Reign A Romance Anthology - Nina Levine Page 0,304

is a plus side to riding the bike…wrapping my arms around him. Oh yeah.

“I did what you did and bought a shirt.”

“How do you know I purchased something?” Without a word, he reaches behind me and tugs something from the jacket I bought and hands it to me.

How embarrassing.

I’d left my damn tag hanging.

“Oh. Well, that makes sense.” Heat makes its way from my chest and warms my cheeks.

“Here we are. Sorry, you’re going to get your hair messed up.” We stop at his bike that I’m sure cost a heap. It’s all black rims with silver and light-maroon coloring. Of course, I know nothing at all about motorbikes other than to sit on the back and hold the hell on. Tight.

“It’s all right. I can survive a bad hair moment.”

Cole hands me a helmet, which I slip over my head as he puts his on, and the moment I lay eyes on him again, it’s like all my college dreams have come true. He’s the bad boy I had dreamed up for myself. His dark appearance would make any girl attracted to him.

My sisters are going to flip out when he walks through the door.

“So, where are we heading?”

I give him the address to my mother’s place, and he looks at it on his cell and nods. Cole moves to the side of his bike and throws his leg over with ease. The bike roars to life, and the noise stirs something within me. A bubbling mix of nerves and excitement wreaks havoc in my stomach.

“Jump on,” he calls and pats the seat behind him.

I move to get on when he stops me. Cole lifts my bag strap from my shoulder and moves it over to my opposite shoulder so the strap is crossed over my body. I see the logic behind it. Obviously, my head is in a different place to think about it, though.

Then, he says, “Put your foot there and lift yourself over.” He points to something that’s sticking out closer to the back wheel.

I do as he says, and the bike tilts a little. I feel what’s about to happen before it does. My stupid footwear slips, and it’s followed by a throbbing pain in my ass as it hits the sidewalk. “Damnit,” I curse under my breath. I have no doubt my face is flaming red.

Ignoring my pain and the hand that’s held out in front of me, I quickly get up and dust my ass off. My focus lands on Cole, who’s laughing so loudly there are tears in his eyes.

Embarrassment floods through me while tears prick the corners of my eyes. I scramble to undo the helmet and pull it off, then I shove it at his chest, turn, and storm away.

Screw you, buddy. I’m not here for your entertainment.

7

Dylan

I storm off down the street, not glancing behind me. Damn him and his looks and everything else that’s delicious about him. I raise my arm to hail a cab, and one stops instantly. As I climb in, I look behind me. Cole’s off his bike, and he’s coming after me.

I slip into the cab. “Drive, please,” I state and then rattle off the address to Mom’s place. Leaning back against the seat, I sigh.

It was a stupid idea anyway.

Why did I even ask him?

Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

Lesson learned.

At least now I’m in the safe confines of a car and not out in the open on the back of a damn bike.

Forty minutes later, the cab rolls up to Mom’s place, so I pay and climb out. Rummaging through my bag, I pull my cell out to message Scarlett and fill her in on my red-faced moment.

“Do you run off like that often? I can’t say I’m used to chasing after a woman.” I jump at the sound of the voice. My cell slips from my hand and lands face-down on the road. I die a little inside as I stare down at it and then back up at Cole. His hair is tousled from his helmet.

“Get lost. I gave you an out. You should have taken it,” I snap. Leaning over, I retrieve my cell, and even though it’s sheathed in a case, I have a sinking feeling the screen is shattered. Flipping it over, I instantly want to cry. “And now I need a new phone. Thank you.”

“Perhaps you’re right; I shouldn’t have come. I am usually a man of my word, hence the reason I’m standing here in front of your