Page 43 of The Belle and the Biker

"That's between her and me."

The amount doesn't really matter. He sent me off to North Carolina without a second thought. The minute I was out of his territory, I was no longer his problem. The only reason he came down here is that he was paid to.

And he knows how much I want him…and he's taunting me with it.

I stalk into the bathroom and slam the door shut behind me. Once I've relieved myself and washed my hands in the grodiest sink outside of a prison cell, I look at the window on the opposite side of the room from the door. Crash will be watching the door like a freaking stalker, of course.

But standing on tiptoe, I can see out the window, and the coast is clear.

My suitcase is on his bike, but I have my purse. Aunt Hepzibah told me she'd added a few thousand bucks to the prepaid Visa card, so I could go anywhere. Do anything.

I could find a dive bar that would pay me under the table. Disappear, re-invent myself…

I'm tired of feeling humiliated by Crash, by how much I want him and how little he wants me.

I slide the window open and use the trash can to give me a boost. Awkwardly I turn around and slide my legs out. Apparently, I've gained a lot more weight than I thought because I get stuck halfway through. I try to reverse course and try to get back in the bathroom, but I'm stuck like a cork.

My heart hammers in my chest. I can't breathe. I'm squirming and twisting but fully wedged in and helpless.

Suddenly, strong hands close on my outer thighs, and I thrash my legs wildly. Is it my stalker? Oh my God, I will die in the most embarrassing way possible. Stuck halfway out of a restroom window. I can't even imagine how they'll write the obituary in the Bitter End Bulletin. I'm picturing my mother sitting at my funeral service; lips pursed in disapproval.

I'm not going to make this easy on the bastard. I'll fight to the last breath.

Is Tiddlywinks going to miss me? Will she remember me at all?

There's a hard yank, and I squeeze out of the window—and fall right into Crash's arms. "Put me down!" I yell.

He howls with laughter. "You should see your face right now."

"I will scream kidnapping!" I snarl. To whom? There's nobody within earshot, as far as I can tell. I kick my legs, and he just tightens his grip.

"Go ahead and scream. I'll be arrested. Then I'll call your great-aunt and ask her to post my bail, and she'll probably have a heart attack and keel over."

"No, she won't." I skewer him with a hate-filled glare. "She's too mean to die."

But he's right. I can't do that to her.

"Fine," I huff. "I swear on Margaret Mitchell that I will not run away again today. I might murder you in your sleep, though. Fair warning."

"Much appreciated." He winks at me. "I sleep very lightly. Fair warning."

He may have won this round but hasn't won our battle. I'll find a way to escape. And in the meantime, I'll make him as miserable as he's making me.

I can't believe I let him kiss me. I can't believe I kissed him back.

We're back on the road in no time, approaching a city, and traffic is starting to pick up. Crash glides effortlessly through the cars.

About twenty minutes later, Chase yells over the sound of the motor. "I think someone's following us. Hold on tight."

I squeeze my arms around his waist even harder. He picks up speed, racing to get ahead of a pickup truck.

As we drive, I twist my head around to see if someone is behind us. A dark green sedan is aggressively muscling its way through traffic. Angry drivers honk and swerve.

"He's gaining on us," I yell at Crash.

Crash zips between the lanes and gets in front of a pickup truck. There's no exit in sight. Behind us, a chorus of honking horns blares in the air.

Something pings, and one of the side view mirrors explodes, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. Panic claws at my throat. We're on a freaking bike and are totally exposed.

---