Just Kidding (SWAT Generation 2.0 #1)(12)

I looked at the hat and took a step away.

“I picked it up at a truck stop,” I admitted. “I had one of those beanies on, but it looked absolutely ridiculous seeing as it was seventy degrees out.”

I didn’t see the smile that lit Dax’s face.

Nor did I see the way his eyes warmed at my comment.

“I like it,” he said. “It’s pretty comfy, too.”

When I looked at him again, he was wearing my hat, but backward.

I stared.

It looked better on him, too.

“Ready?” he asked.

I nodded once then eyed the bike that he wanted me to plant my ass on.

Dax mounted the bike with an effortlessness that was surprising for his size.

Then he offered me his hand and waited.

I took his proffered hand and tried to ignore the heat that seeped into me at where we were connected.

It was only a handhold.

It lasted all of five seconds while I mounted the bike behind him.

But it was everything.

For those five seconds, I pretended that I was his.

That my hand in his was where it was supposed to be.

When I finally settled on the seat behind him, I was unsure where to put my feet.

But before I could ask, he pointed to some foot pegs that I’d have never seen if he hadn’t pointed them out.

Once my feet were in place, he started the bike, and my entire body started to vibrate.

I didn’t let the ‘holy shit’ out of my mouth, but it was a very close thing.

“Hold on to me,” he ordered.

I placed my hands on his sides, and he laughed.

“No, hold on,” he ordered, then he showed me what he wanted me to do by taking my hands and wrapping them around him as far as they would go.

Due to the angle of my body and the short length of my arms, they didn’t touch, his chest was just that wide.

Or maybe I was just that small.

“Ready?” Dax called out.

“Yep.” I swallowed hard.

I wasn’t ready at all.

The awkward angle was making my back hurt, and I could see men gathering in the parking lot watching us.

There was no doubt in my mind that my father would hear about this from at least one of the five cops that were watching us now.

Dax ignored everyone and walked the bike backward out of the parking spot.

Once he had it as far as he needed it to go, he tapped something with his foot and started forward.

The sensation of falling had me scooting forward as far as I could go—as far as his gun belt would allow me to get.

Let’s just say it wasn’t the most comfortable thing in the world to have whatever was on his back shoved up against my belly and ribs.

But I made do so that I could be closer to him.

When he took the turn out of the parking lot, I felt a lot more stable.

I also felt his chest start to shake as he laughed.

“What?” I asked.

“I’m not going to let you get hurt,” he promised.

I smiled.

“Thanks,” I said. “I’m just nervous.”

He looked at me over his shoulder and winked.

If he wouldn’t have already made his intentions perfectly clear, I would’ve smiled. Thought more into this than there was to think about.

As it was, I knew he was doing my dad a solid.

When the chief of police asked you to do something, you did it, whether you wanted to do it or not.

I wasn’t kidding myself.

I knew that had my dad not asked him to, he wouldn’t have spared a single look my way.

That was what happened with Rowen Roberts.

People ignored me.

I was a quiet woman that was rather thin.

I didn’t have much meat on my bones and the only thing I had going for me was my hair.

So now that that particular feature was gone, what did I have to offer?

Nothing.

When we finally arrived at my parents’ place, I’d gone almost numb behind Dax.

When he pulled to a stop and took his feet off the pegs to place them on the ground, I was already scrambling off.

After hastily yanking the helmet off my head, I handed it to him with a tight smile.

“Thank you,” I said stiffly.

His eyes met mine.

“Did you enjoy the ride?” he wondered.

I stopped, contemplating whether I’d enjoyed it or not.

I honestly hadn’t, but not because of the ride itself, but because of where my mind had wandered while we’d ridden.

“Yes,” I finally settled on, not wanting to upset him in any way since he’d done me a favor and taken me home. “It was okay.”

His eyes sparkled as he took the hat off and handed it to me.

I eyed the hat that would never look that good on my head, then waved it back at him.

“Keep it,” I said. “It was too big for my head anyway.”

Dax dropped his hand, his forearm still holding the hat coming to a rest on his thick, hard thigh.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” he asked.

I frowned, unsure why he was asking.

“Umm,” I hesitated. “Hopefully going to find a job and a place to live. I left mine.”

He tilted his head. “You don’t have a job lined up?”

I read between the lines.