Crow tastes like coffee, and his lips are rough and demanding on mine. Usually I would be fighting for dominance here, but instead I melt and let out a small moan as my hands bunch in his t-shirt, pulling him closer.

I can tell he's trying to be gentle as his hand moves down my back, cupping my butt through my jeans and then pushing me back against his motorbike. My mind is racing as he breaks the kiss and pulls back.

His eyes are dilated and his panting breath shows he is just as affected as I am by our moment. No one has quite taken my breath away like he just did.

"Wow." I manage a small giggle as I grip the handle of the bike behind me to steady myself.

"I shouldn't have done that." He mutters, and my heart plummets in my chest.

He might as well have thrown a bucket of ice cold water over me. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not a good guy," He murmurs, not meeting my eye.

"A bad one wouldn't be warning me away like this. " I point out.

"A good guy wouldn't have been locked up for murder, Gemma." He snaps.

I flinch at the sharpness of his tone and see the instant regret in his eyes. "A bad guy would have actually done it." I pause and catch his look of surprise. "Because you didn't, did you?"

"How would you know?" He says softly, crowding my body with his own.

I think he means to be intimidating and I hate to break it to him, but after that kiss, my mind goes only one direction when he gets that close to me.

"Because I know bad guys. I've seen bad guys and you're not it." I take a deep breath. "Bad guys are good at pretending. They put up a perfect mask and pretend to be good. They make it an art form. You aren't pretending. You're real and you wouldn't hurt me."

His eyes are searching mine. "Who hurt you?"

"It's in the past, Crow. Leave it." I say firmly, placing a hand on his chest and pushing gently to create some space between us.

"Are they," He pauses, "Can they still hurt you?"

I smile. "No, I cut them out of my life long ago."

He considers that for a moment. "I don't like the idea that someone hurt you." He says finally.

"Would a bad guy say that? Hmm?" I tease, in an attempt to lighten the mood between us.

"Why are you so determined that I must be good? You've not even known me a day." He rolls his eyes as he hands me the helmet.

He's right. I feel like I should be embarrassed that I kissed a guy I've known less than twenty-four hours. But I've hooked up with people for one-night stands in less time than that and it's not something I'm ashamed of.

"Because you seem ridiculously determined to make everyone think otherwise, and I want you to know that not everyone believes the act." I shrug as I inch the helmet over my head.

"So, where are we going?" Crow asks as he helps me climb onto the bike behind him.

I wrap my arms around his chest and refuse to look up as I respond, "Lawson Gardens."

I feel his startle of surprise as he lets out a low whistle. "Didn't realise you were an uptown girl Foxy."

His use of the nickname Ace just gave me makes me smile. "I'm not, not really. I just really like the...amenities."

I can't tell him the truth. That it was the only one with multiple locked doors, a good security system and availability not on the ground floor when I had been looking. The only one I felt safe at.

Between that and the local gym where I ran my fitness classes, it was kind of perfect.

"One chauffeur driven ride to Lawson Gardens coming up." Crow chuckles and the bike rumbles to life underneath me.

It's even more amazing than I remember it being last night. I truly feel like we are flying down the roads, about to take off any moment.

The air whips against my bare arms and I would be cold if it weren't for the warmth of his body against mine.

Now I understand the reason for all that protective gear. It's not just for protection if you come off, but also to stop you freezing your arse off on the ride.

When he comes to a stop alongside the pristine lawns and red bricked building I call home, I am acutely aware how out of place the bike looks next to the BMW's and Audi's.

I slip off and quickly begin removing the helmet and hand it back to him. "Thank you."

"Do you want me to walk you up?" Crow says, his eyes scanning the surroundings, presumably for Brick.

"I..." I mean to refuse him, to say that I'm fine and move away, but I can't. I'm caught in his orbit now and he fascinates me, "I'd like that. As long as you're sure you don't mind."

"'Course not." He says, quickly climbing off and securing his bike.

I smile as I begin leading him towards the revolving doors at the entrance and we make our way towards the lifts.

He doesn't speak, but I sense how uncomfortable he is as I quickly scan the pass on my keys to call the lift and turn back to him.

"Are you ok?"

He glances at me in surprise. "Surely I should be asking you that?"

"Gemma?" A voice catches me by surprise and I spin to face my neighbour, Matt, crossing the foyer to join us.

"Heya," I smile and watch as his eyes widen in shock as he sees my injuries.

He takes in Crow's intimidating act, which he seems to have increased tenfold at his approach. "Are you ok Gem? You want me to call someone?" He asks, looking at me with concern.

"Thanks Matt, but I'm OK. He's OK, he helped me. This is Cr-"

"Logan Walker, nice to meet you." Crow growls, holding out a hand for him to shake.

Matt grimaces slightly and gives it a limp shake. "Matthew Fisher. I'm Gemma's friend, so thank you for helping her, but I can look after her from here."

I instantly bristle under his assumption, "Actually, Matt, we are fine. Logan is coming back to my place."

"But-"

"You heard the lady." Crow smirks at Matt's horrified expression.

Matt splutters for a moment and then shakes his head. "I hope you know what you're doing messing around with people like him." He sneers.

Before I can snap back, he is storming for the stairs and I roll my eyes. Jokes on him. Those three flights of stairs are killer on the legs.

The lift door opens with a ping and I usher Crow inside before anymore neighbours can accost us. Scanning my badge and selecting my floor, I refocus on him as the lift judders into life.

"I'm sorry about that."

He shrugs, "I'm used to it."

"Doesn't make it OK though. You deserve to be treated better." I'm angry on his behalf now.

"It's ok. The people who matter know who I really."

"You're a good man, Logan Walker." I reply, trying out his name for the first time.

He stares a moment and let's out a groan, "Fuck! If I knew how good my name sounded coming out of your mouth, I would have told you it sooner."