Page 79 of Broken

“Fine,” I groan as I head for the door.

Foolishly, I’m showered, shaved and took over an hour deciding what to wear, all the while telling myself this is not a date. I’ve no clue what this is. Garrett doesn’t do dates. It’s all I’ve heard from the others when they talk about him.

After a pep talk in the bathroom mirror, I decide to go with it, whatever it is.

A few minutes before seven, the sound of a motorcycle alerts his arrival. As surreptitiously as possible, I sneak a look out of the window. Typically, he is making no effort to get off and come to the door. When it becomes apparent he has no intention of doing it at all, I head out.

A door down the hall opens as I’m locking mine. I pay no attention because my mind is on one thing and one thing only. Until my name is called.

“Oh, hi,” I say, pocketing my keys. What are the chances this guy is always leaving his apartment at the same time as I am? “I’m just heading out, a friend is waiting downstairs for me.”

“That’s what the sound was, the motorcycle.”

“Yeah, sorry if it was loud,” I pocket my keys.

I don’t have time for small talk tonight. I wave, having nothing more to say, and head to the stairs.

By the time I reach the front door, Garrett is off his bike and walking down the path. So he was going to call on me, or maybehe thought I was ignoring him. He stops when he sees me, giving me a quick look up and down.

That’s fine with me, because I do the same. I love how snug his jeans are and he’s wearing a leather jacket over his shirt.

His hair is all tousled from the helmet. Now this is a man who turns me stupid.

“Ready?” he asks.

“Where are we going?” I eye the bike and the spare helmet on the seat.

He lifts a brow.

We walk to the bike together. “You’re being even more non-verbal than usual.”

He grins but doesn’t answer my question. He does eye my skirt though. It’s still really warm, and I didn’t know we were going on the bike. Garrett hands me the helmet and gets onto the bike, using his thigh muscles to hold the huge machine steady between his legs. Damn that is hot.

A thrill runs through me at the thought of riding with him again. Not just for the buzz of the ride. The thought of being pressed up against him is making my lower stomach clench. In a good and bad way, depending on how you look at it. Please stop the blush before he sees.

Using his shoulder as leverage I climb behind him, careful to avoid the pipes. The slope of the rear seat means gravity takes me toward him, my thighs pressing against his and my center right up against his butt.

If the positions were reversed…

He starts the engine. “Ready?”

I put my arms around him in response. My stomach clenches when he puts his hand on my knee, then trails up my thigh. There are two men standing on the sidewalk chatting. They’re looking at us because the roar of the bike is so loud.

Before I can ask Garrett what he’s doing, he takes the hem of my skirt and pulls it down, tucking it between our thighs. Oh, he’s making sure they don’t see more than they bargained for. That’s kind of sweet, and completely unexpected.

He does the other side, all the while glaring at the two men until they look away. I’m not sure what to think about this show of possessiveness. The tingling sensation in my chest says I like it.

A lot.

My grip tightens as he turns in the road to head in the opposite direction. The sky is darkening, but the sun is still burning above the horizon. It’s a gorgeous night and instead of freaking out about being on a motorcycle, I hold on and enjoy the ride.

At a stop light, Garrett makes sure my skirt is still tucked in. His hands linger, which doesn’t help with the sensations spreading up my thighs to the hot place in between them.

All too soon the ride is over. Garrett slows the bike to a stop near a row of stores. There is a cobbled street stretching out ahead. I’ve never been to this part of Baltimore before. I know without him telling me it’s one of the historical districts.

Garrett reaches around and takes my hand to help me off the bike first. Stepping back, I watch him secure the bike and climb off. He takes my helmet off for me, then stows them both.

Whatever he sees on my face, it doesn’t deter him.

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