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KNIGHT

T hree days, I’ve been her tail. Following from the shadows when permitted, and on my bike when they didn’t.

And the longer I keep my eyes on her, the happier I am to do it.

Personal reasons aside, if she hasn’t noticed me following her around, I can’t risk that she wouldn’t notice someone smaller.

Callahan springs to mind, a rat who scurries around with bad intentions.

But what scares me most is that he’s too smart to approach her out in the open. Especially now, with me on his case.

He won’t make a move until he knows he can corner her.

And I’m not going to let that happen.

So, I follow her. From dorm to school and back again. Most nights are late. Lora likes to spend time after classes at the library to study longer. I’ve gotta give the girl credit where it’s due. She’s committed to her cause, and it’s incredibly admirable.

Tonight’s different, though. Instead of spending a late night surrounded by books and study notes, Lora took a cab out of our small town and into the big city a half hour’s drive away.

I followed on my motorcycle, loving the open road and hard wind beating against my skin.

Doing nightly drives in Boulder has the benefit of keeping folks safe, but cruising the highway becomes a luxury I can rarely afford.

But the Knight Riders make it a habit of wearing our colors and taking longer trips at least once a month. Gotta keep our faces in the public eye, lest the world think we’ve gone soft.

Her cab stops outside a restaurant, and she quickly disembarks. The place is too fancy for a get-together with the girls on a wild night out, and with the distance involved, something tells me she’s trying to keep them out of these plans.

A romantic engagement? A date? That would make the most sense. Putting distance between whoever’s waiting for her and her sorority.

Ah, fuck.

If I’ve misread the signs, then I’m a dickhead sitting on the back of my bike watching it happen. My heart sinks into my guts, but still I sit. I’ve made it a vow to keep her safe, and with the rest of the Knight Riders on patrol in Boulder, I’ve got all the time in the world.

Hell, am I totally fucked in the head for hoping things go sour with her new partner? That maybe, he fucks up, and she calls me to save her. I can swoop in, knock him around, show her that I’m the only man she needs.

That’ll go a long way in convincing her that I’m the right man for this job…

The right man for her.

“Relax, Knight,” I grumble under my breath. You’re fighting a straw man that doesn’t even exist.

For all I know, she’s here alone. Or meeting her parents to catch up after her first few weeks at Winchester University. There are a number of things that could be happening, and I shouldn’t jump to the first negative conclusion.

But it’s while I deliberate on the vast extent of my current situation that I feel my cellphone buzz in my pocket. An unknown number with a message that reads:

Come in.

Join me for dinner.

If blushing was something I did regularly, I’m sure my cheeks would be red as a tomato now. She’s known the whole time. No doubt set this whole thing up to see if I’d follow her all the way here.

And here I thought she was young, reckless, and stumbling through life without a care in the world. Maybe my concerns about the professor are unfounded after all.

I pocket my phone and head inside. No point delaying the inevitable, and to be honest, I could go for a good meal.

She’s sitting at a table with a bottle of wine and two glasses in front of her when I arrive. A beautifully bright, beaming smile overshadowing the fancy restaurant in which we find ourselves. But inside it radiates a naughtiness I can’t quite place.

“You look beautiful tonight.” There’s no reason to hide my intrigue. This restaurant is too fancy, and her dress is too revealing for me to miss the signals this time. “I feel a little out of place.”

Looking around the main lobby, the rest of the tables are staring straight back. We’re out of my turf, and these people don’t know me. They probably see the leather jacket-wearing tank, with tattoos running across his body, as a criminal. A monster who’s coming to pilfer what belongs to them.

Well, they can rest easy. I’m only here to pilfer one thing—Lora’s heart.

And maybe the soaking treasure between her thighs.

“You shouldn’t.” She gestures to the seat opposite her, and I take it. “Who cares what a bunch of rich snobs think anyway?”

“Definitely not me. But it does make me wonder why you brought us here, of all places.” I raise a brow and cross my arms over my chest.

It takes every ounce of strength I can muster to keep my eyes on hers instead of letting them wander. From my peripheral vision, I can see how deep the neckline of her dress is. How her cleavage spills out the top, inviting my leering without care or concern.

“Because I wanted to see if you’d actually do it,” Lora answers. “Follow me all the way out here.”

A waiter stops by our table and gives me a funny look. I give him one back, and his eyes widen in fear at the sight. Yup, I’m still fully in control here. Their expressions don’t mean much when I’m still the meanest bastard in the room.

“And are you pleased with the answer you’ve gotten?” I ask.

The waiter’s intrusion settles me. Between his awkward gawking to make me know I don’t belong and pouring two glasses of red, he gave me a way out from staring at Lora.

God knows I’d do it for the rest of my life if I could, but right now I don’t want to let myself slip too far off the deep end.

“Yes. Very.” She reaches for her glass of wine.

“I spotted you the next night. At first, I thought I was being silly, since it was right where you scared Callahan off the first time,” she starts.

My logic was sound. A criminal always returns to the scene of the crime, and I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity to fuck him up if he hadn’t heeded my word.

But he never pitched up, and Lora never seemed scared.

I guess things couldn’t have gone bad during the day.

“But I realized it wasn’t just for him when it happened again and again and… ”

She pauses and takes her first sip of the wine. Putting on a display, she extends her arm in a wide angle and presses out her chest to make sure I get a glimpse of what’s waiting beneath it.

“And now we’re here. And buying you dinner is the least I can do, with all you’ve been doing for me.”

“Buying me dinner? No, no, it’s gonna be the other way around.” Chivalry isn’t dead. It’s just hidden beneath layers of taking control.

“Well, that’s too bad, Mr. Knight.” She snickers and ruffles her nose at me. “I squared up before I invited you in.”

A naughty smirk trickles at the corners of my lips. “Well, I hope you know I can eat. A LOT. You might’ve put your wallet in jeopardy.”

“Who said it’s my wallet taking the fall?” She winks at me, and my cock spikes upward.

Good God, we’re lucky it isn’t knocking on the bottom of the table.

I grab the wine glass by the stem and raise it in the air to toast. I’m sure it’s full of some expensive blend that my pedestrian palate wouldn’t be able to appreciate, but who am I to decline a free drink?

“Then a toast to a lovely night in great company,” I say, watching as her face twists into a devious smile.