“Come on, I can’t leave you out here,” I said, revving the Harley. It came to life with a bark and a rumble, the sound echoing down the street. “You can’t stay at the bus station.”
“I’ve stayed in worse places.”
I gave her a pointed look. “It’s not safe. In the daylight it might seem harmless, but at night the desperate and the tweakers spill out of the shadows. Come on, I’ll find you a safe place to sleep tonight.”
“I’m not staying with you,” she said, taking a step away from me.
I raised an eyebrow. “Good, because I wasn’t asking you. I’ll take you where no one will bother you. Now will you climb on the back and let me help you.”
Reluctantly, she slid behind me, her bag of clothes resting between us and her guitar strapped to her back. With a pull on the throttle, the Harley roared to life, and we took off into the dying light.
Ten minutes later, we arrived at the Black Cherry Inn, a little motel just outside of town. Cassidy slid off the back and looked across the parking lot at the small motel with the bright neon cherry flashing on the roof.
“I can’t afford this,” she said, alarmed.
“Again, good. Because you’re not paying.”
“You’re paying for me to sleep here tonight?” Her surprise turned to suspicion. “Just because I kissed you the other night doesn’t mean I want to sleep with you.”
I raised an eyebrow at the suggestion.
“Do you always make it this hard for people to help you?”
“Only when they want me to fuck them in return for their help.”
I climbed off the bike and walked over to her. Leaning in close, I whispered, “I don’t want you to fuck me.”
I walked off and made my way across the gravel parking lot toward the manager’s office while she stayed put, watching me, probably weighing her options and whether or not she could trust me. Finally, she sighed, and I heard the sound of her boots on the gravel as she chased after me. Before I got to the door she grabbed my arm.
“You really don’t expect anything in return?”
Jesus, what was this chick’s deal?
“Not a damn thing.” I turned away and opened the glass door leading into the office.
I paid with cash and put the room under my name. Cassidy said nothing, but I could feel her eyes on me as she watched me sign for the key. I couldn’t figure her out. One minute she was trying to kiss me and the next she was acting as if I was some kind of skeeze. Talk about mixed messages. All I wanted was to do the right fucking thing here, and that was making sure she wasn’t left to sleep on the goddamn street.
When we stepped outside, she looked at me suspiciously.
“If you don’t expect me to sleep with you, then what do you want?” she asked, when I handed her the key.
Jesus Christ … this again.
I lit a cigarette and let it hang off my lip.
“That’s the thing, sweetheart. I don’t want anything.” I shoved my wallet into my pocket and walked back to my bike, climbing on. “Room’s paid up ’til eleven. See you around, California.”
I was walking away. I didn’t need this shit.
If she didn’t want my help, I wasn’t going to fucking force it on her.
I’d done what I’d set out to do. She had a roof over her head for the night. What she did after that was up to her.
I got as far as putting on my helmet when she called out to me.
“At least let me buy you breakfast in the morning. You know, to say thank you.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “You can’t afford to buy me breakfast.”
She smiled. And fuck me if I didn’t feel that smile right along the length of my cock.
“Three hundred dollars says I can.” She smiled and held up her cash.
I scowled at her. Telling the whole world you had cash was a good invitation for getting mugged. Sometimes I wondered how this angel survived traveling across the country without getting rolled.
“I’ll pick you up at 10:45.” I flicked my wrist and my Harley roared to life. “And, California—”
She looked up from putting the key in the door. “Yeah?”
“Lock the fucking door behind you.”
And with that, I rode off into the late afternoon.
CASSIDY
The door clicked and my eyes flicked open. At this hour, I knew that sound meant trouble. The house was still and quiet, but my heartbeat roared in my ears. He was coming for me.
He said nothing when he reached me. Even when I began to struggle against him, he said nothing.
I shook my head from side to side, but he clamped his hand down over my mouth. Experience told me to lie still. Because he got off on the struggle. But it was my instinct to fight—and fight him I did, even when he overpowered me, even when he ripped my panties and took me, I continued to struggle.