Rev It Up (Black Knights Inc. #3)(49)

Jake pushed the guy’s bike up beside him and bent to hand him his helmet. The poor bastard’s hands were shaking so bad he could barely take it.

“Look,” Jake told him. “This was a mistake.” He opened his wallet and withdrew a handful of benjamins. “Here’s some green to take care of any damage to your bike’s paint.”

The kid looked at the money like it might be poison. Jake rolled his eyes and shoved it into the front pocket of the young man’s motorcycle jacket. “Now, get outta here,” he commanded.

And, yo, the dude didn’t need to be told twice. He immediately pushed the start button on his handlebars and whimpered when the Harley only coughed. Jake rolled in his lips and prayed for patience. The kid tried again, and this time the bike came to life.

Jake watched him peel out of the alley and turned back toward the dumpster, shaking his head.

What a goatscrew…

***

Okay, and now it’s official. I’m doomed…

Because watching Jake get physical and rough up that guy should’ve turned Michelle’s stomach. And it did, just not in the way it was supposed to…

Because instead of feeling sick at the near violence, her belly felt like it’d been on a roller coaster of delight, and she couldn’t help but think how unbelievably sexy he was.

Crap, crap, crap!

“What was that all about?” she asked as she emerged from behind the dumpster, thumbing the safety back on the little pistol.

“Two cats and now a motorcycle fanatic,” Jake muttered, shaking his head. “But I guess it’s better to have false alarms than actual threats.”

“A motorcycle enthusiast?” she asked, incredulous. “That’s who was following us?”

“Yeah.” Jake ran a hand through his hair as he took the pistol from her and returned it to his ankle holster. Straightening, he swung onto Viper and motioned with his chin that she should mount up behind him.

“I think I’ve had about all the excitement I can stand for one night,” she told him, crossing her arms inside his thick motorcycle jacket, trying to ignore the smell lingering in the leather. “I’m going to hail a cab.”

“Really?” The look he gave her would’ve curdled milk. “We’re going to go through this again?”

“Jake—”

“Just get on the damned bike, Shell. I’m not in the mood to argue.”

He wasn’t in the mood to argue? He wasn’t in the mood to—

“Fine,” she spat. Because, truth be known, she wasn’t in the mood to argue either, especially knowing it’d only end with him forcefully lifting her and setting her on the bike again.

And when her thighs tightened around his hips and her arms slid around his waist, she tried very hard to remember all the reasons why she couldn’t just allow herself to love him. Then he glanced over her shoulder, grinning an I won grin that deepened his dimples, and all she could think was…I’m doomed…





Chapter Ten


“Oh no. No way.”

Jake smiled at the touch of hysteria in Shell’s voice when he cut the engine, pulled off his helmet, and toed out Viper’s kickstand.

“I’m n-not going inside with you,” she sputtered. “Not inside a hotel. You must think I’m crazy!”

“What?” He grinned at her over his shoulder, loving the way the too-large helmet pressed her hair down over her eyes and the way she kept blowing at it. “You know I’m a man of my word. I promised you no shenanigans, so there’ll be no shenanigans. Unless you’re worried you won’t be able to keep your hands off me once you have me all alone in a room?”

“In your dreams.”

“You have no idea,” he grumbled, swinging from the bike.

“Huh?”

“Nothing.” He extended a hand. “Come on. Up you go.”

“I said no.” She crossed her arms mutinously, and the sight of her, swathed in his thick jacket, hair all in her eyes, bare, mile-long legs straddling Viper’s seat, was almost enough to have him rethinking this entire idea.

He hadn’t brought her here to seduce her. He’d brought her here so they could talk. Just talk. Without the ever-hovering specter of interruption by a three-year-old boy.

And yeah, he supposed he could’ve taken her to a quiet spot for a drink, but then he’d be watching the door and the other patrons, constantly surveying his surroundings, scanning for threats. And he didn’t want to do that. Nope. He wanted to give Shell 100 percent of his attention. Because there were so many things he needed to say. Things he needed her to understand.

“What are you staring at?” she demanded, reaching up to remove the helmet and shake her hair loose. The move was unconsciously sexy and despite his intentions to the contrary, his dick perked up at the sight—the thing never did pay any attention to his intentions.

“I’m staring at the most beautiful woman in the world,” he said, letting his eyes wander down the incredible length of her legs again.

She rolled her lovely eyes, pursing her lips until he wanted nothing more than to nibble on them right before he reached under that tiny skirt and—

Christ, Sommers, you better check that right here, right now. That’s not why you brought her here.