Having Ariel on the back of my Harley was becoming as natural as breathing. I loved the feel of her thighs pressed against my back. She moved with me, leaning into the curves and every tiny correction I made. If she gave me a chance, I’d take her somewhere far away tonight. Somewhere I could keep her all to myself. For now though, I just got to take her home.

I pulled into her driveway on Mulberry Street. When I came here last night, it had been full dark. Now the sun hadn’t completely set. The place was beautiful. Perfect. Just like her. It was one of the older ones in this part of town. If my old place had been built in the forties, Ariel’s had probably been here twenty or thirty years before that. She’d taken care to restore the brick exterior and used wood for the windows. It gave the place back its original charm.

She climbed off the back of the bike and took a step back. I could see her wheels turning as she decided whether to let me in or just wave me off. More than anything, I wanted to wrap my arm around her waist and plant a kiss on her that would curl her toes. Already I knew her body. I knew what made her gasp. My dick tightened just thinking about it.

“If I let you in, will you behave yourself?” she asked. It was as if she could read my damn mind.

“You sure that’s what you want?” I couldn’t resist. Color came into her cheeks and her eyes flashed with desire. But Ariel held back. She pursed her lips into a tight line. I put my hands up in surrender.

“Yes,” I said, dismounting. “I can be a choirboy when I need to.”

Ariel raised a ruddy brow. “I find that hard to believe. I need a shower. Then we’ll talk.”

She turned and went up the walkway. She’d planted flowers all the way up. Fumbling for her keys, she pushed the door in with her shoulder. I stepped inside. The blush that started in her cheeks moved down to her chest as she turned to face me. Last night, we hadn’t gotten past the foyer. Ariel had gotten so wet so fast for me. I knew if I touched her now, she’d do the same.

“You can hang out in the living room,” she said, pointing through an arched entryway. The first floor was laid out in almost a circle. The living room led into the dining room. A left turn from there took you into the kitchen then straight back here to the foyer again. The stairs to the upper floor came down from the back of the kitchen. I clasped my hands together in mock prayer and bowed toward her.

“You know,” she said. “I didn’t say I’d go anywhere with you tonight.”

Smiling, I went to her. “You didn’t say you wouldn’t. And I’ve got you this far. So go clean up. Though, I gotta admit, I don’t mind you like this either.”

She laughed. “You’re a bad liar, Chase. I stink. Wait here.”

When she turned, her hair flew behind her like a red banner and she disappeared through the kitchen. Her steps fell heavy as she made her way to the second floor. By the sound of it, she was directly above my head. I had the urge to join her when I heard the shower faucet kick on. But we’d play it her way for now. Because this was always my way. I didn’t date. I never cared to get attached to the women in my life. It worked best that way for both of us. And women like Ariel generally didn’t stick around long enough for it to matter.

She was different though. I’d known that from the second I saw her. I wanted to get to know her. I knew it would be worth my while.

As Ariel clanged around upstairs, I walked through her living room. It was cozy, with mismatched furniture that somehow seemed to fit. I realized Ariel herself was like that. She was a woman working in a man’s world in the roughest parts of Port Azrael. She shouldn’t belong, and yet she did.

She had built-in bookshelves beside her stone fireplace in the center of the room. I found myself drawn to the silver-framed pictures perched there. She had one in black and white of this house when it was probably first built. Another picture showed her crew lined up in front of her shop out by the highway. I realized then, they were probably the closest thing to family she had. Just like my crew. We weren’t blood, but we had bonded in ways that went much deeper. Hell, maybe Ariel and I were more alike than either of us realized. But there was one picture among the group that drove that point home even more.

Ariel was young, maybe no more than eleven or twelve. It was a cheesy, department-store photo with a fake farm background. She stood with who I assumed was her father. She looked like him. He had the same fire in his eyes and russet-colored hair. He stood tall, broad, and handsome. Ariel was smiling in it, but she wasn’t looking at the camera. Instead, she’d leaned back to look up at him. It seemed almost like an outtake, an afterthought. And yet, I could see why someone had it printed. Her father stood behind her, strong and protective.

“My mother had just died,” Ariel said. She’d been quiet as a cat and I jumped as she came up on me. She had a wistful look in her eyes as she looked over my shoulder.

“What were you, twelve?” I put the picture back on the shelf.

“Just,” she said. “She was the one who’d set up the appointment at the mall for that one. We almost didn’t go, but I told my father Mom would want us too. She wanted family photos for Christmas that year. So we went.”

“When did you lose him?” I asked, turning to her.

“A little over a year ago.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. I mean, I miss him every day, but I think he’d be proud of me. In fact, I know he would be. I feel him here.” She went to the window and looked out at the street.

“In this house?”

“Yes. But in this neighborhood. I think I’ve told you. It was always his dream to bring some light back into the north side of Port Azrael. He saw beauty in it when no one else could. Now, little by little, I’m proving him right.”

I went to her. I saw beauty in Ariel I wondered if anyone else could. She was tough because she had to be. But she was vulnerable too. I don’t know why she did, but she’d let me see part of that. I slid my hands around her waist and she leaned back, fitting her head to my chest. She smelled warm and clean. Her hair was still damp and she’d tied it back and braided it. She was simple, natural, perfect. I’d never been with a low-maintenance woman before and I liked it. Hell, I loved it. I wondered if I could love her. Would she let me?

“You’re incredible,” I said. “I’ve only known a few truly strong women in my life. I think you’re one of them.”

Ariel turned in my arms. Her luminous green eyes searched my face. I loved every detail about hers. She had pale skin, kissed by the sun at the bridge of her nose and cheeks. It brought out her freckles.

“Was your mother one of them?” She sucked in a breath after she asked the question, as if she knew the pain it might cause me to answer.

I stepped back, letting Ariel go. I ran a hand over my jaw. Most of the time, when people asked me about my mother, I didn’t answer. After a while, people stopped asking. Even Bear.

“No,” I finally said. I went to the couch along the wall and sat down, running one thumb over the opposite palm. Ariel stayed at the window.

“She wasn’t strong?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Not strong enough. My mother had a bad habit of relying on the wrong guys to take care of her. My father being the worst.”

“You lost them so close together,” she said. My heart jumped and that familiar wall started to go up. How the fuck did she know that?

“I-I’m sorry,” Ariel said. She came toward me, taking careful steps. “I, uh ... I did some research on the house. You know, before I bought it. And you said you’d lived there. It wasn’t hard to put two and two together.”

I felt raw, exposed. My back stiffened and an old anger rose within me. Ariel was bold though. She came to me, putting a light hand over mine as she took a seat next to me.

Who was this woman? If anyone else had asked me these questions or said what she’d said, hell, if it were a guy, I might have decked him. She was different though. Still, old habits die hard and the walls went up.

“My mother was a whore,” I said. Ariel blanched, but she didn’t pull away. Give it time, I thought. Straightening in my seat, I looked at her. My unflinching stare became a dare. How far could I go before Ariel pulled away?

“She stripped for the club,” I said. “We owned The Dude Ranch when it was downtown.”

“Right,” Ariel said. “Down by the docks. Cups is there now.”

“She hooked up with my old man. He was a real loser. All he did was make her promises he never kept. That house was one. It was a mess when they bought it. Year after year he told her he was gonna fix it up himself. He’d start projects he didn’t finish. Rip holes in the wall or the floor where he was going to fix the electrical or build her a hot tub and he’d leave it like that. Wrecked. Exposed. Unfinished. Whatever. He just made more of a mess. Everything he touched turned to shit. He got her hooked on drugs, then he turned her out. Real pedigree, I come from.”

Ariel’s smile was kind, not judgmental. Still, I bristled. And still, she didn’t pull her hand away from my knee.

“Enough,” I said. “This is what the north side is.”

“I don’t believe that,” she said. “You and I both know better.”

“What do you know?” I asked. “You lost your mama cuz she got sick. I’m not saying that’s any easier, but it’s different.”

“You’re right.” Ariel finally pulled away, but she didn’t break my gaze. “It’s not easier. And my father was wonderful. He stayed. He taught me a skill. He gave me my passion and the means to follow it. He made me who I am.”

“Yeah. My daddy made me who I am too.”

“And who is that?”

Fuck. I came here tonight for ... something else. I wanted Ariel. Badly. But I knew from the start she was more than what I was used to. Now that she was showing me exactly how much, an old anger rose like barbed wire around my heart.

“I’m exactly what you think I am.” The words came out with a dark tone. Ariel flinched. Color came back into her cheeks.

“You don’t know what I think.”

“Yeah? Why’d you let me take you home last night? Why’d you let me in? What were you looking for?”

She narrowed her eyes, defiant. “And exactly what are you looking for now, Chase? What does that even mean ... Chase. What are you chasing?”

“Tail,” I blurted out. I was an asshole. But I couldn’t stop myself.

Ariel laughed at me. “I don’t think so. You going to sit there and tell me I was the best you ever had? You just had to come back for more?”

She cut right through me. Dammit. Who was this girl? “You think I’m some fixer-upper?” I challenged her right back. “Can’t be done, baby. I’m not lookin’ to change.”

Ariel got even bolder. Something smoldered between us and it was more than just lust. She reached for me, putting a hand on my cheek. “You might not be looking to change, but you’re looking for a change.”

I brought a hand up and circled it around her wrist. There was a moment. A beat. I saw the hunger in her eyes. If I were a mind reader, I just knew I’d find the scene from last night in the hallway playing out again for her. She’d taunted me. It had been a throwaway comment. Was she the best I’d ever had? Fuck. Maybe.

I moved first. I pulled Ariel to me. She sank into the kiss; a little groan escaped from her mouth. I wanted her more than any other woman. That was true. At the same time, I knew she’d make me give more than any other woman. In that brief moment, I had no idea if I was worthy.

I let her go. Her eyes searched mine, still lit with fire. “Chase,” she gasped.

I ran a thumb over her cheekbone. She was so soft, so warm. She’d be mine for the taking. “You’re right,” I said. “It’s been a long day.”

I can’t believe I did it, but I found the strength to stand up and let her go. She’d asked me what I wanted from her. The answer became a drumbeat straight through my heart.

Everything.