Dissolve Read Online Free PDF

is the lamest pickup line I’ve ever heard.”
    “It’s not,” He frowns. Even his frown is handsome - his lips smooth and face somehow sharper in displeasure. “Sorry, lioness, but you aren’t really my type.”
    “Fantastic, because neither are you.”
    “Great. Now that that’s settled, let’s go.”
    He tosses me a spare helmet from his bag. My rain-slick fingers barely manage to catch it. I shove it back at him.
    “I don’t want your charity.”
    “Christ, this isn’t charity, either,” He groans. “Why do you make it so hard for people to be nice to you?”
    I flinch. Dr. Dowell’s voice instantly springs up in my mind.
    ‘If you be nice to me, I’ll be very nice to you.’
    A shudder runs through me, and it has nothing to do with the cold. The smell of leather surrounds me suddenly as Kai puts his riding jacket around my shoulders, chasing away the dark memory. His frown deepens.
    “You’re gonna catch pneumonia if you don’t get home soon, alright? Let’s go. No arguing.”
    I open my mouth, but he turns on his heel abruptly and walks towards the parking garage. It’s just one ride. One ride, and I can be home, warm and in dry clothes. He saved Trist. He wouldn’t do anything bad to me, would he? How long has it been since I trusted a guy to do anything, let alone give me a ride home?
    I trail after him uncertainly. The parking garage is dim and smells like oil spills, with people going in and out of their cars. There’s people. We’re in public. Even if he does try something, I can always scream. I’m safe. I’m safe, but I didn’t used to be, and it lingers in every one of my tensed muscles. I should try to act normal, like I’m totally fine with this. I don’t care what Kai thinks of me, as long as he doesn’t think I’m incapable of handling myself.
    He walks up to his bike. It’s not the first time I’ve seen it, but it’s still pretty impressive. The black finish on the fuel tank shines, the chrome handlebars and accents glinting in the winter sun. He must take good care of it - there’s not even a single blemish. I pull my helmet on and buckle it.
    “Don’t worry,” He assures me. “I drive safe. Most of the time.”
    “’ Most of the time ’? What are the exceptions?”
    “When a pretty girl wants me to go faster,” His smirk is practically insufferable. He straddles the bike and pats the seat behind him. “Come on, wet cat. No time to lose.”
    I tentatively put my leg over the seat, careful not to press any part of my body against him. He turns and runs his finger under the strap of my helmet suddenly, against my jawline.
    “Good. It’s nice and tight.”
    I must’ve already contracted a fever, because my face gets hot at last. Kai doesn’t seem to notice. He kicks the bike to life and puts his own helmet on, the sputtering making it hard to hear his next words.
    “Hold on to me,” he shouts.
    “So you can what, measure my cup size with your spine?”
    “So you don’t fall off,” he laughs. “Unless you want to add a broken arm to your list of potential ailments.”
    I grimace and slowly put my hands on his waist. He rolls his eyes and pulls my hands forward, clasping my arms around his rock-hard stomach.
    “Much better. Alright, any last words?”
    “How about my address?” I shout. I can feel his laugh vibrate through his chest.
    “That’d be great.”
    I tell him it, and he revs the engine before kicking the brake up. All eyes are on us as the bike lurches across the pavement. The sudden wind blows rain into my face, and I bury it behind Kai’s broad back, a brief shelter from the storm. On every turn I feel like I’ll slip off, so I tighten my grip around him. I can’t control the scared shivers that run through me - part cold and part awe at how a two-wheeled bike can turn on a dime. He’s not going very fast - I’ve seen him go much faster than this. If anything, it feels like he’s going really slow for my sake.
    Before I know it, I