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The sound of his motorbike approaching had me jumping off the tree stump I was sitting on, and smoothing my skirt over my legs.

“You know, for a girl brought up around motorbikes, you don’t exactly choose appropriate riding gear,” he quipped as he pulled the bike to a stop and pushed the helmet off his head.

I took him in, all of him, and felt my heart flutter in response.

He was gorgeous. From the piercing blue eyes, that almost appeared silver, to the way his muscles bunched and flexed under his arms with every movement. His blonde hair was slightly longer, having spent the summer growing it out, and there was a slight tan to his skin that made him glow.

“Gabby?” he questioned, raising one of his eyebrows at me when I didn’t reply.

Feeling embarrassed having been caught staring, my mouth moved before I had the chance to second guess what I was going to say. “I’ll have you know, there’s been many a man that had no issue with me…riding… in this skirt.”

Why the fuck had I said that? Was I trying to make him jealous? To get a reaction? What?

I internally groaned, and then shuffled forward towards his bike.

“With legs like that, Princess, I can certainly believe it,” Luke smirked, and I rolled my eyes back at him.

So not jealous, then.

“But for the sake of my sanity,” he said, gently grabbing my arm, preventing me from climbing onto the back of his bike. “I think we best change our plans for tonight. How does a walk sound?”

“What does your sanity have to do with this?” I asked, frowning at him as he pulled the key out of the ignition and kicked the bike stand out.

“I am but a man. A fine specimen of a man, but a mere man, nonetheless. With the length of that skirt, knowing your bare ass was on the back of my bike, just inches away from my touch… Wouldn’t want me giving in to lustful teenage hormones and dragging you to the nearest alley to have my wicked way with you, would we?” he smiled to show he was joking, but my stupid, traitorous heart jumped for joy at the prospect of such a thought.

“Chance would be a fine thing,” I muttered under my breath.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,” I said, beaming my most innocent smile. He frowned at me, but didn’t push it any further. He just held out his hand to me, and I took it, just like I always did, and we started walking together.

“Did I tell you Laura and Dante are having their ceremony next year?” he asked after a few minutes of silence.

This wasn’t uncommon in our communities. Bikers could still get married—and often did—but this was considered second to the ceremony. The ceremony would cement Laura as more than just Dante’s girlfriend, and elevate her to old lady status. She would wear his property cut, and gift him with his own leather jacket in return. He would still wear his Devils Disciples cut, and the leather jacket on top of it.

“Why is Crash pushing for this to happen so early?” I asked. “They’ll only be eighteen. They’ll have their entire lives ahead of them.”

“Beats me.” He shrugged, my arm being pulled with the motion since our fingers were still linked.

You know, because that’s whatjust friendsdid.

“From what I’ve heard, Crash isn’t so keen on Macbeth ruling as president after him. Right now, Zach is acting as VP, butwith Macbeth being twenty-two and Dante almost eighteen, he’ll need to make a decision sooner or later who he wants by his side. I guess his thought process is to lock Dante down, stop him whoring around, and then he can focus on training.”

“Whoring around like having threesomes with you?” I asked innocently, keeping my tone light.

His steps faltered for a second, but then a big grin split across his face. “Exactly like that. The club stray, leading him astray. We can’t be having that.”

“You’re not the club stray, Luke,” I muttered softly.

“It’s okay, Gabby,” he said, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. “I came to terms with it a long time ago.”

“You may have been the club stray one time or another, but things change. Didn’t you tell me you and Dante had been allowed to sit in Church sessions?”

“Yeah?”

“And aren’t you both the leaders of the Descendants—at least for the next year?”

“Also yes.”