Shuddering, I clenched my eyes shut. But Reese was, too, and I know how that ended. Huck was too similar to my ex. The epitome of what made my thighs shiver. That fucking desire, though, it had screwed me over. Huxton was everything I did not need in my life. I'd been hurt, I was paying for my bad judgment—my stupid decision to believe in a man who had back-stabbed me.

When cocky assholes didn't get what they wanted from you, they abandoned you.

Huck was the same breed.

He said he didn't want anything from me.

The memory of him, standing so close and crushing me against his Harley... it was heart stopping. I ached to believe him. Wouldn't that be amazing, a bad boy who was altruistic?

Impossible.

Huck was sweet with words, sweeter with his smiles and wicked eyes. I had to learn to tell the difference between my intuition and the heat that melted my pussy. Lust wasn't the meter to judge people by. It couldn't be.

Even if that would make everything so much simpler.

The bike shifted fast; I clutched on, gasping. Through the leather that brushed my skin and tickled me with its strong scent, there was a rhythm. A soft, but wild beat that pushed into my chest and matched my own.

His heartbeat. It became my focus.

I wanted to keep my eyes closed, to just listen and feel him. As long as we rode, we could exist in this simple bubble and I wouldn't need to worry about tomorrow. Not an hour from now, not days or weeks. No future fights... no worries about Nehro or how much Huck was threatening to break my logic into tiny pieces.

Here, I could hug him and pretend this was it. This was my life.

But no. My life wasn't simple and it certainly wasn't this.

I didn't live far, I'd purposefully looked for an apartment near the fighting ring after I'd split with Reese. No car, no ex's motorcycle, I needed an easy path to the subway to reach a destination I'd be stuck with for the next ten years, minimum.

Eliza's ad for a roommate had been serendipitous.

Now, I sort of hated how fast we rumbled down the quiet street, slowing in front of the familiar house. The Christmas lights blinked, waving at me mockingly. Yes, hello, I mused to myself. Merry Christmas. Go fuck yourself.

The engine died abruptly, telling me the dream was over. “We're here,” Huck said, twisting to watch me. Like water, I spilled away from him, creating as much distance as I could on that bike seat.

His heat radiated over my arms and stomach. I felt him, praying the sensation would linger until I could slide into my bed and take care of the pressure in my lower belly. Yeah, I hated how much I hungered for this trouble-maker, but I was only human. Huck had excited me at my party, he'd driven me higher at the Dog House. The ride home had cinched it.

Hate him or not, he'd haunt me until I got myself off.

Maybe even beyond that.

Whatever. It was my own head, it didn't have the same risk as actually doing something with the man in front of me.

Blankets and familiar fingers were safe.

Lonely.

Huck was staring at me expectantly. I sat up, adjusted my jacket. “Right. Thanks for the ride.”

“My pleasure.”

I think he meant it. At least, I wanted him to.

Stop it, Zoe. Stop being crazy. Swallowing the lump that had crystallized in my throat, I slid off the motorcycle. My legs were numb, I moved too fast. Stumbling, I grabbed for the rear tire to steady my balance.

Huxton caught me first, one strong arm around my middle to keep me standing. “Easy there. You alright?”

“I'm fine, really.” His fingers dug into my hip. Shit, okay, I was too aware of each solid fingertip. I was not fine at all. “Just lost my balance.”

His grin slid high on one corner. “If I didn't know better, I'd swear you were drunk.”

In a sense, I was. He fogged my brain and stole my strength, how different was that from overdosing on alcohol?

More fiercely than I needed to, I pulled out of his grip. He let me go, and I knew he let me go. He was more than capable of holding me where he wanted. His muscles were iron and stone.

Forcing my nerves to behave, I stared him in the eye. “Thanks for tonight. All of it. If you hadn't shown up, I would have been...” Fucking Nehro or whoever else he demanded. Spreading my legs to pay off that fucking loan. “In trouble.” I couldn't say the truth. It wasn't Huck's problem, and I had no plans to change that.

“Everyone gets into trouble.” Shrugging, he searched in his pocket. I didn't see his other hand coming. His reach was long, he managed to catch me by the wrist and pull me to him from where he sat on the bike.

The speed left me disoriented. His palm was silk, its strength undeniable. I bumped his knee, my focus rolling upward. I'd never met someone with eyes so green. The black centers tugged at me, whispered for me to get lost in them and never break free.

Okay. This was going to be a problem.

This was why I had to get away from Huck.

But I didn't. Not right then. Instead, I hung on like a fly trapped in a web and waited for whatever he was about to do. I won't pretend I didn't stare at his lips, those teasing teeth that had touched me on Eliza's bed.

I knew how his cock felt, sliding over my cunt. I knew that. Eliza's gift to me had been a curse. I couldn't let myself be around this man. He'd wear me down, and eventually, leave me broken. Used.

Forgotten.

And it was a sign of how fucking pathetic I was that, knowing all of this, I still waited with bated breath for him to finish what he'd started.

Lifting my wrist, he pressed something cool and flat into my palm. When I twitched but didn't react further, he closed my fingers around it. “Here, you left the other one back in that alley.”

Blinking, I opened my hand and stared at the new, crisp business card. Huck's card. “I told you,” I whispered, wishing my voice was stronger. “I'm not calling you for help again.”

“What you call me for is up to you.” Bending close, he tapped the surface of the card. “I do more than just fight muscle-bound men. Personally, I prefer wrestling with sweeter things.”

Withdrawing his hand, he brushed his fingers over my wrist so lightly it had to be intentional. The buttery tingles he left in his wake shook me to my core.

I was dazed and sluggish, until an electric jolt went to my brain and warned me what I was thinking. I want to kiss him. I looked from his lips to his eyes. Oh god, he wants to kiss me, too.

Fuck. No. I couldn't do this. It'd be too easy. Ruining my already fragile future should never be so easy.

With every fiber arguing against me, I stepped backwards. Huck didn't flinch, but the glow in his stare smoldered away. “I—okay. Alright. I need to go.” Unsure what else to do, I lifted my arm and gave a lame wave.

Furrowing his brow, Huxton mimicked me. His smile stretched like an elastic. “Good night, Zoe. See you soon.”

See you soon. Why did he sound so sure of that? Saying nothing, I spun around and walked like a zombie to the front door. I fit in better with Halloween, as pale and hollow-eyed as I was. The Santa on the door beamed at me. I almost ripped it off.

It took everything I had not to look back. I couldn't do it. If I saw him or how he was watching me, I'd crumble. Fuck. I was pathetic.

Jingling the door open, I escaped into the protection of the house. I had walls between me and him; real, actual walls.

Leaning on the door, I took a giant breath and slid to the floor. My knees went to my chest, my skull tapping against the wood behind me. I was free, and still, I felt trapped.

What is wrong with me? I was as bad as the people who kept playing the lottery until they went broke, hoping one day they wouldn't waste their money, that they'd hit the jackpot. I'd spent my whole life throwing myself away. Guy after guy, so many wild adventures and draining men.