Page 14 of Just Heartbeats (Royalla Motorcycle Club #1)

Mid-summer heat filled the garage. Sweat beaded on Kodiak's forehead.

He flexed his shoulders underneath his T-shirt and thought about taking off his leather vest to cool off.

The whir of the overhead fan provided no relief, and on top of their regular jobs, they had a shipment of chopped parts scheduled to go out tomorrow.

A blast of air rolled over him. He looked to his left. Roma stood in the doorway, aiming the standing fan he'd given her the previous week, which was intended for her to use when the days got longer and there was no relief from the heat.

"You look hot." She raised one brow.

"I gave the fan to you."

"You can use it while I go inside and see if Baker has any of those cinnamon rolls left for my lunch." She raked her teeth over her bottom lip. "Do you want anything to eat?"

His balls throbbed. "Nah, I'm good."

She stepped forward. Every muscle in his body tensed, bracing for impact.

She stopped shy of touching him. He could feel the heat rolling off her that no fan could hide.

Her fingers toyed with the edge of the rag in his hand, then curled around his wrist. She tugged it gently from his grasp, thumb skimming over his skin.

Deliberate.

Teasing.

His breath locked in his chest. He could feel himself getting pulled toward her. Many of the women who visited the clubhouse came on to him in the same way. That kind of teasing came with intentions.

"What's got into you today?" His voice came out rough.

She was danger wrapped in a skimpy pair of shorts and a crop top. He was never going to make it through summer with her prancing around.

Roma shrugged. Her shoulder brushed his arm as she leaned in and peered at the mess of parts on the bench. "Bored. Hungry."

That earned her a half-grunt. But the sound caught in his chest when she pressed her palm to his forearm, thumb circling absentmindedly, drawing him in with strokes he felt deeper than his skin.

He stilled. The daisies tattooed on her wrists hypnotized him as she leaned closer. He knew everything about Roma, except this side of her. And because he hadn't seen that side of her, he wasn't prepared.

His thoughts tangled and knotted. His body reacted instantly. She knew exactly what she was doing, and that surprised him.

His heartbeat drummed like a warning bell behind his ribs. He leaned in, wanting to test her. Then—

Clang.

A wrench hit the floor like a gunshot.

Roma jerked back. Kodiak's fists clenched instinctively. They both turned.

Hunter stood in the open bay of the garage, a grin pulling at his lips. Kodiak stayed half-turned, hiding his semi-hard cock from his MC brother. The last thing he needed was anyone thinking Roma was responsible for getting him worked up.

"I'm going in for lunch. Do you want anything, Hunter?" She dragged her gaze off Kodiak and looked at the Royalla member.

Hunter put his hand to his ear. Roma left his side and approached Hunter, talking louder. "Lunch. Do you want something?"

Hunter shook his head. "No, thanks."

Roma turned, smiled at Kodiak, and sashayed her ass out of the garage. He fisted the rag in his hand. She was out to kill him.