Page 11 of Things Good Girls Don't Do

CHASE HADN’T MEANTto take his frustration out on Katie, but it was the same thing everywhere he went. People too high up on their fucking horses thought that tattoo artists were lower than dirt, and it pissed him off.

He came out from the back of the shop and started, “Look, I ...” but Katie was gone and there was a wad of crumpled cash on the counter. Cursing, he shoved the bills into his wallet and went to turn off the lights. She was in no condition to drive, and if one of the hard-ass Barney Fifes in blue decided to pull her over, she’d be screwed.

Admiring his motorcycle’s beauty in the evening sun, he swung his leg over to sit astride the powerful vehicle. He had a Chevy Blazer he drove when the roads were bad or he needed to haul something, but the chopper was his pride and joy. He saw Katie’s SUV still parked on the side of the street and started the chopper up. He flipped the motorcycle around and was surprised to see her up the street, walking unsteadily.

“Let me give you a ride,” he yelled as he pulled up alongside her.

Stopping and turning to face him, she asked, “I thought you were mad at me?”

He was surprised she’d even picked up on his irritation. “No, I’m not mad.”

“Really? ’Cause you seemed like you were teed off ...”

“I’m not mad,” he snapped, and, at her hurt look, took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Just come on. I don’t like you walking home by yourself.”

“It’s still light out, and really, it’s not far,” she said, and she was right. It was past nine, but the sun hadn’t fully set yet. He had a feeling though, that wasn’t what was stopping her.

“God, will you stop being so stubborn and get on the damn chopper?” He pulled in front of her and cut the engine. “Look, just let me take you home. It will make me feel better.” She seemed to be weighing the dangers as he reached out to grab her hand. “Trust me.”

Why that worked Chase didn’t know, but she took a deep breath and climbed on behind him. He liked the way her arms wrapped around his waist and the feel of her breasts pressed against his back. Patting her hands comfortingly, he said, “Hang on.”

Starting the chopper back up, Chase headed down the street, following Katie’s directions as she shouted them. When he pulled in front of her house and parked in the drive, she released her death grip on his waist and scrambled off. He rubbed his ribs where her fingers had dug in and couldn’t help grinning at her as she tried to shake off her obvious terror.

“First time on a motorcycle?” he asked.

The little smile she gave him was just a small lift of her lips, but he thought it was sexy as hell. “Yeah, sorry, I just can’t seem to help it. It just doesn’t feel right to have nothing between me and everything else. How do you keep from getting bugs in your teeth?”

“Actually, one time, I went to pick a girl up for a date and the whole night she acted weird. I couldn’t figure out why.” He started chuckling as he continued, “When I went to kiss her at the end, she literally started gagging and finally told me that I had a smashed bug on my face.”

Katie’s sweet laughter joined his. “I’m guessing you didn’t go out with her again?”

He shook his head. “I was eighteen and angry. I just roared off, and when I saw her around, I ignored her. Another flaw I guess. I don’t like to be made a fool of and I don’t let people treat me like a joke.”

Katie cocked her head and said, “I don’t really think that’s a flaw.”

He shrugged. “Let’s just say it doesn’t make me popular with most people. I’m not really a filter kind of guy. You piss me off, I’m not going to pretend it’s all fine and dandy. Guess that’s one way we differ.”

He saw that flare again, the one he noticed every time she had something to say but held it in. It started to cool and he grabbed her around her waist, pulling her to him. “Don’t. Don’t hold it in with me. I’ve got a pretty thick skin: I’m sure I can take whatever you wanna dish out.”

When she didn’t respond right away, he figured she was going to bottle it up anyway. Instead she blurted, “I am not spineless. I was just taught to always put my best behavior out there and not just say whatever comes out, no matter how much I may want to sometimes. I can have an opinion without being rude.”

“Fine, so if I was to ask myself inside for a nightcap, what would you say?” he asked.

She seemed to be struggling with her answer. Her mouth started to open but snapped shut again before she could get anything out.

“You want to tell me to go to hell?” He said, smirking. It really was fun to fluster her.

She shook her head. “No. I want to tell you that I don’t have any alcohol and I didn’t get to eat dinner. I meant to go to the grocery store because I have no food in the house, but you distracted me! Coming by my work to embarrass me, and then again with that kiss ...”

“Hey now, you came bymywork and distractedme. As for the kiss, you wanted me to. And that was a good kiss, an amazing kiss. And it’s definitely something that we should do again very soon.”

“No! No more kissing. I shouldn’t have asked you to kiss me,” she said.

“Actually, it was more like a demand ...” he said.

“The point is, it was wrong and ...”

Abruptly, her protests stopped as he slipped his hands up and under her jaw to lift her blue eyes to his. “We are two single, consenting adults, and if you want to keep kissing me, let me be clear”—he brought his mouth closer to hers—“the feeling is completely mutual.”

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