Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 154037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 770(@200wpm)___ 616(@250wpm)___ 513(@300wpm)
He grunted.
I laughed. “Sorry about that. Otto here thought he needed to keep an extra eye out for me today.”
I lowered my voice on the last.
Worry pinched her face, and she glanced around. “Did something happen to your shop again?”
I blew out a sigh. “No, but some jerk came sniffing around Otto’s place and broke a window.”
I left out the shooting part. No question, that was information Otto did not want anyone else to know.
Shock ripped out of her. “What the hell?”
“I know. It’s super annoying. But, of course, this guy thinks he needs to go all papa bear on me.” I hooked a thumb in his direction.
“Well, it’s good you have someone looking out for you.” She widened her eyes, her message clear.
Especially him.
“It is good, isn’t it?” I looked at Otto when I said it, and he grunted again, roughing one of those massive, tatted hands through his hair as he shifted in impatience. I turned back to Sienna. “We’d better go. This guy gets hangry if he doesn’t eat by six, and you don’t want to see him reach that point.”
She giggled. “I can only imagine.”
She rushed forward for another hug, mumbling, “Be safe.”
“I will. I’ll still see you on Saturday at Kane’s, right?”
“If it’s still happening, then absolutely yes.”
“Um, yes, it is absolutely still happening.” I cut Otto a warning look to stop him before he spouted something ridiculous like we were canceling.
The one he sent me back was pure disbelief.
This wouldn’t be the last I heard about it.
“Okay, I’ll see you then.”
“Bye,” I called as she ambled away, watching her go as I felt the heat of Otto’s stare searing into the side of my cheek. I made sure to maintain all the sass I could muster when I turned back to him.
“You don’t actually think we’re going to celebrate my birthday on Saturday when all this bullshit is goin’ down, do you?” he gritted.
Taking a step toward him, I touched his chest as I murmured, “Yes, Otto, I very much plan on celebrating you.”
I let my fingertips brush down his abdomen as I pulled away, dipping low enough that I nearly touched the bulge still evident in his pants.
He growled as he took a lumbering step forward, his head angling down so close to mine, my senses swelling with his scent.
Patchouli and warm apple pie.
“Watch it, darlin’. You don’t want to push me to the edge.”
Oh, but driving him to the edge was precisely what I intended to do.
FORTY-TWO
OTTO
Fuck, this woman was set on doing me in. Driving me out of my ever-lovin’-mind. Her hot as sin body tucked up close to my back, those bare thighs that were exposed by that godforsaken dress wrapped around the outside of mine. Tits I’d finally gotten a good taste of plastered against my back.
Could feel her dress flapping in the wind, could scent her breaths that she exhaled at my neck, could sense her arousal as she curled herself around me as my bike carried us up the mountain.
I kept my speed contained, though we were still going fast enough that the trees whisked by in green flashes as we hugged the curves.
The powerful engine a roar in our ears.
The road a blur beneath us and the sky a blaze of oranges and pinks strewn across the fading blue.
Here…here was where I found peace.
Freedom.
A feeling of completion.
The open road and this woman tacked to me on the back of my bike.
Which shouldn’t give me so much satisfaction considering she didn’t belong to me, but I was having a harder and harder time thinking of her as anything but that.
Mine.
Her arms tightened around my waist as I took an especially sharp curve, though I could feel the exhilaration roll through her body.
Raven loved it.
Being on the back of my motorcycle like she was cut from the cloth. Hewn from the metals.
I was sure it was here that she felt all of those freedoms, too. In sync with me on the open road.
I slowed when I finally approached the turn-off to my place, and I made the right onto the dirt drive. My attention remained keen, searching through the forest that grew up tight along the path, searching for any sign that the motherfucker had returned.
It was quiet. Exuding that peace, and I relaxed a bit, sure that Raven and I were alone.
We wound down the hill and back up the other side to where my cabin was tucked in the woods. The metal and glass glinted with the rays of sunlight that pierced through the tops of the trees.
Coming to a stop, I stretched my boots out to balance us as I grabbed my phone from my pocket and tapped into the app to turn off the alarm and lift the garage door. The metal rolled up, and I pulled my bike into its spot and killed the engine.