He’d told himself no more times than he could count.

Sure, he’d fantasized about it—you on the back of his bike, arms wrapped tight around him, head tucked against his shoulder like you belonged there. It was an ego-fueled image, selfish and sweetly forbidden. His logical side always won. You were too precious. Too vulnerable. The roads were unpredictable, the speed unforgiving, and your safety wasn’t something he could compromise for a thrill.

But then you asked. No—begged.

And what male in his right mind can say no to his mate when you look at him like that?

So here you are.

He hears you before he sees you—confident footsteps, a little too pleased with yourself—and then the sound: the soft drag of leather tightening around curves that haunt his every damn dream.

You turn the corner, helmet under your arm, and he forgets how to breathe.

He made you wear full-body gear. Reinforced, custom-fitted, top-of-the-line. There’s no room for negotiation when it comes to your safety.

He hates how good you look in it. Hates how much he likes how good you look in it.

His eyes rake over you before he can stop them. The leather hugs you like it was made to test him. His shadows are faster than him, curling toward you, twining around your waist, brushing the small of your back like a shield and a claim all at once.

“Helmet,” he says, voice low, controlled.

You arch an eyebrow at the command, lips twitching like you know exactly what you’re doing to him—but you listen. Of course you do.

Stars help him.

You swing your leg over the bike, slide close. The moment your body presses flush to his back, he exhales like he’s taken a blade to the ribs. Your chest presses firm against him, your hands sliding around his middle like you belong there—and fuck, don’t you?

His knuckles whiten on the grips. He usually flies on wheels—reckless and fast. But not today. Not with you.

“Don’t expect speed,” he says without turning, eyes ahead, jaw locked. “You’re on my bike. That means my rules.” A pause. “And your life matters more than my ego.”

His shadows tighten around you like a harness. Gentle, but unyielding. He flicks the visor down and breathes deep through the sudden heat.