Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36646 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 183(@200wpm)___ 147(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
That got a deep, amused chuckle from Mike. “Baby, I’ll charm you into the sexual favors. I don’t need to bribe you.”
I bristled a little. Not because I was upset with him, but because I knew he was likely right. Mike was tall and broad-shouldered. His nut-brown hair was still regulation, but more than a little scruffy around the edges. He didn’t have a full-on beard, but he sported a few days’ growth on his face. For Mike, he was letting his hair go just because he could. For me, I refused to take orders from anyone I didn’t trust and respect, or who I thought was a dumbass. Mike didn’t fall into any of those categories.
If he gave an order, I would bank on him knowing exactly what he was doing. It was easy to tell in the short conversation we’d had and the input he gave which meant he was definitely not a dumbass. The way he’d followed my lead without question earned my respect. Not many battle-hardened men I knew would willingly take orders from a woman. Instead of arguing, however, Mike had offered his own opinions, building on mine and making it possible for us to get Alex out of here in one piece. He’d worked with me and hadn’t tried to dominate the operation.
“So sure that’s a foregone conclusion?” Inwardly I sighed. Because he might be right.
“Yep. I knew it when I kissed you. You want me nearly as bad as I want you.” He threw his thick thigh over the seat of the Harley. “Climb on, Mama Tiger. You ride with me this one time. After this, if you want to ride up front, I’ll let you.” He handed me a helmet. “Told my buddy I might have a passenger. He packed accordingly.”
I snorted. “Will not.” But I climbed on behind him. Instead of wrapping my arms around his waist, I placed them on my thighs. I could grab on to him if I needed to, but I wasn’t about to let Mike know how drawn to him I was. And it wasn’t only physical. Sure, I wanted him with an ache I’d never experienced before -- felt like I might die if I didn’t have him soon. He ticked every box I had in my mind of what a man should be. And that wasn’t something I wanted to think about. I didn’t need a man. Least of all one I hardly knew.
Mike started up the bike and revved the engine a couple times. Before he took off, he reached for my hand and tugged me to him, holding my hand against his rigid stomach.
“Hold on, Mama Tiger.” That deep chuckle of his was going to get me in trouble.
He took off, and I slid my other arm around his waist. I could still fight this attraction. Just… maybe not right this second.
The warm breeze felt good on my face and Mike’s clean, warm scent teased my nose where I was close against him. Occasionally, he’d pat my hand with his big one.
Then I remembered I wanted to go to Fort Knox. I’d gotten so wrapped up in the experience of riding behind him with his scent blowing all around me that I forgot where I wanted him to take me.
When he stopped at the next light I tapped him on the shoulder. He turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. “We need to go to Fort Knox.”
Mike gave me a crisp nod, revving the engine a couple of times while we waited for the light to change. When it did, we took off quick enough I had to hurry and wrap my arms around his waist once more. I might have let out a girly squeak, but I’ll never admit to anything of the sort. He chuckled lightly, letting me know he’d been teasing me even as he effectively refused to let me back off touching him.
What surprised me the most was the fact that Mike didn’t demand to know why I wanted him to take me an hour away. Just like before, he was willing to follow my lead. I knew he’d want to know the plan when we got somewhere we could talk, but for now he was giving me what I wanted without arguing.
Once we got on the open road, it was all I could do to keep from squealing in delight. I wasn’t a novice. I’d been riding motorcycles since the first time I stole one. But this experience wasn’t something I was prepared for.
“Wooooo!” With the sun on my face, the wind in my hair, and my thighs cradling Mike’s delectable ass, I raised my hands in the air and whooped my excitement. When he chuckled, my whole body heated. He reached back and ran one hand down my leg to squeeze my knee before putting that hand back on the handlebar.