Page 80 of Dirty Saint

I hated putting him between myself and Joker, but it wasn’t like I had a choice. He needed to decide before things continued. Friends or more than friends. Those were his options. But I wasn’t going to say that out loud. I expected him to know these things because it was common sense, but the women around The Strip seemed all good with a quick fling. Maybe I was the problem. Perhaps it was wrong to make him decide when he had already given up so much.

“Yeah, I know. Joker would lose his shit.”

He nodded. “He’s my boy. If you knew the things he did for me.”

Joker had killed for them. I didn’t have anyone willing to go to such lengths for me, but I imagined that person would have my complete loyalty.

“I have an idea.”

And I did, but I knew my worth. Yes, Joker killed for him, but I deserved more. I wouldn’t beg anyone to be in my life. Either I was worth the risk or I wasn’t.

His expression filled with anguish, and at that moment, I decided maybe he was right. Joker wasn’t my favorite person, but he deserved Koah’s loyalty. If Koah struggled with being honest about whatever was happening with me, then maybe he didn’t value what we had enough. If that were the case, it was friends with a past and nothing more.

“Fine,” I said, giving in. “I’ll stay away from you, and you stay away from me.”

It would be hard, but if we were going to be friends with a past, then we needed space from each other until our hormones cooled.

He chuckled without humor. “You make it sound so easy.”

“What?”

He reached up, cupping the side of my face. “Staying away from you.”

Heat spilled over my cheeks, and I felt warm all over. When he said shit like that, it made everything more difficult. I could handle hard-ass Koah with a smart mouth full of sarcasm, but it made me weak when he turned sweet on me.

“Don’t say things like that to me.”

He pulled me into him and wrapped his strong arms around me. “Do you want me to lie to you?”

“I want you to do whatever you need to do to make this easier.”

He slipped his finger beneath my chin and made me look at him. “Let me take you home.”

Dammit. Why did he have to switch gears on me? Especially when I struggled to maintain control and stick to my guns.

I should have said no. I should have walked away. I wanted more, and he had yet to give me that, but when he looked at me the way he was looking at me and being soft, I couldn’t deny him.

I nodded and let him take my hand. The Strip was almost empty when we emerged from behind the building, but Sadie was there, leaning against her car and waiting for me with a few others.

“Jesus, woman. Could you have been any louder?” She laughed.

My face blazed with embarrassment, and it got even redder when Koah lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles with a grin.

Sadie chuckled. “I guess you have a ride home then?”

“She has a ride,” Koah answered as he pulled me behind him toward his bike.

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” I called out as we crossed The Strip.

His hands were all over me when he helped me get on the back of his bike. He leaned in, his lips brushing my jaw before he nipped at my earlobe.

“I love knowing your naked pussy is touching my bike seat. This no panties thing is dangerous.”

Then he climbed on, and I wrapped my arms around him. He reached back and curled his palm around my thigh as he took off at full speed.

Being on the back of his bike was exhilarating. I held my head back and let my hair fly in the wind as Koah took the curvy roads like he had drawn them himself. Chills raced over my skin, and my heart drilled in my chest. I had never felt so alive.

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