We rode up to the first traffic light, and I revved my engine, shooting her a cocky grin.
Wraith remained cool, with a slightly challenging smirk on her pretty face. It drew my attention to the tiny dimple just above the corner of her mouth.
“On green.” I turned to the front. Even though I’d love to kiss her again, I wanted to know her name. I wanted to know something about this woman who kept crossing my path—which was why I was determined as fuck to win this race.
The light turned green, and the roar of our engines cracked like thunder through the night. There were no words to describe the burn as adrenaline coursed through my veins, hearing the sound of her motorbike harmonizing with the sound of mine. The rush of air prickled my skin as we sped down the street, faster, and faster, and faster. I cranked the accelerator, keeping my eye on the green light of the second set of traffic lights. But by God, she kept close on my tail. I was so sure I’d win by a fucking mile, but she was fast proving me wrong.
I glanced to the side, the street passing in one big blur. All I saw was her at my side, her raven hair blowing behind her as she steered her Harley, handling that amount of power like a goddamn pro.
We made it in time to the second set of lights, turning left. But Wraith managed to get ahead of me as we swerved. Our engines sliced through the midnight air, excitement crashing against every bone. The back street was dimly lit, no cars or people in sight. With the curve of the road, I managed to catch up, putting us head-to-head on the final stretch back to the club.
The more I thought about it, the more I convinced myself that I’d rather kiss her again than know her name. What was in a name, anyway? Definitely not a mind-blowing kiss with lips that tasted like fucking heaven.
I snuck another glance in her direction. The thrill of the race was clearly painted across her face. The way she leaned forward, it was like she willed her bike to go faster, to fucking win.
Kiss. Name.
Name. Kiss.
I couldn’t decide. I knew I could have gone faster and won this race. But I could not decide what intrigued me more. Knowing one of her secrets, or the idea of tasting her again.
We were getting close to the bar, the sight of parked hogs coming into view. I had to make up my fucking mind, decide what I wanted from her here and now. The memory of our kiss, her scent, the way her tongue eagerly danced with mine was on repeat in my head. But like I told her before, I lived for the hunt. I wanted to figure her out, and a name was the first step in doing just that.
Name.
Newly lit determination had me speeding up, going full throttle, the prospects of knowing who she was urging me to get my ass to the finish line before her. But she held firm, refusing to lose. If I ever had any doubt about my attraction to this woman, all doubts had now been left behind at the first goddamn traffic light.
Unfortunately for her, her determination to kick my ass at racing was slightly less than my resolve to piece the puzzle that was her together.
We burned rubber those last few seconds, but I came in first. Just.
She parked her Harley next to mine and took off her lid, her cheeks flushed from the rush. “For a second, I thought you were gonna let me win.”
I shrugged. “I thought about it. The prospect of letting you kiss me again was real damn tempting.”
She got off her bike, holding up a hand. “First,youkissed me. Second, you insult me by admitting it crossed your mind to let me win.”
“I find it hard to believe a woman like you could be insulted so easily.”
“Again with thea woman like me. Believe me when I say you don’t know me…at all.”
I got off my bike and straightened next to her. “Time to hold up to your end of the deal. What’s your name?”
“Wraith.”
I took a step toward her. “Your real name. And don’t lie to me. I’m a very good judge of character.”
“Oh, I highly doubt that.”
Another step forward, and I put myself within breathing distance from her. She had to crane her neck to look up at me, her small frame lost in my shadow caused by the streetlight behind me. “Your name.” It was a simple request, yet an unyielding demand.
She sucked her plump bottom lip into her mouth, the color in her eyes intensifying. For a second, I regretted my decision to not let her win because I really wanted to kiss her again, to be the one biting that fucking tempting bottom lip.
“Dahlia.” Her voice was soft, her stone demeanor faltering for a second. “Dahlia Knight.”
I smiled. “Dahlia. It’s pretty.” I reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Dahlia,” I whispered, wanting to feel her name brush against my lips one more time.
The way she stared up at me, her eyes painted the opposite picture of the tough-as-nails image she tried to portray. It was someone completely different staring back at.