RIDE ME WILD: The biker's obsession

Do I really have to delete this?

TESSA

As I stood before him, he leaned his head slightly, his dark hair catching the neon lights. His blue eyes scanned me, lingering on the white dress that clung to my skin, before meeting mine with a flicker of pure amusement.

The silence between us was like a blue flame, hot and growing big with each second.

Then, he finally doused the flame.

"Do you trust me with your life, Tessa Vance?" He asked, his voice low and deep. To everyone, it might've sounded like a normal question. To me, I heard a challenge.

I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I was shaking inside. The bike race was no joke. One wrong direction, and someone would crash you to the ground. Accidents, blood, and broken bones, all flashed in my head together.

But I knew navigation.

Before going to prison, I was a programmer. I had developed games that required navigation. Sometimes, I tested them on real fields.

So… I didn't back down. I slowly closed the final inch of distance between us.

I looked straight into those piercing, dangerous eyes. "Kyle Maxwell," I whispered.

"Did you delete the picture?"

His expression went unreadable for a heartbeat, a stillness falling over his sharp features. Then, he leaned in, his lips hovering mere millimeters from my ear. The warmth of him sent a shiver racing down my spine. "Are you here because of that? I was actually planning on framing it."

My eyes widened.

“Wouldn't it look good on my wall?”

A flush of heat hit my face.

My fingers acted on their own, reaching up to grab the lapels of his black leather jacket. I pulled him down until we were locked in a proximity so tight it felt like a confrontation.

"Don't play games. You need me right now.”

My gaze flickered to his lips before darting back to his eyes. "I’ll navigate this race for you. But you delete that picture, and we never, ever talk about it again. Deal?"

A soft chuckle escaped his throat, a sound that felt like a secret promise. He didn't pull away; he just nodded, his gaze dropping to my mouth for a second before he pulled back. "Deal."

I had known Kyle since school.

The moment I sent my lingerie picture to his phone. I knew it wouldn't be easy to make him delete it.

We were rivals. We loved keeping each other secrets… Until we exposed them.

The host cleared his throat, his eyes wide as he gestured toward us. "Who is she?"

Whispers rippled through the crowd like a wave. "Wait, isn't that the same girl? The one from the last race?"

“Yes. Kyle kissed her in the last race.”

“Wait… Are they a thing?”

“I thought it was just a kiss. But it seems they're dating. Did Kyle dump Lily for her?”

Kyle didn't care about the gossip. He reached out, his gloved hand closing firmly over mine, and raised our joined hands in the air. "This is Tessa. She’s my navigator."

The crowd erupted into a mix of jeers and cheers, but I didn't hear them. I only felt the electric current of his skin against mine. Something strange was tingling my skin. Perhaps I was nervous.

"Get on," he commanded, a tight smirk stretching on his charming lips.

I moved to sit behind him, but he interrupted, grabbing my wrist. "In front. Face me."

My breath hitched. "What?"

"You heard me. Sit on the tank. If you’re going to navigate, you’re going to do it looking at me."

My gaze shifted to the other riders. The girls were seated behind them.

“Kyle Maxwell…” I met his eyes.

“You'll fall, glasses. They're experienced. You won't be able to keep balance.”

He wasn't wrong.

Inhaling a deep breath, I climbed onto the frame, straddling the bike.

Suddenly, he placed his hands lightly on my legs, sending a shiver down my spine, and gently adjusted them around his waist so I could stay balanced.

We were so close that it almost felt illegal.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

The roar of engines, the cheers from the crowd, the host shouting through the speakers, all of it seemed to blur into the background.

Kyle reached behind me and grabbed a spare helmet from the bike. Leaning forward, he lowered it carefully onto my head before fastening the strap beneath my chin.

His gloved fingers softly brushed along my jaw.

When I looked up, I found his blue eyes already on mine. The lights reflected in his gaze as he checked the helmet one last time, making sure it was secure.

“You good?” He asked quietly.

I nodded.

A faint smile touched the corner of his mouth before he finally pulled back, resting his hands on the handlebars.

And somehow, the few inches of distance felt far greater than they should have. His intoxicating scent was all over me.

"Hold on tight," he whispered against my skin.

Then, the gun went off.

The bike roared, a beast waking up beneath us. We surged forward, the wind hitting my face with the force of a wall.

The tires were screeching, pinching my ears.

"Left! Hard left at the curve!" I said, my arms locked around his neck.

Neither he nor I cared about intimacy.

He leaned into the turn, his body taking the brunt of the G-force while he kept me secure against him. My chest was pressed against his, and his thighs locked between mine.

Every time we took a turn, our bodies collided, a friction that felt more like a caress than a race. He caught my eyes for a split second amidst the chaos, a smirk still playing on his lips. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying the hell out of me being this close.

Why would he be enjoying this?

Maybe he wanted to see me awkward.

He twisted the throttle, and we shot ahead, weaving through the other bikes like a phantom. The adrenaline, the danger, and the way his one hand stayed wrapped to my waist, grounding me, made me feel invincible.

I wasn't scared anymore.

I felt safe with him.

Even when a few bikes tried to corner us, he sliced through them like a blade. He followed my instructions, trusted me completely, and we crossed the finish line.

The Reapers erupted, swarming the bike as we skidded to a halt. They were chanting his name, patting his shoulders, but he ignored them all. He climbed off, his eyes never leaving me as I stumbled off the bike, my legs slightly shaky from the ride.

We won the race.

He collected the prize money but he tossed it toward Raven without looking.

Suddenly, Kyle closed the distance between us. Before I could react, my back met the side of his bike, trapping me between cold metal and the heat of his presence.

The neon lights overhead glowed across his features, casting shifting shadows along the sharp line of his jaw and the intense blue of his eyes. For a second, he looked unreal, like a scene pulled straight from a dream I should have known better than to have.

My heart started pounding faster.

Kyle planted one hand on the bike beside me and tilted his head slightly, his gaze holding mine with quiet confidence.

A slow smile touched the corner of his mouth as he watched my reaction. And somehow, that smile was far more dangerous than the distance he had stolen.

“What's wrong, glasses?” He asked softly.

I tilted my chin up, clutching the front of his jacket. "Now, be a man of your word. Delete the picture, Kyle."

He slowly leaned in, pulling out his phone from his back pocket. He held it up, his thumb hovering over the screen. Then he brought the device into my line of sight. There it was. My face, my hair, my cleavage, and the lace bra.

"Do I really have to delete this?" He whispered, moving his lips closer to my ear.