“Triumph Street Triple 675. I got rid of the Ninja. Not enough power.”

“You like the naked styling?” Liam asked.

Tanya smirked. “Naked is my thing, as you know too well.”

Naked is my thing . . . As you know too well . . .

Daisy tried to shut off the snarky voice in her head, but something about Tanya set her possessive teeth on edge.

“Do you want to join us inside?” Liam asked. “We’re going to have a coffee before we finish the loop.”

Say no. Say no. Say no.

“Sounds good.” Tanya took a few steps and looked back over her shoulder. “Do you need a hand, Daisy?”

Only to slap you.

“I’ll loosen up a bit and meet you there.” She forced a smile, rocking her hips from side to side like she rode pillion every day.

By the time she’d lurched her way to Liam and Tanya inside the café, her back was covered in sweat, her jaw ached from gritting her teeth, and her muscles were trembling. Thank God she’d made the effort. Tanya was standing a little too close to Liam for comfort, and she had a hand on Daisy’s man.

“Have you found a table yet?” Daisy put her arm around Liam’s waist, pulling him into her side and forcing Tanya to drop her hand from his shoulder.

“It’s not looking good.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “I’ll have to get you a motorcycle as a wedding present and we can ride out here together when it’s not as busy.”

Daisy bit back a smile. Liam knew what was going on and he’d just made it clear where his loyalty lay.

Tanya’s gaze flicked from Liam to Daisy and back to Liam. “You two are engaged?”

“Best decision of my life,” Liam said, pressing a kiss to Daisy’s sweat-covered temple.

“What happened?” Tanya’s smile faded. “I thought you didn’t do relationships.”

Another squeeze. “I just hadn’t met the right person.”

Daisy gave Tanya a smug but sympathetic smile.

“Congratulations.” Tanya’s face smoothed to an expressionless mask. “It doesn’t happen for all of us.” She looked over Liam’s shoulder. “I see a table. I’ll go and grab it.”

Still walking like she’d wet her pants, Daisy held Liam’s arm as they followed behind her. “She seems nice,” she said lightly. “I take it you two were together at some point.”

Liam chuckled. “Briefly.”

“It seems like she wants to be together again.” She nodded at the people who were throwing amused glances their way. So what if they were laughing? They’d all been in her position once upon a time.

“Are you jealous?” he asked in a teasing, slightly hopeful tone.

“Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous.” She tossed her hair. “She doesn’t look half as good in her leather pants as I do, and she’s only got half the ass.”

Liam slid one hand down and squeezed her bottom. “Damn right. You’re the sexiest woman here.”

“You just like me in leather.”

“I like you out of leather more.” His smile faded when she lurched to the side. “Why didn’t you tell me you were so stiff? You can barely walk.”

“I walked over here just fine.”

“Because you were jealous.” A slow smile spread across his face. “Of Tanya.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

His eyes softened and he turned, pulling her against him. Leaning down to brush his lips over her mouth, he said, “You care.”

“Maybe I fake care because we’re fake engaged.” Her pulse kicked up a notch as he nuzzled her neck.

“Maybe you really care even though we’re fake engaged.”

Feeling bold and brave in her biker leather, she said. “What if I did care? What would you do about it?”

“I’d take a shortcut home,” Liam murmured. “And then I’d take advantage of the fact that you can’t close your legs.”

* * *

• • •

IT was everything he had imagined and more. Sunny day. Blue sky. Open road. His bike purring between his legs. And Daisy on the seat behind him. Arms wrapped around his waist. Legs tucked up against his hips. Chest resting against his back. He wanted it to go on forever. Not just the ride, but them.

She was his humraaz and he was hers, but he didn’t want to keep secrets any longer.

It was time to tell her how he felt. He loved her. He loved her quirks and eccentricities. Loved her eclectic clothes and fancy shoes. Loved her schedules, lists, and plans. He loved her passion for trivia and all things Marvel, the fact she could hack a game and own it, and that she was the smartest woman he knew. And he loved how dedicated she was to her family, how she adored and respected them, but wanted her independence, too.

He heard the high-pitched rev of an engine behind him. Tanya shot past, a blur on her red Triumph. If it had been any other day, he would have hit the throttle and chased after her. But he had Daisy with him, and he wasn’t in a hurry to get home. This was their last date, and that meant they were almost at the end of her dating plan. Only one thing remained—the meeting with her family. And one huge obstacle—her dad.

He had a speech all planned out. An apology. A partial explanation. He would show Mr. Patel that he’d turned his life around. That he wasn’t the man who had disappeared in the middle of the night. That he loved Daisy. And it wouldn’t be a lie.

He could only hope she loved him, too. That when their fake relationship ended, she would want to start something real.

Or maybe they already had.