Ride Hard (Raven Riders 1)

Like that wasn’t fucking confusing. Because bikers attributed as much significance to who shared their ride as they did to who shared their bed. Maybe even more. What Dare couldn’t stand was seeing her on another man’s ride, arms around another man’s waist, her thighs wrapped around another man’s ass, her laugh spilling into another man’s ear. It didn’t matter how innocent it all was. Not when Dare had tasted her, been inside her, heard his name moaned in ecstasy from her lips.

So instead of manning up and confronting her, Dare just nodded his head. “Get on. If you want to ride, you can ride with me.”

NERVOUS EXCITEMENT RIPPLED through Haven’s belly as she approached Dare. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were narrowed, his whole expression painted with an intensity she couldn’t read. But, oh my God, did he look hot sitting on that bike. Strong thighs straddled the motorcycle. Lean, cut arms stretched to the handlebars. Long hair all blown back from his face.

Wild. Hard. Raw.

As excited as she’d been to ride with Jeb, she was about a million times more ecstatic to ride with Dare. After last night, arousal flowed lazily through her just to look at him. So getting to be so close to him when she wasn’t sure that would happen again? She couldn’t have been happier.

“Okay,” she said, slipping the helmet back on. Dare wasn’t wearing one, and Jeb hadn’t either. Weren’t they supposed to wear helmets? Wasn’t it dangerous not to? But his face was wearing that serious, shuttered look he sometimes got, the one that wasn’t much open to answering questions, so Haven didn’t ask.

He gave her a hand on, and then she had no choice but to wrap her thighs around the outside of his and press her front against his back. She rested her hands lightly on his hips, suddenly feeling awkward about holding on to him the way she’d done so innocently with Jeb. She was probably way overthinking it, but what had felt easy with Jeb felt more weighted, more significant with Dare.

“You ready?” he asked over his shoulder.

“As I’ll ever be,” she said.

Dare pulled her hands around him, making her embrace his chest. Their closeness shot butterflies through Haven, because he felt so good in her arms. “Hold on to me, Haven,” he said, beckoning even more butterflies. And then he took off, slowly at first, like Jeb had done.

She couldn’t believe she was touching Dare this way, but between their closeness, his hard heat, and the ride, Haven was grinning into her helmet. They rode down the mountain at an easy pace, Dare leaning them gently into the curves.

Haven loved the openness of the ride, the way the warm air rushed over her skin. It made her feel like she was flying, like she could go anywhere, like she was free. When the road flattened out into a straightaway, they passed a big parking lot and stadium—the racetrack she’d heard people talking about. A huge mural filled one whole exterior wall—the words Green Valley Racing painted in green over a waving black-and-white checkered flag. She’d never seen a car race in person, but she would love to. Maybe that was another thing for her list.

And, oh man, the fact that she got to check another item off after having done it with Dare absolutely tickled her.

Which made her wonder again why Dare had come after her and Jeb.

I need Haven.

His words came back to her, making no more sense now than they had when he’d said them. What did that even mean? What did he need her for? Did it have anything to do with what happened last night? Haven didn’t know whether to be excited about that possibility or scared—after all, Cora had said he’d seemed agitated. What if whatever had agitated him was why he wanted to talk?

Her shoulders sagged at the thought.

They came to a stop sign at the edge of the racetrack’s long driveway, and Dare looked over his shoulder at her. “Wanna take it fast or slow? Your call.”

Something in his eyes made her belly flip. “Fast,” she said.

The corner of his eye crinkled. “Was hoping you’d say that. Hold on tight.”

Dare pulled a left onto the country road that ran in front of the racetrack. They went up a rolling hill, around a big bend at the foot of the mountain, and then hit a long straightaway in the valley beyond. And that’s when Dare took off like a shot.

Haven screamed and then laughed as the bike tore down the road, and she couldn’t stop laughing. Holding on to Dare for everything she was worth, a feeling of elation rolled through her unlike anything she could ever remember experiencing. It was a light, buoyant, expansive feeling that filled her chest with a warm pressure.