“But I’m not even done with my drink.” She lifts the glass, taking a slow, taunting little sip.
“Let’s go,” I say.
“I can take the train.”
“No, you can’t. Not at this hour. It’s snowing, and you—” I look her up and down. Sheer tights. “For fuck’s sake, Sisk. Don’t you own real pants?”
“Came straight from the studio.”
She hops off the counter, and the movement pulls the fabric just enough for me to see them—the bruises. Blooming down her thighs through the tights like dark fingerprints. My stomach goes sour. My cock hardens.Perfect.I grip my keys until the teeth dig into my palm, telling my body to get its shit together.
Sisk downs the rest of her drink in one gulp. “Fine, Daddy. Let’s go.”
She saunters past me on purpose, shoulder brushing mine—temptation I don’t need tonight.
Before I can stop myself, my hand shoots out. I catch her arm and pull her in. “Do not fucking provoke me tonight.”
Her lips part. “Or what?” she whispers, biting her bottom lip.
I let go of her arm. “I’m serious,” I say. “It’s… getting worse.”
“Jax.” Her voice softens.
She steps toward me, but I back up.
“No.” I shake my head. “I told you. That was the last time I hurt you.”
I push past her and walk out, heading straight for the bike. I swing a leg over, my hand already on the key.
“Sorry. I know it’s too cold for this. I think it’s time I got a truck.”
She steps in close, her hands resting on my shoulders as she settles behind me. “Don’t you dare,” she whispers against my ear. “I like the ride. And riding the biker.”
Fuck. Did she just fucking say that?My grip on the handlebars tightens. Of course she did. She never misses a chance to throw a match on the gasoline. Her arms wrap tight around my waist as I kick the engine to life.
We ride in silence. Except it isn’t silence to me. With her this close, I feel everything. Her breath—shallow at first, then deeper when she relaxes against me. Her scent—the clean smell of her own skin, still warm from a long day at the studio, mixed with the faint sweetness of her shampoo. Every time she shifts, even slightly—pressing closer to avoid a gust of wind—my cock jumps like I’m a teenager again with no self-control.
She’s staring out at the streets, unaware of the way she stirs the thing inside me that’s never fully quiet. Having her this close is a mistake. The memory hits—hard and fast: her on my counter, knees tight around my waist—her breath in my mouth—her nails in my shoulders. I shift in my seat, trying to relieve the pressure in my jeans that only gets worse the longer I feel her against me.
I don’t think I’ve ever wanted her this bad. It’s a physical ache, threatening to shred every last bit of my self-control. It’s more than simply needing to fuck her; it’s the primal need to own her, to make sure nobody ever puts their filthy fingers on what’s mine.
This is a need that crosses every boundary of right and wrong. The tar in my blood whispers that she’s not just a person, she’s a vessel. A dark part of me, the part I’m always fighting, likes the idea. Likes the thought of sinking into her so deep I can leave a piece of my magic behind, a permanent mark that would bind her to me, make her a conduit for the power that lives in me. To make her not only mine, but a part of this curse.I’d let the tar consume me whole before I let it touch her, because as much as I’m wrapped around her finger, she’s not mine to keep.
The bike’s headlight flickers, static bursts through the electrical system, startling both of us. It’s my magic slipping before I can slam it back down. Sisk’s arms tighten around me and I open my mouth to apologize, but a crack of gunfire erupts somewhere down the block.
I drag my gaze back to the road. “Fuck,” I mutter, twisting the throttle harder.
She doesn’t stress. We’ve both been in this shithole for far too long.
I pull up to her building and kill the engine. She swings off the bike. “Thanks for the drink,” she says, taking a step back.
“Sisk?”
She pauses on the curb. “Yeah?”
“All the locks,” I order. “Fastened.”
She nods. She doesn’t always listen, but the look on my face must be telling her I’m not fucking playing around tonight.
