“Whose house is this?” Monica asked, sliding off the seat only to stumble.
Kane reacted before he could think, catching her and pulling her flush against him while he was still sitting on the bike. Their bodies lined up perfectly, their faces inches apart, breaths mixing as they stared at each other.
“I’m a klutz,” she whispered, her eyes searching his like she expected him to back away.
He didn’t.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured, lifting a hand to the back of her head and guiding her toward him.
Their lips brushed, soft at first, then the spark hit, and the kiss turned hungry, needy, with a pull neither of them tried to fight. She clung to him, and he pulled her closer, the world narrowing to heat, breath, and want.
Only when another bike rumbled up behind them did they break apart, breathless and stunned at how fast everything had shifted and how right it felt.
Kane caught movement out of the corner of his eye and turned just in time to see Val grinning like the damn Cheshire cat, openly giving Monica a slow once-over. Val’s smile stretched even wider when he spotted Kane watching him, and the bastard didn’t even try to hide it.
“Damn, brother,” Val whistled as Kane swung off the bike. His gaze slid right back to Monica. “I’m Val.”
“Monica,” she said, giving him her own assessing look. “Is it a requirement that all you guys are over six feet tall?”
Val chuckled, pleased. “Nah, not a requirement. Just a perk.” His eyes lingered on her curves a beat too long. “Gotta say… Kane didn’t mention how gorgeous you were.”
Kane’s jaw tightened, heat punching low in his gut. Val noticed—and pushed.
“In fact,” Val added with a wink at Monica, “if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was trying to keep you hidden. Can’t blame him, though. A woman who looks like you, I’d keep you hidden, especially around our group.” He flicked a glance at Kane, with a smug grin.
“Val, shut the fuck up,” Kane growled, giving him a warning glare before getting off his bike.
Val just laughed as he headed up the steps and disappeared into the house.
“He seems nice,” Monica commented, looking from the house to Kane.
“He’s an asshole,” Kane grumbled, wanting nothing more than to gouge Val’s eyes out. “Actually, all of them are assholes, so stay close to me.”
They walked up the steps, and to his surprise, he took her hand in his as he opened the door. Yeah, this was going to be fucking painful, but he didn’t give a shit. Monica was off limits to any of these fuckers, and the sooner they realized that, the better.
CHAPTER 27
Monica was stunned when Kane took her hand. The kiss had rocked her and had her still tingling in places she shouldn’t admit out loud, but this…this was more intimate.
A kiss could be an impulse, but a man like Kane choosing tohold hands? That was deliberate. And she’d bet every penny she had that he wasn’t the hand-holding type.
Kane opened the door and guided her inside, still holding on. The house itself looked new, but inside it was bare, with just a couch, two recliners, and no personal items that she could see. Val stood in the kitchen, talking to another tall guy who was watching them with a smirk.
Both men were handsome, annoyingly so, but neither came close to Kane. Instinctively, she tightened her grip on his hand as they walked over.
“You must be Monica,” the man she didn’t know said. He shot Kane that same smirk before adding, “I’m Charger.”
She wasn’t sure what was going on, but she felt the tension rolling off Kane like a warning. She felt like there was some inside joke she was a part of. Deciding to rely on her smartass side, she smirked back at him, then looked around at the nearly empty house. “Nice place you’ve got here, Charger.”
Val’s grin widened. “Beautiful with sass. And for the record, I think my new favorite color is blue.”
Monica held back an eye roll. “You use that line on every woman with blue eyes?” she asked, one eyebrow raised.
“If it works,” Val shrugged.
“It doesn’t,” she informed him flatly.
Charger laughed hard. “Damn, Kane. Gorgeous and quick. Not usually your type.”