I leaned into his touch and then stiffened in surprise when he leaned in and kissed me.
He tasted like mint and smoke, and I found myself relaxing into him. He kissed me slowly, like he was savoring the feel of my lips on his. I tucked my hands into the back pocket of his jeans, and pulled him closer to me. When he groaned, I shivered, and he wrapped his hands in my hair. He bit my lip gently, and I opened to him as he deepened the kiss. He groaned again and then pulled away.
“You’re gonna be the death of me, Vixen.”
I kissed him once more, just a whisper of a touch, relishing the feel of his five o’clock shadow.
“I don’t want to be,” I said quietly, and rested my forehead against his chest. But I already was, or would be. However, in that moment—standing in his arms—I found myself not caring so much. As selfish as that made me.
His phone started to ring, and he pulled it out of his jacket, still holding me to his side with his other arm. “Mills.” A few seconds later, he rolled his eyes. “Yes, sir, I’ll get it done.” He ground his jaw again, and I kissed the tense muscles there.
“Greyson?” I asked.
He nodded. “Fucker is coming back to town.”
As much as I hated to do it, I pressed gently for any information I could get. “Where does he run off to all the time?”
He sighed. “Our supplier. Bunch of scumbags I wouldn’t share a fucking urinal with. But he thinks… well, honestly, I don’t know what he’s thinking. He’s an idiot.”
“An idiot who is somehow your boss. How did that happen, Mac?”
He looked down at me and pulled me into him. “Another time, Vixen. I’ll see you at dinner—Greyson needs me to take care of something, and I won’t make it to lunch.”
He kissed me goodbye, and I watched him go, trying to ignore the voice of reason screaming in the back of my mind.
Chapter 9
Over the next couple of weeks, Dalton showered me with affection. The usual morning coffee he greeted me with was now accompanied by a kiss. Mac was a bit more reserved, finding me in the quiet hours when I was alone. He interrupted my cleaning frequently, stealing kisses in darkened rooms. I was damn near giddy with happiness, even if at night that same happiness was the thing that kept me from sleeping. Maria and Holly teased me relentlessly, but I learned to roll with it.
One morning, as I walked to my bike to head to work, Dalton surprised me at the door of my apartment building. He held an empty saddlebag aloft, and I gave him a questioning look. He tossed the bag to me. “Pack for a weekend, Vixen. We’re going on a trip, no work for you. Meet me by the bikes.”
He winked at me before turning to leave, and I hollered at his retreating back, “Wait, what am I packing for?” He smiled at me over his shoulder but, of course, didn’t bother answering me.
Back in my apartment, I grabbed some spare clothes and shoved them in the bag. I hesitated before also tossing in some lingerie Holly had made me buy the last time we went shopping. Switching out of my Vans, I slipped on my boots and a heavier jacket better suited for the road. I texted Maria and Holly in our group chat, letting them know I would be gone for the next couple of days with Dalton. Holly replied with a winking emoji and an eggplant next to a donut. I blushed crimson but laughed at her antics. Maria sent, “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
I grabbed the loaded saddlebag and slung it over my shoulders before heading back down to meet Dalton.
Dalton whistled as I walked toward him, and I rolled my eyes. “You saw me literally not even twenty minutes ago.” He grabbed my hips and pulled me into him. I was still holding my helmet and bag, but I wrapped my free arm around his neck. He kissed me deeply, and I ran my hand through the hair on the back of his head. When he pushed the kiss further, I opened for him eagerly and moaned.
He sighed into my mouth and pulled away. “We better get going, Vixen, otherwise I may just take you right back up to your place.”
I leaned into him, nipped at his ear, and whispered, “I might just let you.” I heard him swear as I sashayed over to my bike. “Where are we going, by the way?” I asked as I secured the saddlebag to the back of my Triumph.
He just smiled before swinging his leg over and starting a Roadster I hadn’t seen before.
“Whose bike is that?”
He gave the throttle a little gas, and the engine purred. “I’ve got more than one bike, babe. But I only got the one girl.” He gave me a cheesy grin.
I laughed. “Oh yeah? She know you’re here?”
Shrugging, he said, “Probably. Not much gets by her; she’s pretty damn smart. Now, please shut that beautiful mouth and follow me.”
I gave him a mock salute and followed his bike out of the lot.
We drove for an hour before stopping to get a bite to eat. The waitress at the diner flirted openly with Dalton. I shot daggers at her until he switched seats to one next to me, and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. She turned bright red and stomped away with a huff. He kissed me on the cheek and whispered, “I kinda like you jealous.” He paid, and when we got back to our bikes, I kissed him like a woman starved. Someone hollered at us to get a room, and we broke apart laughing.
We drove for another hour, the air getting cooler and cleaner the longer we rode. We were riding along Lake Sinclair when he turnedonto a gravel road. My mind was racing with questions, wondering where we were when he stopped in front of a beautiful cabin right on the edge of the water. It was shielded by cedar and oak trees, had massive bay windows along the side, and a long path that led down to where the water lapped gently at the shore. It was absolutely stunning.
