It feels weird as fuck. It’s like I’m one of those bobble head things some of the taxi drivers have on their dashboards.
“Put your right foot there.” He points to a little step thing, and I do as I’m told before throwing my other leg over the machine.
My arse slides down the leather until my legs are spread wide around his hips.
Okay, so maybe this wasn’t such a bad idea.
His body visibly tenses as we connect, making the muscles of his back even more apparent.
I wait for a few seconds as he takes the helmet that was hanging from the handlebars and places it on his head. In much less time than me, he has it secured before leaning forward and kick-starting the engine.
The vibrations race through my body, making my heart rate increase, knowing that it means he’s about to move.
Shit, shit, shit.
“You might want to hold on,” he shouts over the deep rumble of the engine.
“Oh, um…” I look at his body before me.
Without putting much thought into it, I slide my hands around his sides, brushing them over his abs and pressing my breasts into his back as I hold him. Just as I was imagining earlier, his muscles jump at my touch, and I can’t help but smile inside the helmet.
He doesn’t say anything else; he clearly thinks I’m ready for this, because he kicks the stand and takes the weight of the massive bike.
My mouth goes dry as I wait for what’s to come next. The engine revs, the vibrations mixing with his heady scent and giving me a bit of a thrill before he pulls away.
I squeal as we fly down the road and away from my house.
I don’t look back, there’s no point. It’s not like I’m going to miss the place. It’s just a shame I’ve got to leave one person behind.
I’ll be back, I tell myself as he guns it out of the end of the street before turning left and really putting his foot down.
I panic for a second and squeeze my eyes shut, but after only a few seconds, I begin to feel brave and crack them back open. The second I do, I find the city flying past me in a bit of a blur, and a smile creeps its way onto my lips.
4
Spike
The second her small hands touch me, I know I should have sent her back to the flat, with the car.
I grind my teeth as I gun away from the place she called her house. I feel the eyes of all the people loitering around, enjoying the bit of entertainment as I take her away.
She doesn’t belong here. Zach would go crazy if he knew this was where she slept at night. It makes me wonder how she’s kept it from him. I know they’ve not spent all that much time together since she revealed who she really was, but still. He’s gonna be pissed. Although, possibly not as pissed as when he discovers that her new lodgings are my place.
It’s fine, I tell myself. I’m just helping her out. Giving her a decent place to stay so she can have a chance at starting over. I might not have all the details about her past, but all the evidence only points toward a pretty shitty life.
I know her mum—their mum—died of an overdose earlier in the year. That alone is enough to screw anyone up, let alone having to live like that. I should know.
Thoughts of the way the guys in that house looked at her along with the lingering memories of that arsehole with his hands on her last night are enough to keep my muscles locked up with tension as we drive toward my favourite café.
“Off,” I bark after killing the engine.
For once, she does as she’s told, and I watch as she gets to her feet and undoes the strap under her chin.
I should look away, but I can’t help myself. My eyes stay locked on her as she lifts the helmet from her head. Her almost black hair falls around her shoulders before she shakes it out. I swear the whole thing happens in slow motion, like in the fucking movies.
She’s still got makeup all over her face, and she’s still wearing my shirt, but fuck, she’s hot.
“Here,” she says, handing me the helmet, although she stills when she clocks the look on my face. “Oh, would you like me to do that again so you can record it?”
“Uh… funny.” I snatch the helmet from her before climbing off the bike and removing my own. I place hers into the top box, but I keep mine with me and tuck it under my arm as I lead her toward the café.
“Well, I didn’t have you down as a cute café kind of man.”
“I’m not,” I grunt as I push the door open.
As usual, a little bell rings, and one of my favourite people walks our way.
“Spike,” Nina says, walking toward me with a soft smile on her face and her arms wide open.
I feel Kas’ stare, but I ignore her as I wrap the other small woman in my arms. Her head stops at my mid-chest when I pull her into me.
“It’s been too long, boy,” she chastises when I release her.
“I know, I know.” One word from her and I feel like a little boy again.
“And who is this young lady?”
“Hi, I’m Kas,” Kas says politely, holding her hand out for Nina.
“Nice to meet you, dear.”
Kas smiles, but her curiosity doesn’t leave her face. “I’m sorry, could I use your bathroom?”
“Of course. Just down there on the right.”
Nina looks almost as confused as Kas as she watches her walk through the café and disappear around the corner.
“Start talking then, boy. You never bring a girl here.”
“Kas isn’t a girl,” I say, rolling my eyes as I walk to my go-to table next to the window.
“Oh?” Nina stands with her hands resting on the back of the chair, her grey eyes drilling into me.
“No. She’s Zach’s little sister. I’m just… helping her out.”
“Sure, sure. So how have you ended up with her first thing in the morning with her looking like she’s been dragged through a hedge backward?”
“Long story.”
“Oh, sweetie. You know I’ve always got time for your stories.”
I smile at her, a warmth I haven’t felt for a while filling my belly. Nina is my grandad’s oldest and dearest friend. She’s also the only mother figure I’ve ever really known in my life.
“Nothing to tell. I’m just helping out a friend, and we could really do with some of your cooking.”
“Well, you’re in the right place. You want the usual?”
“You know it.” I wink at her and she blushes like she always does.
“How’s your pops doing?” she asks before turning away. “I’ve not got out to see him for a few weeks.”
“He’s good. Loving the easy life. You know, you should follow his lead sometime,” I say, gesturing to her almost-full café.
I don’t know exactly how old Nina is, but I do know that she’s old enough and wealthy enough to have retired long ago. Yet, she’s still here, sweating over the fryer every day of the week and filling her beloved Londoners’ bellies.
“The only way to get me out of this place, my dear, will be in a box.”
I laugh at her. If I’ve heard her say that once, then I’ve heard it a million times.
Chloe, one of her young waitresses, brings over a coffee, and we’re busy chatting about the weather when a shadow falls over us. I don’t need to look up to know that it’s Kas. I feel it. My skin tingles with awareness and fire begins to smoulder within me.
I push it aside, just like I did last night and this morning, in the hope it’ll fade the more I tell myself that I’m just helping out my boy’s sister.
Fuck knows that’s all it can be. Not only is she forbidden, but she’s way too fucking young for me.
“Excuse me,” she seethes, pulling the chair out and forcing Chloe to back up a little.
The move has me stifling a laugh. That is, until I notice what she’s wearing.
“You ripped my shirt?” I ask, staring at the now slashed open neck that’s falling dangerously low over one of her shoulders.
“You gave it to me,�
� she says with a shrug, holding out her mug for Chloe, who’s staring at us with an amused expression on her face.
“To sleep in. Not to ruin.”
“Well, you really should have clarified. To be honest, I think it’s better.”
“I guess you’d better keep it then,” I mutter.
“Really?” she asks, her voice increasing a few notches like she’s excited. “Wow, thanks.” Those two words are accompanied with an eye roll, and I realise she’s being sarcastic.
“You look better,” I say, pushing aside the shirt issue and taking in her clear face.
Her skin is so fresh, so pale without the dark makeup that was coating it from last night. She looks so pretty, so… young.
It’s the exact reminder that I need.
“I hope you don’t mind, I’ve already ordered.”
“I guess that all depends on if I like it or not.”
“You’ll like it,” I say without a doubt. I don’t think there’s anyone on the planet who doesn’t like Nina’s cooking.
“So, who’s she?” Kas asks, following my gaze to where we can see Nina through a little window, singing to herself as she cooks.
“My unofficial grandma.” Kas screws up her face. “I’m pretty sure she and my grandad are soul mates, but they never quite got it together. Been by each other’s sides for years though.”
“Soul mates? I didn’t have you down as the romantic type, Spike.”
“I’m not,” I grunt, “but their unrequited love or whatever the hell it is would turn a few cold hearts, I’m sure.”
“Huh,” she mutters, slouching back and sipping on her coffee.
“What?”
“Nothing. Just putting a few pieces together about my new roommate.”
“So you’re agreeing to this all of a sudden.”
“You say agreeing, I say conserving energy for an argument I’m more likely to win.”
“Like?”
She shrugs. “I’m sure one will present itself. I’m not really one for doing as I’m told.”
“You don’t say.” I can’t help but laugh at the hard expression I get in return.
Thankfully, Nina brings over our breakfast before we find something else to disagree about, and I watch as Kas devours the lot like she hasn’t eaten in a week.
“When was the last time you had a proper meal?”
She glances up at me, a piece of sausage halfway to her lips. “No idea,” she answers stiffly.
I guess that would explain why she’s so fucking skinny then.
“You’d understand if you saw the kitchen in the place we just left. It’s not exactly… hygienic.”
I shake my head, hating how she’s been living.
“Don’t,” she snaps. “Don’t look at me like that. You know nothing about my life.”
“I know enough to know I’m doing the right thing by taking you away from it.”
“You’re going to tell Zach, aren’t you?” she asks quietly.
“Yeah. Unless you want to do it, save me the bother.”
“Whatever.”
“Don’t do that, Kas.”
“Don’t do what?” she asks, sitting back and crossing her arms over her chest.
“Make out like you don’t care. I know you do.”
She makes some unintelligible noise.
“If you didn’t need family, you wouldn’t have reached out to him. There’s no shame in admitting you need help.”
“Who says I need help?”
I raise a brow at her. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact you work as a stripper, or the guy from last night, or that you live in a squat.”
Her lips purse in anger.
“Firstly,” she snaps, holding up one finger to begin counting, “I might love being a stripper. It might be my dream job.” I raise an eyebrow at her in question. “Second, I owe Jet some money. I can’t help that he’s trying to call it in early. And third, that place isn’t a squat. It’s a house share. I’ve lived in squats, and I can tell you that that house you saw this morning is like Buckingham fucking Palace in comparison. So if you’d kindly stop judging, that would be smashing.”
“I’m not,” I say in defence, although really, I might well be. “I just want to help.”
“By ruining my one job that will help to pay off my debts. Yeah, it’s going great so far.”
“How much do you owe?”
“Enough for him to come calling for it.”
“How much?” I ask again.
“It doesn’t matter. Even if it were fifty quid, I wouldn’t be borrowing it from you.”
“I’ve got some money, Kas. Plus, the second this gets back to Zach, you know he’s going to hand over whatever you need.”
“I don’t need anything from either of you,” she seethes. “This is my problem, not anyone else’s.”
“How’d you end up in debt to a man like that in the first place?”
“That’s a story for another day,” she mutters, no longer making eye contact with me.
It frustrates me to no end that she keeps me shut out, but then I’m not sure why I expected anything else. She’s not wrong, I did drag her off that stage last night without much thought and probably ruined any chance of Dakota allowing her back.
“Come on, let’s get out of here and we can get you set up at home.”
She nods, and after saying goodbye to Nina—who, like always, refuses to accept any money for our short stay—we climb back onto my bike and head for my flat.
5
Kas
I hate the way he looks at me while trying to dive into the disaster that is my life. In truth, I’d fucking love for someone to hand me a pile of cash so I can get that arsehole off my back. But even if they did, I wouldn’t accept it. It’s my problem to deal with, not anyone else’s, and certainly not Spike’s. He’s already done too much.
The second we’re through the front door of his building, another door opens and a woman with a young child attached to her hip appears.
“Louisa, this is Kas,” Spike says, gesturing between us. “And this cutie is Freddie,” he says, reaching over and tickling the small guy, who giggles in delight.
Glancing at Spike, I find his eyes are softer than I’m becoming used to as he laughs at the little man before him.
He said earlier that he wasn’t a romantic, but from just the limited amount of time we’ve spent together, I don’t believe it for a second. Even more so, now I’m watching him with a kid.
“Hey,” I say when I remember I was introduced to someone.
When I look up, I find the woman’s eyes locked on Spike. There’s something a little more than friendly within them, and I wonder what the story is there. I won’t ask, though. I don’t want to look like I care.
“Kas is moving in for a bit. Thank you for taking her stuff in.”
“No problem. There’s not much though, so I’m not sure if it’s all arrived yet.”
“It’ll be everything,” I mutter sadly.
She allows Spike to step inside the door so he can collect my belongings, and before long, he’s saying goodbye to his obviously interested neighbour and gesturing for me to go ahead and up the stairs.
“I can carry some of that myself, you know.”
“I’m aware. But for once, just accept the help.”
“Just this once. It goes against everything I’ve ever done in my life.”
He doesn’t respond, but I feel the sadness oozing from him.
When we reach the top, I’m forced to stop and wait for him to open the door.
“I’ve got a spare key inside. I’ll find it for you in a bit.”
I nod. All I want to do is get inside and curl up on the comfortable bed I passed out in last night. I might have been off-my-arse drunk, but it was still the best night’s sleep I’ve had in… probably my life, to be honest.
The second he opens the door, I march through to what I’m assuming is my bedroom.
“I think Titch has t
aken everything, but if you find anything, just give it to me and I’ll take it to work for him.”
I nod, unzipping my suitcase the second he places it on the bed and rummaging through to find some clean underwear.
“Do you need me for anything or…” He glances down at the thong hanging from my fingers and his words falter.
“I think I can manage showering myself.”
“Okay, that’s… good. That’s good,” he says, stumbling over his words.
“Great. Do you mind?” I ask as I take a step toward where he’s now totally blocking the doorway with his wide frame. He stands aside, but not enough, and as I pass, I brush up against him.
His breath catches the second we connect, and a small smile twitches at the corner of my lips.
“The woman downstairs wants you,” I point out as I walk down the short hallway. He doesn’t reply, and when I look over my shoulder, I discover the reason is me. His eyes are locked on my legs. “And it seems that you might need to get laid, so maybe you should pay her a visit at nap time.”
“Huh? Oh… um… no. We’re just friends.”
“Well, trust me, she doesn’t want to be ‘just friends’,” I say, mocking his deep voice.
“Too bad. I’m not interested.”
“And here I was thinking the rumour about you fucking anything that moves is true. Is that just a story to make you look good?”
“Louisa is my friend. Not only that, she’s got a baby and is looking for forever after being screwed over. That’s not my thing.”
“No? So what is your thing?” I ask, turning on him and making a show of running my tongue along my bottom lip.
“I make no promises. To anyone. Especially not a single mother who deserves someone to take care of her.”
“Who burned you?” I ask, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Who says I was burned? There are plenty of guys out there who don’t want to settle down.”
“Yeah, there are. But you’re not one of them.”
He opens his mouth to respond, but no words come out.
He might think I’m young and naïve, but he doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know that I’ve spent my life watching others, studying them and trying to work out what motivates them, what scares them. I see more than he thinks possible, and I know he’s lying right now. Someone hurt him. Bad.
Defy You: A Brother's Best Friend/Age Gap Romance (Rebel Ink Book 3) Page 4