Chapter 13 Games
SHELBY'S POV
My hand was wrapped tight around Niko's waist as he drove us toward my apartment building. I had only been on this death trap for maybe five minutes, but it felt like fifty. Every second my body was pressed to his felt dangerous, because my nipples were embarrassingly hard against his bare, muscular back, and that alone was making me dizzy.
He was shirtless. Tattooed. Ridiculously ripped. And I hated that I found every inch of him irresistible.
I had never been the kind of girl who liked tattoos. I usually thought they looked vulgar, especially the huge ones. But his... God. His were art. One of them showed a man morphing into a beast, chains coiled around its limbs, music symbols twining through the design. Above it was a moon tinted red like a bloody eclipse. The whole thing was unfairly gorgeous.
The bike rolled to a stop in front of my building, and I practically launched myself off it. My legs were shaky, my groin throbbing from being stretched wider than it had ever been stretched in my entire life. I had never even ridden a bicycle, much less... whatever this demonic machine was.
Niko watched me wince. His lips curved.
"Are you hurt there, Wildfire? Is my bike too big for you?"
Heat erupted up my neck. "No, it's not too big. It's just... my first time riding one."
"So I am your first?" he asked, voice dipping low.
"Yes."
He liked that. I could see it in the slow, sinful way his eyes dragged over me.
I cleared my throat desperately. "Well, thank you for the shirt and the... rescue." I started tugging at the hem of his shirt to give it back.
He shot forward immediately. "No. Don't take that off here." His gaze flashed down my body, dark and commanding. "Go upstairs, change, and bring me my shirt and jacket back."
Right. "You gave me your jacket too."
He was standing there shirtless, with nice jewelry and a watch that probably cost more than the entire building. My neighborhood wasn't exactly known for safety, and even though he was built like he could eat criminals for breakfast, I didn't want to risk it.
"Niko... do you want to come inside?"
His eyes widened just a fraction, surprised, amused, interested.
"Sure," he said, his voice dropping an octave.
I buzzed the apartment door, but there was no answer. I knew Alecia wasn't home, but I had thought Larna would be. I tried the code, and thankfully the door opened.
"The elevator is out," I warned him. "So we'll have to take the stairs."
He looked at me. Then at my trembling legs. Then at me again.
Before I could blink, he scooped me up into his arms in full bridal style.
"AHH!" I squealed, gripping his shoulders. "What are you doing?"
"Taking you to your apartment," he said simply. "What number?"
"You don't have to do that, just put me down!"
"No," he said, already climbing the stairs with insulting ease. "And the more you argue, the longer I'll hold you. What number, Wildfire?"
"F–Four-oh-one," I stammered.
He carried me straight up to my door like it was nothing. I felt weightless in his arms, and my stupid heart wouldn't stop pounding. All the groceries I had ordered were still piled outside the door. He set me down gently, and I fumbled through my bag for my keys.
"Here," he said, already reaching for the bags, "let me help you bring these inside."
"No! You don't have to," I protested automatically.
He gave me a look. "Are you going to argue with me about everything?"
I deflated. "You're right. Thank you. My roommate was supposed to handle this." I slipped inside quickly. "Give me one minute."
I went straight to Larna's room and knocked. No answer. I opened the door and saw that the bed was empty. Then I saw a note taped to the counter.
To Ally and Shel,
Peter stopped by and asked me out for lunch, so I'll be back by five.
—L
Great. Which meant I was here alone with a half-naked man who made my knees wobble just by breathing.
Perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
"That's the last of it," Niko said as he slid another bag of groceries across my counter. "You and your roommates sure do eat a lot."
"Trust me, the three of us had been starving for weeks. This amount of food is nothing."
The second the words left my mouth, my soul tried to leap out of my body.
Great. Fantastic job, Shelby. Tell the half-naked Viking-looking hottie your financial trauma. Why not?
I tried to hurry and put a box of cereal away, tiptoeing to reach the top shelf. Before I could stretch any higher, I felt him behind me—close. Too close. His body heat hit me first, then his hand slid up past my arm as he reached for the cereal.
I spun around and nearly slammed into him.
My nose brushed his chest.
His naked, tattooed, rock-hard chest.
I tilted my head up slowly, reluctantly because part of me knew looking directly into the eyes of a man like him would ruin me.
His icy blue eyes stared straight into mine.
"What did you mean by starving, Wildfire?"
He didn't sound pitying. He wasn't trying to be gentle. He was simply curious. Weirdly, that made me exhale in relief.
"My roommates and I fell on some hard times," I said softly. "But we're okay now."
He stepped back, giving me space, though my lungs still felt tight from the proximity.
"So," he said, scanning the apartment with a slow, unimpressed look, "where do you work?"
"At Crusty's Diner," I answered. "Well... worked. I quit today."
"That is for the best. I could smell the germs when I passed by earlier."
My eyes widened. "Smell the germs?"
"Not literally," he said quickly, rolling his eyes. "You know what I mean."
I nodded, even though I absolutely did not know what he meant.
"So you just quit," he continued. His eyes dropped to my body in a way that made everything inside me clench. "Is that why you were walking down the street in only your bra and panties?"
My face burned. "Yes. I guess I was a bit dramatic."
He chuckled. Then he turned fully toward me, leaning his hip against the counter. His eyes locked onto mine again.
"So tell me, Wildfire..." His voice dipped, slow and seductive and sharp around the edges. "Why were you at the Fang Bang Club last night?"
My heart did a stupid flip.
What games is he trying to play?