by Kati Wilde
“Kind of. I write it on a lot of things.” And have since I was a kid. “It’s a coping-with-fear-of-recurring-cancer mechanism my mom taught me. It reminds me that I’m here and I can’t be erased so easily.”
Although, the truth is, I don’t do it solely as a coping mechanism anymore. Not consciously, anyway. Instead I’ve internalized it so well that “Anna was here” really has become my signature.
His crystalline gaze holds mine for a long beat. Then he nods and looks to the map again. “Have you decided where you’re going first?”
Because the topic of my upcoming travels has been raised several times in the past few days—with everyone in my family chiming in with their opinion of where I should go first. Zach hasn’t offered his opinion, though.
“Where would you go?”
Immediately he points to the far eastern side of China. “Somewhere here.”
That’s…not specific. “Why there?”
“Because it’s as far as someone could get from home without coming back around again.”
Someone? Or him? Maybe Zach doesn’t care where he is, as long as he’s not home. But I’m not going to ask about his family again, not if it pushes him away like it did before. Instead I wait.
He’s silent for a long second, then he shrugs those ridiculously broad shoulders. “Maybe the Great Wall,” he finally says. “Hiking along it would really be something.”
Yes, it would. “That’s on my list of things to do.”
So is Zach. He’s right at the top of my every to-do list. And I shouldn’t say what I’m about to say. I really shouldn’t. But I just don’t know when to quit.
And I really, really want to write ‘Anna was here’ right across that magnificent chest.
“So, I was thinking…it’s Saturday night and still kind of early,” I tell him and my heart is pounding so hard, I can feel the pulse beating in my neck. “What do you think about heading out for a drink or a bite to eat?”
His body stiffens, every muscle snapping into sharp relief. His gaze shoots to mine, and I can’t read his expression, I don’t know him well enough yet, but I could swear that’s longing I see in his pale blue stare.
Please, God, please—let it be longing.
And his silence is killing me. But I’m already throwing myself at his feet, so I’ve got nothing to lose when I add, “Or maybe we could do something else now and have breakfast together, instead.”
His eyes close. His hands are clenched so tight, his long fingers between the pages are warping the book’s spine.
“Anna.” My name seems scraped from his chest, like he has to forcibly drag out the word and every one that follows. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
Oh. Okay. Well.
I need to get the hell out of here, then. “All right,” I say and head for the door, all at once feeling cold and tired and so damn disappointed. “I’m sure you’ll have a better time with the book, anyway. It’s a good one. The congressman killed the first victim but his aide tried to throw the detective off his boss’s scent by using the same MO to kill other women.”
A sharp breath sounds behind me. I don’t hear him coming, don’t realize he’s after me until I’m at my bedroom door and his palm hits the wall beside me just as I’m reaching for the knob. His hand closes over it before mine does, preventing my escape.
Heart thundering, I spin around, my back against the door. Oh, God. He’s so tall and gorgeous and his eyes glitter like diamonds in the dim hallway. And he’s so big, his body so taut as he looms over me, I should be scared.
But I’m so turned on. Turned on and holding my breath as his head lowers. Not to kiss me.
Instead he gets into my face, his nose almost touching mine, his eyes narrowed. “That was mean, Anna Wall.”
It was. But spoiling the end of the book must not have truly upset him, because he’s grinning.
He continues, “Your brother was right about you. He said you were a terror. I thought you were sweet.”
Not even close. “People always think that. It’s my face.”
His gaze drops to my lips. “It was something else that made me think so. But you do have a sweet pixie look going on—with those big, golden-brown eyes and that cute pointed chin.”
“They’re a lie,” I tell him.
“I guess so.” His thumb slips along my jaw, then he freezes when I shudder beneath his touch. Abruptly he steps back, leaving me feeling cold all over again. “There’s no doubt I’d love having breakfast with you, Anna. And I wish…”
He wishes…? I really want to know the rest of that. “What?”
His jaw tightens and he gives his head a hard shake. “Nothing. The thing is, you’re Stone’s sister, and I’m his friend—and your parents’ guest. So it’s best to keep things simple between us.”
Screwing each other’s brains out seems pretty simple, too. Life at its most basic. But I’m guessing that’s not what Zach’s suggesting.
“You mean, ‘let’s just be friends’ simple?”
He nods solemnly but some conflicting emotion flickers in his eyes again. If that emotion resembles longing, however, he beats the feeling back, and determination rings like steel through his voice when he says again, “You’re his sister. I’m his friend. Simple.”
It doesn’t feel simple. But maybe he’s right. And it is probably for the best. He’s only here a few days more. If I like him this much now, and sleep with him, God knows how I’ll feel about him by the end.
And after he leaves, it’s not like I’m going to see him again.
That thought hurts more than it should. But I refuse to let Zach see the pain. Instead I shrug and smile.
“All right,” I agree lightly. “We’ll keep it simple.”
“Good,” he says, then seems to take an extraordinarily long time before he tears his gaze from mine and heads back to his room.
My shoulders slump as soon as his door closes. Simple. Sure. I can do that until he leaves. And then—even though I never seem to know when to quit—I’ll quit thinking about him. I’ll just forget him.
That will be simple. I’ve only known Zachary Cooper a couple of days.
So forgetting him shouldn’t take too long.
***
Kati here—so that’s what I cut! Almost ten years later, their real story begins…and it definitely doesn’t stay simple.
I hope you enjoyed this little preview into Gunner & Anna’s romance. Their relationship continues in Breaking It All, which will be out in February! If you would like to be notified when it is available for pre-order and to borrow on Kindle Unlimited, make sure to sign up for the Motorcycle Clubs newsletter. We never spam your inbox! We only email when there’s a new book or pre-order available.
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Available Now
Novellas
His Wild Desire by Ella Goode
Off Limits by Ruby Dixon
Wanting It All by Kati Wilde
Her Secret Pleasure by Ella Goode
Packing Double by Ruby Dixon
Taking It All by Kati Wilde
Their Private Need by Ella Goode
Double Trouble by Ruby Dixon
Having It All by Kati Wilde
Their Fierce Love by Ella Goode
Betting It All by Kati Wilde
Double
Down by Ruby Dixon
Their Lasting Claim by Ella Goode
Risking It All by Kati Wilde
Double or Nothing by Ruby Dixon
Burning It All by Kati Wilde
His Mad Passion by Ella Goode
Slow Ride by Ruby Dixon
His Bold Heart by Ella Goode
Pulling Her Trigger by Alexa Riley
Beauty and the Biker by Alexa Riley
Captive Ride by Ella Goode
Box Sets
In the small town of Fortune, the Death Lords rule the roads. Come along for the ride.
THE DEATH LORDS, VOL. 1-3 by Ella Goode
(His Wild Desire, Her Secret Pleasure, Their Private Need)
THE DEATH LORDS, VOL. 4-6 by Ella Goode
(Their Fierce Love, Their Lasting Claim, His Mad Passion)
Meet the dominant, sexy Bedlam Butchers and the women who risk everything to take these dangerous men on…
THE BEDLAM BUTCHERS, VOL. 1-3 by Ruby Dixon
(Off Limits, Packing Double, Double Trouble)
THE BEDLAM BUTCHERS, VOL. 4-6 by Ruby Dixon
(Double Down, Double or Nothing, Slow Ride)
The deadly members of the Hellfire Riders will cross any line for the women they love…
THE HELLFIRE RIDERS, VOL. 1-3 by Kati Wilde
(Wanting It All, Taking It All, Having It All)
THE HELLFIRE RIDERS, VOL. 4-6 by Kati Wilde
(Betting It All, Risking It All, Burning It All)
The Motorcycle Clubs Series
Series Checklist
Death Lords by Ella Goode, Bedlam Butchers by Ruby Dixon, Hellfire Riders by Kati Wilde, Ghost Riders by Alexa Riley
HIS WILD DESIRE (Death Lords #1)
OFF LIMITS (Bedlam Butchers #1)
WANTING IT ALL (Hellfire Riders #1)
HER SECRET PLEASURE (Death Lords #2)
PACKING DOUBLE (Bedlam Butchers #2)
TAKING IT ALL (Hellfire Riders #2)
THEIR PRIVATE NEED (Death Lords #3)
DOUBLE TROUBLE (Bedlam Butchers #3)
HAVING IT ALL (Hellfire Riders #3)
THEIR FIERCE LOVE (Death Lords #4)
BETTING IT ALL (Hellfire Riders #4)
DOUBLE DOWN (Bedlam Butchers #4)
THEIR LASTING CLAIM (Death Lords #5)
RISKING IT ALL (Hellfire Riders #5)
DOUBLE OR NOTHING (Bedlam Butchers #5)
BURNING IT ALL (Hellfire Riders #6)
HIS MAD PASSION (Death Lords #6)
SLOW RIDE (Bedlam Butchers #6)
HIS BOLD HEART (Death Lords #7)
PULLING HER TRIGGER (Ghost Riders #1)
BEAUTY AND THE BIKER (Ghost Riders #2)
CAPTIVE RIDE (Death Lords #8)
BREAKING IT ALL (Hellfire Riders #7)
DOUBLE DARE YOU (Bedlam Butchers #7)
GIVING IT ALL (Hellfire Riders #8)
More titles to be announced!
Reading Order
Our novellas share a world, so we number the entire series to make it easier for readers to keep track of which ones they’ve read — the numbering system can be used as a checklist. We also number the books in the individual clubs (the Death Lords #1-4, for example) just in case anyone wants to read all the novellas in one club’s series before the others, it’s easier to keep track of those books.
We’ve written each novella to stand alone as much as possible, so that if you pick up a story in the middle of the series (even if it’s a story featuring a continuing couple) you will still receive a romance with a conflict that is resolved in that story and a satisfying romantic ending.
That said, there are a few novellas with couples whose story continues over two or more installments. So we suggest that you read them as they are published OR by author/club (if you read by author, you can start with any club you like.)
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author except in the case of brief quotation embodied in critical articles and reviews.
GIVING IT ALL
Copyright © 2015 Kati Wilde
All rights reserved.
First Digital Edition, December 2015
katiwilde.com
Table of Contents
GIVING IT ALL
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Bonus Content - Before BREAKING IT ALL
One
Two
Three
Newsletter
Available Now
The Motorcycle Clubs Series
Copyright
