High-Sided: An Armed & Dangerous Novel Read online

  Visions of Kassie floated through my mind. “Me too.”

  We stared at each other for a few seconds, before he tapped his fingers to my helmet. “All right, enough talk. Get your ass out there and ride. We have four more days before we leave for Virginia. I have to make sure you’re ready.”

  I strapped on my helmet and smiled. “I’m more than ready.”

  Kassidy

  The week had flown by so fast, and now it was time for the race. Logan glanced back at me from atop his motorcycle, his tinted visor shielding his eyes. I waved at him and tried to smile, failing miserably. I didn’t realize how scared I was to watch him race. Levi wasn’t there to tell me everything would be all right.

  My father strolled over, lifting his sunglasses. “You okay, peanut?”

  I swallowed hard. “Just a little nervous.”

  He winked. “Everything’ll be okay. Logan’s got this.”

  Yes, he did. But it was still scary, considering the last time he raced and all.

  My phone rang and I quickly reached into my pocket to see who it was. I’d barely talked to my sister all week, since she’d been back at work. “So now you decide to call me back?” I answered, turning away from my dad for some privacy.

  She sighed. “Sorry, Kass. I’ve been so busy this week.”

  “What are you doing now?”

  “I’m at the airport getting ready to hitch a flight to New York. Got a baseball game I have to cover.”

  I wasn’t familiar with that many baseball players, but there were two I always envied her for getting to meet. “Please tell me you’re not interviewing Colin Ward or Bradley Thompson.” They were two of the best players in the major leagues.

  She laughed. “Sorry, sis. But hey, since your birthday’s coming up, I’ll have them say it to you on air. How does that sound?”

  “You’re the best,” I gushed. “I’d love that.”

  “Then consider it done.”

  The line grew quiet and my smile faded. “You doin’ okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I hate that men think they can take advantage of me.” Most guys only saw a blonde bombshell from TV. None of them knew how fierce she actually was underneath her perfect body.

  “Unfortunately, Maddie, there are a ton of them like that.”

  “Logan’s not,” she countered. “Why can’t I find a guy like him?”

  “You will, I promise. I’ll help you.”

  She burst out laughing. “You do that. I’ll be waiting patiently.” The racers revved their engines. “Uh-oh, sounds like you gotta go. Make sure you watch me tomorrow night.”

  “Will do. Love ya!”

  “Love you too.” We hung up and I got to my feet, my heart racing out of control.

  Janie rushed over to me, her smile as wide as could be. “It’s time,” she squealed. The countdown began and the flags dropped, signaling the start of the race. The bikes were so loud, I had to cover my ears as they took off. My nerves balled up in my stomach, and I felt like I was going to throw up. “I guess you and Sean made it here all right?”

  Her cheeks blushed red. “We got in kind of late last night and crashed.”

  “I bet.” I snickered. “What does your brother and his friends say about you dating him?”

  She shrugged. “My brother’s fine with it, but Mark’s pissed. I guess he sees it as Sean stealing me away from him.”

  “Of course, he’d see it like that. He’s a jackass.”

  “That he is.” She bounced in place and crossed her legs. “Think I’ll miss anything if I go to the bathroom?”

  “No, go. They still have plenty of more laps to go.”

  She took off out of the tent. “I’ll be right back.”

  The riders raced by and I sucked in a breath as the wind whipped past. The track was huge, so I had to watch Logan on the monitors when he wasn’t riding directly by the tent. With each lap, he gained more momentum, inching his way to the front. Jacob and Mark were ahead of him, and so was Miller. With Logan being new to riding again, he had to start off in the back of the line. I knew he could make it to the top.

  Sean walked over and smiled. “You look green,” he joked.

  I rolled my eyes. “Thanks.”

  He draped his arm over my shoulders and squeezed.

  I slid away from him and realized what I did. Logan’s theories ran through my mind and I swallowed down the bile.

  “You okay?”

  I cleared my throat. “Trying to be. I have a lot on my mind.”

  I didn’t want to imagine Sean having anything to do with what happened to Logan. Sean might have had feelings for me back then, but he didn’t seem like the type to deliberately sabotage Logan. He could’ve easily been killed. That wasn’t something Sean would have any part in . . . or would he? Eyes burning with unshed tears, I peeked over at him.

  His focus was on the race, but then he turned to me, furrowing his brows. “I’m starting to think I might have something to do with what’s on your mind. It doesn’t look good.”

  “Do you hate Logan?” I blurted out. I had to know.

  Jaw clenched, he averted his gaze. “I’m not gonna lie, I was upset when he came back. Now that I know the truth, it’s not as bad. You still love him, and I get that. But if he hurts you again, I will kick him off our team and make sure he doesn’t race ever again.”

  “What do you mean by making sure he doesn’t race again? Like physically unable?”

  He crossed his arms over his chest, his expression serious. “What are you getting at, Kass?”

  I stared at him and couldn’t even get the words out of my mouth. “I don’t know,” I sighed.

  “Yeah, you do, you’re just not saying it. Does he think I had something to do with his accident?”

  I couldn’t think of what to say, so I stood there, expression frozen on my face.

  Running a hand angrily through his hair, he glared at me. “I can’t believe you’d even begin to think I’d do something like that. Hurting him means hurting you. You’re the last person I’d want to hurt.” Turning on his heel, he stormed off.

  I tried to grab his arm, but he pulled out of my grasp. “Sean, wait!”

  For the rest of the race, he kept his distance. Luckily, Janie didn’t pick up on the tension when she came back. There was one lap to go and Logan was in second place, with Mark in first and Miller in third. He went from the back of the line to the front. It was hard for riders to do that.

  “He’s almost there,” Janie exclaimed happily.

  There were two sharp corners left, and it was the only place Logan could get ahead. Mark tried to block his path and succeeded on the first corner, but when the second came, Logan psyched him out and cut around him.

  Gasping, I jumped up and down. “Come on, Logan!”

  He swerved past Mark and hunkered down on the straightaway. The second he crossed the finish line, everyone went crazy. Janie grabbed my arms and we screamed, while our crew members banded together and hugged, their smiles brighter than I’d ever seen them. Miller pulled into the pit, and everyone congratulated him on his third place win.

  My father held up his hands, quieting everyone. “I have to say, today has been an amazing victory. For all your hard work, we’ll have a celebration dinner at my house on Monday.”

  “Does that mean we get the day off?” Ethan asked jokingly.

  Slapping Miller on the back, my father grinned. “You’re damn right it does. You all deserve it.” The team whistled and clapped their hands in approval. I was ready for a day off too.

  Janie ran off to join Sean, while I waited for Logan. Cameras flashed all around him as he came to a stop in front of them. A young male reporter interviewed him and all I could do was sit back and smile. He clearly had missed this part of his life. Yeah, he was happy about being in the FBI, but this was a passion as well.

  Once the reporter was done, Logan rode over to me and grabbed me around the waist. I squealed and held onto him. “What are you doing? W
e’re probably on camera right now.”

  He kissed me hard. “Who cares? Let the world see. I feel so damn good right now.”

  I kissed him again. “Then I suggest we celebrate.”

  “What time do you want to head back tomorrow?” Logan asked.

  I finished applying my lipstick and stared at his reflection in the mirror, not being able to contain my smile. If I had my way, we’d be staying in the hotel room, making love all night. With him winning the race, it was good for him to make an appearance. Donnie wanted to buy us a round of drinks at the bar, and we couldn’t say no.

  “Mid-morning?” I replied. “That way, we get home at a decent time. Maybe we can hit some hiking trails on the way.”

  He winked. “Sounds good.”

  It was about a seven-hour drive back home, but mostly everyone decided to stay the night at the hotel. My father, however, had left, as he wanted to get back to Angela, who’d been stuck at home, recovering from a nasty flu.

  Logan sauntered up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, his hungered gaze focused on mine as he stared at me in the mirror. “You look sexy as hell in that dress.” He kissed my neck and bit my bare shoulder. My whole body tightened.

  “Then why don’t we stay in here?” I pouted. I didn’t want to see Sean after what happened earlier.

  Sliding his fingers up my dress, he fondled my clit. “We won’t be down there long. Believe me, I don’t want to waste any time.”

  I bit my lip. “No, you don’t. I have a victory surprise for you.” Grabbing his hand, I guided his fingers inside me, keeping my gaze on his.

  He groaned and closed his eyes. “You’re so fucking wet. Why did you have to do this to me now?”

  “Because I want you to know what’s waiting for you.”

  Opening his eyes, he slowly slid his fingers out and brought them to his mouth, moaning low as he sucked them off. “Let’s get this over with.”

  The hotel bar was slammed when we walked off the elevator. Donnie was there, dressed in a suit, sitting with Janie and Sean, while the rest of the room was filled with fans and riders from the other teams.

  Janie stood and waved me over. She and Sean were both dressed for a night out on the town. Her in a tight, red dress and him in a collared shirt and dress pants. Logan walked straight over, while I was the hesitant one. Sean stared at me, and there was no smile on his face. Logan would no doubt feel the tension between us.

  “Hey, girl,” Janie called out.

  “Hey,” I said, giving her a hug.

  Donnie held out his arms and I hugged him as he kissed my forehead. He smelled like cologne and peppermint from the mints he always carried around. “Lookin’ beautiful, peanut. I hear your dad went back home.”

  Sighing, I sat down beside Logan. “Yeah, he wanted to get back for Angela. But I guess she’s feeling better.”

  “That’s good to hear,” he said, then turned to Logan. “How about I get us that round of drinks? It’s celebration time.” He flagged down a waiter and we ordered our drinks. When it was time for Sean to order, he shook his head and the waiter waltzed off.

  “You too good for us?” Donnie teased.

  Sean tapped on his watch. “Actually, Janie and I need to get going. We have reservations at eight.” He stood abruptly, and held out his hand for Janie.

  She grabbed his hand. “I guess we’ll see you at the party on Monday?” She looked to me and shrugged. “We can make it a pre-birthday celebration as well.”

  I nodded. “I’ll be there.”

  “That’s right, your birthday is next week, isn’t it?” Logan chimed in with a sly smile on his face. In another few days, I was going to be twenty-seven.

  I winked and grinned at Janie. “You guys be careful going home.”

  Sean said goodbye to Donnie and gave an obligatory nod to me and Logan. He was hurt and angry; I didn’t blame him. Once they were gone, I could see that Logan knew something was going on. I would have some explaining to do once we were alone.

  “How does it feel to win again?” Donnie asked Logan.

  Logan placed his hand on my thigh. “Pretty damn good. I look forward to more of it.” The waiter brought our drinks and I gulped down a good portion of my wine. I needed it after the day I’d had.

  Donnie held his bourbon in the air. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty more where that came from.” Logan held up his gin and tonic and they tapped glasses. If he solved the case soon, he wouldn’t be in anymore races. The FBI was sure to need him back.

  Donnie and Logan talked for a few more minutes, while I finished up my wine. I couldn’t wait to get back up to our room. Thankfully, Logan was as impatient as I was. He held out his hand to Donnie. “Mr. Baker, if you don’t mind, I think Kassie and I are gonna head back up to our room. I’m a little exhausted.”

  Donnie shook his hand and laughed. “I bet. You raced hard out there.”

  “Are you coming to the celebration party on Monday?” I asked.

  He snorted. “You’re damn right, I am. I’m not gonna let your father have all the fun without me.” We hugged goodbye, then he joined his riders on the other end of the bar, who sat talking to Miller, Trey, and Daniel.

  I waved at them before disappearing to the elevators.

  Once the doors shut us in, Logan pulled me in close. “What do you want for your birthday?”

  I shook my head. “I have everything I want. But I wouldn’t mind spending it with you.”

  His lips brushed against mine. “That can be arranged.” He kissed me again, but the elevator doors opened. I was way past ready to get to the room. When we got to the door, he stopped me from opening it. “Something was bothering you tonight. I could tell it had to do with Sean. What did he do?”

  I held my breath and stared at him, completely at a loss for words. “He didn’t do anything,” I whispered.

  His gaze narrowed. “If he didn’t, then who did?” I fumbled with the room key and looked down at it. Logan lifted my chin with his fingers. “Tell me, Kassie.”

  Sighing, I met his stare. “When I asked him how he felt about you, Sean said if you hurt me again, he would kick you off the team and make sure you never rode ever again. It got me thinking about what you said. So I asked him if he meant physically hurting you, and he got upset. I could see it in his eyes.”

  He groaned. “Kassie . . .”

  “Wait, here me out,” I blurted, placing a finger to his lips. “You don’t know him like I do. He would never hurt you, because he knows it’d hurt me. I trust him, Logan. I wouldn’t have agreed to let him be my partner if I didn’t.”

  “So what are you asking me?”

  “I want you to back off Sean, and put your focus somewhere else. Whoever you’re looking for is not him. Trust me, please. I doubt he’ll even speak to me now.”

  He snorted. “We both know he’s not going to stay mad at you forever.” Taking my hands, he gently rubbed his thumbs across my skin. “As much as I want to believe he’s innocent, I still have a job to do. It’s nothing personal, Kassie. Please tell me you understand.”

  As much as I wanted to fight him on it, I couldn’t. Sean was innocent and I would have to wait for him to see it. I squeezed his hands. “I understand,” I assured him.

  A small smile spread across his lips. “Good. Now what’s my surprise?” he murmured heatedly.

  I licked my lips. “You’re about to find out.”

  When we got to the room, he opened the door and pulled me in, capturing my face in his hands. He wasn’t smiling, or goofing around like his usual playful self. He was nothing but serious as he looked at me, the intensity taking my breath away.

  Brushing his fingers over my cheek, he let them slide down my skin, until they stopped over my heart. It beat harder and he smiled because he could feel it. That was when he took my hand and placed it over his heart. The second I touched him, I could feel his pulse thumping away.

  “This is what you do to me, Kassie. Every time I see you, every t
ime you touch me, I feel like I’m going to go insane. I can never get enough of you. Even last night, after you fell asleep, I wanted to wake you up and make love to you again. You’re constantly on my mind, and when you’re not around, I fear something’s going to happen, or that over time, you’ll get tired of my lifestyle. You don’t know the kind of darkness I have to deal with or the kind of things I see. It changes people.”

  With my heart beating out of control, I licked my dry lips. “It doesn’t matter,” I whispered the words. “I know you’ve killed people and seen terrible things, but I’m not going to let it scare me. I love you, Logan. Nothing is going to change that.”

  Sighing, he leaned over to kiss my lips softly. There was nothing soft about the man before me, but deep down, he had the biggest heart of anyone I knew. “I am so fucking in love with you,” he murmured against my lips.

  I slid my hands up his chest to hold his face. He was my first love, and I wanted him to be my last. Smiling, I bit my lip and let my hands trail to the top of his pants, where I slipped my hand inside and gently grabbed his growing cock. It didn’t take him long to get rock hard once I started massaging him, leaving me barely any room to move my hand.

  “Are you ready for your surprise?” I asked.

  He groaned. “You have no idea.”

  Sliding my hand out of his pants, I grasped the hem of his shirt and lifted it over his head, letting it fall to the floor. Next, I unbuttoned his pants and with a light push, they fell down his legs. He kicked them to the side, along with his shoes.

  “On the couch,” I commanded.

  Doing as I said, he situated himself on the brown leather couch, while I got down on my knees and rubbed his thighs. He kept his gaze on me, but when I spread his legs so I could move my body between his, his eyes got darker . . . almost possessive. I loved seeing that look in his eyes, like I was his and no one else’s. It was the way I felt about him.

  Gripping the top of his boxers, I slowly lowered them down, but Logan had to lift his butt so I could slide them down his legs. His cock laid thick and heavy on his stomach, making my insides ache.