Page 40 of Bedding the Biker Next Door

Pushed to her limit, she gripped him by the hair and wrapped her legs around his torso. Finally, he removed her panties completely. When she was naked, she sat up, reaching to take his clothes off, when Cole read her mind and pulled his shirt off.

She expected him to come right back, but instead he paused, taking in the sight of her, his chest rising and falling rapidly, like he’d been running. He was a glorious sight—all muscled frame and artful tattoos. Knowing she might not have this chance ever again, she emblazoned the image of him onto her brain.

Finally, he pulled off his jeans and crawled over to her naked, meeting her mouth-to-mouth for a long, wild kiss. Jill’s body trembled for him, but still, he kissed her and held her close.

“I want you to remember this,” he whispered by her ear. “I want you to remember me.”

Oh, she would. But would he remember her?

She promised herself she would make him remember her, leave a beautiful lasting impression on him forever. Opening her legs seductively, she invited him in, and he slid into her, sending ripples of pleasure up her body, which swelled to the breaking point. She gripped him tighter than ever before. “Cole!” She fell back on the bed, panting, savoring every last moment.

When she reopened her eyes, Cole hovered over her with a wide smile. “The night’s still young, Jill. And I intend to make the most of every second.”

“I want you to,” she said, flipping him over, straddling him, taking in his awestruck smile. “Every precious second.”

Chapter Fourteen

Cole’s alarm tone went off just as the sun began streaming in through the blinds. His eyes opened slightly, and he ran his hand across the bed. It was empty.

“Jill?”

He shot up in bed and looked around in the early morning light. Was she in the bathroom, or had she already…left? He checked the floor. Her clothes were gone. He let out a slow, shaky breath, unsure what his heart was feeling. He’d only known her a few days. How was it possible for one woman to entrench herself so deeply inside him?

He tried reminding himself what he knew was smart—don’t get attached to anyone. You don’t want responsibility that will tie you down just when you have the chance to experience complete freedom again. But one, nagging fact remained—

He wanted freedom but he also wanted Jill.

He threw himself back on his pillow, reminding himself they lived in different worlds with different lifestyles. She was completely dedicated to her daycare and her business partner, so Cole doubted she’d consider relocating. Why would she for him, anyway? He was a reckless biker who picked up girls from bars and took comfort from them when he needed it but was too selfish to change his life to accommodate them for anything more.

No, she’d done the smart thing and cut him loose. Good girl, Jill.

Several hours later, he took one last lingering look around the empty house, then closed the front door with a heavy heart. I’ll miss you, Mom. A small sense of accomplishment comforted him. He’d done it; he’d come here and had taken care of things, with Jill’s help.

And he was going to miss her, too.

The movers picked up the last of the boxes Cole had set outside for them. He shook his keys, ready to get his Harley when he saw Jill watering some potted plants on her front stoop. His heart jumped. “Good morning!”

She stiffened and shot him a dim smile. “You off?” she asked politely.

So this was how she was going to handle things, pretending that his leaving meant nothing. That their time together had already been forgotten.

“I’m on my way out,” he said, gesturing to the moving truck. “But I wanted to say thank you. For everything.”

“As I’ve said before, it was my pleasure.”

“Jill…” He sighed. He ran a hand through his hair and crossed their lawns, stopping within several feet of her. “You have no idea how much you helped me.”

That wasn’t exactly what he wanted to tell her, but it was a start. Still, nothing more came out, and they both stood there in awkward silence, taking in each other’s miserable looks. Finally, Jill put down her watering can and stepped toward him. He met her halfway and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close to inhale her unique and lovely scent. He held her tightly, not wanting to let go. She didn’t step back either.

“Listen,” she said into his neck. “I know you’re going to be busy, starting the new office in San Francisco, but maybe when you have free time, we could still see each other.”

Cole stiffened. Of course he wanted to see her again, and plenty of people had long distance relationships. If others could make it work, why couldn’t they? Yet something nagged at him, insisting it wouldn’t be wise. She’d end up wanting more, as she should, because she deserved the best. But he wouldn’t be able to give her what she needed. No, she deserved a man who would make her the center of his universe, a man who wouldn’t leave her for a career or to chase a rogue wind down an extended blacktop.

He couldn’t—would not—do that to her.

She would end up resenting him forever.

Jill loosened her hold on him and leaned back to gauge his response to that. He shook his head. “Jill, I want to spend more time with you. Of course I do. It’s just… I’m going to be busy, too busy to give you the time and attention you deserve. You understand that, don’t you?”

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