Page 73 of Chasing Sparks

“How so?”

“As long as you’re by my side, there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell I’ll ever get bored.” His gaze softens again, his voice quieting. “I’ll gladly spend all night talking, but can we do it somewhere warmer? It’s freezing out here, and the snow is about to start.”

“Figures you’d ride your bike in a snowstorm.”

“I thought it was going to miss us, and I’d get one last ride in before spring. Come on, we’ll leave your truck at the shop. No one will touch it.”

“Why don’t we drive the truck and leave the motorcycle?”

I think it’s a valid question, but the look of sheer horror crossing Ash’s face at my suggestion is laughable.

“I’m not leaving my bike unprotected in a snowstorm. Besides,” he says, reaching into his saddlebag and pulling out a helmet. “I’ve got something for you.”

“You brought this with you after our fight earlier today?”

Ash shrugs, offering me that maddeningly casual grin. “I knew I wasn’t leaving here without you.”

I roll my eyes and scoff. “A bit presumptuous, don’t you think?”

“No. Hopeful.” His voice drops as he averts his gaze. “I may not have a horse, Ori, but I’d like to try to finish that fairytale for you.”

Maybe it’s a line. Maybe they’re all lines. Or maybe, just maybe, I don’t have to walk away from the biggest love my heart has ever known.

I rest the helmet on his motorcycle seat and grasp the lapels of his coat, tugging him closer. “You, sir, are maddening.”

He cocks his head, his eyes alight with mischief. “In a good way, though, right?”

With a giggle, I brush my lips against his. “In a damn good way, yes.”

Although I instigate the kiss, Ash is quick to take control. He pulls me effortlessly onto his lap and guides my legs around his waist as his hands firmly grip my ass. His mouth crashes down on mine—urgent, possessive, reclaiming every inch of me as his.

His beard scratches against my cheeks as I thread my fingers into his hair, our shared desperation growing by the second. I bite back a whimper. But Ash has no intention of letting me go until he’s damn good and ready. His tongue slides against mine in a slow, seductive rhythm, every movement brimming with hunger.

It matches my own.

A few whoops and cheers erupt from the bar patrons, reminding us we’re not alone.

Ash buries his face in the crook of my neck, his teeth grazing the soft skin of my throat. “Let’s go home.”

I nod, conceding defeat. “Follow me to the shop, and then we’ll take your motorcycle. Can’t wait for an icy ride in the snow.”

“We’ll beat the snow,” he says, a sly grin tugging at his lips as he sets me to rights. “Did you see it?”

I furrow my brow, unsure of what he’s referring to. “See what?”

“On the helmet.”

I bring it under the light and my breath catches when I notice it—my name etched neatly across the side.

Another wave of tears threatens to spill, but I tamp it down, opting for levity instead. Pivoting with my hand on my hip, I arch a brow and motion to the helmet. “How many women named Oriana do you know?”

“One,” he growls, his tone low and dangerous, “and she’s about to get her ass spanked for the entire bar to see.”

“Promises, promises,” I shoot back, unable to suppress the grin spreading across my face.

Chapter 10

Truth Over Easy

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