I roll my eyes. “Walking, duh!”

He bursts out laughing. “Did you not pay attention when you were comin’ in? Closest town is at least thirty miles.”

Dammit.

“Well, I’ll borrow Jackson’s car.”

“Jackson don’t have a car, sugar.”

Fuck.

I throw my hands up, and in an exasperated tone, I snap, “Fine, you win!”

He grins, spinning around and sauntering back towards the compound. “See you in ten, sugar.”

Fucking asshole.

CHAPTER 5

PRESENT

When Cade shows up on his Harley, I stare at it for a long, long moment. He’s not serious? He wants me to get on that? I won’t lie and say it’s not sexy as hell, with its chrome fittings and candy-apple red paint but really? It looks so…dangerous. Cade gets off. The buckles on his boots make a clinking sound as he walks towards me. His eyes scan over my outfit. I had to find the closest thing to riding clothes that I could. I got jeans, and a tank, and a pair of old runners. It’s the best I could piece together. I don’t have many clothes to choose from.

“That all you got to wear?” he says, in an almost disgusted tone.

I cross my arms, feeling suddenly ugly. “Yes, it is.”

“No leathers?”

“Serious?” I snort.

“Fuckin’ deadly serious, sugar,” he says, his eyes hard.

“Then no, I don’t.”

“Fine, we’re gettin’ some.”

“I can’t afford leathers,” I protest as he thrusts a helmet at me and gets back on the bike.

“I can, now get on.”

I slide on the back of the bike, feeling my heart leap into my throat.

“You’re not buying me anything; this is the one and only time I’m getting on this bike.”

He grips my knees, pulling me forward so my legs are spread and his back is rested comfortably between them. He runs a hand up my thigh until he reaches my ass, he grips it, pressing me even closer to him. I swallow, smothering a whimper as the leather on his jacket rubs suggestively against my pussy. Fuck. He grips my wrists next, pulling them around his large, solid body. When I connect them at the front, I realize how close my face is to his back. I can smell him, and fuck, he smells like man dipped in chocolate, covered with fuckable sprinkles.

“Hold on, sugar.”

He starts the bike, and the rumble goes right to my core. I close my eyes, clenching my teeth as the vibrations do wonderful things to my already soaked pussy. I shift on the seat, uncomfortable with how aroused this man is making me. I’m an extremely sexual person; it’s hard not to be when you’ve lived a life based around sex. I haven’t had a great deal of good sex in my time, most of it was drunken sex, high sex, or forced sex. I don’t remember a great deal of the forced sex with Jasper, probably because I used to get so high it would knock me out. The only good sex I ever had, was with Billy, my ex boyfriend. My first love, my first heart break, my first decent sexual experience.

Cade turns his head looking me dead in the eye. “Your little pussy against my back is doin’ bad things to me, sugar. Keep still.”

I squirm at his words, and his eyes flare.

“Keep fuckin’ still,” he grates out. “Or I’ll have them jeans around your ankles in less than five minutes and my dick will be buried deep inside that hot little cunt.”

I open my mouth, shocked and completely aroused. Cade turns, lifting his boots and pulling the throttle. The bike lurches forward; my thoughts quickly disappear and a scream escapes my throat. I feel Cade’s chuckle rumble through his back and into my chest. I hold on tighter, terrified and completely thrilled, all in one. I scream, squeal and then laugh as he picks up speed, heading towards town. My hair whips around, the wind tickles my face, and for a moment, I feel completely free. It’s a moment in my life, I know I’ll never forget. The freedom I feel on this bike, is a freedom I’ve never felt. It’s exhilarating. It’s one of the most beautiful, intense feelings I’ve ever had pulsing through my chest. As we soar along, the rumble of the Harley the only sound we hear, I ponder how I will keep Cade at a distance. He doesn’t seem like the kind of man to give up easily if he wants something.

It’s clear Cade isn’t about to give up on me; obviously, he’s found a fascination. I won’t lie and say he’s not doing crazy things to my body, but I’m not here to get involved. I am here to try and make another life for myself and move on from my past. I can’t get tangled up. I have to stay focused on my plan. I don’t need any more drama or things keeping me held back. I stare at the trees whizzing past me, and I know how easily I could get comfortable here, with Jackson and this life, but I can’t do that. Living this kind of lifestyle isn’t putting me forward, it’s just keeping me at a standstill, and I can’t allow that.

I feel Cade’s bike slowing, and I peer at the town ahead. It’s only small, maybe five or six thousand people by the looks of it. I suppose it’s what you would call an outback town; it’s got that outback kind of look about it and by the way people are dressed, definitely that kind of feel too. Cade pulls up his bike, and I slip off the back. My legs wobble and I reach out, gripping the seat to steady myself. Cade chuckles and slips his helmet off, and then grips mine and pulls it off my head. I stare up at him, and when he’s smiling down at me the way he is now, it makes it that much harder to just turn everything off.