Chapter 5
CENTURY
By the time I rolled up to Saylor’s apartment Saturday night, I’d spent the entire ride telling myself to keep my hands under control. It was the kind of conversation a man had with himself when he already knew damn well he was going to lose.
The past week had turned me into a walking contradiction, half satisfied because she kept letting me closer and half feral because every kiss ended with me forcing myself to stop before I hauled her onto my lap and taught her exactly how serious I was when I said she was mine.
I’d kissed her breathless more times than I could count, but I hadn’t taken her the way my body demanded every time she looked up at me with those pretty eyes and that mouth made for trouble.
I killed the engine and swung off my bike, the heat radiating up from the pavement through the soles of my boots while the Harley ticked softly as it cooled behind me. I took the stairs two at a time, already impatient and a little irritated with myself for feeling like a damn teenager.
She opened the door before I could knock a second time, and my cock went hard so fast it bordered on painful.
Fuck me.
I just stared at her because my body reacted faster than my brain could put words to what I was seeing.
Saylor stood in the doorway wearing black leather pants that fit her like they’d been painted over every curve I’d spent the week trying not to grab too hard.
A fitted tank top hugged her tits and showed off the smooth line of her shoulders, and her boots gave her just enough attitude to make the whole thing look less like she was trying to impress me and more like she’d accidentally walked into a fantasy I didn’t have enough self-control to survive.
Her hair was down in soft waves brushing her collarbone, and the little hint of makeup around her eyes made them look smoky as they widened slightly under the weight of my stare.
The first instinct that tore through me was a brutal pulse of need that made me want to step forward, shove her back into her apartment, slam the door behind me, and pin her against the nearest wall until she understood exactly what she’d done by opening the door looking like that.
The image hit hard enough to make my hands flex at my sides, and I had to force my boots to stay planted outside her door instead of following the urge straight into dangerous territory.
Saylor’s lips parted, her eyes dropping briefly to my mouth before lifting again, and that tiny slip of awareness almost finished me. She knew what she’d done. Maybe not the full violent scope of how badly my body wanted hers, but she knew she’d hit a mark.
There was a spark in her eyes beneath the shyness, a careful little challenge wrapped in nerves, and the combination made me want to ruin every bit of her composure in the best possible way.
“You planning to say something,” she asked, her voice a little breathless beneath the sass, “or are you just going to stand there glaring at me?”
“I’m not glaring,” I muttered.
Her gaze flicked over my face, and she giggled. “That is absolutely a glare, Levi.”
My real name on her tongue nearly undid me worse than the leather pants. It had slipped out of her easier every day since I’d told her to use it.
“No, baby.” I stepped closer, watching the pulse jump at the base of her throat. “That’s me trying real hard to remember why I shouldn’t take you back inside and forget all about going anywhere except your bed.”
Her cheeks flushed, the pretty pink climbing beneath her skin, but she didn’t back up. She stood there in the doorway and let me look, her chin tipped up and eyes bright with a challenge she probably thought was subtle. It wasn’t. But that was fine by me.
I had no problem looking at what was mine, especially when she’d clearly dressed to make sure I couldn’t do anything else.
The fact that she didn’t retreat only made the heat in my blood burn hotter.
She wanted to see exactly how far she could push me.
The dangerous little thing was gonna find out real soon because looking wasn’t gonna be enough for much longer.
I reached out, hooked one finger through the belt loop at her hip, and tugged her closer.
She came easily, her breath catching as her palms landed against my chest. I let myself feel every soft curve pressed against me before dropping my mouth close to hers.
Her lashes fluttered, and the little inhale she took made my cock harden even more.
“You’re so damn beautiful.” My voice was rough enough that it sounded more like an accusation than a compliment. “And you’re fucking trouble.”
She was breathless when she teased, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You know you’re dangerous, baby.” I tightened my grip on her belt loop, dragging her another inch closer until my hard cock pressed against her stomach. “But you should know by now that you’re playing with fire.”
Whatever smart reply she had died when I took her mouth.
The kiss wasn’t gentle, my hand sliding from her belt loop to her lower back so I could haul her fully against me.
My other palm cupped the side of her neck, my thumb stroking over the frantic beat of her pulse before I angled her head and deepened the kiss.
Saylor opened for me with a soft gasp, and the taste of her hit my bloodstream. Then she melted into me, her fingers curling in my shirt as if she needed to anchor herself. And those pretty little sounds she made challenged my restraint.
I backed her a half step into the doorframe without meaning to, my body crowding hers while my tongue stroked against hers and every inch of me demanded more.
She made a soft sound of surrender, and I nearly lost the last of my control right there in the hallway.
My hand flexed against her back, imagining bare skin under my palm, her body ready for me because she’d been waiting all week too.
I broke the kiss before I stopped caring about whether the neighbors had enough sense to look away from a Redline King taking what belonged to him.
Her lips were swollen, her breathing uneven, and her pupils blown wide as she stared up at me like I’d just knocked every thought out of her head.
A satisfied smirk curled my lips. I liked her like that.
“We should go.”
She blinked slowly, then looked toward the stairs as if she’d forgotten they existed. “Right. The race.”
“Yeah. The race.” I dragged my thumb along the side of her neck and felt her shiver. “You keep looking at me like that, we’re not gonna make it.”
Her blush deepened, and the corner of her mouth lifted in a way that made it clear she was pleased with herself even if she was trying to hide it. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Little liar,” I grunted as I shook my head.
She laughed softly, and I stepped back, catching her hand and pulling her out into the hall.
She locked the door behind her with fingers that weren’t quite steady, and the sight gave me a level of satisfaction I didn’t bother hiding.
If she wanted to test my restraint by walking out dressed like sin, then she could deal with knowing I affected her just as badly.
With her tucked against my side, we headed down the stairs, my hand resting possessively at her waist. A man passing on the sidewalk glanced up as we reached the bottom, his gaze dragging over Saylor too long for my liking. I gave him a look, and his attention found the pavement real fucking fast.
Saylor tipped her head back to look at me, laughter dancing in her eyes. “Did you just scare my neighbor?”
My brow still furrowed, I growled, “He should have better survival instincts.”
“He was walking his dog.”
“Then he shoulda kept his eyes on what was his.”
She pressed her lips together like she was trying not to laugh, and I felt that smile all the way down to the center of my chest. I led her to my bike, where the helmet I’d bought for her waited on the seat. I picked it up and held it out.
Saylor stared at it for a moment, then looked from the helmet to me. “Is this for me?”
I’d picked it up two days after meeting her. “Yeah.”
Her fingers brushed over the smooth shell, and the smile that spread across her face hit harder than expected. It was unguarded and a little stunned, as if she wasn’t used to someone thinking ahead for her.
“You bought me a helmet?”
I’d buy her a hundred helmets if it made her look at me like that again. “You ride with me, you wear one that fits.”
“That’s actually really sweet.”
I shrugged. “It’s practical.”
Her smile widened. “Of course it is.”
I stepped close, fitted the helmet over her head, and adjusted the strap beneath her chin.
Her eyes stayed on mine through the visor opening, amused and too damn gorgeous for my self-control.
My fingers lingered at her jaw after the strap clicked into place, and I leaned down until my lips brushed across hers.
Then I climbed onto the Harley before helping her settle behind me.
She was stiff at first but relaxed and slid closer when I reached back and hooked my hand behind her knee, guiding her into the right position.
Her thighs hugged mine, her arms wrapped around my waist, and the feel of her pressed along my back lit me up from the inside out.
Staying in control tonight was going to kill me.
“You good?” I asked.
Her arms tightened. “Yeah.”
I covered one of her hands with mine where it rested against my stomach. “Hold on tight to me, baby.”
The satisfied sound that rumbled in my chest got lost beneath the engine when I started the bike.
The Harley roared to life under us, and she shifted slightly behind me, a tiny adjustment that dragged her closer and made my cock pulse hard enough to remind me I was one speed bump away from turning this bike around.
Instead, I pulled out of the lot and headed toward Redline Speedway, my woman wrapped around me like she already knew exactly where she belonged.