Page 20

I scowled and pushed his hand away; he easily let me go, but then snapped his fingers in my face to make me focus on him again.

“Last I checked, we’re not plenty of people. I want your eyes on mine. You got that, brat?”

It sounded like he’d left somethin hangin off his sentence, but I knew Grimm well enough that if he didn’t elaborate the first time, he wouldn’t be goin back to amend his words.

Besides, he’d just called me brat. I didn’t think I’d ever hear that nickname again. To be honest, I’d hated it, but ya know somethin? Brat sounded a helluva lot better than Arlen at the moment.

“I don’t have to go number one or number two,” I answered, holdin his gaze a full seven seconds—I counted.

“That’s an improvement, but you could’ve just said you don’t have to take a shit.”

“I don’t talk like you, Grimm.”

“Clearly,” he grunted, going to the saddlebag on the opposite side of his bike.

“You shouldn’t have an issue looking people in the eye. Why would you want to hide that face of yours?”

I blinked. Was that sarcasm? If he’d just complimented me, I might still be daydreamin. When I just stared at him like an illiterate fool, he opened the bag and pulled out a pile of clothing.

He wordlessly held the bundle in his hands, waiting for me to get off his Harley and put it on right there on the side of the road. I climbed down, feeling like I’d just stepped in a bowl of Jell-O.

“Careful,” he warned, shooting a hand out to steady me by grabbing my shoulder.

“I’m good,” I said after a few seconds, taking the small pile from him. I sorted everything out, surprised to find a pair of underwear and a bra folded inside the dark green tank top.

Seeing as we were on the shoulder and out in the open, I dressed as quick as I could.

I slipped the black underwear on, then the fitted charcoal pants. Next were the brown leather combat boots. A pair of socks had been shoved down inside them. I reckoned Cali was to thank for all the extras—the girl had smarts.

Once the shoes were laced, I pulled Grimm’s hoodie over my head and turned around, giving him my back as I took off the slip and clasped the matching bandeau bra.

Little bumps peppered my skin as it was exposed to the night air. Snagging the tank top, I hurriedly added that last, and tried to ignore the feel of Grimm’s eyes on me the entire time.

“What now?” I asked, turning to face him the second I was decent.

“I have to go into the city—”

“You ain’t leavin me,” I butted in.

“Never planned on leaving you, brat, I just thought you’d like to be dressed before we went.”

That was logical. “Oh, well, here.”

“Keep it.” He ignored his outstretched hoodie and climbed back on his bike.

Shruggin my shoulders, I pulled it back over my head, pushing the sleeves up as best I could, and then climbed back on behind him, try

ing not to pay much attention to how sore my ass had become.

This was nothin compared to what it’d felt like…whenever that incident was. He gunned his engine again and we were off, leaving my slip of ruined material behind us.

Chapter Eight

She didn’t need to hold me so tight, but I wasn’t going to stop her.

This was the only time I’d had a woman sitting on the back of my bike instead of dragging them behind it. Being held like this was different, but not as intolerable as I’d imagined.

I tried not to think about it too much, how right it felt. I focused on wondering why I’d said what I had. I’d been trying to tell her she had too pretty a face to hide it away.