Free Hyde and Seek by Layla Frost

to blow-dry it wild. With my luck, I’d expected it to fall flat, become a snarled mess, or maybe even start on fire.
    When I finished my hair and makeup, I pulled on dark gray skinny jeans and a thick, hot pink belt. After, I stood, for what felt like forever, staring into my open closet.
    Okay, so apparently the perfect shirt isn’t going to catapult itself out at me.
    Damn.
    Jeans and my hot pink wedge shoes were a safe bet. The top was what would make the outfit casual or dressy.
    The problem was that I had no clue what kind of party it was going to be. I could safely guess that it wasn’t going to be overly formal, but that still left a lot of options.
    I reached for a fitted t-shirt when something towards the back caught my eye. Shifting hangers, I pulled out a corset style top.
    Dark gray with pink detailing, the halter showed off my tattoos, accentuated my curves, and looked rocker glam. I’d bought it on a whim but had never worn it.
    If there was any place to wear rocker glam, I figured a party at an actual rocker’s house was it.
    I was putting on a gray bolero when there was a knock on the door. Opening it, I was surprised to see Jake.
    “Hey, you’re early.”
    Jake didn’t say anything, but his eyes swept over me, making me wonder if I should’ve gone with a more casual look.
    “Everything okay?” I asked.
    “No, not really.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    “Don’t suppose I could convince you to go change, huh?”
    “Should I? I wasn’t sure what type of thing this was.”
    “Got any sweats and hoodies four sizes too big?”
    “Um, no?”
    Jake shook his head. “Then don’t bother. You look hot, sweets.”
    Sweets?
    “Thanks, so do you.”
    Which wasn’t quite true. He was definitely working a scorching look in motorcycle boots and worn in black jeans. A white t-shirt contrasted with his tanned skin and showed off his tats and strong arms. His hair was pulled back and I wondered again how it looked down.
    And how it felt.
    I was thinking I might be starting to get a tiny bit obsessed.
    Starting?
    Tiny?
    Full-blown, baby.
    “What happened to the other kind of thanks?” he asked, his voice low.
    His arms went around me, pulling me closer as he lowered his mouth lightly to mine.
    I liked gentle a lot but my body remembered the kiss from Friday night. Without thought, I used my tongue to trace the seam of Jake’s lips.
    He groaned before deepening the kiss.
    Too soon he pulled back, ending the moment. “We gotta go.”
    “Okay,” I murmured from my haze.
    “Fuck, really wanna kiss those lips again, but then we won’t be leavin’ at all.”
    “Okay,” I repeated.
    I’m sure there’s some appeal to leaving, but I can’t for the life of me remember what. Maybe we should stay here until I figure it out.
    My face must have shown my thoughts, making Jake kiss me again, hard but much too fast.
    “Let’s go, sweets.”
    I locked up and followed him down the walkway, running my hand over the back of my neck. My nerves were on edge about tonight and I couldn’t shake my anxiety lately. I was worried about doing something embarrassing and having to avoid Jake and the guys.
    As in, I’d be changing my name and moving to a remote town where the moose outnumbered the people.
    I caught sight of Jake’s Fat Boy Lo Harley, pulling me from my heavy thoughts. I’d seen it briefly last night, but the close-up view was infinitely better. Black with chrome detailing, it was sleek and powerful without looking like a crotch rocket. Not that I minded crotch rockets on occasion, but my love was for cruisers.
    As much as I wanted a bike, I figured delivering cakes on one might get a little messy, so I went with the van.
    “Awesome,” I whispered reverently.
    Jake’s lip twitched. He grabbed a helmet and put it on me, his fingers lightly brushing my jaw and neck. Straddling the bike, he took care of his own helmet before helping me on.
    Under normal circumstances, even in heels, I’d have had no issue