Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 59146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 59146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 296(@200wpm)___ 237(@250wpm)___ 197(@300wpm)
“Not this time, babe. If we have a second ride, we’ll talk about it.” He laughed too, though. “Your place, mine, or somewhere neutral where we can go our separate ways? Your call.”
The light hung red above us, patient. Somewhere behind us a horn went off. I thought about my own apartment and that fucking discount cake on the counter. And all the lingering shit I knew he would expect me to do something with. And knew there was no way I wanted to go back home for any reason right now. Also, I wanted to have sex with this guy. Assuming he wanted to. Which… hello! Guy!
“Yours,” I said, and felt something settle into place in my chest, solid and simple, the first uncomplicated decision I’d made all night. “Just be aware I fully expect sex to be on the table, so if you’ve got a woman just drop me off here.”
“You wouldn’t be on the back of my bike for any reason if I had a woman, Juniper.” He patted my knee before the light turned green. “And I will most definitely give you all the sex you want.”
Holy. Shit. The guy was potent. I shivered, and not from the night air. Inferno chuckled as he rolled the throttle back and took off when the light changed.
We left downtown behind, the noise and neon thinning out block by block until the road opened up and the streetlights spaced themselves farther apart, until it was just us and the dark and the yellow line down the center of the pavement. The cold deepened out here, past the buildings that had been breaking the wind for us, and I put the visor back down to protect my face.
There was a part of me that thought maybe I should rethink this whole thing. We were now in the warehouse section where chain-link fences were topped with barbed or razor wire. We pulled through one such fence without even slowing as it rolled open. This was pretty much the start of every horror movie I’d watched from my eighties slasher film collection. I was the stupid girl being led to the ax murderer’s lair with a smile and a princess wave.
It wasn’t long before we pulled through yet another gate. This time, two men waved us through, giving friendly greetings to Inferno. The gravel parking lot was well lit and the one building on the place that pulsed with life had several bikes around it as well as a few people outside. Everyone greeted us cordially enough, but I was fully aware I was now in the middle of a motorcycle club compound.
Inferno pulled up to the front of the building and cut the engine. I took my helmet off and stared around at the place, wide-eyed. “Oh, wow.” I knew I needed to get off the bike, but I was busy questioning my life choices. “Am I in big trouble?”
With a laugh, Inferno squeezed my thigh. “No, honey. I promise you’re safe.” He pointed out a couple pulling into the parking lot as well as another guy I recognized from the bar. “That’s Sully and Darby. You may not realize it, but Darby has your back. She’ll spread the word to the other old ladies, and no one will dare lay a finger on you and risk their wrath.”
I found myself smiling. “It probably makes me too stupid to live, but you have a way of putting me at ease, Inferno.” I climbed off the bike, bracing myself on his shoulder. “I’m going to take you at your word.”
“I like hearin’ that you trust me.” He climbed off after making sure I was steady on my feet. “I won’t betray you, sweetheart. This goes as far as you want. If all you want to do is get shit-faced in a safe place, I’ve got you covered. If you want more, I’m up for that, too.”
“Up for that, are you?” I couldn’t help but grin.
He winced. “Well, I didn’t exactly mean it that way, but I feel like it’s worse to admit I didn’t consider how that sounded.”
With his arm around my shoulders, Inferno guided me to the door of the warehouse. Sully and Darby fell into step beside us.
“Saw you at Throttle,” Darby said without preamble. “That other asshole bother you a lot?”
I gave her a blank smile but shook my head. “Other asshole?”
“Yeah. The one with the blonde harassing you guys at Throttle. ‘Cause we can make him disappear if you want.”
Sully groaned and wrapped an arm around Darby’s waist from behind. “You can’t go around disappearing people, Darby. We’ve talked about this.”
“No, we didn’t. You lectured me and I nodded in the appropriate places.” She winked at me. “Seriously, though. Are you OK?”
I shrugged. “Brett’s a recent ex. He broke up with me tonight. I guess he didn’t expect me to take him seriously.”