by Abby Brooks
What if a customer had come in? Oh hell! Just because no one was there now, didn't mean they hadn’t been there earlier and who knew when Ben actually left. Ellie checked the cash in the register and sighed in relief when it looked untouched, then scurried back to the office to make sure everything was okay in there, too. Which it was.
The kitchen though? That was another story. Ben had left a mess of epic proportions. Stacks of dishes tilted perilously near the sinks and food needed put away and she was going to need another weekend cook because Ben’s ass was fired.
Creepy bastard.
Ellie went to work, doing her best not to spill anything on her shirt, and was just coming out of the walk-in when she heard the front door open. “I’ll be right there,” she called out.
If she could get the perishable items into the walk-in, the rest of the mess could wait until later. She gathered several bins of condiments in her arms, each one stacked precariously on the next. Treading as carefully as any tightrope walker out there, Ellie turned just as James came around the corner.
“Shit!” she yelped, then stumbled, doing her best to keep a pan of mayo from spilling down her chest. For two wonderful seconds, it looked like she would make it, but then the pans clattered to the floor and Ellie lost all control of her body, lurching backwards to avoid stepping in the mess. There was a moment of oh shit I’m gonna fall followed by strong arms wrapped tightly around her and a powerful set of chest muscles squeezing against her shoulders.
“Whoa,” James said as he helped her to her feet. “I didn’t see that coming. Are you okay?” He released her but kept his hands on her shoulders, laughter crinkling the corners of his eyes.
Ellie looked down at her shirt and didn’t see so much as a drop of anything. Anywhere. She beamed, ignoring the fact that she wished he hadn’t let her go so fast. “I’m fine. Double fine since I didn’t spill anything on myself.”
James shifted his weight and gave her a serious once over, a smile playing on his lips as his eyes left simmering trails of hotness in their wake. How did he do that? How, with one lingering glance, did he reduce her to an erratic heartbeat, quivering breath, and a chemical response so intense she couldn’t function?
His gaze wandered back to her face. “It would have been a shame to ruin that shirt,” he said with a gleam of approval in his eyes. “You look amazing.”
Something akin to joy rushed through Ellie’s heart and rustled up a bunch of butterflies in her stomach. James liked the shirt. “Take that, Parasite Steve,” she muttered.
“What?” James crinkled his nose.
Embarrassment diffused the butterflies and pinked her cheeks. “There I go again,” she said, barely able to see through the flames of humiliation. “Saying dumb shit out loud that nobody needs to hear.” She shrugged and hoped he’d move on.
He didn’t. “Did you call me a parasite?”
“I wasn’t talking about you.” Ellie flexed her hands and rubbed them together. “My ex. Steve. He said I looked like a hooker in this shirt.”
“Parasite Steve.” Humor lit James’ eyes and he chuckled. “I take it he didn’t rate much on the provider scale?”
“Not unless that scale had negative numbers.”
James paused and looked thoughtful before his eyes met hers again. “I brought you flowers.” He gestured toward a bouquet upended on the floor next to the spreading pool of condiments. “I sacrificed them to save you.”
“Well, thank you on both counts.” Ellie steepled her fingers and put them under her chin, contemplating what to do with the mess of a kitchen.
“So, uh,” James began, taking in the destruction with wide eyes. “This place is a disaster. I don’t feel quite so bad about letting you inside my house now, if this is how you keep your shop.”
“It shouldn’t look like this, but it seems like I’m down a cook as of...” Ellie looked at her wrist as if checking a watch. “...about a half an hour or so ago.”
James looked baffled as Ellie explained. “You mean this guy got all shitty and walked out because you had a date?” he asked when she was done.
“That about sums it up.”
“Were you two messing around?”
Ellie snorted. “With Ben? No. Not that he wasn’t interested. Apparently, he’s very interested. But no. I made it abundantly clear that I was his boss. Nothing more.”
James scanned the messy kitchen. “I’m gonna go out on a limb and guess that you want this clean before we leave?”
He didn’t look at all interested in waiting around while she scooped mayonnaise off the floor, and the truth of it was that she wasn’t at all interested in actually having to scoop mayonnaise off the floor. Like, not at all. She’d been waiting days to get her ass to the Shrimp Fest and apparently, felt like her responsibility quota had already been met for the day.
“Nope.” Ellie shrugged. “I’ll pay for it tonight when it stinks and I still have to deal with it, but I am so ready to get out of here.”
“Atta girl.” James offered his elbow. “Let’s get going.”
“Just one thing before we go.” Ellie bent and picked up the flowers. She smoothed out the petals and broken stems as best as she could. “They’re lovely. Thank you. This was very thoughtful.”
“I didn’t know if you would have any customers or not. I thought it’d look extra good if I showed up with presents.”
Oh. That’s right. None of this is real.
She brought the flowers to her nose to cover the reaction she couldn’t hide. She’d gotten so swept up in the compliments about her shirt, the heat in his gaze as it traveled over her body, his hands wrapped around her when she fell. She forgot it was all for show. Nothing he said or did meant anything.
Except that kiss the other day meant something.
It meant something, all right. It meant that James was a man and men lived and died by their penises. What was the statistic? They thought about sex every other second or something? The kiss that had dominated her every thought since it happened meant nothing to James. Ellie would be a fool to let herself think otherwise.
Using a pitcher as a vase, Ellie put the flowers in water and set them on the counter near the cash register while James waited at a table near the window at the front of the café. He leaned back in the booth, his long legs clad in tight jeans stretched out in front of him. Sunlight splattered on the table in a burst of light and shadow, fractured by the lettering on the window. James looked outside, his chin lifted, his strong jaw set in a straight line.
What could he be thinking? Was he lost in the past? Contemplating his future? Or just bored as hell waiting on her to hurry up?
She slid the makeshift vase across the counter and sighed. “There. All set.”
James turned and smiled. Stood and grabbed his helmet off the seat beside him. “Good to go?”
Her brow furrowed as she took in the helmet. “I guess I thought we’d go together.” Another surge of disappointment rose bitterly in her throat. The whole thing was a bad idea. She couldn’t seem to get it in her head that he wasn’t actually interested in her.
“Of course we’ll go together, silly.” James bent down to pick something else off the seat and Ellie got an eyeful of low-riding jeans and a tight torso before he straightened, holding a second helmet. “Ever ridden on the back of a motorcycle before?”
Chapter Fourteen
Ellie
Ellie threw up her hands and backed away. “Nuh-uh,” she said, shaking her head. “I can’t…”
“Ellie Charles!” James lifted an incredulous brow. “Are you trying to tell me you're afraid?” A wide smile broke across his face.
“You bet your sweet ass I’m afraid.” She put her hands on her hips and sat back on her heel. “Those things are dangerous.”
“Yes…” James drew out the word and gave her a wicked look. “But that’s why they’re so fun.”
“You and I have very different definitions of fun.”
“I seriously dou
bt that. It seems like you and I are pretty much in sync so far.”
Images of the kiss assaulted her thoughts again. His fingers clamped around her wrist. His hand pulling back on her hair. His tongue roving her mouth, setting her body on fire. Yeah, she’d say they were pretty damn in sync.
James held the helmet out toward her. “Come on, trust me. I’m a really good rider. And I’ll start out slow, I promise.”
She stared at the helmet in his hand, a heavy black thing with a tinted visor and chin straps dangling, the little metal bits clinking together in the otherwise quiet café. Ellie looked from it to James. “Have you had anything to drink today?”
He sighed and dropped his arm, letting the helmet bounce off his thigh. “Not one drop.”
She stared at him for a long time, watching frustration etch away at the good humor on his face. “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” she said, feeling bad for putting up such a fight. “It’s just…”
“I get it. Motorcycles are dangerous.” He rolled his eyes. “But you know something? It seems to me like you make all your decisions based on what’s responsible rather than what’s fun. Let down your hair. Walk on the edge. What’s the point of living if you’re just safe and practical and bored all the time? Sometimes you need to scare yourself to shake things up.”
For once, Ellie didn’t immediately say what she was thinking. She pondered his point. Considered telling him that she would rather be alive and bored then dead on the street. But the rigidity of her routine kept rearing its head and silencing her. She hadn’t realized it, but she was bored. She got up, went to work, juggled her bills, maybe talked to Tessa, then went to bed and repeated it all.
Every.
Single.
Day.
The only reason she’d tiptoed into the online dating thing had nothing to do with hoping to find love, it was because she wanted—no, needed—to shake things up in her life.
She took a deep breath. “You promise not to go too fast?”
James smiled and Ellie immediately felt better. It was contagious. Warm and happy and genuine and she wanted to see him look like that more often.
He has, you know. Since he started hanging out with you.
Ellie pushed the thought away as James held out his pinky finger.
“I promise. I’ll start out slow.”
There was a glint in his eye, a glimmer of excitement, like he was about to let her in on some clandestine secret. She balled her hands into fists and released them, rubbing her palms against her shorts. James led her outside, waited as she locked up, then handed her the helmet as they reached the bike.
“Do you have anything to tie your hair back with?” he asked as she eyed the helmet. “Your hair might thank you if you can braid it or something.”
So much for the extra time she’d spent shaping her curls that morning. “I always keep a hair tie in my purse.”
She dug through the months of old receipts and empty gum wrappers she kept meaning to throw out as soon as she got home and found a black rubber band. It would’ve been nice if she had a mirror to make sure she wasn’t making a disaster out of her hair, but she settled for using her reflection in the window to separate her curls and braid them together. She slung her purse strap across her body and turned to James for approval.
Something warm softened his eyes. “You look nice like that.”
Ellie blushed. She never wore her hair back. Parasite Steve had always told her she looked like a Chia Pet because of the way the curls broke free and gathered around her face.
“Thanks,” she said, patting her temples, checking for frizz. The helmet squeezed her head a little and pressed her earrings against her neck. She reached into the thing and tried to rearrange them, but it was awkward, working blind and feeling like Darth Vader. Once her ears were comfortable, James helped her hook the chin straps then showed her how to operate the visor.
The helmet made it hard to hear him, and somehow, his muffled voice made her even more nervous. James slid the key into the ignition and Ellie put a hand on his arm before he could turn on the engine. “Anything I should know?”
He grabbed both her shoulders and held eye contact with her, his dark gaze soothing. “Most important, hold on tight. Hug me and don’t let go.”
Well, you can bet your sweet ass I’ll be okay with that, Ellie thought.
She nodded as he told her not to fight the lean when they turned, nor to help with the lean, just to keep her body pressed to his and to move with him.
“Also, after I park, don’t get off the bike until I offer you my hand. Other than that, just relax and have some fun!”
He swung his leg over the bike, flipped the kickstand up, and offered Ellie his hand. Using the passenger foot pegs, Ellie climbed onto the tiny seat and took a minute to adjust herself, simultaneously unnerved by the way the bike shifted as she wiggled and pacified by how easily James seemed able to control the movement.
He turned the key and the engine didn’t roar to life, not like the big black and chrome monstrosities she associated with biker gangs.
The Ducati purred, quiet and powerful, eager to move.
Ellie wrapped her arms around James’ waist, mindful not to let her helmet bounce into his, and he rolled the throttle twice, revving the engine. The bike shifted as he put the thing in gear, and she had a split second of complete terror and regret before he ever so smoothly pulled onto the road. He maneuvered them through the quaint streets that qualified as downtown Bliss, obeying the posted speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour.
The bike did lean as they took the corners, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as she expected and her fear began to dissipate. In fact, she started to feel pretty damn powerful sitting on the back, clutching James’ waist. She caught their reflection in the shop windows and couldn’t believe the chick she saw was actually her.
He came to a stop at a red light on the outskirts of town and turned to her. “So what do you think?”
“It’s not scary at all! And it’s so cool, feeling the breeze, and hearing the engine and the sounds of the road.”
James bobbed his head. “Here’s the thing. We can turn off here and head straight to the beach and start wandering the Shrimp Fest, or, we could take a slight detour and enjoy a ride with, uh… higher speed limits, if you’d like.”
“That sounds awesome. Do you mind?”
“Do I mind taking my bike out for a ride with a hot chick clinging to my back on a gorgeous September day?” As the red light turned green, James turned back around. Ellie readjusted her grip on him as they rolled through the intersection and turned away from the beach.
As soon as they were out of the city, James unleashed the bike, cracking the throttle back as he worked through the gears with his foot. Wind raced past Ellie’s body and she plastered herself to him, mimicking the way he leaned into the turns. The sea sparkled away to her right and the sun beamed down from a sapphire sky, warming her skin while the wind whistled past, taking her worries with it.
All too soon, she realized they were heading back to town, which meant the ride would be over before she knew it. A surge of disappointment surprised her. Up to that very morning, she would have laughed at anyone who said she’d ever find herself on the back of a motorcycle, let alone enjoy it. As they neared Shrimp Fest, the sidewalks and streets grew more populated with people heading the same direction. Ellie caught more than a few stares and couldn’t keep from smiling.
Who’s that girl perched on the expensive Italian bike with her arms wrapped around the sexiest guy in town? It’s Ellie Charles, that’s who.
By the time James found a parking space, she was completely sold on the entire motorcycle experience. She waited for him to put the kickstand down and turn the wheel to the side before he offered her his hand. Clutching it tightly, she swung her leg around and hopped off. Somehow James managed to make climbing off the bike look as sexy as humanly possible and then expertly removed his helmet while Ellie fiddled with the
clasps at her throat.
“Here,” he said, tucking his helmet under his arm. “Let me help.” His fingers brushed her jawline as he undid the straps and another surge of adrenaline went twittering through her bloodstream.
As soon as she could, Ellie slid the helmet off her head and smoothed her hair. “That was so amazing!”
“Yeah? You like that?” James took the helmet from her and fastened it along with his to pegs hidden under the rear seat.
“Oh, hell yeah! You can pick me up on that anytime you want.” Without thinking, she threw herself into James’ arms and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss him on the cheek, the rough stubble on his jaw grating against her lips. He ran his hand up her back and cradled her head, turning his face to capture her mouth. He pressed her body into his, the hardness of his muscles contradicted by the soft warmth of his kiss.
For a minute, Ellie forgot to breathe.
Forgot where she was.
She melted into him, safe and secure in his arms.
“Sorry,” she whispered when he released her. “I got carried away.”
James pressed a kiss into her hair and nuzzled down to whisper in her ear. “Don’t apologize.” For a tiny heartbeat of a second, she thought he was going to say he liked it. That he liked her. That he liked her kisses as much as she liked his. But then he finished his thought. “Now’s the time to get carried away. Pour it on. People are watching.”
Ellie swallowed and forced a smile. Oh, yeah. The whole thing was fake. And the truth was, if she couldn’t get that through her thick skull, she was going to end up very hurt at the end of the whole deal.
“Besides,” he said as he threaded his hand with hers. “I liked it.”
Chapter Fifteen
Ellie
The Shrimp Festival consisted of booth after booth of food and more food, plus a few crafts, some beer, some music, then even more food. James led Ellie through the crowd, his arm around her shoulder, keeping her close. And just like he planned, they received more than their fair share of questioning looks and raised eyebrows as passersby caught sight of them. Ellie wasn’t sure if it was because they were surprised James was out with a woman who wasn’t a one-night stand, or if it was because they were surprised James was out with her. Either way, she chose not to care. The day was all about letting go and having fun.