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Jacqueline’s head snapped up as she pulled away from me, cool humid air brushed through our bodies as her heat left mine.

“Oh thank god,” Jacqueline wheezed, as she slid her hands out from under my clothing. Her fingers scraped against my abs; a movement that made me flex against her touch. As soon as her hands lifted to start working on the clasp, I tried to subtly rearrange the inappropriate bulge in my pants as I hopped off the bike. It was awkward, because Jacqueline stayed in her seat, still struggling to remove her helmet.

“What babyproof garbage is this?” Jacqueline grumbled.

I chuckled, setting my helmet on my seat, before stepping forward and grasping her wrists.

“It’s not childproofed,” I replied, “Let me.” I lowered her hands before taking over the clasp, releasing the latch effortlessly because it truly wasn’t that complicated to do. I gently guided the helmet off her head, and the breath whooshed from my lungs at the sight of her.

Her hands lifted to tuck stray strands of her hair behind her ear, at the same time that her dark brown eyes lifted to meet mine. Her cheeks were flushed, her lips a little glossy and swollen. Was she biting them during the ride over? Was she wearing some sort of lipstick designed to make me want to bend down and suck her bottom one into my mouth?

I took a moment to collect myself, backing away a good step so that she had room to hop off the bike. Though she had given me permission to be intimate with her in the past, it was very clear that permission wasn’t still permitted.

Jacqueline had bent over backward to ensure our relationship stayed strictly professional.

…Unless her hands were cold, then she had full access to anything underneath my clothing.

Yeah…I’d take what I could get.

“How was it?” Mary’s voice echoed across the pavement. I held my arm out to help Jacqueline off the bike, as both of our heads turned to see my cousin and her girlfriend walking hand in hand towards us.

“Fine.” Jacqueline shrugged a shoulder, before releasing my hand and shrugging out of her oversized jacket. I held my hand out to take it, and she draped the material over me before seeing the two helmets in my hands.

“Here, I have yours.” Jacqueline turned around to grab both of our bags out of the basket on the back of the bike.

“It’s okay, you don’t—”

“I’m going to,” Jacqueline shook her head once and shouldered my laptop bag on her back, her purse looped on her arm, “Let’s go, the new hire will be here soon.”

Mary and Jamie were grinning at us as Jacqueline marched past them on her way to the doors.

I lifted an eyebrow at my cousin, who wiggled her eyebrows back at me.

Mary had no idea that Jacqueline and I had an intimate history, which made me give her a questioning look.

“I love riding on the back of Mary’s bike,” Jamie spoke up, ignoring the silent conversation my cousin and I were trying to have.

“Oh?” I asked, jogging ahead in an attempt to get the door before Jacqueline, but I was too slow. She already propped the door open and was holding it for the three of us.

“Yeah,” Jamie sighed as Mary dropped her hand her to lower back, guiding her girlfriend through the threshold first, “At first I was terrified.”

“I understand that,” Jacqueline replied as she waited for me to pass her as well. Then she followed us to the elevators, “I think every muscle in my body has been clenched for the past twenty minutes.”

“Now, though,” Jamie pressed the button to call the lift, “I like it. Every time I get on the bike with her, I want to pat myself on the back for stepping out of my comfort zone.”

I glanced down at Jacqueline, and I got to see how her eyes studied one of our sales reps. Did Jacqueline also appreciate stepping out of her comfort zone? I doubted it. Jacqueline seemed like the kind of person who thrived on routine and familiarity. Trying something new didn’t seem like an easy feat for her, now that I know what she was like on the back of my bike.

Shit, I really should have just driven my car.

“That’s a good point,” Jacqueline lifted her hand and patted herself awkwardly on the shoulder, avoiding my backpack, “Go me.”

Mary snorted as we all stepped onto the lift, “I think it’s important to note that I don’t ride my motorcycle to work, because I’m not an attention-seeking douche.”

I lifted my middle finger at my cousin, dropping my hand just in time before Jacqueline turned around and saw the gesture.

“Leo flipped me off.” Mary pointed at me accusingly with a bored expression, which somehow made Jamie laugh. Jacqueline turned to glance at the two of us, me holding my breath, Mary keeping her deadpan expression perfectly in place.

“…I’ll be sure to add it to the long list of complaints.” Jacqueline shrugged before facing forward again.