Page 30 of Nitro
Because if I believed in him and he failed me, I wasn’t sure I’d survive putting myself back together again.
I shook myself out of my deep thoughts and noticed that The Pit was unusually quiet. There was no revving of engines or clatter of tools. No gruff laughter or sharp curses echoing off the concrete walls. Just the faint tick of cooling bikes and the hum of the overhead fans that barely cut through the heavy night air.
My gaze darted to the ZX, and a reckless idea hit me. I needed space. Just a ride to clear my head. If I didn’t get out from under the weight pressing on me, I was going to crack wide open.
My pulse thudded harder with every step as I slipped my helmet off its hook, clutching it against my chest like a lifeline.
The bay doors were rolled down halfway, leaving just enough room to slip through with the racing bike. My boots scuffed against the concrete, loud in the hush, announcing every nervous step.
I held my breath when the night breeze hit me, cool against my heated skin, teasing me with the promise of freedom.
I was three steps from the exit when a shadow peeled away from the wall. Broad shoulders, leather cut catching the faint light, eyes sharp and unyielding. Torin.
He blocked the gap like he’d been waiting for me.
The hair on my arms prickled. My grip on the ZX’s handlebars tightened until my knuckles went white.
“You running from me, sweetheart?”
I forced a laugh, but it cracked at the edges. “Not running. I just…needed some air.”
His gaze flicked to the death grip I had on the ZX, then back to my face. I felt exposed, every story I wanted to spin unraveling under the weight of those dark eyes.
“I don’t cage easily, Torin.” I lifted my chin, trying to sound steady when my hands were shaking and my chest was too tight. “Sometimes I just need space.”
He stepped closer, erasing the remaining distance between us. His hair was damp, and the scent of leather and musk clung to him, wrapping around me. And tempting me to throw myself in his arms.
“You can have all the space you want, Jana,” he murmured, his dark eyes burning into mine. “But not if it means leaving me behind.”
“I—” My throat went dry. Because he got me. And the dangerous truth was that going for a ride with him sounded even better than escaping alone.
His hand came up slowly and slid under my chin. The rough pad of his thumb brushed my jaw, tilting my face until I had no choice but to meet his eyes.
My pulse thrashed against my throat, desperate and traitorous.
“You want out?” His voice was low steel, every word shaped like a promise and a warning all at once. “Say it. Tell me that you don’t want to be mine.”
The challenge slammed into me.
I opened my mouth, ready to throw up the wall I’d been clinging to since the day I met him. If I pushed him away now, maybe I’d be able to keep the last pieces of myself intact.
But the sound wouldn’t come. Because my body already knew the truth.
I wanted to protect myself the way I always had. Except Torin was the first man who had ever chosen me, fully and without apology. So I couldn’t lie to him.
“I—” My voice cracked. I swallowed hard, trying again. “I should?—”
His grip stayed firm, holding me steady when I would’ve looked away. His thumb stroked along the edge of my jaw again, patient in a way that undid me more than his roughest touches ever had.
The words withered on my tongue.
Torin’s lips curved into that crooked, dangerous smile that always made me feel like I stood too close to the fire. “That’s what I thought.”
Heat and relief tangled in my chest. I leaned into his hand and finally confessed, “I don’t want out.”
Torin’s crooked smile deepened at my confession, satisfaction etched into every hard line of his face. He dipped his head and claimed my mouth, the kiss rough at first, then easing into something that made my heart clench. It was a reward and a promise, sealed with heat.
When he pulled back, his breath brushed my cheek. “You wanna go for a ride, sweetheart? You do it with me.”
