Page 26 of Idaho

"Because I'm fucking attracted to you!" he snapped. "Is that what you want to hear? Do I need to spell it out to you? I can't explain it, but I want to make sure you're safe. I need to make sure you're safe."

I sucked in a breath when he reached out and grabbed me. Before I could respond to either his words or the movement, he yanked me against his body and lowered his head. His lips were softer than I thought they'd be. He was gentle despite the anger pouring off of him. My heart raced as he kissed me and my hands curled into the front of his vest, holding on tight so he wouldn't let go.

Our mouths moved together, and when his tongue brushed my lips, I opened for him as though it was the most natural thing in the world. My body reacted to every stroke, my nipples hardening into little peaks, my pussy throbbing in time with my head. With one kiss he had broken through all the defenses I'd built up over the years.

When we broke apart, I was panting and my head was spinning. Thomas had been right. Idaho wasn't a man to be trusted. Not because he was dangerous or a criminal—though I suspected he might be—but because he made me forget everything else around me when he touched me.

I stepped back, putting some distance between us as I tried to catch my breath. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"Don't be," he said, voice low and husky. "Look, I don't have a concrete answer for you," he admitted. "I just know that I need to keep you safe."

It was everything I'd dreamed about as a kid. A handsome man who would be my lover and protector. But it wasn't real life. Those were a child's fantasies. In real life men didn't fall in love at first sight. They didn't go out of their way to help you unless they knew you. "We know nothing about each other, Idaho."

"I know enough."

My laugh was incredulous. "It doesn't make any sense." I shook my head. "But it doesn't matter. Once my father hears about this, I'll be on his private jet back to Luxembourg."

"Is that what you want?"

"God, no! I want to be here. I want to finish my PhD. I..." Shaking my head, I broke off because I almost told him I wanted to escape my family name and obligations.

"Then stay here. With me. I'll look into what happened and see if it was a random encounter, or something more."

I lifted my hands to my temples, pressing to try to ease the pounding. "You'd do that?" I finally asked.

"Sure. Why not?"

There were so many reasons as to why not. But the most important thing was if he was going to be investigating this, he would need to know the truth. "Why do I feel like I can trust you?" I asked, meeting his eyes again.

"Because you can."

"I don't know you," I whispered.

"Stay here and get to know me."

"Where is here?" I asked, looking around. "What is this place?"

"It's my motorcycle club. I'll explain more about that later. First, tell me whatever it is you're hiding from me." He closed the distance I'd created and with his big hand, cupped my cheek. "Let me help you."

It was stupid to trust him just because I was attracted to him. But there was a part of me that had, from the moment he'd told me he was a friend after ripping me away from that man on the street. From that point on every action he'd taken had been to keep me safe. I wanted to stay here. Badly enough that I was willing to put my life in the hands of a total stranger. It was insanity, but my heart kept urging me to trust him. I was probably going to regret this decision, but I'd made up my mind. Closing my eyes, I leaned into his caress, needing the comfort he was offering. How was a girl supposed to resist him?

CHAPTER 11

Idaho

Iknew the minute she gave in. It was hard not to feel victorious. I shouldn't be looking at this as a battle that was won, but of course I was. I always looked at everything as a competition and winning was everything. Stepping forward, I tugged her into my arms. She looked like she needed a damn hug, so I gave it to her. She rested her cheek against my shoulder and sighed.

"This is stupid."

"What is, Duchess?"

"Trusting you."

I grunted and squeezed her tighter. "I'll prove to you it isn't." Having her body melding against mine felt damn good. It was hard not to get lost in the sensation of holding her close. She was tall for a woman, but still shorter than me by a few inches. Her hair smelled like flowers and sunshine, and I couldn't help but bury my nose in it. This was supposed to be comforting to her, but it was doing something else to me. My dick was getting hard, and I knew she could feel it pressing against her.

She pulled back and stared up at me with wide eyes. "You're serious about this?"

"My name is Levi Sharpe. I'm a businessman and a biker," I told her with a grin. "You can find out a lot about me just from searching on the internet, but I'm willing to share as much as I need to in order to make you trust me."