“Oh, god,” I moaned. And now I was talking about porn plots with Aero. Could this get any stranger?

  Aero winked and sat back to let the waitress set down our drinks.

  “Can I get you two anything else?” she asked.

  Aero shook his head. “We’re good.”

  The waitress smiled at Aero, but he didn’t take his eyes off me. “Just let me know if you need anything.” She emphasized anything with a brush of her hand on Aero’s arm and drifted away.

  That was the type of woman for Aero.

  Not a book nerd who likes blue aliens.

  “I have a feeling the books you read are just like porn,” he interrupted my thought.

  “Some books are, and there isn’t anything wrong with them.” I had quite a few of those books on my Kindle, too. I just tended to lean more to story-driven books.

  “I don’t think I have ever been more shocked when talking to a woman than I am right now, Sloane. I think you are going to say one thing, and then you say the exact opposite.”

  “And what is it you think I am going to say?”

  He shrugged, “Not what you’re actually saying.”

  I laughed and took a sip of my water. “You’re funny, Aero.”

  “And you have my full attention, Sloane. That has never happened before.” He leaned forward and held my hand in his. “Something about you, Sloane. Something I don’t know what it is, but I know I don’t want to lose it.”

  Holy shit balls.

  I kept my hand in his, but I nervously glanced around.

  My eyes connected with a woman sitting two tables over, and my heart about beat out of my chest.

  Winter Travers was watching Aero putting the moves on me. She tipped her head to the side and smiled slyly.

  She gave me a thumbs-up and nodded.

  Oh god.

  “I wonder where Dove is,” I blurted out. “I think I should go find her.”

  Aero held onto my hand and kept me in my seat. “She’s at the bar with Dice. He’s keeping an eye on her.”

  “But I don’t want to leave Dove alone,” I insisted.

  Aero nodded behind me, and I turned to see Dove at the bar with a group surrounding her. “Is that Kristine Allen and her hubby?” I whispered. And the hell of it was that Dove probably had no clue whom she was talking to.

  “No clue who that is, babe, but she looks like she is having a good time. Besides, Dice will make sure she is safe.” He squeezed my hand, and I turned back to him. “Which brings me to asking you how you got here?”

  I raised my eyebrow. “Huh? What do you mean?” Why did he want to know how I got here?

  “Who traveled with you?” he asked.

  “Um, Dove?” I hitched my thumb in her direction. Did he really not know the answer to that question?

  “Two women traveling alone is not a good idea, babe. You never know what could happen.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Nothing is going to happen, Aero. Haven’t you heard the saying of staying chunky and you’ll be hard to kidnap?”

  “What the hell do you mean by chunky?”

  “Um, well.” Did I need to spell out to him that I was not the ideal weight for a woman? Not even close to it. “It’s not a secret that bigger women aren’t as, well,” I cleared my throat, “susceptible to kidnapping.”

  “If you’re about to tell me that nothing would happen to you because you think you’re overweight, I will personally show you everything you are worthy of, and it will take days till I am done.”

  Whoa.

  WHOA.

  “I, uh, what? You can’t say that,” I hissed. Only the men in my books said that.

  He sat back and shrugged. “Just did, babe, and I’m not just talking. You should not be traveling by yourself. There are a ton of fucked up people in this world who would take you without even thinking about it.” He took a sip of his drink. “Me included.”

  “Is this where you show you’re the bad guy?” I whispered.

  He shook his head. “No, this is where I show you I am not the type of man to fuck around with.”

  Total fuck around and find out vibes.

  Full-body chills coursed through me.

  Whoa, boy.

  “This might also be where I need to figure out if I should run or not,” I mumbled. This was getting intense, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for it.

  Aero’s eyes connected with mine. “You can run, babe, but I’ll find you. You showed me too much of yourself for me to just walk away now. I don’t know what all happens in your books, but you’ve got the biker’s attention.” He leaned forward and licked his lips. “Now, what are you going to do about it?”

  *

  Chapter Six

  Aero

  I wasn’t fucking around.

  This wasn’t a game.

  And it sure as hell wasn’t a book.

  “I, uh, think I am going to head to my room and call it a night,” Sloane whispered.

  I wasn’t going to force her to do anything she didn’t want, but I also sure as hell wasn’t going to let her run away from me.

  My plans were going to change tomorrow, and I didn’t give a fuck if Yarder didn’t like them.

  Sloane looked over her shoulder at Dove. Their eyes connected, and Dove instantly set her drink down.

  “Did you just do some bat signal to your girl?” I chuckled.

  Sloane turned back to me, and her eyes held worry and panic.

  I was scaring her.

  Not at all what I wanted to do.

  “Hey!” Dove called. “I’m ready to call it a night. You ready, Sloane?” she asked. She laid her hand on Sloane’s shoulder and stared at me.

  “Um, yeah, I think I am ready to go to bed.” Sloane grabbed her wallet off the table and stood. “Uh, thank you for the food, Aero.”

  I sat back in my chair and nodded. “Anytime, babe.” I pulled a hundred-dollar bill out of my pocket and tossed it on the table. “I’ll walk you two to your room.”

  “No, no,” Dove insisted. “We can handle ourselves.”

  I wasn’t going to take no for an answer. I got that they were both independent women, but that didn’t mean that something bad couldn’t happen to them from here to their room. “I’m heading to my room, anyway.”

  “Oh, uh, sure.” Sloane pasted a smile on his face. “Might as well share the ride, right?”

  I motioned for the girls to walk ahead of me and called to Dice that I was heading to my room. He tipped his chin to me and bellied up to the bar.

  “Uh, I saw you talking to Kristine Allen,” Sloane muttered to Dove. “Was she as nice as she seems?”

  “Nicer,” Dove sighed. “And her hubby is so devoted to her that it almost made me want to get married someday.”

  “I don’t think I have ever heard you say that before,” Sloane laughed.

  We made it to the bank of elevators, and Dove pressed the button for the seventh floor. “Not all of us are hopelessly romantic, Sloane.” Dove glanced at me and frowned. “Which makes you the perfect woman and not someone to be played with.”

  I wasn’t playing with her. Not even close.

  We stepped into the elevators, and Dove stood between Sloane and me. She was a good friend, and I couldn’t be mad at her for standing between us, even though she had no idea what was going on.

  I might have come in too strong, but I knew that was what I would have to do. I knew if I wasn’t in Sloane’s vision and telling her straight up I was into her, she was going to run away.

  She could run right now, but I wasn’t going away.

  Not without a fight.

  The doors slid open on the seventh floor, and I motioned for the girls to go first.

  We stopped in front of their door, and I couldn’t help but chuckle at the fact that I was right across the hallway.

  “Can I talk to you for a second, Sloane?” I asked.

  Dove looked at Sloane and folded her arms over her chest. “No.”

  “Yes,” Sloane said at the same time.

  Dove’s jaw dropped, and she threw her hands up. “Girl, we are going to need to talk because I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I know you looked at me like get me the hell out of here.” She swiped her card, and the door unlocked. “Just know, I will be on the other side of this door, watching you every second.” She pointed at her eyes and then pointed them at me. “I am watching you,” she hissed. She slipped into the room and shut the door behind her.

  “I’m sorry,” Sloane whispered.

  “I’m going to need you to step to the right, Sloane,” Dove called through the door. “I can’t see you.”

  I chuckled and ran my fingers through my hair. “As annoying as your friend is, it’s good to know she’s got your back, even when she doesn’t have to.”

  “I’m not annoying,” Dove shouted.

  “Go lay down,” Sloane called. “Nothing is going to happen.”

  “We’re talking as soon as Mr. Biker leaves,” Dove threatened.

  Her footsteps stomped away from the door, and Sloane sighed.

  “Aero.”

  “Sloane,” we said in unison.

  She looked like she was either going to cry or scream.

  I hoped it was neither.

  “I think I need to go to bed and wake up from this dream,” she whispered. She motioned between us. “You and I are not something that happens when I’m conscious. My dreams and books are the only places someone like you even glances at me, let alone shows any interest in me.”

  “Babe, this is not a fucking book, you are not dreaming, and I don’t know who the hell is filling your head with any of the bullshit that I would never look at you, but I’m going to need you to stop talking to them.”

  “Everyone?” she laughed. “Everyone knows I am way below you, Aero. I like to think that even though I love to have my head buried in a book, my feet are firmly planted in reality.”

  I shook my head. “Nah, babe. The reality you think you are in is complete bullshit. Name one reason why I shouldn’t even look at you.”

  She motioned to her body. “Pick a body part.” She circled her finger at her face. “And just look at this. Not the face a biker wants to see when he wakes up in the morning?”

  “Why the hell do you keep calling me biker? I’m a fucking guy who likes what is in front of him. Me being part of an MC has fuck all to do with me wanting you.”

  “You don’t want me,” she corrected me.

  I growled low. “Don’t tell me what I do and don’t want, babe.”

  “The waitress,” she blurted.

  “What about the waitress?” I demanded.

  “She is who you want.”

  I furrowed my brow. “I can’t even tell you what the waitress looked like, let alone that she is my type.”

  “Well, she was pretty, liked you, and I bet you two would make pretty babies.”

  “How in the hell can you know that when you spoke two words to her?” I demanded.

  “Because I’m not blind!” she shouted. She ran her fingers through her hair and paced in front of her door. “What is going on?” she whispered.

  I knew exactly what was going on. As much as Sloane said that her feet were firmly planted in reality, her head was still buried in her books.

  She thought the biker always picked the blonde bimbo with big tits and a skinny waist.

  Not in my fucking world.

  And she was going to find that out firsthand.

  “Meet me in the hotel lobby at nine o’clock tomorrow morning.”

  Sloane stopped pacing and reared back. “What are you talking about?” she demanded.

  I shook my head and pulled out my room key. “We’re done talking tonight. You got some bullshit rolling around in your head, and I don’t want to deal with it anymore tonight.”

  “You don’t want to deal with my shit?” she gasped. “Just what is that supposed to mean?”

  That was it. I was done.

  I put my hand on her waist, pushed her against the wall, and pinned her with my body. “It means I am not going to stand here and try to convince you that I want you.”

  “Then why do you want me to meet you in the lobby tomorrow?” she whispered.

  “Because instead of trying to convince you, I am going to show you.”

  “Show me?” she repeated.

  My eyes connected with hers, and I leaned in. “Yes, Sloane. The only way you are going to believe that I want you is if I show you.”

  “Me?” she squeaked.

  “There isn’t anyone else in this hallway but you and me, Sloane.”

  “Okay,” she whispered.

  “Okay, you’ll meet me in the lobby tomorrow morning?”

  She nodded and bit her bottom lip. “Yes.”

  I wanted to kiss her. I needed to know what she tasted like. I cupped her cheek and brushed my thumb over her soft skin. “I’m going to kiss you.” She was already running scared, and I didn’t want to terrify her completely.

  Her eyes connected with mine, and she nodded slightly.

  I closed the distance between us and pressed my lips to hers. She sighed softly and leaned into me.

  This was it.

  Her body fit perfectly against mine, and her lips tasted like heaven.

  This is what I had been needing my whole life.

  If you had told me that it would only take one kiss for me to know who my woman was, I would have told you to fuck off.

  But with Sloane, I knew.

  She was it, and she was going to be mine.

  I pulled back and watched her eyes flutter open. Her green eyes were filled with desire, and her cheeks were flushed.

  “Meet me in the lobby tomorrow morning, Sloane,” I whispered.

  She nodded and dreamily looked up at me. “I’ll be there.”

  I stepped back, and Sloane’s door slowly opened. “I promise I wasn’t listening,” Dove called.

  Sloane rolled her eyes and pushed off the wall. “Then how did you know to open the door?” Sloane countered.

  “Because I didn’t hear anything, and I was worried he was kidnapping you?” It sounded like Dove didn’t even believe that lie. “Maybe?”

  I chuckled and shook my head. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  Sloane nodded and pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Goodnight, Aero.” She slipped into the room and closed the door behind her.

  “Goodnight, Aero,” Dove called. The click of the deadbolt latched, and she cleared her throat. “Go to your room so Sloane and I can talk about you. I can see you.”

  I shook my head and held up my hands. “Goodnight, Dove.”

  Again, I couldn’t blame Dove for being protective.

  I was glad Sloane had that, but Dove wasn’t going to keep me from Sloane.

  Nothing was going to keep me from her.

  Nothing.

  *

  Chapter Seven

  Sloane

  “Stop it.”

  I stared at myself in the mirror and cocked my head to the side.

  “Stop what?” I called.

  Dove stomped to the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe. “Stop trying to talk yourself out of meeting Aero downstairs.”

  “I’m not doing that,” I muttered. I was actually trying to figure out if I could make it downstairs but then get to my car so I could take off without Aero seeing me.

  I was a damn wreck.

  “The car keys are hidden, Sloane. The only thing you are doing today is going on a date with Aero.”

  “It’s not a date,” I insisted.

  She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, a man pinning you against the wall, kissing you, and then asking you to meet him in the lobby is not a date at all. I don’t even know how I even came to that conclusion.” She grabbed a hair tie off the counter and whipped her hair into a bun on top of her head. “What would happen in your books?” she asked.

  “What?”

  “Girl,” Dove grumbled. “You’re making me roll my eyes way too much before noon. What would the chick in one of your books do in this situation?”

  I stared at Dove in the mirror. “I’m trying not to be like my books because as soon as I woke up this morning, I realized that this was not a dream or a book but my life.”

  “So then do the opposite of what those characters in your books do.”

  “They would be packing their bags and running for the hills, but they would also have some stalker or crazy person from their past trying to kill them, so they will have to run back to the biker and ask him for help.”

  Dove tipped her head to the side. “Uh, what? What the hell are you reading?” she laughed.

  I waved my hand at her. “I’m going down there because that is not what the women in my books would do. They’d run.” But I could understand why they would run. Heading downstairs to spend the day with Aero was absolutely terrifying when normally I would be working or reading a book.

  “Good, girl.” She stood next to me and smiled wide into the mirror. “And while you are out with the sexy biker, I will head down to the pool and work on my tan all day. Maybe we can meet up for dinner?”

  I nodded and put my arm around her shoulders. “Plan on it. I feel bad leaving you when we planned to spend this day together.”

  “Pfft.” Dove rolled her eyes. “I see you every day, Sloane. I think I can handle half a day without you. Spend some time with your hot biker, and don’t even worry about me.”

  “He is not mine,” I mumbled.

  Dove bumped her hip into me. “Yet.” She pulled me out of the bathroom and grabbed my wallet off the dresser. “Now get out of here, okay?”

  I grabbed my wallet and slipped on my white shoes. “Call me if you need anything, okay?”

  Dove gave me a salute and opened the door. “Whoa,” she hollered. “How long have you been standing there?” she laughed.

  I turned to the door expecting to see Aero waiting for me to make sure I didn’t run, but I was surprised to see Dice.

  “We were headed down for breakfast and thought you might want to come.”

  “Oh, did you?” Dove glanced at me and wiggled her eyebrows. “I mean, I’m not dressed, but if you give me a couple of minutes, I can be.”

 

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