The Girl's Got Secrets (Forbidden Men #7)(98)

Behind me, Elisa tensed, and I realized how truly lame it was to keep trying to hide her from view. Caroline obviously knew she was there. I stepped slightly to the side and yet kept just as close to her.

“Caroline, this is Elisa,” I introduced.

“Elisa?” Caroline echoed slowly before nodding and waving. “It’s nice to meet you.” Then she turned to me. “You know, maybe you can give Elisa a ride home since I just saw the person she came with leave without her.”

Elisa tensed against me again but said nothing.

I frowned. “Really? That’s awful.” I glanced at Elisa, not sure how to tell her she’d just been stranded here. Then I asked Caroline. “Hey, do you know any Spanish?”

“Huh?” She blinked at me, then shook her head. “Nope, not a word, sorry.” She waved and backed toward the door before reopening it and beginning to leave. “Don’t you two do anything I wouldn’t.” And she was gone.

“Dammit,” I muttered, panicking a little because I had no idea how to tell the girl next to me that she’d been left behind or even ask how to get her home.

She breathed out a small sigh as she slipped off the table and straightened her skirt down around her legs.

Realizing I had a whole heap of other problems, I ran my hands through my hair. “Christ, I am so sorry,” I told her. “I can’t believe I just...right here, in public like this. And I broke your underwear. I swear I’ll replace them. And...” The words stalled on my tongue when she looked up.

“Jesus,” I murmured. “I still want to f*ck you so bad.” Quickly, I lifted my hands. “But I won’t. I’ll behave. I promised a very good friend that I’d keep my hands off you. So...Remy! That’s it.” I snapped my fingers. “I bet he knows where you live. Don’t worry. I’ll call him, and I’m sure he’ll come pick you up and get you home safe and sound.”

As I tore my phone from my pocket, Elisa opened her purse and yanked out her own cell phone as well. I’m not sure what she did, but she didn’t call anyone. Seconds later, Remy’s phone went straight to voice mail.

“Fuck,” I whispered. Didn’t he know I was trying to be a good boy and not touch his cousin...any more than I already had? I ran my hand through my hair. “How the hell am I supposed to get you home if neither of us understands a word the other says?”

She must’ve sensed the distress on my face because she stepped toward me and lifted her hand to touch my cheek. I closed my eyes and bowed my head, trying to resist it. But her fingers were so soft and gentle. When she reached up on tiptoes to kiss my cheek, I shifted my face so that our lips brushed instead.

Closing her eyes, she clutched my shirt at the shoulders. “Tu casa,” she whispered.

Remembering casa meant house from my high school Spanish class and tu was you, I figured she’d just asked to come home with me.

Resistance was futile. I wanted her too damn bad, so I nodded. “Okay. You can come home with me.”

I had no idea if she understood any of what I’d just said. But she came willingly when I took her hand. We continued to interlock fingers as I walked her out to my Triumph. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever held hands with a woman before. It felt nice. Warm. Cozy.

I kissed her knuckles when we reached my bike. If she was surprised to see that she had to ride on a motorcycle, she didn’t show it as I swung my leg over the side and got it started. Then I pointed out the parts she needed to avoid and where she could rest her feet.

Her high heels posed a problem, but she soon solved it by slipping them off and climbing on behind me barefoot. She snuggled up against my back, tightly trapping my hips between her thighs, and enfolded her arms around my waist before smashing her breasts to my spine as if she were born to ride this way. I figured she’d done this before, which reassured me.

I didn’t have a helmet for either of us; I never wore one when putting around town. But she didn’t seem to mind, so I covered her hands at my waist briefly before putting us into gear.

The breeze was cool and she shivered against me, making me feel crappy since I didn’t have a jacket to offer her.

Thank God I didn’t live too far away. But it still took me longer than I wanted it to since I drove easy. By the time I pulled down my alley, she was an ice cube, her teeth chattering and arms quivering from trembling so bad.

“Don’t worry,” I assured her, waiting for her to slip on her shoes before helping her slide off behind me. “We’ll get you warm soon.”

Then I took her hand again as I led her to the dark opening of my place. My stairwell and her shoes concerned me, but I kept close and led her down each step. “Last one,” I breathed, growing nervous as she stepped into my apartment.

But f*ck. I shouldn’t have brought her here. I kept remembering how the last person who’d been in my place was Sticks and how I’d assured him I’d stay away from this very woman.

I was breaking that promise all to hell, probably even breaking our friendship in the process. But even as I worried about his reaction, I swiped a blanket off my bed and brought it to Elisa so I could wrap it around her shoulders.

She gazed up at me and just like that, I was swept under again.

Damn it, I wasn’t usually this easy. I knew how to say no, and I’d done it a lot lately. But all those months of no sex, of not being able to thrust into a hot willing *, of needing to be touched...it wore on me. And besides, this was her, the very girl who’d caused me to jerk off more than usual lately, ever since I’d first seen her in my shower. Naked. The chemistry I experienced around her was off the charts.