#steamyromance

“I… I don’t want to keep doing this,” he said finally. His voice was steady, but soft, almost vulnerable. “Keeping you a secret.”

Your chest tightened. “Luke…”

“No,” he interrupted gently, stepping closer, closing the distance between you. “I mean it. I’ve been trying to be careful, trying to protect us—but it’s driving me crazy. I don’t want anyone else’s opinions or judgments to stop me from… from showing everyone how much you mean to me.”

Your fingers reached up instinctively, brushing against his hand. “I’ve been waiting for you to say that,” you whispered.

He exhaled, a small laugh breaking through the tension, shaking his head. “I was hoping you’d never get tired of waiting.” His thumb brushed over your knuckles, warm and grounding. “I’ve been wanting this—wanting you—more than I thought was possible, but I kept thinking I needed to wait for the right time. The right moment. But there’s no right moment. There’s only now.”

You shivered, your chest tightening as his words wrapped around you. “Then… now it is,” you said softly, leaning into him.

Luke’s lips curved into a slow smile, dark and tender, before he pressed his forehead to yours. “Yeah,” he murmured. “Now.”

And then he kissed you.

Not a quick, testing kiss. Not a secretive one. But slow, deliberate, full of all the feelings he’d been holding back: longing, admiration, guilt, and desire. His hands slid around your waist, pulling you flush against him. You could feel the intensity in his touch, the careful way he wanted you close but still respected your space, like every motion was a promise.

When he finally pulled back, just enough for a breath, his eyes were soft but smoldering. “I’ve been selfish,” he admitted, voice rough. “Keeping you to myself. Hiding you. Making you feel like this… like it had to stay in the shadows. And I’m sorry. But I can’t anymore. I don’t want to anymore.”

You reached up, fingertips brushing the edge of his jaw. “You don’t have to apologize,” you whispered. “I understand why you did it. But… I don’t want to be hidden anymore either.”

His grin was slow, teasing, and utterly devastating. “Good,” he said, stepping closer until the space between you disappeared. “Because from now on… no secrets. No shadows. Only us.”

Your hands found his shoulders, gripping lightly as your bodies aligned. “Then… don’t hold back,” you whispered.

Luke leaned in again, lips tracing yours with soft insistence, slow and languid, a teasing, intimate exploration that left your knees weak. He pulled you close, fingers threading through your hair, holding you like he meant it. And in that quiet apartment, with the city buzzing faintly outside the window, it was just the two of you—no walls, no secrets, no distance.

When he finally broke the kiss, he rested his forehead against yours, breath mingling with yours. “I want everyone to see you,” he murmured. “I want the world to know you’re mine, because you are. And I… I don’t care who knows it. I want to hold your hand in the street, kiss you in public, make no apologies for how I feel. I want it all.”

Your lips curved into a soft, tired smile, heart racing. “Then… let’s start now,” you said. “No more hiding.”

He chuckled, brushing a thumb across your cheek. “No more hiding,” he agreed, lips finding yours again in a tender, lingering kiss. “Only us. And I plan on making every second count.”

You wrapped your arms around him, resting your head against his chest, feeling the steady beat of his heart. The city outside continued its quiet hum, but inside, the world had shrunk to the two of you. You were no longer a secret. He was no longer holding back. And in that simple, perfect moment, everything felt… right.

Luke pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “You’re mine,” he murmured, almost like a vow. “And I’m done hiding it.”

Excerpt

With the efficiency of a SWAT team, she ordered lunch, paid for it, and had them tucked away at a small table in the corner, enjoying burgers and fries.

“What’s that?” Ryder pointed at the tall, covered cup.

“Strawberry shake. They’ve always had the best shakes here. You want one?”

“Nah,” Ryder said. “Just a little concerned, is all. You’re starting with milkshakes. Milkshakes lead to donuts. Next thing you know, you’re going to lose your girlish figure and you’ll be stuck running radar out by the interstate.”

Margot laughed, a high, lovely sound. “Don’t worry about my girlish figure.”

“I like your girlish figure,” Ryder said, grinning.

“Since when?” A little of the humor faded from her expression at that. “I’m probably the only non-relative female you haven’t slept with in a hundred-mile radius.”

“More like a 50-mile radius,” Ryder said.

But he hadn’t been lying when he said he liked her figure. Margot was just about perfect. Nice rack. Great ass. A killer smile made all the more adorable for her dark eyes and the freckles across the bridge of her nose.

Margot had a good head on her shoulders, too. He enjoyed talking to her, their playful banter. He couldn’t imagine a world where he couldn’t have these light-hearted conversations with Mercy’s newest deputy sheriff.

“It doesn’t bother you to be having lunch with a biker?” He couldn’t resist asking.

“It doesn’t bother you that you’re having lunch with a cop?” Margo eyed him. “How did you get to town?”

“Rode my bike,” Ryder said. “Might not have been my best idea. I mean, I was okay getting here. Not sure how getting back is going to go.”

“How long are you going to stay?” Margot’s dark-eyed gaze stayed on him.

Shrugging a shoulder, Ryder finished off a French fry. “I’d like to finish the day out,” he admitted. “But now that I’m sitting here, I’m feeling pretty fucking tired.”

It was the truth and he’d never been good at keeping that from her. His friend’s gaze was knowing.

“Why don’t we take you home after lunch? I’d be glad to drive you back.”

Ryder knew she would. But he would disappoint himself if he left after lunch to go home and climb back into bed in that lonely, quiet house. Shaking his head, he ate another fry, thought it over.

“I’m tired. Just not sure I’m tired enough to go back to the house and hang out by myself.”

More concern bled into her expression. “At least take a nap in the lounge or something. No one’s going to give you shit for it. You almost died.”

He had. Axel and Hero both cut him worried looks the entire time he’d been there, working on that engine. Margot had a point.

“Well, with me getting back on my feet, let me know if you need help with anything at the house.” He meant it. “Clyde was as bad as you about never wanting to bother anyone. If you need help with anything, I’m right here.”

Margot nodded, eating her burger. After a moment, her gaze met his. Her dark eyes were glossy.

“I still can’t believe he’s gone, Ryder,” she said quietly. “No warning. Just gone.”

Reaching across the table, he covered her hand with his. Some emotion flashed in her eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it came.

“He loved you more than anything,” he said. “Clyde was so proud of you.”

A tear spilled down her cheek at the words. “I know he was. It’s just… I worked so hard to find a job back over here in Mercy so I could be with him, help him as he got older. And now he’s gone. Shot by some mafia asshole like he was nothing.”

Swiping at her tears with her free hand, Margot tried to regain her composure.

“Clyde didn’t deserve that. And I wish my brother had been able to take that asshole out. Slow. But Sawyer was there and now the bastard’s in jail.”

That stopped her cold. Carefully, she moved her hand out from under his, shaking her head. “Don’t say that. He’ll pay for what he did in the system. Spend a long time in jail. He’ll think about what he did.”

“Will he?” Ryder asked. “He’s part of a criminal organization, Margot. They have a lot of resources. Maybe he’ll go to jail, but he won’t think a second about your father. He won’t be sitting up in some jail cell regretting his crimes either.”

He didn’t like the way her confidence waned, but he had to say it. “He’ll be trying to find a way out of there. And when he does, he’ll be looking for some payback and he’ll have his entire crime family at his back.”

Margot’s spine straightened where she sat, meeting his gaze squarely. “I have faith in the system. That man will pay for what he’s done.”

Ryder wasn’t so sure about that. He didn’t give a shit about the system. “He will pay,” Ryder said, hoping that he’d be the one to mete out that retribution. What he wouldn’t give to have a shot at the sons-of-bitches who killed Clyde Donner and Morgan Davis. Who tried to kill him.

He had faith in Margot. She’d been through the training, worked in the next county over. Margot knew what she was doing. But she was new enough that she still thought the criminal justice system infallible. Had she ever had dealings with big crime families? Did she understand what she was getting into?

Worse, he worried that the loss of her father would cause her to make a decision that would put her in harm’s way.

“Okay,” she said, her dark-eyed gaze on him. “If you won’t let me drive you back home and you insist on trying to stay at the garage, I’ll make you an offer. If you’re too tired to ride back to the country, you can crash at the house. I don’t have a spare key on me. But I have one. I’ll leave it under that old stone squirrel my dad loved.”

Always looking after him. What would he have done all those long weeks after he’d gotten out of the hospital without her? Axel had been the one to help him change his bandages, got him in the shower. Margot took care of most everything else from changing his bedding and keeping up the house, to bringing him groceries and leaving him meals he could warm up and eat. She’d taken care of him, her daily visits something he looked forward to.

What he’d done to deserve her, he didn’t know. Maybe she needed to stay busy to deal with her own loss.

“Sounds good,” Ryder said after a moment. “In case I haven’t told you, thank you. For everything. I’m not sure why you took it upon yourself to take care of my dumb ass but I’m grateful.”

Soft pink darkened her face. “You’re welcome.”

Something occurred to him. “Wait. You’re working the day shift,” he pointed out. “Where are you going to be later that you need to leave me a key?”

“Tonight’s my first class,” Margot reminded him.

“That’s right,” he said. “Your self-defense class.” She’d been so excited about it, telling him about what she had planned over the last few weeks. “I think Sadie signed up for it.”

“She did,” Margot said, smiling. “I think it will be good for her after everything she’d been through. And I was surprised. The day we got you back into the hospital, she came with Axel. We had a minute in the hall, and she was just… apologizing to me for my dad. She was blaming herself because it was her ex that killed him. But it wasn’t her fault.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Ryder said. “I think your class will help her.”

Something about the smile she cut him had his heart skipping a beat. Margot was a pretty woman. He’d always thought so. Unlike most of the girls he went around with, Margot didn’t do a lot to emphasize her natural beauty. Her nails were unpainted and short, and she wore only a hint of makeup most days. Her hair was put up in a precise bun, glossy and neat. Her uniform always pressed.

Yeah, sure. He’d seen Margot many times in her street clothes. She always favored jeans and simple tops. Her hair was usually pulled back into a ponytail and those days she didn’t wear any makeup. Not that she needed it. She was clearly comfortable in her own skin without all the paint and other enhancements women used to boost their femininity.

Her confidence was sexy as hell. Funny, considering Margot didn’t see herself that way. She didn’t realize she had the cutest ass, and her confident stride showed it off. What would Margot look like in a bikini, stretched out on a towel on the beach?

Shaking his head to clear it, he grinned. “Thanks for the offer of a place to stay,” he said. “Might take you up on it.”

Margot smiled. “Please do.”

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