Page 30 of The Opposite Effect

After dragging my eyes away from the mouthwatering visual I have no right to be perusing, I climb on my bike. “If you don’t want to fall off, you better hold on tight,” I warn.

Any objections spilling from her lips are drowned out by the loud rumble of my engine when I kick over the motor. As I pull into the heavy flow of traffic, Clara plasters her torso to my back and wraps her arms around my waist. It should feel wrong to have her sitting on the back of my bike—very, very wrong—but this feels right.

Actually, it feels fucking great.

Clara remains quiet the entire twenty-mile trip to her apartment building. There isn’t much chance of holding a conversation between the warm May wind whipping past us and motorists honking their horns as I glide my bike through the densely populated roads.

When I pull into the driveway of Clara’s apartment buildingon Hyde, she wastes no time scampering off my bike. “Are you a goddamn lunatic!” she screams after yanking my helmet off her head.

I slide down the kickstand, then dismount my bike. “I did the speed limit… just,” I reply with a chuckle.

A winded grunt escapes my lips when Clara shoves my helmet into my chest with brutal force. “You could have killed me.”

“I’ve been riding these streets for years, Princess. I know them like the back of my hand.”

“You could have killed me, Brax!” she screams again, her eyes teeming with tears.

Although I’ve imagined for weeks what she’d sound like screaming my name, I don’t want to hear it like this. “I’d never…” When her eyes stray to the ground, I grip the top of her arms, forcing her to lock her eyes with mine. “I wouldneverlet anything happen to you, Clara.” I stare into her eyes, ensuring she can see the truth in mine. “I shouldn’t have forced you onto my bike, and I’m sorry if I scared you, but I promise you, you were safer on the back of my bike than on the bus.”

Gritting her teeth, she yanks out of my embrace and storms into her apartment building. I run my hand over the top of my head, vainly trying to gather some of my scattered composure. It’s a fruitless effort considering the reasoning behind my skittish demeanor just stormed away from me.

After gesturing to the valet that I’ll be back in a few, I take off after Clara. I only just make it into the elevator before the doors snap shut. Clara maintains a quiet front, but I can tell she has noticed my presence. Not only did she intake a sharp breath when I first entered the cramped elevator car, but her scorching eyes also haven’t left mine for the past ten floors.

For each floor the elevator rises, the number of occupants dwindles. Once we reach the thirtieth floor, Clara andI are the only remaining riders. When I take a step toward her, she spears me in place with her furious gaze. Even with her composure screaming annoyance, her pupils are massive, exposing her earlier panic is still firmly clutching her throat.

“Clara—”

My words halt when the elevator dings, announcing we’ve arrived on the penthouse floor. My strides out of the elevator car come to a dead stop when Clara suddenly spins around to face me. “I can take it from here,” she mutters, her words shaking as badly as her composure.

“I just want to make sure you don’t pass out in the hallway.” My tone relays the honesty of my statement. She looks beyond rattled that I don’t feel comfortable leaving her unattended.

Her wide eyes bounce between mine, but not a word escapes her hard-lined mouth.

“I’ve come this far. What’s a few more steps?” I gesture my head to a set of double doors a measly few feet from us.

Clara’s eyes follow mine before she faintly whispers, “Okay, but you’re only walking me to my door. You can’t come in.”

I gesture with my hand for her to lead the way. Although annoyed at the bitterness of her tone, I’m also grateful she’s lowering some of the impenetrable walls she has placed between us.

My thankfulness is short-lived.

Any panic left on Clara’s face from the ride on the back of my bike turns to absolute fury when her eyes drink in the eviction notice taped to her apartment door. After snatching the document off the polished hardwood door, her eyes speed-read the notice. “You bitch!”

Her hair smacks me in the face when she abruptly storms to a door directly across from her apartment. Her abrupt movements infuse the corridor with her rich floral scent. Loudbangs on a wooden door bellow through my ears when Clara whacks her fists on her neighbor’s door. Her pounding is so hard, I won’t be shocked if she turns up to Inked on Tuesday with busted knuckles.

Clara stumbles forward when the door is suddenly yanked open. I grab the top of her arms, ensuring she doesn’t kiss the pristine marble foyer of her neighbor’s entrance.

After gathering her footing, Clara pulls out of my embrace and locks her angry eyes with the blonde who just opened the door.

When I follow Clara’s irate gaze, my eyes bulge.Damn! I’m living in the wrong neighborhood.With long, wavy platinum-blonde hair, fierce green eyes, and a body any man would happily spend hours exploring, Clara’s neighbor is a knockout, an easy ten out of ten.

“You can’t do this.” Clara shoves the piece of paper she snatched off her door into the chest of her neighbor. “I still have another two months remaining on my lease.”

The blonde grins a ball-clenching smile thatnearlyhas the same effect on my cock as Clara’s feistiness. “Chapter 83 of the Florida State landlord statutes clearly state Isaac is acting within his rights by issuing you an eviction notice,” she replies, her words as strong as her stance.

Clara takes a retreating step, bewilderment evident all over her face. She isn’t the only one surprised. The last time I was confronted with the name Isaac was when Clara wanted it inked on her skin nearly six months ago.

“Isaac approved this?” Clara queries, her voice hindered with shakiness.

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