Chapter 2 #2
“You were there too.” For months Colter worked out with us. It was nice because I got to know my best friend’s boyfriend and give him the stamp of approval. He’s really great and Quinn is absolutely gone for him.
“Yeah, but I mostly sat around and gawked at him.”
“You still mostly sit around and gawk at him.”
She beams. “He’s hot. Gawking is required.”
Without thinking, I chance another look down at the guy on his bike.
Speaking of hot…he has a whole bad boy, break your heart but look good while doing it vibe.
He reaches forward and wraps his fingers around the handlebar.
The movement makes his shirt strain against his back and side and his bicep flexes under all that ink.
If danger had a look, it’s this guy in his all-black ensemble and matching motorcycle.
“Damn,” I mutter.
He looks back and catches me staring. A smug smile tips up the corners of his lips. I quickly glance away and back to the track, but not before heat creeps up my neck.
“Right?” Quinn asks with awe in her tone. “She’s the only chick on the team, but she is representing the ladies well. Also, she’s so sexy. Her red hair really does it for me.”
“Huh?” My head snaps toward my friend in confusion.
She motions to the track where a woman takes off her helmet, freeing her red hair with a shake of her head, and waves to the crowd.
Quinn continues, “You think I could talk Colter into sleeping with her and letting me watch?”
“Seriously?”
“I’m mostly kidding, but I have thought about it. Colter’s open to all sorts of things in theory but I think he’d kill any guy that came at me naked. And I’d probably do the same with anyone who tried to put hands on my man. What about you?”
I shake my head with a laugh. “You two are perfect for each other.”
“You’ve never thought about hooking up with multiple people?”
“No, not really. My sex fantasies are more one-on-one,” I admit. “I can barely find one person I want to hook up with, so the odds of finding more seem unlikely.”
“True. You are very picky. Except Tristan.”
I wrinkle my nose at the memory. He kissed like it was a competition and he was determined to win. My lips hurt just thinking about it.
The woman on the motorcycle stands on the seat of her bike and raises her arms.
“She’s hot though, right? When she first joined the team, I was so jealous that Colter was spending so much time with her, but he says red hair doesn’t work for him. Something about being traumatized by the Chucky movies as a kid.”
“She is pretty hot.” I nod.
The crowd loves her, men and women alike.
Speaking of men, I feel his stare on me and glance back down at the hot asshole to find him watching me again.
He’s not ogling so much as staring like he’s amused by me.
I lift my chin defiantly, then turn my face toward Quinn.
“That guy down there keeps looking at me.”
She pries her gaze from the redhead and scans for him. “Which one?”
“Black shirt, tattoos, hot as sin?”
Her laughter is muted by the noise of an engine revving. “In this crowd, you have to be more specific.”
“The one sitting on his motorcycle.”
A few seconds later, I know she’s found him when her voice croons, “Oooh. He is pretty.”
Pretty? The man is all hard edges and tough demeanor. Handsome and striking, yes. Pretty? Not exactly.
“Is he still looking this way?”
“No. Well, maybe he was, but now he’s a little occupied.” Her voice takes on a playful singsong tone.
I look back at him in time to see a stunning brunette straddle the seat of his motorcycle, facing him.
Her arms dangle over his shoulders. He isn’t touching her at all, but he’s eating up the attention, judging by the way he leans closer to her.
Almost lazily he cups the back of her head and brings her mouth to his, kissing her in a way that makes my stomach bottom out.
“Do you know him?” I ask Quinn.
“No, but I recognize some of the guys with him. They’re local riders. Colter will know. We can ask him later. Maybe Colter can introduce you and we can double date!”
“No thanks. He is so not my type.”
“That man is everyone’s type for at least a night.”
She’s probably not wrong about that.
The rest of the event goes by quickly and before I know it, Quinn is dragging me to a side area of the parking lot where Colter and the other riders are loading their equipment into trailers.
A small crowd has formed nearby, and I spot my tattooed bad boy among them, but I’m careful not to get caught staring at him again.
Quinn takes off in a run toward her man.
He’s still dressed in all his gear, minus the helmet.
He catches her and holds her up to kiss her, which he does, quite thoroughly.
I walk slowly toward them, closing the distance while they say hello to each other like it’s been months instead of hours since they’ve seen each other.
Colter lowers Quinn back down to stand in front of him, but keeps his arms locked around her. He’s a head taller than her and uses that height advantage to smile at me over her. “Hey, Avery.”
“Hey, yourself.” I smile at him. Colter is really easy to like. The fact that he makes my friend so happy is just a bonus.
“What’d you think of the show?” he asks.
“It was incredible. Your lines were straight and clean. I’m so proud.”
His smile widens. “Thanks.”
More of the crew is working around us. Colter drops another kiss to Quinn’s lips. “I gotta help the guys. Are you two sticking around for a bit? There’s a cooler of drinks in the back of my truck.”
My friend looks to me hopefully.
“Yeah.” I lift one shoulder in a small approving shrug.
“Cool. Grab a drink. I’ll be back soon.” He kisses Quinn again.
Seriously, these two can’t get enough of each other and it’s as heartwarming as it is nauseating to witness.
When Colter is gone, Quinn turns on her toes to grin at me.
One look at how happy she is makes it hard to be anything but happy for her.
I’m not looking for that, but it would be nice if the universe could send me a gorgeous, sweet man that wants to make out occasionally. After the crappy year I’ve had, that doesn’t seem like too much to ask for.
I hope you loved this excerpt of Burnout. If can’t wait to find out what happens next. Read it here!