Page 22 of Riding Hard

I’m not sure where I expect her to go, but it isn’t to take the longest way possible back to her motel room. Alex also told me where she was staying. I don’t know why, but I expected her to have a place in town, maybe an apartment, not living at the motel. It makes perfect sense that she’s at the motel until she gets settled, but I thought she’d have her own space, no rhyme or reason why.

When she pulls into the motel parking lot, I guide my bike to the spot at the end of the row. She knows I’m there. I’m not trying to hide it, at least not anymore. I need to know why she’s so careful, why she is so wary of her surroundings. There is no way it’s just because she’s a woman on her own.

There is more to this story.

Once my bike is parked, I take my phone out of my pocket and glance at the time. I don’t have much time before I need to pick Cade up from his baseball practice at school.

He’s thrown himself into his new school. He’s not only tried out and made the baseball team, but he’s also joined a couple of clubs. I didn’t even know elementary school had a baseball team, but here we are.

I couldn’t be happier for him, or prouder. He is making friends, getting involved, and a million times better than the kid I was at his age, grades, attitude, and everything else. He’s the version of myself that I wish I were back then. Even though at the time, I would have never been that. If that makes any sense at all.

Shaking off thoughts of Cade, I throw my leg over my bike and shove my phone back in my pocket. She’s standing at her door, her key in hand. Walking toward her, I watch as her body stiffens and her spine straightens. She braces herself.

“Juliette.”

Slowly, she turns, her eyes finding mine, and her lips part. She didn’t expect to see me. I know she didn’t, because as soon as she blinks, her shoulders drop and she relaxes almost instantly.

Yeah, I’m going to get to the bottom of this shit. And fast. I watch as she takes a step back, pressing against the door, before she presses her lips together, her eyes wide as she stares at me.

Instead of just mirroring her stare, I move closer to her, closing the distance between us. Lifting my arm, I place my palm against the warm door, wishing we were inside her cool room, but I’m not going to push anything, at least not until I know what the fuck has her as jumpy as a jackrabbit.

CHAPTER

NINETEEN

JULIETTE

There’s no hiding the quick panting breaths that are coming out of my mouth or the way my chest rises and falls with them. I don’t know why he’s here, and my mouth can’t move, so no word can be formed to ask him. All I can do is stare into his coal-black eyes.

They should scare me.

He should scare me.

But he doesn’t. My tongue peeks out as I slide it across the flesh of my bottom lip, wetting the dryness there. His eyes flick down to my mouth and watch the motion as his nostrils flare.

Wow.

I need to tell him to leave. Demand it, actually. But I don’t. Then his gaze drags up my face, slowly, to connect with mine again. My heart stops beating. It just stops right there in my chest, midbeat.

“Name’s Slade Voss,” he announces.

What a damn name. A great name, really. I don’t think I have ever met anyone with a name that dripped sex until this man. Maybe it’s more because the man himself drips sex, but still, wowza.

“You know my name.”

The words come out, and I feel so stupid for even saying them. Because no shit, he knows my name. He literally said it. And the way he did it was dripping with sex, too. I can’t think when I’m around him. This man makes me feel everything I swore I would avoid for the rest of my life.

“Cornered Alex last night and made him tell me. Also made him tell me where you were staying,” he murmurs.

He keeps his voice so low, his tone so even, that it feels like a warm blanket is being wrapped around me. It makes me feel safe. I know I shouldn’t feel that way about this man, who is a contradiction. He looks scary as hell in this leather, covered in tattoos, riding a bike, and smelling like sex and leather, but the way he speaks, the way he looks at me, I feel safe.

I’m stupid.

I already know this, because I know next to nothing about this man, but maybe I want someone to save me, and I’m allowing myself to feel like this man could be it. He could be the one who can protect me from Victor.

Pressing my lips together in a thin line, I swallow hard because I know I should absolutely not put Slade in the position of being my knight in leather. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to. Because I very much do. It would be selfish and stupid, though.

Right? Yes. Right.