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I can tell the moment they tell my brother I’m going to Shane’s bunkhouse for the night because his eyes fly my direction. Thankfully, Liam is too busy to do anything about it right now.
“So I’m going home with you?” I hitch an eyebrow, looking up at him.
“Made sense, seeing as I’m your boyfriend and all.”
My nose scrunches. “Sorry about that. I didn’t like where their line of questioning was going. Zander’s pissed at you, and he’ll do anything to get at you and your club. I thought maybe saying that would help, but I don’t know. I might have just made things worse.”
“We’ll worry about that tomorrow.” He smirks, and it’s so beautiful it steals my breath.
“Were you serious about me crashing at your place for the night? If you really don’t mind, I can sleep on the couch. I just don’t want to bother my brothers or my dad…”
“You’re not sleeping on the couch.”
“Oh really?” I turn to face him, crossing my arms over my chest. “I hope you’re not expecting a special thank you for saving my life, Shane Donovan.”
“Of course not. I’m a gentleman, Harloe Harrison.”
“Mm-hmm. I’m sure you are.”
He grins, turning us toward his bike.
When we reach it, he lifts it off the pavement, and I don’t miss the scratches running the full length of one side of the bike. He clearly didn’t bother waiting for it to stop before hopping off.
Why is that so damn sexy?
Shane rubs his hand over the marks, then glances at my outfit. “We really need to work on appropriate riding gear for you.”
“That would take all the fun out of it.” I shrug, and he chuckles. “Nora lives around the corner. We can stop by her place for clothes, if you don’t mind. I’d have you leave me there, but I refuse to sleep on the virginity-stealing couch.”
“Do I want to know what that means?”
“Probably not.” My nose scrunches, making him smile.
Shane secures his helmet on my head, but I doubt that will be enough to protect me if we crash, given what I’m wearing. Since it seems to make him feel better, I don’t bother arguing.
“You sure about this?” he asks, tossing a leg over his bike.
“Which part?”
“All of it. The second you climb onto this bike, you’re making a statement. And in case you haven’t noticed, I don’t have the best reputation around here.”
I bite my lower lip, looking around and realizing how many eyes are watching us. “I’m sure. Are you?”
“You worried you’ll ruin my reputation, cowgirl?”
“Definitely not.” I roll my eyes. “If anything, you being around me helps your reputation.”
“How do you figure?”
“People like me in this town. I make you look good.”
Shane’s gaze rakes my body in a slow sweep that is so intense it might as well be physical touch. “That you do.”
Those words shiver through me, so I brush them aside and climb onto the bike. “Besides, you should be thanking me for giving you the opportunity to do your favorite thing.”
I wrap my arms around his stomach. Taut muscle. A body that has no give and has me warm all the way to my core.
“What’s my favorite thing?” he asks, revving the engine.