Page 65 of Vicious Temptation

Is he really trying to cash in on that now, even after telling me I didn’t owe him a damn thing? And why am I even standing here entertaining this in the first place? He’s a cop, and he lied to me.

“I’m pretty sure you told me I don’t,” I remind him.

“I lied.”

Of course he fucking did.

The word “fine” starts to slip from my lips, and I don’t stop it because I don’t want to. Apparently, that makes me a fucking masochist, too.

“Fine, Officer Braga, but only if you can keep up.”

A grin splits his face as he steps back, giving me room to put on my helmet and swing a leg over my bike. I fire up the engine, and Thiago takes off across the parking lot toward his truck.

By the time I pull onto the street, every instinct I have is telling me that letting Thiago Braga follow me anywhere is a terrible fucking idea. I know he’s hiding something. I know I shouldn’t trust him, and I definitely shouldn’t give him another chance to get any closer than he already is.

But knowing better has never kept me from making a bad decision.

Eighteen

Thiago

The second her bike tears onto the street, I understand two things. Remi Cain rides like she was born on two wheels, and I’m completely fucked.

City lights reflect across the glossy black of her helmet as she leans into the first turn. I follow behind her, watching the effortless way she moves with the machine beneath her.

Jesus.

There’s something about seeing her like this that makes it damn near impossible to keep my thoughts straight. Her body moves with the bike as she takes another turn, her dark hair whipping behind her whenever she accelerates hard enough to send the loose strands flying. She rides the way she does everything else, with a fearlessness and confidence that demand attention without asking for it.

I’m not even sure she realizes the effect she has.

I shouldn’t be looking at her like this, and I definitely shouldn’t be thinking about dragging her into my lap to see if she tastes as good as I remember. Knowing better isn’t doing a damn thing to stop me.

I didn’t have much of a plan for tonight. All I knew was that I wanted another chance to see her, but the problem is that I can’t even pretend Elena is the only reason anymore.

I told her that Remi needed time to grieve and that pushing too hard while she was dealing with Estela’s death and still furious with me would get us nowhere. Elena reluctantly gave me a few days, and I used every one of them.

At first, I told myself I was being strategic, but when Remi agreed to let me join her tonight, I wasn’t thinking about Helios or what I might learn by staying close to her.

I was just fucking happy she said yes.

That might be the most dangerous development yet.

My attention returns to Remi as she weaves through traffic, one hand briefly lifting to flip off a car that cuts too close. A laugh slips out before I can stop it.

I’m looking forward to tonight, not because Elena expects me to get closer or because every minute with Remi gives me another chance to learn something useful. I realize I want to spend time with her because I enjoy being around her. Every bit of herself she gives me, whether intentional or not, hooks a little deeper beneath my skin, and instead of thinking about how I can use it, I find myself wanting more.

I ease back into my seat, one hand loose on the wheel, and catch myself smiling like a damn idiot as I follow her through another turn. Then my phone lights up against the center console.

ELENA.

The smile disappears. I tighten my jaw and answer through the truck speakers.

“What?”

“You sound irritated,” Elena says, her voice smooth.

“I’m driving.”