Page 19 of Pike
“I haven’t been able to get close. Yet.” I circled her body, letting my gaze linger on the roundness of her plump ass and the space between her thighs that I was suddenly hungry to fill. “Just remember the weak spots.”
“Right,” she whispered and repeated them under her breath.
I lunged forward and grabbed Chloe around the waist from behind.
She froze and her breathing changed, quickened. “No.” She tried to shout but it came out raw and gritty, barely above a whisper. Her breathing grew shallow, and I almost let her go.
But I didn’t. I couldn’t. “It’s okay, Chloe, it’s just me. It’s Pike… Will.” I whispered in her ear, tightening my grip so that my warmth and my voice pulled her from wherever she’d disappeared to. “You’re okay, Chloe.”
She squirmed in my hold, still fighting to free herself but with none of the techniques I just taught her. “I’m good,” she whispered.
Shefeltgood. Too good. I should’ve let her go the moment the tension fled her body, but her skin was soft and she smelled good, and the way her ass pressed against my cock was addictive. “Are you?”
She nodded. “I am. I promise.”
I loosened my grip and jumped back when I realized how my body was responding to hers. What a mind fuck it was to be attracted to this woman who I should hate. Who I was pretty sure Istillhated. Why was it her who made me forget? “Sorry.”
Chloe shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I told you I might freak out. I just didn’t expect to do it so spectacularly.” She tried for a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
I nodded and walked away, needing a moment to myself to figure out what the fuck just happened. Sure Chloe was apretty woman with a banging body, but those were a dime a dozen. Why was she the one to make my cock feel anything since I got the news of Ashley’s death? “I need to check the perimeter,” I mumbled absently and walked away. I didn’t look back, I couldn’t. Couldn’t bear to see the look of hurt or confusion in her eyes because the damn woman wore her emotions on her sleeve.
***
I needed distance from Chloe and the inconvenient things she made me feel, so I kept my distance for the rest of the day, taking my time checking the perimeter and reviewing the overnight footage even though I’d been awake with the frustrating woman. Again.
Her safety was my concern. Myonlyconcern. Not her feelings or emotions, not her past or her trauma, and certainly not her body.
“Fuck!” This couldn’t be fucking happening. I refused to let it happen. I’d seen brother after brother get mixed up in love when some woman they couldn’t resist needed help.
I wasn’t that guy.
I got drunk. I got off. And then I got gone.
That was how I liked it. Easy and carefree.
Chloe wasn’t either of those things. And even if she was, I had a job to do which I could do if I let some shit like emotions get in the way. I was still grieving my sister, still blaming Chloe for it—some—and being hypervigilant about the goddamn Ghost Riders sneaking up on us.
I had enough on my plate.
And it was getting late. I’d avoided Chloe and the cabin for hours, but it was time to head back, so of course that’s when my phone decided to ring. “Yeah?”
“Everything good?” Diesel’s serious, deep voice stopped me in my tracks.
“Yep. What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” he began in a tone that said there was something. “A few of the Ghost Riders have gone off the map. Don’t know for sure but we’re assuming they’re hunting for Chloe and Gemma.”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “I’m on it. Just finished doing another property check. So far, it’s been quiet here.” Sometimes too fucking quiet.
“Good. Keep it up. Slate is hacking into phones to see if he can figure out where the missing Ghost Riders are now.”
“Let me know when he finds something.”
“Of course.” There was a long silence before he spoke again. “How are things with Chloe?”
“Fine,” I answered. “Showed her some self-defense moves today so that’s progress, right?”
“Yeah. Good.” He grumbled some incoherent words under his breath. “How are you holdin’ up?”
