I move to pass, but he swerves in front of me. To avoid slamming into him, I pull back and maneuver to the right, losing the precious ground I’d gained. At these speeds, we’re already running out of road, that sharp curve he mentioned approaching fast as we rush down the old highway, fighting for the lead, for the win.
I jerk down on the throttle and accelerate, but the moment I make headway, he cuts me off again and forces me to slow.
Releasing a breath, I squint through the dark and refocus on the road ahead. That curve. It’s coming. Sudden, sharp, winding through the miles of farmland to another straight stretch. The farmhouse is just on the other side. The finish line. I know what I need to do to cross it first.
There’s no way in hell I’m letting him win.
Decker slows slightly as he hits the first bend, but I kick up my speed, hitting the gravel lining the edge of the road and slicing straight through, barely making it out without crashing, without killing myself. But the move puts me just in front of him.
A second later, I’m tearing past the farmhouse.
“Hell yeah!” I yell as I stop in front of the overgrown gravel driveway and kill my engine.
Decker rolls up beside me as I’m yanking off my helmet and does the same, a grin painted on his face. “Just gonna say it, Gracie. You look sexy as hell on that bike. Even sexier when you’re beating me.”
I arch a brow. “Andyouare a dirty cheater.”
He shrugs. “So?”
“So I should kick your ass for that.”
His eyes flash with amusement. “Oh, I’d love for you to try.”
I ignore the heat that curls in my belly when he looks at me like that. “Fun as that sounds, you and I aren’t on speaking terms. Best we part ways.” I jerk my head towards the road. “I’ll wait for you to leave.”
“Figured we could move past all that.” He dismounts and leans over my handlebars. “Take a walk with me, Grace.”
I snort. “I’m not walking down any more dark roads with you.”
He smirks. “Why not? Worked out for you the last time, didn’t it?”
