Riding Danger (BBW Biker Romance) (12 page)

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ew York Times & USA Today Bestselling author Adriana Hunter writes contemporary and paranormal romance stories that feature irresistibly powerful alpha heroes and beautifully curvy heroines.

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R
OMANCE NOVELS

Sweet Surrender

Rock Hard

Fight For You (New Adult Romance)

All American Wolf (Paranormal Romance)

ROMANCE NOVELLAS

Truth Or Dare

Something Borrowed

For Keeps

Made For The Billionaire

Full Throttle (Biker Romance)

Riding Danger (BBW Biker Romance)

Learning Curve

Captive Heart

PARANORMAL ROMANCE STORIES

All American Wolf

Taming The Alpha & Claiming The Alpha

Better Mate Than Never (Shifter Romance)

Shifting Hearts (Werewolf Romance)

ANTHOLOGIES

Curve Crazy (BBW Romance Collection)

To Love An Alpha (Shifter Romance Collection)

Dangerous Desires (Bad Boys & Billionaires)

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ow available on Amazon: 
http://j.mp/1nME5qP

Lainey rolled over again, facing the wall, wishing for sleep to come back. But then she was aware of movement behind her, the subtle swish of the curtain moving, a sliver of yellow light hitting the wall in front of her.

A footstep, then two, and she froze. Someone was in the room with her and she was naked and alone. Should she scream? Yell for Gideon? Her heart beat loudly against her chest, her breathing fast.

“If you’re not going to use that blanket, can I have it?”

At the sound of Gideon’s voice, Lainey sat up, wide-eyed. Gideon was backlit, standing in the doorway.

“Turn around! And close the curtain. And no, you can’t have the blanket.” Lainey groped over the edge of the low cot, feeling on the floor for the blanket. She snatched it up, struggling to cover herself.

“I closed my eyes. Does that count?” The smile in his voice was unmistakable, and it irritated her.

“Not funny. You shouldn’t sneak up on people when they’re sleeping.” She sat up on the cot, pulling her legs beneath the blanket.

“Sorry about that. But I wasn’t expecting to find a naked woman lying on my cot.”

“I’m not naked... And I didn’t know it was your cot.”

Gideon moved further into the room and the curtain fell behind him, cutting off the light, throwing the room into darkness again.

“Wait. Are you sleeping here? With me?” Lainey hugged her knees to her chest, the blanket wrapped tightly around her body. Sweat was already trickling down her sides and the back of her knees.

“There aren’t too many choices here. And as appealing as it sounds, I’m not sleeping with you. I’m sleeping on the floor.”

His words – the slight slurring of those words – took her off guard. Her heart rate had slowed, but now, with the thought of Gideon in the same room, it skittered along in a totally different way, an unexpected shiver running down her spine.

“Are you drunk?”

“I’ve had some wine, yes. But not too much. Part of Francesca’s fee involves alcohol. And she insists we share.” He began moving around the small room. There was the scrape of a chair on wood followed by the thud of Gideon’s boots hitting the floor.

“Don’t worry though. I only do one thing at a time, and right now, you hired me to find your brother. Besides, you’re off the market, even if I was off the job and we were in slightly better accommodations.”

Lainey’s mind was racing, none of Gideon’s words making sense to her. He despised her, or at the very least, tolerated her. He’d been trying to get rid of her every step of the way. And now this revelation, that the only reason he wasn’t making a move was because he thought she was in a relationship.

“Wait, what? What do you mean, I’m off the market?”

The sound of a zipper seemed overly loud in the heavy dark. Lainey closed her eyes even though she couldn’t see anything. The thought of Gideon taking off his clothes was suddenly too much. Then there was the sound of fabric rustling and something soft hitting the floor.

“You have a boyfriend.” His voice was muffled.

“I do not have a boyfriend. Who told you that I did?”

“Scott Navarro.” Gideon’s words came to her from somewhere near the floor, and she assumed he was lying down on the rough wood. A momentary pang of guilt shot through her, but not enough to give up her blanket for him.

“Scott told you I had a boyfriend?”

“No, Scott told me
he
was your boyfriend.”

Lainey sat up in stunned silence. The blanket slipped off her shoulder and pooled in her lap. She stared in the dark at the spot on the floor where she thought Gideon lay.
Why would Scott say that?

“I take it by your silence that’s the truth.” Gideon’s comment was more statement than question.

Lainey finally found her voice. “No, it’s not. He’s not, I mean, not anymore. He used to be a long time ago. But we broke up. It’s been a long, long time.”

Now Gideon was silent. Lainey lay back, tugging the blanket over her shoulder, finally deciding he’d fallen asleep, either because he was drunk or he’d lost interest in the topic. How could he do that? He’d basically admitted he wanted to sleep with her, something so unexpected she had no way to even think about it. And then he’d fallen asleep.

After a long time, there was a grunt from the floor, the sound of Gideon turning over.

“I guess I’m working with the wrong intel then. It’s rare that I do that. I must be slipping.” Gideon paused. “Even more odd that Scott would lie. Makes me wonder what else he’s lied about.” Gideon shifted again. “Apparently he’s still carrying a torch for you, Lainey. A pretty hefty torch.”

‘What’s awkward for you is painful for me.’
Scott’s words echoed in her head. Was that why he offered to help with the money for Gideon? Did he want to try to get back into some kind of relationship with her, even if it meant her being in his debt?

“He told you that when he delivered the money, right? That we were together?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Why did you ask to meet with him? Didn’t you trust me?”

“I didn’t ask to meet him. He asked to meet with me.”

Why the hell would Scott set it all up this way? Did Gideon typically hit on his clients or was Scott hedging his bets?

Lainey shifted restlessly on the narrow cot. “None of this matters anyway.  I’m only concerned with bringing my brother home. Nothing else.” She fought to steady the quiver in her voice.

“Good. That’s all that should matter.” His voice was gruff, his tone serious.

There was movement on the floor and when he spoke, Gideon’s voice was very close, his breath against her ear.

“Listen, what I said, maybe I was out of line.” He drew a breath and then let out a deep sigh. “Maybe I had a little too much of Francesca’s wine. Maybe I’m getting too old for this. I don’t know.” He voice had a weary tone. Lainey held her breath.

In the dark the cot shook briefly, and then the warmth of Gideon’s hand slid down her arm, fingers brushing against her blanket-covered breast. Lainey jerked, goose bumps prickling her skin. But his hand moved lower, his fingers finding hers. He grabbed her hand and gave it a brief squeeze.

“I’m sorry.” He released her hand and settled back on the floor. “Now get some sleep.”

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Now available on Amazon:
http://j.mp/1nME5qP