“That’s not what I meant. I’m supposed to go home tomorrow.”
Thor’s fingers pause their gentle caress on my back, and I can sense the seriousness in his gaze. “Do you want to go home?”
I sigh, torn between the life waiting for me and Thor’s magnetic pull on my heart. “I don’t know,” I admit. “Everything is so complicated.”
“I won’t pretend to have all the answers, Charlotte,” he says earnestly. “But I do know that when we’re together, everything feels right, but some things here make staying with me in Vegas unsafe.”
“The club?” I ask.
“Yeah,” he admits. “Being with me here will paint a target on your back. I can’t do that to you, but I also don’t want you to go, either.”
I take a moment to process Thor’s words, my mind swirling with conflicting emotions. The allure of staying with him and exploring the depths of our connection is undeniable. But the danger that comes with it weighs heavily on my heart.
“What if we… find a way to make it work?” I suggest tentatively. “Somehow navigate through the complications?”
Thor’s gaze softens as he considers my proposal, his thumb gently tracing circles on my lower back. “I won’t lie, Charlotte. If you stay here with me, it may not be safe for you.”
I bite my lip, contemplating the possibilities. Staying with Thor would mean stepping into a world of uncertainty, one where danger lurks around every corner. But it would also mean embracing a love and passion I never thought I would experience.
“Sometimes…” I begin, “The things worth having in life come with risks.”
CHARLOTTE
Thor's lipsare like salvation, making me forget we're in a hotel hallway where anyone could see us. The way he kisses me should be illegal in at least forty-seven states—deep, possessive, hungry. My back presses against the wall beside my door as his massive frame cages me in, one tattooed arm braced above my head, the other gripping my hip like he's afraid I'll disappear.
“I should get inside,” I murmur against his mouth, not making the slightest move to leave.
“Should you?” he growls. His teeth graze my bottom lip, tugging just enough to make my knees weak. “I'm not done with you yet, Charlotte.”
The way he says my name—my full name—still sends shivers racing down my spine. No one's ever made those three syllables sound like both a prayer and a sin.
“You've had me for the past twelve hours,” I remind him, though my body betrays me by arching closer. “Minny's probably wondering if I've been kidnapped.”
Thor's laugh is wicked and low. “That's not kidnapping, sweetheart. That's called making you come so hard you forgot your own name.”
Heat floods my cheeks, “Thor!”
“What? Just stating facts.”
I press my palms against his chest, feeling the solid wall of muscle beneath his shirt. His heart pounds against my fingers, a steady, powerful rhythm that matches the thrumming in my veins.
“I need to check on her,” I say, but my voice lacks conviction. “Aren’t you in town for biker business?”
“Yeah,” he shrugs with a smirk. “But, getting you back into my bed seems like a better idea.”
“Is what you have to do that bad? Maybe I can help you.”
Thor studies me for a long moment. “It's complicated, Charlotte. And the less you know, the safer you are.”
I tilt my head, reaching up to trace the hard line of his jaw. “I'm not made of glass, you know. I can handle complicated.”
His thumb brushes across my cheekbone, so gentle it barely touches my skin.
“Trust me when I say this isn't your kind of complicated. It's the kind that puts people in the ground. You need to stay far away from this part of my life, sweetheart. For now, at least.”
I'm about to respond when the door behind me swings open. Thor's hand instinctively tightens on my hip as we both turn to find Minny standing in the doorway.
“Oh my God!” she exclaims, a hand flying to her mouth. “I thought I heard voices out here!”
