Page 74 of Jingle Belle's Biker

“This isn’t much of a ride, Saint.”

“Pit stop.”

She takes in the space as I lead her over. There’s no sign, nothing. I’m not here long enough for that, but word’s already spread, so I’m going to be busy until I leave.

“You take a girl to the nicest places.”

“Some have the Ritz. I have this.”

She laughs. “This is yours? Where you make your motor magic happen? Or bury the bodies?”

“Cement floor.” I unlock the door and push it open with a squeal of steel against steel.

“You’re going to let something small like that set you back? I’ll bring in my class, they’ll work it out in no time. In fact, you’ll be drowning in ideas.”

I laugh. “Now, that’s a way to fucking go. Drowned by ideas.”

“There are worse ways.”

She follows me in, and Red’s instantly captivated by the place. She’s wearing a cream dress with green flowers and purple tights. She’s got a rust-colored coat on. This is the first time I’ve taken note of what she’s wearing today.

None of it should work, but it does. And with the colors, grease and dirt’s gonna cling and stand out.

It’s the outfit of a teacher, not a woman who likes to play in dirty spaces.

But she’s wandering about, touching things, picking up tools, running her hands over the bike I’m building for someone, some of the pieces on a workbench, the rest in a corner.

When she’s done there, she takes off her coat and does something so sacrilegious I kind of fucking love her for it.

She hangs it on the handlebars of another bike.

Then she spins and comes to a stop near me. “So, this is your day job?”

“The corporate grind.”

“I know, this tiny little cubicle and not even a window spot.”

“My office is open plan.”

She grins. “Your office? This is a cubicle.”

“Red . . .” I take hold of her, arm around her waist, and draw her in. The thump of her heart a vibration in me as I pull her flush against me. “I would never be caught dead in a cubicle.”

“Or a nine-to-five job.”

“I have a trade I’m good at,” I say, using my thumb to wipe some grease from her cheek.

Her face is tipped up to mine, and her gaze goes to my mouth. That look pulls me deep inside, sends blood pounding, and my dick starts getting hard.

“It’s warm in here.”

“Yeah, well, that’s the beauty of renting from someone whose brother had this place outfitted for comfort over bare-bones functionality.”

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah, more money than sense, but I reap the rewards of having an excellent kitchenette and heating system. That stray cat loves it in here when I’m working.”

“Where is he?” As she says it, there’s a sleepy meow, and I know exactly where the little bastard is.

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