Page 19 of Kill for a Kiss

I hold on tighter than I probably need to, but the rush of speed makes me act on instinct, as he drives us out of the estate and into the connected road.

The wind whips past us, sending loose strands of my hair flying. But all I can focus on is the way his body moves with the bike, the way it feels like I’m in sync with him.

“You still with me back there, Elle?” Stan calls over his shoulder, his voice cutting through the roar of the wind.

“Yeah…!” I shout through the helmet.

He chuckles, the sound vibrating through my chest. “Didn’t think you’d be this shy. I guess you like playing it safe.”

I bristle at that, tightening my grip. I can’t help the small frown on my lips, glad he can’t see it. “…I can handle a little danger.”

“Oh?” His amusement is unmistakable.

Without warning, he accelerates, the bike surging forward with so much speed that I gasp. My arms instinctively squeeze him, and my chest presses flush against his back. The wind cuts through everything else. The adrenaline rushes in, my heart hammering with it.

Stan laughs, clearly pleased with my reaction. “That’s more like it.”

I should probably be perturbed. But I’m not when the thrill sends a wave of electricity through me.

“See?” he teases. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”

I don’t trust my voice enough to answer. Instead, I focus on the rhythm of the road, the way Stan moves with it, completely in control.

He leans the bike sharply to one side, weaving between lanes speedily. My heart jumps to my throat when the bike tilts a bit more, just enough that it feels like we might tip. But we don’t. Stan straightens out right in time, the motion smooth and confident.

I can feel his laughter through his back. “That scare ya?”

“No,” I lie, my pulse racing. My fingers dig into his shirt. “But please warn me next time.”

“Oh, come on,” he whines. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Before I can protest, he revs the engine again, picking up speed. The bike surges forward again, the wind whipping against me like it’s trying to rip the air out of my lungs.

My stomach drops as he lifts the front wheel slightly off the asphalt, a controlled wheelie that lasts only long enough to make me squeeze him even more.

I feel his chuckle. “Hold on, Elle. Don’t want you falling for me too hard.”

The thrill takes over, and I’m not sure how to stop it. Or if I even want to. The rush is too intense to think about anything else.

Stan slows down slightly, easing off the throttle. “Alright.” His voice is full of mischief. “I’m feeling generous. I’ll warn ya this time.”

“Warn me about what…?” I manage to ask, breathless.

He doesn’t answer with words. Instead, he shifts his weight, and then the world spins around me. He takes a sharp, calculated turn that makes my heart leap.

My breath falters. Fear and exhilaration collide in an intense wave. Stan’s laughter fills my ears, unrestrained, and I can feel it in my chest. It’s pure and unfiltered, like the speed itself is something he’s addicted to. I can see why.

“Still with me?” he calls over the wind.

Unexpectedly, I laugh. It bursts out of me, breathless and giddy. The reckless freedom of it all hits me like another wave.

“Yeah,” I manage to get out between breaths. “But this is insane.”

I can hear the grin in his voice. “Yeah, but you love it!”

And maybe, I do. But I don’t have time to figure out why, because the next second, he speeds up even more.

The wind rips against my helmet so violently I can barely catch my breath.