Page 3 of Crusher

“Christ, woman!” I holler.

“Oh, I see your arm isn’t losing feeling. That’s a good sign.” She smirks while I glare at her.

Suddenly, in the distance, we hear the growing wails of a speeding ambulance. Sadie stands, righting herself and smoothing her hands over her clothes. She glances in my direction, that constant sneer she seems to reserve only for me making my skin tingle with anticipation.

“Trouble,” I mutter as her gaze narrows. “Have you not thought about me at all?” There’s amusement in my voice, but truth is I’m genuinely curious.

She pauses before steeling her expression. “Crusher, I have better things to do with my time than to think about some biker with a pierced dick.” That little detail alone tells me she’s lying.

My eyes fall to her mouth, mesmerized by the way she purses her lips. “You know, giving me the cold shoulder is only gonna make me want you more.”

“So you’re a masochist?”

“No, I’m an animal, honey, and I like to chase. Either way, you’re gonna be mine one of these days. All mine. In every fucking way.”

She blinks, then blinks again as her eyes go wide. “I must’ve misevaluated you, because you’ve obviously hit your head harder than I initially thought if you think that’s true for one damn minute.”

My body aches when I laugh as the ambulance pulls up next to her truck. Two paramedics spring from the back and jog toward us with equipment in hand.

“Say whatever you want, Sadie, but you and I both know I never back down from a challenge.”

2

SADIE

The likelihood of getting fired today is growing by the second.

I walk up the pathway of my best friend’s house with my little brother dawdling behind me. Then I knock on the door and wait, taking a few moments to calm down after this morning’s events.

I hear him grumbling behind me and roll my eyes. “I don’t have time for this, Ky.”

He huffs an exaggerated sigh. “Why do I need a babysitter?”

“Maybe because you’re eleven and I’ll be at work all day.”

“I’m eleven and a half,” Kyle corrects.

Footsteps advance behind the door before it swings open. Tessa greets me with a warm smile and I’m thankful to see her happy face. I grin at her outfit, earning myself a wink. She works from home, so everything above her waist is web-camera ready while the rest looks as though she just rolled out of bed.

“I thought you said you’d be here thirty minutes ago.” She arches one perfect brow while glancing down at the time on her phone.

I lean in to hug her. “I was but there was an accident on the road.”

“Are you okay?” There’s mild panic in her tone as her gaze roams over my body, clearly searching for any signs of distress.

I wave off her concern with a sweep of my hand. “Yeah, I’m okay. It wasn’t me.” I did have some minor damage to the front of my truck, but it’s old and beat up anyway, so who’s going to notice?

Then, Crusher’s words come to mind. Say whatever you want, Sadie, but you and I both know I never back down from a challenge.

The nerve of that man. That big, sexy man with a motorcycle and a pierced dick.

Ugh! I immediately shake him away from my thoughts.

“Anyway, I need to get to work. I’m already so late.” I step aside and nudge Kyle toward Tessa. “Here’s your gremlin for the next twelve hours. Call me if you need anything.”

“You know I won’t. We got this, right, Ky?” She ushers him inside, ruffling his short brown hair. “Good luck at work, babes.”

My body sags with the dread of knowing that my boss is about to chew my ass out.

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