“I’ll be fine,” she said anyway.
Wolf stepped closer.
“You’re not walking back alone,” he said.It didn’t sound like a suggestion.
Her options lined up quickly in her head, and none of them were good.She could risk it, walk back to prove him wrong, but that was sheer foolishness.She had Jane to think of.What was a short ride with Wolf?
“Fine,” she said finally.
Wolf gave a short nod, like that was the only answer he’d expected.Jade felt the weight of gazes behind her before she even turned.They were watching—the bikers, club women, the staff.Jade snuck a glance, unsurprised to see Cherry standing near the doorway.She had crossed her arms over her generous bosom, a knowing smirk curling her lips as her gaze slid between them.
Jade ignored her and walked toward Wolf’s bike.
“I’ve never rode one before,” Jade admitted, cheeks slightly flushed.
Wolf reached into a compartment and pulled out a helmet and held it out.Before she could accept it, he stepped close.The world narrowed for a second, the scent of leather and something darker, something unmistakably him, wrapping around her senses.
“Hold still,” he said.
Jade stiffened.“I can do it myself.”
“I know,” he said, but the bastard didn’t step back.Instead, he lifted the helmet, his hands brushing lightly against her hair as he settled it over her head.The contact was brief, but unexpectedly gentle.Jade’s breath caught.
Her fingers twitched at her sides, unsure what to do with the moment.
He adjusted the strap under her chin.There was something deliberate about the action, like he was making sure she was safe.The thought hit her out of nowhere and unsettled her more than anything else tonight.
“There,” he said, stepping back.
Jade swallowed, suddenly aware of the way her pulse had picked up.
“Thanks,” she muttered.
Wolf didn’t respond.He swung onto the bike in one smooth motion.Then he glanced back at her.
“Get on,” he ordered.
Jade hesitated only a second before climbing on behind him.The seat dipped under her weight.She was closer than she expected.There was no space between them.
“Hold on,” Wolf said.
Jade paused, then slowly, carefully, she wrapped her arms around his waist.His back was solid under the leather jacket.Warm and lean muscle shifting subtly beneath her touch, alive and real in a way that made her breath hitch.Heat spread through her palms, then up her arms.
“Like that?”she asked, quieter now.
“Yeah, that’s good.”
The engine roared to life beneath them before she could respond, the vibration sending a jolt through her body.The world blurred as they pulled out of the lot.The ride hit her all at once.
Wind rushing past.The low, powerful hum of the engine beneath her.The way the road stretched out ahead, open and endless under the night sky.
Jade hadn’t expected the rush, the freedom, and for a moment, everything else fell away.She didn’t think about her bills, Derek’s debts.There was no suffocating weight pressing down on her chest—only this moment mattered.
Jade tightened her grip without thinking, her cheek brushing lightly against his back as the bike leaned into a turn.He felt solid and unmoving.It was as if nothing could shake him.
Jade closed her eyes briefly, letting the feeling settle.Then she opened them again.
When the bike finally slowed, the shift was almost jarring.They pulled up in front of her building, the familiar worn structure coming into view like a reminder she couldn’t escape.
