Salvaged (MC Romance) (2 page)

“Nothing. Just figuring out how to get home, just lost my ride.” Jess didn’t know why she told him that, but it was automatic. She figured that maybe she was too stressed to control her actions.

“No problem. You can ride with me.”

“What?”

Jess looked at him confused.
Did he just ask me to ride with him?

“Yeah, beautiful. I know that I’m possibly the reason you lost your ride, so it’s only fair that I give you a ride back.”

She bit her lip, suddenly unsure of her decision.
Why is it so hard to say no to him?
Maybe because his steel blue eyes are pressing on me like I’m something out of the ordinary.

“You don’t have to be afraid. I just want to give you a ride. I promise not to bite—unless you ask me to.”

She was taken aback by his not so subtle comment; but, she recovered fast and said, “Thank you, but I’m good. I’ll find a way to get home.”

“Oh, come on. Now you’re offending me.”

“I—” she started, but he cut her off.

“Look, I get your situation. I’m a total stranger offering you a ride. With the world today you are damn right to be doubtful about me, but I can guarantee you that I’m no rapist or serial killer. My name is Josh
Balentine, and I own a car workshop in town. It’s called Ride and Die. Ever heard of it?”

Jess shook her head in response.

Josh said, “Well, that’s okay. It’s a small shop that specializes in pimping cars and bikes. Now that I’ve introduced myself, care to tell me your name?”

“Jess.”

For some reason, Jess didn’t give him her last name. It felt too personal, and he was right, she didn’t know him. He could be lying about everything he said, and she definitely didn’t want to end up in the news as the girl who caught the wrong ride. But... something about him made her want to believe that he was telling the truth.

“So now, Jess, can we go?”

She had to admit that he was being polite now, but there were many weirdoes who seemed normal at first glance. She still didn’t want to risk it, so she said, “Thank you so much for the offer, but I don’t know....”

Josh released an exasperated sigh. “
Look, the way I see it, you don’t have many options, and right now I’m your best bet. So, do you want to go or not?”

Wow, isn’t that kind of rude?
She wanted to answer him with equal rudeness but before she could, the bastard started to walk away from the store, leaving her to her thoughts.

Is he leaving?
“Wait!” she found herself saying, before she even made a decision. He stopped but didn’t turn around, the arrogant bastard. “Let me just close and tidy things up.”

“Okay.” He smiled.

The bastard! But what option do I have?
Linda is already gone, and there is no way I can get a bus at this hour.
It already passed, and a taxi is out of the question, simply because I don’t have the money to spend on it.
Thinking it through, her only option was to accept a ride with Mister-macho-man—
Oh wait,
Josh
. She just hoped he wasn’t a rapist or psycho.
Well… only way to know
, she thought.

***

They walked straight to a black metal bike, a Harley, and Jess’s eyes widened.
You have to be kidding me! He doesn’t expect me to climb on that monster, right?
What did I expect? He’s a biker.
Of course, he has a bike. It was stupid of me to think otherwise.

“What’s wrong, beautiful? Afraid of bikes?” he taunted.

“No,” she responded, promptly denying her fears.

His provocation made Jess put on her big girl pants and walk to his monstrous motorcycle.

“Good. In that case, take this.” He gave her a helmet, but she notice that there was only one.

“What about you?” she asked.

“I don’t need one,” he said, as he smiled in that arrogant way of his.

He thinks he is invincible.
Jess took the helmet and tried to put it on, but somehow the simple process was difficult. Noticing her dilemma, Josh helped her. A simple brush against her skin melted the ice walls she built around her heart to protect herself from him.

This mere gesture showed that he had a heart and a soft side beneath that rough attitude, and that meant a lot to her. It was the small things that meant the most. Jess smiled, grateful to him, and got on the bike.

As she settled on the bike, Josh narrowed his eyes, and his muscles tensed. His lips
moistened like a caged animal ready to break free, but he held himself. His reaction made her feel powerful and hot. She was also a bit overwhelmed, but the taste of lust was so strong that it overtook her fears.

“Ever been on a bike before?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Her response made him raise a brow, but she didn’t offer any further explanation. He shrugged and said, “Well, you know the basics then. Hang on tight. Don’t make any sudden moves. Last, don’t touch the engine. It gets pretty hot, and it will burn the shit outta you.”

“Okay.”

With his help, Jess placed her feet in the right places, and he climbed on the bike. “Ready?” he asked.

She held Josh tight as he instructed, feeling his bulging muscles in her mere mortal hands. Suddenly, she didn’t have the voice to answer.

“Jess?”

“Let’s roll,” she said, waking up from her trance.

He pulled out of the place slowly, and she wondered whether it was out of consideration for her. Plus, he actually drove safely—which Jess didn’t expect at all from a biker who looked like such an animal.
Well, you know what they say:
Don’t judge the book by the cover
, she thought.

As they rode, she instinctively leaned into him, feeling more secure. However, to be honest, she was feeling more than security. Her body was reacting differently, as if it was hyper-sensitive to his heat. Jess didn’t know if that was a good thing because she wasn’t used to feeling this way about a guy she just met.

Forgetting her confused feelings, she started to feel that sense of freedom that the bikers liked to gab about so much— and that fabulous sensation of the wind on your face. She had the crazy desire to let him go and open her arms to the wind, but she was scared to do so. Plus, she was not a pro-bike rider, so she thought it was best to stick with the feeling of the wind on her face.

When they arrived at Jess’s apartment, her nerves were a wreck because she truly didn’t know how to handle the situation.  He insisted in escorting her up to her apartment, and as much as she tried to tell him it wasn’t necessary, he didn’t take no for answer. Suddenly, they were at her door.
Should I invite him in?
she wondered.

She turned around to thank him once more for his help, but he was too close. It took a minute for her to gather her insides and master her voice. Finally, she managed to say, “Well, thank you again for the ride.”

“No problem,” his deep voice rumbled through the silent corridor, making her shiver.

“Are you cold?” he asked, taking his vest off and placing it on her shoulders.

“No,” she replied, about to protest; but, a finger on her lips stopped her.

The vibe changed with that small gesture. In fact, everything changed. Jess swallowed hard and could hear the loud, erratic pump of her heart, as Josh slid his finger across her lips, slowly and sensually.

Her lips opened in anticipation, and Josh didn’t miss the hint. He bent down and took her lips in the softest kiss. It was just a brush of his plump lips, but it was enough to get Jess’s body worked up.

“Invite me in,” he whispered on her lips, and Jess couldn’t find the nerve to say no to him.

Even if she wanted to, she couldn’t. Plus, she deserved some good fun after a hard day at work. It wasn’t like she did this all the time, and it would only be this once. One small trip to the wild side— where the fun girls lived.

Making her mind up, she quickly fished the key out of her purse and opened the door for Josh. She did a quick scan of her home, it wasn’t untidy, but it wasn’t exactly spotless. There were some clothes on the old couch, dirty dishes in the sink, and just a little bit of dust, and that was only because she was in a hurry this morning.

She wanted to apologize that her home was disorganized, but Josh didn’t give her time. As soon as the door closed, he was on her lips, faster than lighting. He groaned as he tasted the honey of her mouth and took the kiss deeper. She moaned, responding to the ferocity of his action and let herself get lost in the passion.

Saying that she was impressed was an understatement. She never would have guessed that her body would react so wantonly to passion, touch, luxury, and desire. But here she was, all worked up in passion, pressed between the wall of her living room and Josh’s hot, sexy, hard body— and having the time of her life!

She’d had boyfriends before and experienced passion before, too; but, having this kind of reaction with an almost complete stranger was incomprehensible. She couldn’t understand her actions, feelings, and reactions. Her mind, body, and soul were all gravitating to please one man: Josh
Balentine
.
What is this madness?
she wondered.

In her right mind, she would have never taken a ride from a stranger, and even more aggravating, a biker-stranger. Plus, to make things worse, she invited him to her house to have a one-night-stand of hot sex.
What is wrong with me?

She didn’t have the chance to delve into her doubts because Josh bit her lip, and she gasped, feeling passion roll into her uncontrollably. “Josh…,” she breathed, then she lost the need for air, as he jumped from her mouth to her neck in wet, opened-mouth kisses.

He pressed himself on her, making her feel how hard he was. She felt his hard, thick steel throbbing for her and could not resist grinding against him, just to feel him closer to his skin. In response, Josh growled on the brink of passion.

Their eyes collided and the glint in his blue eyes showed exactly what he wanted: her. Jess gulped when she saw the intense desire in those eyes. She was used to men lusting over her; but this, this was a new level of lust, almost equal to hunger, pure animalistic hunger.

For the first time since she accepted his ride, Jess was nervous.

“Take me to your room.” He did not ask her,
Where is your room?
He commanded her to take him to her room, and that powerful voice made her guide him without a question. Suddenly, all her insecurities were forgotten.

She opened the door and went in, not bothering to turn the light on. The full moon outside emitted enough light through the small window that the room was pretty well lit. Apart from the functionality, it was romantic as hell to make love during a full moon.

Jess slowly backed away, feeling the strength of Josh’s eyes on her, eating her up, until she collided with the bed and fell on it.

“Beautiful,” he simply said.

How can I be this turned on with only a few kisses and some words
, she wondered. “What are you doing to me?” she breathed, unable to control her curiosity.

“I may have to kill you if I told you.”

“You already are.” His dangerous aura filled the room in an unusual form. She didn’t know what he was going to do to her next, but just his voice and eyes were making her shiver.