Page 21 of Marked by the Protective Biker

I clench my eyes shut, ready for her to freak out. When she says nothing, I open my eyes, surprised that she’s not upset, she’s in awe. “Jack, you have pictures of me on your wall.”

She slides around me and walks over to the dresser. She’s taking it all in, and as she moves around the room, I look at the images. There are pictures of her at work. Some of them are grainy because I paid people to take them off the security cameras at the prison. There’s a few of her working in her garden because I had one of the cherries take her picture for me. The walls, dresser, and nightstand are full of framed images of her. “Emily, let me explain. I know this looks bad.”

She turns and looks up at me. “You like me.”

Stunned, I suck in a breath. That’s what she gets from this? I blurt out, “I more than fuckin’ like you, Emily Riles. You’re a part of me. I think about you every day all day. Hell, the sun doesn’t shine for me until I get to see your smile each day.”

She walks over and tilts her head back to look at me. “But you said we can’t be together. You said last night could only be that… one night.” She shakes her head like she doesn’t believe what she’s seeing. “You acted like… I meant nothing to you, like walking away from me was the easiest thing you’ve ever done.”

I move away from her before I can touch her. “It wasn’t.”

She opens her mouth and then closes it. She throws an arm up. “So what about now? You still sticking with one night and no future?”

I hesitate. Slowly, I’m coming to terms with the fact that I can’t just let her go, but that doesn’t mean we can just be together. I shake my head slowly. “Emily…”

She must hear it in my voice because she huffs out a breath. “This was stupid. I don’t know why I thought I could talk any sense into you.” She walks to the door. “Can you take me to my car, Jack?”

“Emily, listen to me. We should talk.”

She blows out a breath, and she sounds completely defeated. “I don’t want to sit here and listen to you talk about why we can’t be together. I’d like to go.”

I want to tell her no. I want to lock her here in my bedroom and never let her go, but I would never do that. No matter how much I want to. “Okay, come on, I’ll take you.”

I open the door, and as she steps out, I look at the room, and for the first time, I regret every picture I have hanging of her here. I’m sure this has freaked her out.

I take her out the back way, and we walk around the building in silence. We walk up to my bike, and I sit down, sliding to the front so she can get on behind me.

She points at my bike. “I’m not getting on that.”

I hang my head. “Emily, get on.”

She bites her lip and shakes her head. “Jack, I’ve never been on a bike before.”

“Do you trust me, Em?”

She stomps her foot and then climbs onto the back of my bike. She’s mumbling under her breath, but I hear everything shesays. “You keep asking me that. I think it’s obvious I trust you. You’re the one that should have to answer that question, bud.”

I smile, and it’s good she’s behind me because I don’t think she’d want to see me smirking. I turn to the side to look at her. “Put your arms around my waist.”

She does it grudgingly. Her hold is light, and I have to tell her to grip me harder. “Tighter, Em.”

She wraps her arms around me, pressing her breasts against my back. I put my hands behind me, grip her thighs, and pull her closer to me.

With one hand on her hip, I give her instructions. “Hold on to me and lean when I lean.”

She grips me tighter, and I start my bike. The roar of the engine just intensifies everything, and I tell her again to hold on and pull out of the lot. I hold on to her thigh, and I swear she burrows her body into me. If I could bottle this moment to relive over and over, I would do it.

For the first time, I wish the ride to Heat & Ink was longer. As I pull into the parking lot, next to Emily’s car, dread sets in. I don’t want tonight to end. Not like this.

As soon as I park, Emily lifts her head off my back. “Thanks, Jack.” She is about to leave and then stops and turns back to me. “Oh, yeah, thanks for looking out for me, but Jack, you can’t do what you did. If anyone knew you had anything to do with it, you’ll end up right back in prison.”

I turn my bike off and stand up. “No one is messing with you, Emily.”

She wants to argue with me, but she nods her head. “Okay, well, I appreciate you, but I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me.”

“Emily—” I start, but she’s shaking her head.

“Nope. It’s fine. I’m going to go.”

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