“I know, you’re taking me home.”

He was still smiling when he instructed, “See that foot hold?” and he jerked his head toward the back of the bike.

I looked, saw it and nodded.

“Put your right foot on it, grab onto me and swing your left leg over.”

“Okay,” I said and did as he instructed.

It was easy and I did it without incident, something I was proud of. I didn’t want to topple over or make him topple over or the bike topple over. None of that happened and I settled in behind him.

“A natural,” he muttered as he started walking the bike backward out of the spot.

“Sorry?” I called over the pipes.

He didn’t answer. Instead he said, “Hold on.”

“To what?”

He twisted his neck to catch my eyes, “To me, babe.”

“Oh,” I whispered, feeling like an idiot, and put my hands to his waist.

“Ace,” he called and I looked to see his neck was still twisted, “hold on.”

“I am.” And I was!

He leaned up, I reared back a bit but he grabbed my wrists and pulled them around in such a firm way that I had no choice but to plaster my front against his back. He let my wrists go when he had them wrapped around his flat stomach and before I could utter a noise we rocketed through the parking lot.

I was lucky his bike was so loud because I was pretty sure the moan I felt in my throat was audible.

He pulled into the street and he didn’t take me to my hotel.

He drove out of Carnal.

“Where are we going?” I shouted over the wind and the pipes.

“Ride,” was his response.

“Sorry?” I shouted.

“Relax, Ace, just feel it,” he shouted back.

I didn’t relax and just feel it. Not until he turned into the hills and then I couldn’t help but relax and just feel it.

And “it” was beautiful. The bike, the wind, the noise, the dark vistas, Tate’s solid body, my hair whipping around my face and neck.

It was phenomenal.

So phenomenal, I forgot everything but what I could see, what I could feel, and I relaxed into his back, putting my cheek to his shoulder and watching the world roar by.

I’d never been so out of mind but rooted to my body. I’d never let go that much and just let myself feel. There was something freeing about it, peaceful yet exciting. A weird combination that shouldn’t work together but it really, f**king did.

And I loved every second of it, so much, my mind so clear, I didn’t notice we were back until Tate pulled into Carnal Hotel’s parking lot. He drove straight to reception, parked out front and turned off the bike.

I sat behind him, still holding on like we were riding and I was staring at Ned who was staring at us.

“Babe,” Tate called and my body jolted.

I swung my leg off and had both feet on the ground when Tate swung off behind me.

“I’ll get your new key,” he said and started to reception.

I followed him.

“Jackson, hey son, Laurie,” Ned greeted as we walked in.

“Ned,” Tate returned.

“Hey Ned,” I smiled.

“You’re in three,” Ned told me, opening a drawer and taking out a key attached to a ring that also had a big, red triangular piece of plastic connected to it. Ned slid the key across the counter, Tate nabbed it and Ned’s eyes came to me. “We moved your stuff, hon, hope you don’t mind. Betty used your suitcases and did the personal stuff. I just lugged suitcases and did the dresser and fridge,” he said.

“Thanks, Ned, that’s sweet of you both,” I replied.

“Didn’t figure you’d wanna work all day and then schlep your stuff to a new room,” he explained.

“I owe you a bottle of champagne and another round of Clue,” I told him.

“Lookin’ forward to that, Laurie,” Ned said and Tate grabbed my hand, Ned’s eyes dropped to it and he quickly finished with, “’Night you two,” but he said it while grinning huge.

“Later, Ned,” Tate murmured as he pulled me to the door.

“’Night, Ned,” I called as the door swung closed behind us.

Tate kept my hand in his as we walked to room three which was way closer to Ned and Betty’s. I had to walk double time to keep up with his long strides. He didn’t release my hand when he made it to the door; he just unlocked it, opened it and pushed me inside.

I walked four steps in while Tate flipped the light switch.

It as an exact copy of my other room, to the letter.

I threw my purse on the bed, turned to Tate and remarked, “Weird, it’s like I didn’t even move. It’s the same room.”

“Enjoy the ride?” Tate asked and I blinked at him.

“Sorry?”

“Did you enjoy the ride, Lauren?” he repeated and I smiled.

“Yes, Tate it was –”

I didn’t finish but I made another sound. It was a gasp because one second he was standing inside the closed door, the next he was standing right in front of me, one of his hands was sliding up my neck into my hair, the other arm was wrapped around my waist pulling my body into his.

“What are you –?” I got out before his fingers in my hair fisted, pulled down just a tad less than gentle and his mouth was on mine.

And he kissed me.

No. He kissed me.

Brad was a good kisser and he was great in bed. He wasn’t my first kiss though, or my first lover. I’d had a better kisser than Brad, but not a better lover.

But Tate’s kiss…

There was no describing it.

It didn’t start slow, it started hard and wet and so demanding I had no choice but to give back what I got. And I did. Our tongues sparred then our teeth bit at each other’s lips and our heads twisted this way and that, all of it a mindless, sexy dance that was all-consuming. There was nothing but his mouth and my mouth, what they were doing and what they were making me feel. Nothing. Not in the whole universe.

When he lifted his head a fraction of an inch I found one of my hands was up his shirt in the back and one of them was cupping the back of his head. His hand was still fisted in my hair but his other arm had moved up to curve tight just under my shoulder blades, the pads of his fingers pressed into the side of my breast.

We both were breathing deep, our breaths mingling between us, I could feel his on my sensitized lips and he had to feel mine.