Page 106 of Mace

He arrives less than twenty minutes later, handing me the keys, and I give him the rundown about Link.

Maylie appears in the living room just as I’m finished, and my brain almost short circuits. Fuck, she looks incredible. She’s wearing a pair of skinny jeans that hug her body like a second skin. I can’t resist scraping my hand over her arse as she passes me to sit on the sofa.

“Hey,” she says to the prospect as she sinks down. “I’m Maylie.”

The prospect looks to me, unsure if he’s allowed to speak to her, and I give him a slight incline of my head. “Mattias, but everyone calls me Wolf.”

“Do you howl?”

Wolf looks at me again.You’re on your own with this, kid.

“No, I… uh… wolf in sheep’s clothing?—”

“You got boots?” I interrupt them as she starts to pull on her trainers.

Her brows drawn together. “All girls have boots, Mace. It’s like a staple wardrobe requirement. But what kind of boots do you mean? Ankle, calf-length, knee-high, thigh-high… though I don’t have the latter. My legs are short, and those things don’t fit.”

I scratch my head, waiting until she’s finished rambling. “The first two would be fine. No heels.”

“Okay. I’ll be back in a second.” She leaves the room and reappears a moment later wearing a pair of boots that reach her calves.

“They’ll do.”

“Do you wanna tell me why I need to wear boots?”

“Ain’t safe to be on the back of a bike in trainers.” I hold my hand out to her, and she slips her palm into mine. She’s so delicate, so breakable, and the pressure I feel to keep her safe overwhelms me as I lead her out into the hallway, where she grabs a jacket from the hooks on the wall.

I help her into it before I lift her hand, kissing the back of her knuckles.

My bike is parked up outside, and as we approach, I check to make sure the prospect hasn’t scratched it, but it looks pristine, just as it always does. There’s a second helmet attached to the back that I asked Wolf to bring, and I step into her space, pulling it over her head. Her eyes are wide, almost comically so.

I fasten the chinstrap, aware she’s watching my every move as I check it’s secure on her head. She looks fuckin’adorable. “Okay, some ground rules to safe ridin’. Lean when I lean. Hold on tight, and trust that I know what I’m doing, so no backseat driving. And don’t touch the pipes. They get hot.”

“Okay. How do we dothis?” She points towards the bike.

I pull my helmet on, securing it in place. “I’ll guide you.”

I throw my leg over the bike, sitting myself comfortably and making sure everything is in position for her to get on safely behind me. Even with my instructions, her movements are tentative, and she uses my shoulders to steady herself as she climbs on behind me. When she sits, the position presses her flush to my back, and my cock twitches as I pull her arms around my waist.

I glance over my shoulder at her, making sure she’s okay before I start the engine.

As soon as the bike vibrates to life, Maylie squeals and tightens her grip around my waist. I grin at the familiar purring sound beneath me. This shit right here is everything. A good woman, my bike, and the open road.

“Hold on tight,” I warn her as I roll off the stand and hit the throttle.

Her hands squeeze around my waist as I filter into the traffic. She feels fucking amazing at my back, and as soon as we have time, I’m taking her on a proper ride. Maylie’s a natural, doing everything I instructed like a perfect passenger, and by the time I pull into the parking area at the home, I know she’d be fine on a longer ride.

I pull into a space and kick the stand down before I cut the engine. Maylie climbs off and stands to the side, undoing the chinstrap so she can pull her helmet off. Herhair is in disarray, but her cheeks are flush with excitement. “That was incredible.”

I climb off the bike, removing my own helmet and fastening it to the lock on the back of the bike before I take Maylie’s helmet and do the same.

“This is why we ride, baby. The freedom, the feel of the wind... whenever I have a shitty day, all I have to do is hit the open road and it all fades into the background for a while.”

She surprises the shit out of me when she grabs me by the front of my kutte and pulls me into her so she can surge to her toes. The kiss is desperate, needy, and I relish every second of it. “Thank you.”

I kiss her knuckles before I guide her towards the building. Her eyes are everywhere as we get closer, but she doesn’t ask any questions, though I can see she’s desperate to.

Ellie is on the desk, and I’m already gritting my teeth when she glances up.

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