Chapter 26
Kane waited, watching her face, wanting to see how she’d react to what he’d just laid out. But before Monica could get a word out, his phone buzzed. He dragged it from his back pocket and checked the screen.
Charger: Come to the meeting place. Bring the woman.
Kane: Now? And her name is Monica.
Charger: No, yesterday, dumbass. Yes, now.
Kane: Fuck you!
Charger: No thanks. Seems you’re busy fucking Monica.
“Fucking asshole,” Kane growled, shoving the phone back into his pocket. Charger was a dick—plain and simple. The way he bolded Monica’s name proved that.
“Bad news?” Monica asked, lifting an eyebrow.
“Don’t know yet,” he admitted, voice tight.
Whenever he went undercover and got a summons like that, it was never good.
His gaze slid to Knox, stretched out on his bed but watching them like he understood every damn word.
Leaving the dog here alone didn’t sit right, not with someone clearly watching the house.
The furry little dude had wormed his way in just like his owner had.
“You think Theo can watch Knox for a while?” Kane asked, glancing at his watch.
“I’m sure he will, but why?” Monica frowned down at Knox as he perked up, alert at the sound of his name.
“I need to go somewhere,” Kane said, grabbing his jacket and sliding it on. “And I’m not leaving you here alone. And with someone watching the house, I’m not leaving him alone either.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, grabbing her phone before walking deeper into the house.
Kane watched her go, a frown pulling at him. Hell, he was getting soft. When he looked back, Knox was still tracking her, then his eyes landed on him. “I’m really a dick,” Kane muttered to the dog as if the dog was thinking he was turning soft.
Knox let out a dramatic moan that sounded suspiciously like agreement. Kane huffed out a laugh.
“Theo said it was fine,” Monica informed him as she returned, just as Knox hopped up and trotted toward the door. “I think Knox likes Theo more than me.”
She frowned and grabbed a jacket, slipping it on.
Kane opened the front door, and Knox bolted straight for Theo’s. He watched Theo open the door, let Knox inside like the dog owned the place, and give them a wave. Then he led Monica toward his bike, helping her climb on before swinging a leg over himself.
“We could take my car,” Monica offered as he pulled on his gloves.
“No.” Kane shook his head. He was sure whoever was following her knew her car. Plus, if he needed to get away from someone, he could do it better on his bike. The thought that someone would try anything had him raging and ready. “You ever ridden on a bike?”
“Yeah, my ex had one,” she said, shifting and accidentally pressing her full body against him. “Sorry.” She scooted back as far as she could.
Kane’s jaw tightened at the word ex. He didn’t know the bastard, but the urge to find him and rearrange his face was sudden and strong. “I don’t have a helmet with me. Just hold on and move with the bike.”
“It’s fine,” she said softly. Then, after a heartbeat, “I trust you.”
Kane froze. “With just the bike?” he asked before he could stop himself.
She hesitated, just for a breath, then said quietly, “With everything, Kane.”
Even though that was exactly what Kane wanted to hear, it still hit him sideways. Something had shifted in her—softened, opened—and he wanted to dig into it, but now wasn’t the damn time. Instead, he reached back, gently took her wrists, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“I’ll tap your leg if I’m about to speed up,” he told her. “And don’t worry about pressing up against me, Monica. I can handle your weight.”
“Are you calling me fat?” she huffed.
“What? No—” Kane frowned and glanced at her in the mirror just in time to see a slow grin take over her face.
“Just kidding,” she laughed, eyes bright when she caught his gaze in the mirror. “You should’ve seen your face. I know I’m no skinny mini.”
Kane snorted. “Good. I don’t want a skinny mini. Any man worth a damn likes a woman with some meat on her.” His mouth curved as he looked her over again. “And you’ve got curves in every place that counts… every single one.”
Monica huffed out a soft laugh. “That might honestly be the best compliment I’ve ever gotten.”
“Then you’ve clearly been wasting your time with a bunch of clueless idiots,” he said, heat and honesty blending in his tone. “Because any man with half a brain can see what you bring to the table.”
And it wasn’t just her body, though he wasn’t blind.
It was her spark. The way she pushed back, challenged him, and didn’t melt at the first sign of his rough edges as most women did.
He’d gotten used to easy attention, to women throwing themselves at him without him having to lift a finger. That shit had gotten old.
But Monica? She was different and definitely unexpected. For the first time in a long damn while, he found himself wanting to know a woman. Really know her.
That realization slammed into him harder than he wanted to admit.
Kane started the bike and took off, needing the roar of the engine to drown out the thoughts of the woman wrapped around him.
He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d had a woman on the back of his bike—probably Raven, and that was basically like giving his sister a ride.
When he leaned into the turn, she tightened her hold on him, and damn if he didn’t like that…
liked it way too much. And she hadn’t lied about knowing how to ride on the back of a bike.
She moved with him, with the bike, like she’d been born for it.
The way her body fit against his, the way she followed each shift and angle—
His cock twitched.
Sexy as fuck didn’t even cover it.
“Focus,” Kane growled under his breath, annoyed at himself.
He needed to make sure no one was on their tail before they got anywhere near the meeting place.
With her leaning into him, her full breasts pressed against his back, and her warmth sinking straight into his spine, it was impossible to think straight.
On instinct, he reached back and set his hand on her leg. He didn’t even think about it. The second he touched her, her hands flexed against his stomach, gripping him like she felt the same pull he did.
Jesus. He was very close to pulling over somewhere dark, bending her over the damn bike, and taking her like he’d been thinking about since the second she said she trusted him.
Instead, he tapped her leg in warning and then gripped the handlebars, opening up the bike on the straightaway.
He checked his mirrors. They weren’t being followed.
But just to make sure, he slowed, making a sharp turn, then circled wide before rejoining the main road, keeping his eyes on the shadows.
Only when he was absolutely sure no one had followed them did he take the narrow cutoff.
A few minutes later, they pulled up to a house tucked at the far end of a quiet residential street. He parked beside Charger’s bike and killed the engine.
“Whose house is this?” Monica asked, sliding off the seat only to stumble.
Kane reacted before he could think, catching her and pulling her flush against him while he was still sitting on the bike. Their bodies lined up perfectly, their faces inches apart, breaths mixing as they stared at each other.
“I’m a klutz,” she whispered, her eyes searching his like she expected him to back away.
He didn’t.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, lifting a hand to the back of her head and guiding her toward him.
Their lips brushed, soft at first, then the spark hit, and the kiss turned hungry, needy, with a pull neither of them tried to fight. She clung to him, and he pulled her closer, the world narrowing to heat, breath, and want.
Only when another bike rumbled up behind them did they break apart, breathless and stunned at how fast everything had shifted and how right it felt.
Kane caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned just in time to see Val grinning like the damn Cheshire cat, openly giving Monica a slow once-over. Val’s smile stretched even wider when he spotted Kane watching him, and the bastard didn’t even try to hide it.
“Damn, brother,” Val whistled as Kane swung off the bike. His gaze slid right back to Monica. “I’m Val.”
“Monica,” she said, giving him her own assessing look. “Is it a requirement that all you guys are over six feet tall?”
Val chuckled, pleased. “Nah, not a requirement. Just a perk.” His eyes lingered on her curves a beat too long. “Gotta say… Kane didn’t mention how gorgeous you were.”
Kane’s jaw tightened, heat punching low in his gut. Val noticed—and pushed.
“In fact,” Val added with a wink at Monica, “if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was trying to keep you hidden. Can’t blame him, though. A woman who looks like you, I’d keep you hidden, especially around our group.” He flicked a glance at Kane, with a smug grin.
“Val, shut the fuck up,” Kane growled, giving him a warning glare before getting off his bike.
Val just laughed as he headed up the steps and disappeared into the house.
“He seems nice,” Monica commented, looking from the house to Kane.
“He’s an asshole,” Kane grumbled, wanting nothing more than to gouge Val’s eyes out. “Actually, all of them are assholes, so stay close to me.”
They walked up the steps, and to his surprise, he took her hand in his as he opened the door. Yeah, this was going to be fucking painful, but he didn’t give a shit. Monica was off limits to any of these fuckers, and the sooner they realized that, the better.