Page 60 of The Vows We Keep

He glances down at me, then looks back outside. “Clutch is checking our bikes.”

My heart speeds up a little. Neva is right. I can’t assume they are all friendly. “Why? I don’t care if he’s the VP, if that motherfucker is tampering with my bike, I’m going to kill him.” I move to head outside and tell him to take his hands off my ride, but Niro catches my wrist at the last moment and spins me back to him.

“He’s making sure they’re fit for the trip.”

“What?”

“He works in our garage and is great with bikes. He’s doing a road check, making sure we’re good to go.”

“So, you’re standing here frowning because he’s checking our bikes aregood?”

“Only I get to check your bike.”

“Sometimes more eyes on a machine are a good thing, no?”

“No, cariño. You’re mine. Which means your bike is mine to take care of. I don’t like the idea that another man’s hands are touching what’s mine.”

I open and close my mouth like a goldfish. “I honestly don’t know where to start breaking that down.”

Niro smiles, an honest-to-God smile. “Eventually, you’ll stop trying and just roll with it.”

“I want to be your equal, Niro. Not your property.”

He slips his hand around the back of my neck and squeezes it tightly. “And one day, you’ll realize you can be both.”

“It’s impossible. You know this.”

“That’s because your rules are linear, Catalina. And I’m not a linear guy.” The kiss he gives me is heated. “You just need to bend a little. I get why you’re rigid. It’s the only way you’ve survived this far. Life’s taught you that you need to kick ass and take names. But your life will expand in ways you can’t possibly imagine if you just bend a little.”

And as the three of us get underway and hit the highway, I can’t help but think about what life would look like if I did.

18

NIRO

Riding behind Catalina for ten hours is the shit nightmares are made of for my cock.

I’m used to riding in formation. I’m used to knowing my place on ride outs.

But I needed to mix things up for this trip. I asked Bates to take lead, and I’d take the rear, so Cat is sandwiched between us. It was the safest place to put her and gives me the long view. I have her back. And what a sexy back it is. Her ass is two perfect peaches wrapped in leather. And I think about fucking her while she sits across me, the way she’s hugging that bike of hers.

Hence, my cock has been up and down like one of those inflatable men you see wiggling outside car dealerships.

It’s a little after eleven when Cat lets us into our hotel room in Indianapolis as Bates lets himself into the room next door. Halo made the booking and at first jokingly suggested three rooms, one for each of us. When I told him to fuck off, he then suggested one room for all of us and said he didn’t know if I was in the mood to share. Not gonna lie, Bates and I have had threesomes occasionally in the past. But the idea of sharing Catalina was like a hot blade through an artery. My fist glanced off his shoulder because the former Navy SEAL ducked, which made Halo laugh even harder. We ended up booking two rooms.

“Dios, that bed looks so comfortable,” she says wearily. “But I really need to shower.”

I place both our bags on the floor and tug her to me. She wraps her hands around my waist and places her head against my chest. “It was a long ride, huh?”

Catalina looks up at me. “I feel like I might never get warm again.”

I unzip her sturdy leather jacket and the thick fleece layer she wears beneath it. “I know a way to warm you up.”

She smiles like I hoped she would. I hate seeing her face anything other than happy. “If it happens under a long, hot shower, you can do anything you want.”

“Anything?” I remove my own lined leather jacket and hoodie before removing hers. Under the fleece layer, she has a hoodie of her own. Under that, a long-sleeve T-shirt, and beneath that, a thermal vest. “Jesus Christ, babe. It’s like pass-the-parcel. How many layers have you got on?”

“Clearly not enough, because I’m still cold. I hate winters in the north.”