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

me. I adjusted my thighs around his hips. He shifted, reaching down to clasp my hands and pull them more securely around him. He interlaced my fingers so my palms were flat against his abdomen—his rock-hard abdomen with muscles so clearly defined under his T-shirt. I exhaled a slow breath, feeling the warmth of him spread up my arms.
    “Yes, the… um, the handrail seems a little loose.” I hadn’t even bothered looking for the stupid handrail.
    “Told you.” He sounded like he was smiling. “Hold tight.”
    He revved up the bike and guided it out of the parking lot. He took the ride through downtown slowly. While I appreciated the chance to get used to the feel of the bike and the roar of the engine, I quickly realized that I was dependent on Archer. I had to trust that he knew what he was doing, that he would drive safely, that he wasn’t whisking me off to some dark cave where he could have his way with me.
    I shifted closer, tightening my arms around him. God, he felt good. Solid, warm, and so strong. He could lift me into his arms without any effort at all. And whisk me off to some dark cave where he could have his—
    A laugh choked my throat. Despite the fact that I kept telling myself
I couldn’t do this
, it seemed, in fact, that I was.
    At a stoplight, he turned his head. “Okay?”
    “Yes.” More than okay.
    He reached back and patted my thigh. Another rush of heat filled me. I leaned against him and forced myself not to think. Though the growl of the bike between my legs was exciting, it didn’t compare to the feeling of pressing against Archer’s back, the heat of his abdomen warming my palms, the subtle shifts of his muscular body against mine as he drove onto the highway.
    I had no idea where he was going. I didn’t care. He could have ridden to Canada and I’d have loved just sitting there with my arms around him, the bike roaring beneath us, and the wind whipping past.
    I felt free. Open. Unlocked.
Just for now.
    Archer pulled off the highway past Forest Grove and took a two-lane side road through a heavily forested area. After parking in a lot near a ranger’s cabin, we both climbed off the bike. The hum of the engine still throbbed in my blood as I pulled off the helmet.
    “Where are we?” I asked.
    “A state park that I heard about at a hostel.” Archer took off his helmet and dragged a hand through his black hair.
    He fastened the helmets to the bike, and we started off on one of the trails winding through the trees. It was lovely and quiet, with only the sounds of birds whistling and the faint rustle of the wind.
    “What were you doing at a hostel?” I asked, shoving my hands into my jacket pockets as we walked.
    “I’m staying in a room there.”
    “Oh.”
    I felt his glance. “That bother you?”
    “No.” I was surprised, though. I’d figured Archer didn’t have much money, but surely Dean could…
    Shit.
    Why was I constantly… and conveniently… forgetting about Dean? That Archer was Dean’s
brother
?
    “Whoa.” Archer stopped and faced me, holding his hands up. “You just went dark on me.”
    “I was thinking about Dean.”
    He frowned. “Not what any guy wants to hear when he’s alone with a woman.”
    “I mean… you’re Dean’s brother.”
    “So?”
    “So Dean and I are friends.”
    “You’ve known him how long?”
    “Since college. He was a couple of years ahead of me.”
    “You ever date him?” Though his voice sounded casual, a note of jealousy underscored it.
    “No,” I said. “I never dated Dean. We’re friends. He helped me through some shitty stuff years ago. He’s always been a rock. I’d never want to screw things up with him and me.”
    Archer looked at me for a second. “Okay.”
    “Okay what?”
    “I can’t compete with him. Never could. If that’s the problem, then I’m out.”
    I stared at him. “You’re out? You mean you’ll fold, just like that? Just because I brought up Dean?”
    “You want an excuse to stop this