Page 11 of Beast

Beast rose to his feet and turned around.His gaze settled on me, and a slow smile etched its way across his face.He grabbed his shirt and shrugged into it while he crossed the room.

I opened the door and met him inside.“I found you.”

He grabbed me by one hand and pulled me in close.Lowering his head, he seared a kiss across my lips.“You couldn’t lose me if you tried.”

I blushed, glancing around to see if there was anyone else in the room.He had a way of making everything sound so damn intimate.

“Ready for breakfast?There’s a little place just around the corner, and if we ask nicely, they’ll pack a picnic lunch for us as well.We can hit the road after that and not worry about stopping for a while.”

“Sounds good.”I let him keep my hand captive while we headed back to our room.“But I was hoping we could stop somewhere and get me a few things.I didn’t have time to pack before I left, and I don’t fancy wearing the same clothes from one side of the country to the other.”

He looked thoughtful.“We pass through a couple smaller towns.We could probably stop at one of those big discount stores.”

“I have money.”The thought of Beast paying for my underthings had me blushing all over again.

“Cash money?”

“Some.But I can get more from an ATM.”

He shook his head.“We pay cash so there’s no chance of your ex tracing us.Don’t worry.I have enough on me to pay for shit.”

“You carry that much cash on you?Aren’t you worried about getting robbed?”As soon as I said it, I realized what a dumb question it was.Anyone looking for a victim to rob wouldn’t give Beast a second glance.He looked like exactly what he was -- a big, tough, battle-hardened biker who probably had a weapon or two hidden somewhere on him.

He laughed.“Nah.Some days I’d welcome the distraction.Work off a little steam and claim self-defense.”

He opened the door to our hotel room and did a quick visual sweep before allowing me to enter.“Put the leathers on and get the rest of your stuff together.”He eyed up my purse.“You want to carry that or put it in the saddlebags?”

I hesitated, then pulled out my phone and wallet before handing him the purse.I managed to get the chaps on quicker this time, buckling up the waist belt before attempting to wrap the legs around and zip them up.After pulling on the jacket, I slipped my wallet and phone into the interior pockets.“Thanks.It will be more comfortable without the purse.”

He nodded.“Ready to go?”

“Yup.”I squirmed a bit, rearranging my pants and the chaps to a more comfortable position.

He slung the saddlebags over his shoulder and took my hand as we headed downstairs.It had felt strange at first, but I was starting to get used to this handholding thing.

Tinker was at the front desk, checking off items on an order sheet.He glanced up at us.“You two have a good night’s sleep?”The twinkle in his eye made me wonder if we’d made enough noise to be heard outside the privacy of our room.

“Great as always.Thanks for the hospitality.”Beast let go of my hand for a minute and pulled out a wad of cash that had me gasping.Peeling off a few bills, he dropped them on the counter.“Thanks, buddy.”

Tinker looked at the cash and nodded.“You were never here.”

Beast pocketed the rest of the cash and retrieved my hand.“See you next trip.”

The trip to the restaurant was hardly worth starting the bike for, but I understood that Beast valued the machine enough not to leave it behind.That, and after we ate we would be headed back out on the road.

I looked at the laminated menu card, surprised to realize how hungry I felt.

“Can I start you two out with some coffee?”The waitress looked to be in her early twenties, and I felt a twinge of something dark when she ignored me and smiled at Beast.

“Coffee for me.Black.How about you, sweetheart?”Ignoring the waitress, Beast looked over at me.

I frowned at the endearment.“Coffee with cream, please.”

“Coming right up.”The waitress bustled away, and Beast reached over to take possession of my hand.

“Should have mentioned this before,” Beast said.“I won’t use your name in public.A small thing, but it’s always the little things that trip people up.Anyone could come in looking for a girl named Piper, and the waitress or someone might just remember you.”

I tilted my head.“I’d say you were paranoid but given the circumstances I appreciate it.Can I use your name or is that a no-no as well?”

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