He stared down at her, his breathing heavy. “Come with me.”
“Where?”
“Does it matter?”
She stared up at him.
“Does it, Sky?”
“No.”
“Then come home with me. Back to my shop. Back to my bed.”
Twenty minutes later, Shades was leading Skylar up the metal stairs to the tiny apartment above his shop. The light from the neon sign on the front of the building shone through the windows illuminating the space in a soft blue light.
He turned to her, taking both her hands in his, and pulled her as he backed up to the low dresser where he planted his ass against the edge. Then he pulled her to him, to stand between his spread thighs. It put her head a couple inches higher than his. They stood there, staring at each other a moment, and then Shades confessed, “I feel like I gotta be gentle and careful with you.”
“Why?”
“Cause you’re different. You’re not like the others.”
“You’re right. I’m not. Is that a bad thing?”
Shades let out a huff, “Not hardly. It’s a good thing. A very good thing.”
Her eyes strayed to the bed.
“You havin’ second thoughts?”
“No. Are you?”
His hand lifted to cup her face, his thumb moving over her mouth, his eyes following its movement. “This fire, baby. It could burn us both.”
“Do you care?”
“I could get kicked out of the club for this.”
“If Cole or Crash found out, they’d never let me up there again.’
“You willing to risk it?”
“Yes. Are you?”
“I’m standin’ here, aren’t I?”
“I am, too, Shades. I’m right here.”
“You know they’re gonna say we’re bad for each other.”
“How are we bad for each other?”
“They’ll say that I’m no good for you. That I’ll do nothing but drag you down. Are you gonna believe ‘em?”
“No.”
“Maybe you should.”
“And if they tell you a girl like me will bring you nothing but problems, that I’m nothing more than a distraction, one you can’t afford to have, are you going to