Page 13 of The Bachelor

There was uncertainty radiating off her. Ben’s betrayal had dented her confidence, which was completely understandable and expected. As far as he knew, he’d never been cheated on, but he was pretty sure if it happened to him, he would be really damn angry. Avery was holding it together better than most people would. So he had no problem bolstering her. “No,” he said firmly. “That’s not what I want. But I want you to be comfortable with me.”

“I am.” She lifted her hand, like she was going to touch him, then dropped it quickly. “You’re a nice guy, you know that? But I bet you hear that all the time.”

“Not really.” He wasn’t sure he was anything special in that regard. He was polite, well-mannered. Determined to not be an asshole. But he wasn’t sure he was really nice. If anything, he had residual anger that simmered under the surface. He hid it with work and the thin veneer of casual charm. It was also part of the reason he never let women get close to him. If he tapped into one emotion like love, would the floodgates open, allowing a shitload of anger to spill out? He didn’t know. He didn’t want to find out.

Avery put her purse over her head cross-ways so she didn’t have to hold it. The strap pressed down between her breasts, forcing the lace to cling to her curves. It brought all manner of visuals to his mind. He cleared his throat and pulled his keys out of his pocket. “Do you need help?” he asked.

It was a big bike and she was a small woman. Then again, she rode horses.

“Nope. Though this short dress isn’t ideal.” Without hesitation though, she hiked the skirt up and swung her leg over the seat.

Shane caught the briefest glimpse of firm thighs and white panties before it was gone and she was seated. He had seen plenty of panties and thighs and hiked-up skirts in his lifetime, but for whatever reason that tantalizing tease, that wasn’t intended to be a tease, made his mouth water. If Avery knew what he was thinking right now, she would hop right off that bike.

Because his thoughts were running along the lines of his fingers gripping those pale thighs and holding them apart so he could bury his mouth in her softness, sliding the panties over with his teeth and letting his tongue fully taste her.

Or maybe she would prove to him that she was ready to be a little wilder, as she claimed. The thought made his dick harden and his nostrils flare. He liked a little naughty with his nice.

“You ready?” she asked with a smile.

That was an understatement. He was standing there just staring at her while envisioning going down on her. He could only imagine what he looked like, though if he had to guess, fierce and hungry. He had an erection too, and he almost hoped she would notice. But she was looking at his face, not his dick. Obviously.

He cleared his throat. “I’m ready.” Really fucking ready.

He climbed onto his bike, painfully so, given his hard cock, and handed Avery his helmet. “You need to wear this.” He wanted her safe.

“Okay, thanks.” She put on the helmet, then snuggled right up behind him, her arms slipping around his middle, her hands pressing against his abs.

It felt oddly satisfying to have her trust him. He didn’t generally let women on his motorcycle. Most nights when he went out or to industry parties, he didn’t drive it for that reason. The bike was for him. For his own personal sense of freedom. It allowed him to shut down his thoughts and just feel the road, breathe the air. So he totally understood what Avery was seeking because he reached for it every time he climbed on his bike. He’d ridden tonight because he had known he was going to be heading home alone.

It was a new sensation to have a woman behind him. He felt proprietary of her and her safety and he pulled her hands in closer, firmer. “Hold on really tight,” he said over his shoulder. “Grip with your thighs like you do on your horse.” He mentally groaned as he said the words. He didn’t need to imagine Avery gripping anything with her thighs.

“Got it.”

He couldn’t see the upper half of her legs. Just the smooth expanse of creamy flesh on either side of him from just above her knee to where it suddenly disappeared into the leather of her boots. If she’d been in heels, he wasn’t sure he would have taken her more than the two blocks to the hotel, but with the boots, he felt like she had more stability. Sexy and stable. That might be a decent label for Avery herself.

She pressed her chest and shoulder against him, her grip tight around his waist. If she hadn’t been wearing the helmet, he might have been able to feel her cheek against his back, but instead he felt the hard press of the plastic. He took off, no particular destination in mind. He wasn’t going to head out of the city because he didn’t think it would make her feel comfortable to be out in the sticks in total darkness with a man she had just met. Or maybe she was feeling reckless and didn’t care, but he didn’t want to be that guy. The one who took advantage of her emotional distress and lured her out of her dress in a field.

Not that he didn’t want to.

So he just drove around the city, letting the night air cool his warm skin and clear his head. He had a busy week coming up and all his days were fully scheduled. This might be his only real opportunity to just relax, away from the chaos. He really needed to do this more often.

Avery shifted and her hand accidentally brushed over his dick. He wasn’t expecting it, but he couldn’t say he minded. At all. But she snatched her hand back quickly, and as she did, he had a momentary panic that she was going to throw herself off balance. His heart leapt into his throat.

He was glad she couldn’t see his face as she settled back, perfectly fine. For a minute, he had felt real, genuine, down-into-his-soul fear. He couldn’t even remember the last time he had felt scared. Life had been clipping along, easy. There had been nothing wrong, but also nothing to inspire him, jar him, rattle his chains. No challenge.

An ache he didn’t understand and wasn’t expecting settled into his chest. Fuck. Why did fear always have to be followed by a rush of adrenaline? He couldn’t do anything to cool the hot blood pumping through him right now. Avery’s fingers tickled across his gut as she shifted a little.

Or could he?

SIX

Avery couldn’t believe she had brushed over Shane’s crotch. It had genuinely been an accident. He hadn’t reacted at all, but her cheeks were burning, and she figured she should just be grateful that her embarrassment was hidden under a helmet. But really, why was she embarrassed? It was an accident. Not a play for his penis.

She wondered what his cock looked like. Since Ben was the only man she had dated, and she’d never seen him entirely naked, she had very little to draw from, but she couldn’t imagine that Shane would be lacking. That seemed like too much of a cruel twist of fate, for a man so good looking to have a pinky penis. Then again, was small really that bad? It wasn’t like she actually knew. Maybe it was better to start small and work her way up.

Then she mentally gave herself a face palm. She shouldn’t be thinking about the man’s body parts. It was just none of her business, even if a small secret part of her wanted it to be. He was in the middle of conducting a random act of kindness and she was contemplating what his junk looked like. What she should be thinking about was what the heck she was going to do now that she had nowhere to live. No job. No car. Oh, and no boyfriend, and no friends in Nashville.

That sobered her. Closing her eyes for a minute, she breathed in deeply and let her head drift back, the weight of the helmet aiding her movement. She forced herself to relax, to not stress out. What was important was that she knew the truth. She wasn’t going to waste another minute with a man who thought so little of her he would lie to her and disrespect her. Her throat tightened and she forced it back open, breathing through her nose. It hurt. God, it hurt. She felt betrayed in the most elemental way possible, but also disappointed in herself. Why hadn’t she seen that Ben was a sneak and a dirty dog?

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