Page 25 of The Girlfriend's Guide to Dating a Biker
“Barely,” I said breathlessly. “Being on the back of your bike did things to me I wasn’t ready for.”
“Good.” His voice turned husky. “Because I’ve been thinking about doing this with you since the day you dropped those keys.”
He took my hand, leading me to the railing while I tried to process what he’d just said.
He’d been thinking about this for weeks?
Excuse me?
Sir?
You can’t just say that and then casually walk over to the railing like you didn’t just crash my entire operating system with a single line of code.
I’d spent the last few weeks trying to act chill and there he was fantasising about us at scenic lookouts! What else had he imagined? Kissing? Making me scream his name? Wedding vows under a jacaranda tree?
Okay. Breathe.
This was fine. I was fine. My chest was hosting a full-blown server meltdown, no big deal.
Brisbane sprawled below us, a tapestry of lights under an inky sky. Jake stood behind me, close enough that I could feel his warmth, but not quite touching.
“It wasn’t actually an accident,” I confessed as I stared out over the city, my heart beating fast as I gave him this truth. “Dropping the keys that day.”
His laugh rumbled through his chest. “I know, darlin’. Just like I know you don’t actually check your mail ten times a day.”
I spun to face him, mortified. “You knew?”
“Eden.” The way he said my name made desire curl in my stomach. “I told you; I notice everything about you.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because watching you try to play it cool is the best part of my day.” His eyes flashed with heat. “It’s almost as good as watching you blush every time I call you darlin’.”
I thought about the blonde woman I’d seen him with and felt stupid for jumping to conclusions. Looking at him now, the way his eyes were locked to mine, I felt foolish for letting my insecurities run wild. This didn’t feel like a man who was interested in anyone else.
His fingers traced my jaw and tilted my face up to his. “You know what else I notice?”
“What?”
“How you watch me when you think I don’t see. The way you’re looking at me right now, like you want me to kiss you but you’re too nervous to say what you want.”
My breath caught. “I’m not nervous.”
“No?” His thumb brushed my lower lip while his other hand reached for my wrist. “Your pulse says otherwise.”
He was right. My heart was racing, thundering against my ribs.
“Jake . . .” His name came out only just louder than a whisper and went nowhere because everything inside me was bewildered.
“Tell me something about you.” He continued tracing circles over my wrist while he waited for me to speak. When I didn’t say anything, because circles (!!!), he said, “You got family here in Brisbane?”
“Just Megan, my best friend. She’s basically family. My parents are in Sydney, and my brother’s living his best life in London, working for some fancy tech firm.”
“Must get lonely sometimes.” He let go of my wrist and curved his hand around my waist in a way that made thinking difficult.
“It did at first.” I fought to keep my voice steady despite his touch. “But work keeps me busy.”
“What made you choose coding?”
