Linda
“Do… do you really mean that?” I asked, my heart thumping hard. Had he really just said that he loved me? I tried to look into his eyes for confirmation, but suddenly, he pulled away from me.
“Look, just forget it. Forget I said anything.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “You probably just want to go home.”
“Kyle.” I grabbed his cheek, turning his head toward me. “Tell me what you said.” My heart had never beaten so fast. I held my breath, waiting for him to respond. “Please…”
“I said… I love you.” He repeated, his cheeks turning a subtle shade of pink.
So he had said it! My eyes widened and before I could stop myself, I threw my arms around his neck and pulled him close. “I… I love you too…” The words were difficult to utter as my brain was screaming at me, urging me to be rational, but I was done ignoring my heart. I loved this man – more than I loved anything else in the world and I wasn’t about to let him slip away from me. I tightened my grip on him, feeling like I never wanted to let him go.
His body was tense for a moment before he wrapped his arms around me, his hands moving up and down my back. When he finally pulled away, there was a bright smile on his face. He leaned down, kissing the top of my head, sending butterflies swirling inside my stomach. I giggled, happier than ever before.
“C’mon. Let’s get back to the warehouse before someone figures out that I posted your bail.”
“What do you mean?”
“If Daniel came after you once, he won’t hesitate to do it again.”
“You really think he would do that?”
“I don’t think – I know. Men like Daniel are not to be trusted. They’ll stoop to any low to get what they want. That’s why he waited until you were all alone to come after you.”
“But what does he want?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. If I had to guess, I would say he’s after some kind of power trip. He wants to be in charge of a motorcycle club and the only way he knows how to do that is by killing the current leader. Then, by pinning it on me he would have free reign over the town. But truthfully, I couldn’t care less what his little ego wants. All that matters is that you’re safe now and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that it stays that way.” He pulled me tight into his arms, running his fingers through my hair. I shivered in delight, closing my eyes as my cheek rested against his chest. I could hear the soft sound of his heart and it made me smile, knowing that heart beat for me.
“Let’s go home.” I looked up at him from under my eyelashes.
“Do you mean your apartment…?” He raised an eyebrow, still holding me by the hips.
“Wherever you go, I go,” I whispered. “I’m done pretending that you don’t belong in my life. You’ve changed me too much for me to go back to the life I once had.”
“Are you sure?” He brushed his fingers against my cheek, caressing it softly. “I wouldn’t want to get in the way of you and your dreams.”
“I’ve always wanted to be a lawyer, but before all that, when I was a little girl, reading fairytales and stories, I always wanted to be the princess that found her knight in shining armor and I think I finally did… even if he wears a leather jacket instead of chainmail.” I winked at him and we both laughed. He kissed me one more time before he hoisted me onto the back of his bike.
I wrapped my arms around him once he was seated, nuzzling against him until our bodies locked together like two pieces of a puzzle. The engine of his bike roared underneath us, sending a spark of excitement shooting right through me. Maybe I was finally warming up to motorcycles – maybe deep down, I was learning to enjoy them.
Kyle sped out of the parking lot, weaving through traffic. I held on tight, closing my eyes whenever he made a sharp turn. “Have you still not gotten used to my riding?”
“It’s not something that happens overnight,” I shouted at him over the roar of the bike.
“You’ll get used to it. If you say you love me… then you’ll have to learn to love bikes as well. Hell, maybe one day you’ll even learn to ride them.”
“I doubt that. Plus, I much rather you drive. I like sitting behind you… my arms wrapped around you… our bodies close together.”
“Do you now?” I could hear a hint of playfulness in his voice as he gave the engine a bit more gas, sending us flying down the road. The excitement that had initially crawled under my skin was now spreading to every inch of my body, causing my fingertips to shake.
The wind whipped my hair all around me and I held on a little tighter. For a moment, it felt like I was gliding over the air. I enjoyed the sensation, knowing deep down, that my world was about to take a very dramatic turn. I had fallen in love with a biker. I had attacked a man – landed in jail – and probably lost all credibility as a lawyer, but none of that bothered me now that I had Kyle by my side.