Page 1 of Scorpion (Riders of Retribution #4)

Scorpion

“Flowers, Scorpion? Really?” Throttle asks, grinning at the roses in my hand as he joins me in the parking lot.

I glare at him, resisting the urge to thwack him over the head with the bouquet.

The only reason I bought them is because he asked me to be his sister’s fake boyfriend, and I’m determined to sell this little act in order to get it over with as quickly as possible.

The guy that’s been bothering her might be a creep, but I doubt he’s dumb enough to see me give her a dozen red roses and not realize she’s off limits.

And girls fucking love flowers, don’t they?

“Is there a problem with me taking this assignment seriously?” I spit, working my jaw.

“No, dumbass,” he says with a good-natured laugh that grates at me. “It’s just that I didn’t think you’d be the type to bring your girlfriend flowers.”

“I thought you’d be fucking happy that I’m making an effort for Lilah,” I say gruffly.

Throttle opens his mouth, probably to say something infuriating again, but he’s cut off by his text tone.

I straighten up a little, knowing this is probably the signal from Lilah we’ve been waiting for.

She and Throttle think the best way to deal with her overbearing coworker is to have her “boyfriend” come interrupt their conversation.

Apparently, it didn’t take him long to make his way over to her this morning.

“Yup, that’s your cue,” Throttle says as he pockets his device. “I’ll be out here if you need backup.”

I don’t dignify that with a response, not wanting to give him any ammunition. I need to be happy to see her, to play the part of a doting boyfriend. I can’t do that very well if I’m pissed off at her brother for saying something stupid.

So, with my head held high and a smile that feels forced, I walk into the insurance agency.

I’ve been here before. One of the reasons Lilah has her job here, aside from the fact that she’s qualified, is because the MC uses this place to insure our bikes.

I can’t say if I’ve come in since Throttle’s sister started working the front desk, though.

As soon as I get through the doors, I spot the creep that’s been bothering her.

Despite being well dressed, he looks grimy.

There’s a smile on his face that seems almost sinister.

And, even though there’s nothing wrong with a little facial hair, this man has a patchy mustache above his lip.

I’m pretty sure my grandma could grow a better looking one than that.

I’m so stuck on sizing this man up, deciding I could definitely take his smarmy ass in a fight, that I don’t look at Lilah until I’m nearly at the desk. And goddamn. I should have been looking at her from the beginning. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman so fuckin’ beautiful.

Long, blonde hair hangs around her shoulders.

It’s got a slight curl to it, something she must have done in the mirror before coming in.

Then, she tucks a strand behind her ear, lifting her head to meet my gaze and my cock pulses with want that I know better than to act on.

But shit, those blue eyes, somehow sparkling under the crappy fluorescent lighting, draw me in like a moth to a flame.

The man doesn’t even seem to notice that I’m here, continuing to spout off at the mouth about god knows what. He’s like a mosquito, annoying and sucking the life right out of the room. It isn’t until I clear my throat that he shuts up.

“Here for a quote?” he asks, putting on his best approximation of a professional voice.

Even if I didn’t see the way he was talking to the gorgeous girl behind the desk, I wouldn’t trust him. I can tell this man regularly upsells clients on shit they don’t need. He probably takes advantage of the elderly customers that walk through the doors; I know his type.

“No,” I say, my voice harsh enough that I crack his facade for a second. “I’m actually here to see my girlfriend.”

“Oh yeah?” he says, smiling at Lilah in a proprietary way. God, I should punch him right here. “And who’s that? I’m sure this pretty little thing can get her up here for you in no time.”

I ignore him, turning back to Lilah with a smile that no longer feels forced.

She returns it, and immediately I decide that I’ve got to make her smile whenever I can.

There’s a dimple on her right cheek, and when I pass the roses to her, her entire face lights up.

“You look gorgeous today, baby. I love when you do your hair like that,” I tell her.

She giggles, a sweet and melodic sound, and rises from her chair, gingerly setting the flowers on her desk. As she comes around to the front, the man makes a noise of surprise. He stands there, dumbfounded.

Seems like our plan is working.

As soon as Lilah’s in front of me, she throws her arms around my neck and pulls me into a kiss that catches me completely off guard.

I’m quick to return her affections, placing my hands on her hips and kissing her like my life depends on it.

I don’t know if I’m ever going to get to do this again, though a voice in my head tells me I’m going to fight tooth and nail for the pleasure of kissing this beautiful girl whenever I want.

“Thanks, Scorpion,” she says, my road name sounding like honey dripping from that perfect mouth. “They’re beautiful.”

“You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend,” the man sputters, seemingly gaining the ability to speak and move again. “I thought–”

“I told you I did,” she replies, moving to step away from me. I keep a possessive hand around her waist, my fingertips digging into her hip. “Maybe you just didn’t believe me because you’ve never seen him before.”

That seems to set the guy off. I brace myself for a fight, but the subtle flex of my muscles makes him think better of it.

It’s a smart decision. I imagine his ego is already bruised enough.

He’d probably never recover if he had his ass handed to him in front of his coworkers.

With a huff, he storms away, stomping like a goddamn child.

“What a fuckin’ prick,” I say as soon as he’s out of earshot.

“You can say that again,” she sighs, scrubbing a hand over her face. “I didn’t expect him to get so angry.”

“Guys like him are all the same,” I say, watching as the rat of a man slides back into his cubicle. “Jealous and possessive over people that have no interest in them.”

“Are you sure you’ve never met him before?” Lilah asks, and I can hear the smile in her voice. “It’s like you know him.”

“I just know the type,” I assure her, giving her hip a squeeze. It’s then that I realize that I’ve been holding her against my side this entire time. Reluctantly, I let go and say, “He’s probably not going to back down immediately. His ego’s too big to accept that his presence isn’t wanted.”

“I hate that you’re right,” she says, clicking her tongue and taking a tiny step away from me. She’s still within my grasp, and I fight the urge to bring her back to me. “And, I hate to ask this, but will you be back when I get off work at five?”

“I can be,” I reply. I’d do anything she asks, a realization that damn near bowls me over. I barely recognize myself around Lilah, and I think that’s for the better. “Is there something going on?”

“No, no,” she says quickly, an attempt to quell worry that I wasn’t even aware I was showing. “I’ve just never seen Dan react that way. I’d just feel more comfortable if someone was here to walk me to my car, is all.”

“Consider it done,” I tell her, keeping my face as neutral as possible.

Dan’s the only person we’re trying to convince of our “relationship,” so there’s no need to show how excited I am about spending more time with her.

The only reason I’m here is because a man’s being too pushy with her; letting her know how much I want to see her again would probably scare her away.

Shit, I might as well be a fucking teenager with a crush.

The effect this woman has on me is baffling.

“Good,” she says, blessing me with a soft smile that shows off her cute little dimple.

Then, she stands on her tiptoes and presses a light kiss to my cheek.

When she pulls away, her face is bright red, and she murmurs, “Thank you for the flowers. They were a nice touch. And… no one’s ever gotten me flowers before. ”

“Then I’ll get you flowers every time the bouquet on your desk starts to wilt,” I say, tucking a strand of silky, blonde hair behind her ear. If she’s okay with kissing my cheek, I think touching her hair is a safe move. “You deserve to have flowers.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she says, her voice low and conspiratorial.

I’m nearly overwhelmed by the urge to lean in and kiss her properly again.

I’m already addicted to the taste of her lips.

I have to remind myself that we only did that for show.

“Anyway,” Lilah mutters, breaking the spell she had on me, “I should get back to work.Throttle gave me your number in case anything goes wrong, but I’ll text you so you have mine. ”

“Of course,” I say. Then, because I’m a weak man when it comes to Lilah, I give into my urge and press a kiss to her lips. Before I turn around and leave, I say, “See you after work, babe.”

I feel her eyes on my back the entire walk out to the parking lot, and I can’t keep the self-satisfied smirk from taking residence on my face.