Page 92 of Love Undiscovered
Chapter 24
Remi
I’m getting used to the motorcycle. Granted, it’s only the second time I’ve ever been on one, and both times have been with Chance. But it’s kind of an exercise in letting go; you have to move with the bike, or with the driver of the bike. And you don’t really have a choice. There’s no doors or roof to insulate you, no handle to hold on to in a corner, no windows to roll up or down.
During the ride home, I remind myself just how much I trust Chance. To tell me the truth, to not be married, to not break my heart. And I obviously trust him physically, with my life, on the back of a motorcycle. I feel safe with him. And that is a really stark difference from the way I’ve felt with any other man before. Plus, I’ll definitely get my money’s worth on these jeans if I have to keep seeing him for a month.
A month.
Then we’re done.
The thought of not seeing him again after the month is done makes me feel hollow and cold. As if he can sense my mood change, Chance puts his hand over mine and runs his thumb lightly over the back, then squeezes gently before returning it to the handlebar at a corner. I miss his hand when it’s gone.
Miss his hand!
God, what am I thinking?
Stay strong, Remi.
This is Chance Bauer. Player extraordinaire. He wanted to sleep with Kat for fuck’s sake. Although, I’ve wanted to sleep with Kat too, so I can’t blame him there. But, if the fact that it’s Chance is not bad enough, then I need to remind myself that it’s a bet. A bet that I can’t afford to lose.
Louboutins. Louboutins. Louboutins.
But he got me off. That’s never happened before. And I came multiple times.
We pull up in front of my house and Chance kills the motor. He helps me off the bike, then climbs off himself. I hand him my helmet, and he offers to walk me to my front door. Which I take as a sign he’s going to ask to come in. Or at the very least make some kind of sleazy comment about it.
We get to the door, he takes my keys from me and opens it for me.
“Do you want to come in?” I ask since he has yet to mention it.
“More than anything,” he says. “But I’m going to pass this time.” His voice is filled with regret.
“Why?” I ask, more shocked than anything.
“I had a great time tonight, Remi. A much better time than I thought I would. Even with the drama with my ex. And, I don’t know about you, but I’d kind of like to explore where this could go with you and me. So, I’m just going to play my hand now and tell you that I don’t want to rush into anything that might freak one or both of us out. But I want to see you again. Soon. So, for now, I’m going to say goodnight. And tell you to sleep well, beautiful.” He runs his knuckles along my cheek, then leans in and gives me a soft kiss on the lips.
Is he fucking with me right now?
But one look in his eyes and I realize he’s serious.
Holy shit.
“I don’t do relationships, Chance,” I blurt out, and then can’t tell if I regret it or not.
“Me neither, beautiful. Me neither.” He turns and walks back toward his bike, stopping, without turning around to say, “Don’t forget to lock your door.”
I walk into my house, and lock the door, feeling like my whole world just got rocked a little bit. He starts his bike and I watch through the window as he drives away. I keep watching until the sound of the motor has faded to silence. Then I sit on my couch and try to figure out what the fuck I’m feeling right now.
Do I stand strong or give in? Can I stand strong and still give in? I mean, on the one hand, I had a great time with him. But I’m not ready or willing to date someone outside of fulfilling this bet.
Am I?
On the other hand, the idea of not seeing him beyond a month leaves me feeling empty inside. And he’s got some magic fucking fingers. Literally. There are solid arguments for both sides of this equation. What the fuck do I do?
You aren’t going to figure it out tonight, Remi.
I wash my face and get ready for bed. As I’m climbing under the covers, I hear my phone ding with a text.
