Break the Sky (Spiral of Bliss Spin Off) by Nina Lane

overboard in the bar, but I’m already tired of you assuming that I’m just going to fall into bed without even a—”
    “I meant,” Archer interrupted, a smile tugging at his mouth, “a motorcycle ride.”
    “Oh.” I flushed and disliked myself for it. I shot him a glare. “Well, what was I supposed to think with all the foot touching, sexy talk, and everything?”
    “Exactly what I hoped you’d think.” He stopped beside a beat-up Harley that had dented metal saddlebags and a seat patched with duct tape. He unlatched a saddlebag to put his notebook inside.
    “Archer, I—”
    He turned to face me. The protest died in my throat. He put his hand beneath my chin and lifted my gaze to his. My heart hammered with a combination of anxiety and anticipation.
    “Yeah, I want you,” he said softly. “You know exactly what I’m about. And I know you’d never expect more from a guy like me. But I also know you’re going to spontaneously combust if you don’t
let go
.”
    “Oh, thank you.” Somehow, by digging deep, I managed to sound sarcastic. “Thanks ever so much for looking out for my well-being. I really appreciate knowing you want me to be your charity fuck.”
    My irritation only made him smile.
    “You’d be anything but a charity fuck,” he said. “Think about it. You and me. No strings attached, no holds barred. No expectations. I’m leaving town soon, so there wouldn’t be any shitty breakup. Just us having fun while I’m here.”
    “Sounds like a great arrangement for you,” I remarked.
And for me, but damned if I’m going to admit it.
“How many times have you used that exact speech on a woman?”
    “Never.”
    “Bullshit.”
    “I don’t need speeches, storm girl.” He grabbed a second helmet from a backpack. “I don’t play games, either. What you see is what you get.”
    I already knew that. I’d known the minute I saw him walk into the bar. And oh, how I liked what I saw.
    He came around the bike and settled the helmet on my head. A crease of concentration appeared between his eyebrows as he buckled and adjusted the strap beneath my chin. Then he glanced up and saw me watching him.
    For a moment, we just looked at each other. I could see the tiny flecks of silver in his eyes, the darker ring of brown around the irises, his incredibly thick eyelashes.
    He reached up and took off my glasses, leaning closer as if he wanted to study my eyes without the barrier of glass between us.
    I suddenly felt exposed and vulnerable. I tried to grab my glasses back.
    “Give those to me.”
    He looked through the lenses first before settling them back on my nose. “Why do you wear them?”
    “So I can see, dumbass.”
    “The prescription doesn’t seem very strong.”
    I was startled. In truth, my eyesight wasn’t that bad. I needed glasses to drive and for seeing far away, but I rarely wore them at home or on weekends. I liked the way they were sort of a shield between me and other people, and they gave me a sharper look that served me well at work.
    Apparently Archer West had figured that out.
    I straightened the frames. “Well, I need them, okay?”
    “Okay.” He put on his helmet and nodded to the Harley. “You ever ridden before?”
    “Once or twice, but it was long time ago.”
    “You lean with me and the bike. Keep your feet on the foot pegs. If you need me to stop for any reason, tap me on the thigh. There’s a handrail for you, but it’s not very reliable. I strongly advise you to hold on to me instead.”
    He looked at me gravely. Suppressing a smile, I shook my head at him. He responded with a wink and a grin.
    Well, crap. There he went disarming me again. One minute, hot sexy promises and the next minute gentle flirting. He kept throwing me off balance, and I both liked and didn’t like it.
    He swung his leg over the bike and gestured for me to get on behind him. I climbed on, hesitating a second before sliding my arms around his waist.
    Oh.
    A bolt of desire shot through