Page 8 of Wolf's Midlife Bite

Brody lifted a helmet off the back and settled it onto her head. He didn’t even give her a chance to fumble with the straps. His fingers were warm and gentle under her chin as he clicked it into place and adjusted it to fit her perfectly. She still felt silly, but he didn’t seem to notice.

Robin settled in behind him, realizing exactly why he’d brought a bike instead of a vehicle. It forced her to wrap her arms around his waist and press herself against his back. She felt the strength of his muscles against her and bit the inside of her cheek in appreciation. He might be an overly determined guy she’d just met, and she might not be interested in making this into anything more than a simple date, but she sure as hell would enjoy it while it lasted.

He was true to his word, navigating corners smoothly and never accelerating too fast. Robin was just starting to enjoy it when he pulled up in front of The Burger House. The building was small and unassuming, not as showy as some of the big chains, but a delectable smell was drifting through the air.

“Are burgers okay?” he asked as he reached out a hand to help her off the bike.

Her mouth was already watering. She hadn’t had a burger in a while, trying to follow her doctor’s recommendations. But what the hell. Robin knew she couldn’t be perfect all the time, and she’d already taken a risk just by getting on the bike with him. “Sure.”

The inside was warm and cozy, with pumpkin-colored walls in the dining area and a coffee bar that looked like it was homemade. An old man was at the video slots in the back corner, and a group of teenagers occupied a table near the window.

“So, this is where you take a girl when you want to impress her?” she asked when they’d ordered and had a seat.

“No. This is where I take you when I’m hungry.” His smile was charming, and she had to wonder if he knew just how charming he could be.

It was working either way. “Do you come here much?”

He did that casual shoulder roll again, something that was an extension of his thoughts and obviously very natural to him. “It’s as close as you can get to a homemade burger without having a family cookout. I don’t always want the hassle.”

“Why are you so anti-cookout?”

He laughed a little as his thumb stroked the condensation on the side of his soda. “I just have a really big family.”

There was a light in his eyes when he spoke of his family, a warmth she found touching. Robin found herself wanting to know more about him. She could tell herself that this was just a bit of fun, something to shake her life up a little, as Renee would put it, but the magnetism she felt between them demanded more than that. “What’s your family like?”

He lifted his brows and pursed his lips. “Huge. Close. Loud.”

If he thought that would drive her away, he was mistaken. The Cassidy family might not be all that big, but they were definitely close and a bit loud. “So, what about your work? Do you come from a long line of tattoo artists?”

Brody let out a short laugh once again. “I wouldn’t exactly say I went into the family business. I’ve always liked to draw, though, and I wanted to find a way to make a living out of it. The traditional answers would be graphic design or teaching, but tattooing was much more intriguing.”

“Sure.” Robin paused as their food arrived. “After all, you get paid to have women come into your booth and willingly strip down. What more could a guy ask for?”

He considered her with a mischievous look in his eyes. “Some of them aren’t so willing.”

“You certainly didn’t mind helping,” Robin pointed out, easily remembering the way he’d pulled down her leggings for her session with him.

He put his hands in the air helplessly. “The job needed to be done. Someone had to do it.”

“All right, then. I’ll amend my statement.” She was enjoying this back-and-forth with him, chatting like they’d known each other forever. “Tattooing brings you half-naked women, whether they come in pantsless or you talk them out of those pants.”

“I didn’t do that with you, exactly, although I might have.” His eyes raked down her body. “I still might.”

“Is that so?” Had anyone ever openly wanted her like that? She licked her lips in anticipation. They were challenging each other, but Robin had a good feeling she knew exactly how it would all end.

Those gorgeous eyes bored into hers. “I guess it’s really up to you. For now, we’d probably better eat before it gets cold.”

“Oh.” Robin looked down at the plate she’d nearly forgotten about.

Their dinner passed by swiftly, and it was a quick ride back to her place. A short date wasn’t bad to start off with, but Robin didn’t want it to end just yet. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”

He’d already walked her to the door—quite the gentleman for a motorcycle-riding tattoo artist—and the look in his eyes was pure velvet as he gazed down at her. “I’d love that.”

Robin shut the door behind him and found herself standing far too close. Her body sensed his, measuring the distance between them as heat flushed her skin and flooded through her body. She parted her lips, knowing she should be asking him what he’d like to drink, but she couldn’t even remember what she had on hand.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you.” He stepped forward, closing the gap between them, and placed his fingers on her hips. “How’s your tattoo healing up?”

“Um.” Her throat had gone dry, but inside, her body was screaming for him. “I don’t know. Maybe you could take a look at it for me.”

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