Princess by Christina Skye Page A

off-road bike, edging every turn hell-for-leather, and loving every damn second.”
    Jess smiled slightly. “I certainly try.” But lately there hadn’t been many chances to ride. She had been too busy doubling and tripling her assignments in an effort to pay off her debts.
    Hawk rocked back in his chair. “I’ve got a Ducati SS1000 that’s as sweet as they come.”
    Jess let out a little breath as one of her biggest fantasies came roaring to life. “I’d love to take it through a few turns and then open it up on the straightaway.” She gave up trying to be casual. “OK, I admit it. Give me a Ducati and an open road. Life doesn’t get much better.”
    Hawk’s head tilted. “Who got you interested in motorcycles? Was it your father, brother?” His eyes narrowed. “Lover?”
    “None of the above. One summer in high school I worked in an auto shop, and the mechanic—”
    “Wait, let me get this straight. You worked in an auto-repair shop?”
    “Why not? It paid twice as much as the local fast-food joint. In the town where my sister and I were living, that was the full range of choices.” She toyed with a slice of lettuce. “The mechanic had to have cataract surgery, so he gave me a manual and told me to memorize it. The next day I was under the hood, helping him keep his wires and valves straight. I learned a lot about engines that summer.”
    And she had relished the freedom. Jess still remembered every detail of her first ride.
    Wind like a cool caress, the growl of a powerful motor, and the effortless sense of speed that spelled complete freedom.
    “What about your current job? People don’t like to be spied on, generally.”
    “No, they don’t.” Jess sat stiffly, holding her plate. “Sometimes they get nasty.”
    Hawk bent forward. “Nasty how?”
    Jess was surprised at how angry he looked. “One time they shredded my clothes.” She looked away, trying not to remember the sense of violation and helplessness. “Another time they went after my Jeep. They pulled some wires, slit the seats, cut the brake line.” Her car had never worked as well after that and Jess had hoped to trade up to a newer model, but she’d lost her savings overnight and then spent the next two years trying to dig her way out again.
    She was still trying. One more year would do it, as long as she watched every penny.
    “No brakes?” Scowling, Hawk sat forward. His eyes could have scored metal. “You could have been hurt, maybe killed.”
    “I always check my car after I turn in a report, Lieu—Hawk. Don’t worry, I caught the problem in time.”
    Jess realized she was leaning forward, their faces barely a foot apart. With the rain hammering on the window, the mood in the room had suddenly turned personal—and slightly intimate.
    She stood up tensely. “Look, storm or not, I need to get moving.”
    “It’s too late to go anywhere given these road conditions.” Hawk moved in front of her. “Izzy’s reserved the room next door for you.”
    Rain sluiced down the windows, blurring the darkness. All Jess’s tension returned. “I can’t stay. I need to get to Portland. I especially need to leave this hotel.”
    “Just keep your door locked if you’re worried.”
    Her eyes narrowed. “As I recall, a lock didn’t keep
you
out this morning.”
    “That was different.” Hawk stabbed a hand angrily through his hair. “Look, only a fool would leave in this weather. Somehow you don’t strike me as being a fool.”
    Jess looked out at the darkness. The wind moaned shrilly, whipping rain and twigs against the windows.
    Her common sense was fighting a hard battle with her anxiety.
    “You can trust me, Jess. I’m a light sleeper. All you have to do is bang on the wall if anything worries you.”
    “That won’t work. I won’t be next door or down the hall.” Jess turned, meeting his eyes squarely. “If I have to stay, I’ll be sleeping right here.”

chapter 7
    “H
ere?
In my room?”
    “Don’t worry, this