Page 25 of Grimm
“Where’s your evidence?” I asked.
“Look, Gina,” he sighed, and his eyes softened, “I didn’t mean to sound like a prick.”
I waved him off. I heard the sincerity in his voice, but he was right. We’d made a deal, and I needed to stick to my end, not get sidetracked by my out-of-control feelings.
“No, you’re right.” I pushed past the ache in my chest. “We made a deal. I needed the reminder.”
He stared at me for a moment, not saying a word, like he wanted to confess something to me. He shook his head and then sauntered toward me, and I couldn’t help but remember how he’d made me scream in ecstasy a few hours ago.
He grasped my arms lightly, still mindful of the bruises left from my run-in with his brother. I gazed into hazel eyes I wanted to get lost in. I couldn’t deny that I wanted things to be different between us. There was just something about him. For the first time in my life, I was willing to look past obvious problems that would occur to be with him.
I wanted to get to know everything there was to know about him and see if we could have more despite the challenges we faced. Something changed between us. He knew, and so did I. The question was, what were we going to do about it? If anything.
“Come with me.”
He never removed his gaze from me. There was something about the way he looked at me. It was an all-consuming stare, like if he blinked, something about me would change, or he’d miss something.
“Now?” I asked. “But we have so much to do.”
He shook his head, and his mouth lifted at the corners in that sexy smirk I was quickly becoming infatuated with.
“Yes, Gina. Now.” He grabbed my hand, weaving our fingers together. “We can get started when we come back. You’ll like where I’m taking you.”
What could it hurt?
He pulled me toward the kitchen, which I hadn’t had the chance to see. Just as I expected, it looked like the living area, more showroom than a home with pristine, stainless-steel appliances, white marble countertops, and pale-yellow walls. Once again, I was amazed at the difference between the man he portrayed to others and the place he called home. It was like night and day.
We went through a side door, which led into his garage. Tavish flicked a light switch on the wall by the door, illuminating the space. There sat one of the most beautiful motorcycles I’d ever seen.
“It’s beautiful,” I said.
I ran my fingers across the beautiful blue paint job.
“Thanks.” Tavish nodded, handing me a helmet. “Have you ridden before?”
“Once,” I said, basically bouncing on the balls of my feet. “But it was a long time ago.”
He tossed his leg over the bike. “Get on.”
I squealed. “Really?”
“Yes, Gina.”
I jumped at the chance. Riding on the back of a motorcycle was one of the most freeing experiences. I hiked up my long skirt, tossed my leg over the motorcycle behind him, and slipped my hands around his waist, bracing my thighs against his.
Within minutes, we were on the road headed farther away from the city and deep into the mountains. All thoughts were lost. I wrapped my arms tighter around Tavish’s waist, feeling the rumble of the engine beneath me. One of his warm hands landed on top of mine as he took a quick peek over his shoulder.
Never did I imagine I’d feel this close with someone. Whatever connection stirred between us, I couldn’t deny it.
I’d spend this time getting to know the man behind the rumors while we looked for my brother, and I’d somehow help him free his father. Even though I thought it was a lost cause, a deal was a deal, and I was a woman of my word. After all this was said and done, we’d go back to our lives like none of this ever happened. He’d continue to run his club, and I’d continue to take down people like him. It was a sad thought, surprisingly, but all that was for another day. Tonight, none of it mattered. This was what mattered.
Me, him, and the open road.
I smiled, and his deviously handsome smirk crossed his face before he focused back on the winding road. As the warm desert air brushed against my skin, I could only think of one thing… freedom.
It was the only way to describe the feeling as Tavish took us further up the mountain, racing around curves at dangerous speeds. All I could do was grin, laugh, and enjoy the feeling of flying. There was nothing else like it.
After a few more minutes of going up the mountain, Tavish slowed, pulled over to a clearing on the side of the road, and then killed the engine. I hated it. I didn’t want the ride to end, but when I looked out over the cliff at the view, I realized why he’d brought me here.
