“Good. I swear I almost forgot how to speak when I saw him working on a bike,” I admitted, smiling as I slipped on my boots.
“Sounds like it’s mutual.”
We chatted a minute longer about the races before I finally hung up, grateful for all of her help today. As I tucked my phoneinto a small crossbody bag, a flicker of unease tried to creep in. I hadn’t heard a single word from Sutton all week. No surprise visits or texts. Nothing.
Part of me still braced for her chaos, but the silence was starting to feel like a gift. Maybe it really had been a coincidence, and she hadn’t been in Crossbend to find me. I could only hope she’d quickly moved on after getting kicked out of The Burnout.
Forcing her out of my thoughts, I took one last look in the mirror, nerves and excitement twisting together when the doorbell rang.
Ready or not, Levi was here.
5
CENTURY
By the time I rolled up to Saylor’s apartment Saturday night, I’d spent the entire ride telling myself to keep my hands under control. It was the kind of conversation a man had with himself when he already knew damn well he was going to lose.
The past week had turned me into a walking contradiction, half satisfied because she kept letting me closer and half feral because every kiss ended with me forcing myself to stop before I hauled her onto my lap and taught her exactly how serious I was when I said she was mine.
I’d kissed her breathless more times than I could count, but I hadn’t taken her the way my body demanded every time she looked up at me with those pretty eyes and that mouth made for trouble.
I killed the engine and swung off my bike, the heat radiating up from the pavement through the soles of my boots while the Harley ticked softly as it cooled behind me. I took the stairs two at a time, already impatient and a little irritated with myself for feeling like a damn teenager.
She opened the door before I could knock a second time, and my cock went hard so fast it bordered on painful.
Fuck me.
I just stared at her because my body reacted faster than my brain could put words to what I was seeing. Saylor stood in the doorway wearing black leather pants that fit her like they’d been painted over every curve I’d spent the week trying not to grab too hard. A fitted tank top hugged her tits and showed off the smooth line of her shoulders, and her boots gave her just enough attitude to make the whole thing look less like she was trying to impress me and more like she’d accidentally walked into a fantasy I didn’t have enough self-control to survive. Her hair was down in soft waves brushing her collarbone, and the little hint of makeup around her eyes made them look smoky as they widened slightly under the weight of my stare.
The first instinct that tore through me was a brutal pulse of need that made me want to step forward, shove her back into her apartment, slam the door behind me, and pin her against the nearest wall until she understood exactly what she’d done by opening the door looking like that.
The image hit hard enough to make my hands flex at my sides, and I had to force my boots to stay planted outside her door instead of following the urge straight into dangerous territory.
Saylor’s lips parted, her eyes dropping briefly to my mouth before lifting again, and that tiny slip of awareness almost finished me. She knew what she’d done. Maybe not the full violent scope of how badly my body wanted hers, but she knew she’d hit a mark.
There was a spark in her eyes beneath the shyness, a careful little challenge wrapped in nerves, and the combination made me want to ruin every bit of her composure in the best possible way.
“You planning to say something,” she asked, her voice a little breathless beneath the sass, “or are you just going to stand there glaring at me?”
“I’m not glaring,” I muttered.
Her gaze flicked over my face, and she giggled. “That is absolutely a glare, Levi.”
My real name on her tongue nearly undid me worse than the leather pants. It had slipped out of her easier every day since I’d told her to use it.
“No, baby.” I stepped closer, watching the pulse jump at the base of her throat. “That’s me trying real hard to remember why I shouldn’t take you back inside and forget all about going anywhere except your bed.”
Her cheeks flushed, the pretty pink climbing beneath her skin, but she didn’t back up. She stood there in the doorway and let me look, her chin tipped up and eyes bright with a challenge she probably thought was subtle. It wasn’t. But that was fine by me.
I had no problem looking at what was mine, especially when she’d clearly dressed to make sure I couldn’t do anything else. The fact that she didn’t retreat only made the heat in my blood burn hotter. She wanted to see exactly how far she could push me. The dangerous little thing was gonna find out real soon because looking wasn’t gonna be enough for much longer.
I reached out, hooked one finger through the belt loop at her hip, and tugged her closer. She came easily, her breath catching as her palms landed against my chest. I let myself feel every soft curve pressed against me before dropping my mouth close to hers. Her lashes fluttered, and the little inhale she took made my cock harden even more.
“You’re so damn beautiful.” My voice was rough enough that it sounded more like an accusation than a compliment. “And you’re fucking trouble.”
She was breathless when she teased, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know you’re dangerous, baby.” I tightened my grip on her belt loop, dragging her another inch closer until my hard cock pressed against her stomach. “But you should know by now that you’re playing with fire.”
