AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Why do you always escalate?” Leo laughs at me.
I haul the suitcase upright, one of the wheels wonky and refusing to spin.
“Motherfucker,” I mutter, glancing back to see if the deckhand is still in sight for further chastisement.
“Come on.” Anna grabs my arm and hauls me along. “No time for that.”
Cara and Caleb are already waiting for us at the end of the dock, their suitcases among the first to be unloaded.
I follow my cousins toward the taxi stand, trailing behind, the promise of the day failing to materialize.
Before I can cross the cobbled concourse between the dock and the queues of battered taxis, a black Ducati skids to a halt in front of me, a cloud of exhaust billowing up around us. The chrome muffler sparkles in the sun, the bike radiating heat like a living thing.
It’s the Superleggera V4, the fastest superbike in production. Ducati only made five hundred of them, so I’ve never actually seen one in person.
My eyes slide down the sleek carbon-fiber frame, the engine settling to a low growl that thrills in my bones. It’s fucking gorgeous.
The rider yanks off his helmet, shaking out a head of thick, coarse hair. He’s tanned darker than the last time I saw him, almost as brown as me. His narrow blue eyes, pale as a husky, flick up to meet mine.
His bare forearms are dusty from the cobbled streets, clear tracks of sweat cutting down. The hand gripping the helmet is battered, deep cuts across the knuckles.
Adrik Petrov, in the flesh.
“You’re late,” I tell him.
“I’d say I’m right on time.”
His English is flawless, the masculine bite of the Slavic accent edging each word.
Adrik jerks his head toward Leo and Anna. “Good to see you.”
You’d never guess Adrik ever needed our help. I doubt he’d admit that he did.
He’s as arrogant as ever, tossing his black hair back out of his face, radiating as much heat as that bike. He’s not quite as tall as Leo, but broader in the body, with a tight, compressed energy that makes the veins stand out on the backs of his hands.
Like the engine revving to leave, Adrik is impatient.
“You coming or not?”
I’d like to say “not,” just to wipe the smirk off his face. But I can’t take my eyes off that bike. IfThou shalt not covetis a real commandment, I’m going straight to hell.
“If she won’t come, I will,” Caleb says, drooling over the Ducati.
My brain runs a dozen swift calculations.
“I’ll come.” I push my suitcase toward Cara, who has to catch it quickly so it doesn’t topple over on its wonky wheel. “Take that home for me, will you?”
Cara glances between Adrik and me. She doesn’t love this idea.
“What am I supposed to tell your dad?” Leo demands.
“Tell him I’ll catch a flight tomorrow.”
Leo blocks my path, arms crossed over his chest. “If you get yourself in trouble?—”
“Oh, save it,” I snap. “After the year you had!”
Leo grins, well aware that he’s being a filthy hypocrite. “Alright. I’ll carry your damn bag, don’t make Cara lug it around.”
