“You’re going to put your right foot on the peg…” He pointed and she looked down, then nodded. “…and then swing your leg over, like you’re getting on a horse. You might want to find something to tie your hair back with.”
But before she could follow his instructions, her cell phone chirped.
“Just a minute.” She fished her phone out of her purse and looked at the display. Her heart sank; it was her mother, most likely with a lecture on promptness and a thousand questions about the audition.
She looked at the display a moment longer and then drew a deep breath. And then she stuffed the phone back into her pocket. She looked up at Caleb and found him watching her with an amused look.
“Not taking that call?”
She shook her head. “It’s complicated. My life is complicated right now.” Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a hair tie, quickly gathering the long strands together and tying it back. She was conscious of Caleb watching her and she dropped her eyes, knowing she was blushing.
“Here.” He held out his hand and Aubrey took it. “Get on.”
She did as she was instructed, swinging her leg over the machine, coming to rest behind Caleb.
“Okay. Slide up closer behind me. Hands around my waist.” He looked at her over his shoulder and she hesitantly slid her arms around him. She felt his hands on hers, pulling her arms closer around his body. By the time he let go of her hands, her head was almost resting on his shoulder.
“Where to? Your parents’ house?”
She held his gaze a moment longer then shook her head.
“Anywhere but there.”
The corner of his mouth turned up and the glint in his eyes sent a thrill through Aubrey.
“Okay, then. Hang on tight. Ready?” She nodded. He started the bike, gunned the throttle, and pulled into traffic. Aubrey’s heart leapt into her throat and she clutched Caleb tighter as the bike took off. Over the rush of the wind, she heard his laughter.
Caleb expertly guided the bike through the evening traffic and she relaxed her death grip on him after a few blocks. The errant thought that she was on a motorcycle with a stranger heading to an unknown destination passed through her mind. By all logic and reason, this was a potentially dangerous situation, the kind of thing her mother always told her would happen to her after she moved into the city. Men were dangerous; to be avoided at all costs.
But right now, her arms around Caleb, the wind rushing past her, none of that mattered. She was free, at least for the foreseeable future, in the company of a new man, someone so totally outside her norm it took her breath away.
Caleb took her further away from the university campus and down progressively narrower streets until they were in a part of the city Aubrey had never been to before. She saw a video rental store, a liquor store, and a Laundromat crowded together, a small storefront church wedged between them.
She’d learned to move with Caleb as he took corners, and now she leaned to the right as he turned down a small alley, navigating around a parked car and a dumpster, finally pulling up at the back of a three story brick building.
He held her hand again as she dismounted and she looked up at the back of the building. It was clearly a bar; a neon sign hung in the window by the back door.
“The Plaza’s not much on the outside, but they have some decent bar burgers. I know you’re missing dinner.”
She looked up at Caleb. “I think it’s perfect.”
“Let’s go.”
He led her up the short set of wooden stairs, holding the door open for her. She stepped inside the dim interior, momentarily disoriented.
“This way.” His hand was on her elbow, his voice was low, his breath brushing her cheek as he steered her toward a corner booth. She slid across the worn red vinyl, taking in the rest of the bar as Caleb sat across from her. The place was nothing fancy, just a long narrow bar of dark wood, the walls hung with an eclectic assortment of mounted fish and 50s memorabilia.
“Like I said, it really is nothing fancy.” He caught her eyes. “It’s the company I’m interested in though.”
Again, Aubrey knew she was blushing and she hoped it was too dark for Caleb to notice. She dropped her eyes, then drew a breath and raised them to meet his. This had been her choice, a chance for a wild ride, to step out of the rigid confines of her life and let loose, have some fun.
“I’m interested in the company too, Caleb.”
His mouth curled in a smile that sent a wave of heat through Aubrey’s body. “Let’s start with food. Not sure about you, but I’m starving.”
Until he mentioned food, Aubrey hadn’t realized how hungry she was. “I’m hungry. I think I missed lunch.”
“Not good. Let’s get you something to eat then.”
Caleb motioned to the girl behind the bar and she sauntered over, pad of paper and pen in her hand.
“We’ll have two Plaza cheeseburgers, extra sauce, fries, and two Rolling Rocks.”
The girl wrote for a moment, snapping her gum. Then she nodded and strolled back to the bar. Aubrey watched her, idly wondering what it would be like to have a job like this, a job that when she left, she left behind. Before she could even finish the thought, her cell phone rang. Automatically she flipped it open. Predictably, it was her mother.
“I should take this.”
Caleb nodded and rose. Aubrey watched him walk to the bar, where the girl slid two bottles of beer across to him.
“Aubrey? Where are you? Paul said you were robbed! And then possibly kidnapped. What’s going on? I demand to know what is happening.”
“Mom. I’m fine. Some guy grabbed my purse and then another guy…”
That other guy was back, setting the beer bottles on the table, shrugging out of his leather jacket and sliding into the booth across from her. Aubrey’s eyes took in those muscular arms, the broad chest and tattoos, and then caught his gaze as he slid a bottle across the table toward her.
“Aubrey!”
“I’m having dinner with a friend, mom. Sorry for such short notice, but this just came up. I’m fine. Paul’s blowing things out of proportion. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Aubrey flipped the phone shut, cutting off the strident sound of her mother’s voice. The phone rang again almost immediately and Aubrey jabbed at the volume button, muting the phone’s ringing. She knew her mother would keep calling and then call Paul, who would then try calling her. Sighing, she shoved the phone back into her purse. When she looked up again, Caleb was watching her, one eyebrow lifted in a combination of amusement and sympathy.
“So, I get the impression your life’s a bit crazy at the moment.”
Aubrey sighed, pulling the beer toward her. “Yeah, that’s an understatement.” She took a long swallow, the crisp beer hitting the back of her throat. It felt wonderful and as hard as she tried, she couldn’t think of the last time she’d sat in a bar or even had a beer at home. There just never seemed to be any time to relax.
“I’m all ears if you want to get something off your chest. I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener… for a guy.” He tipped back his beer, his smiling eyes never leaving Aubrey’s face.
For the first time in days, weeks even, Aubrey felt a weight was lifted from her shoulders, as if she finally had permission to just let it all out.
“Haven’t you ever wanted to just change direction? Run away, join the circus? Do something spontaneous?”
Caleb laughed, a deep rich sound. He shook his head. “I’ve lived most of my life that way. I never do anything I don’t want to do. I may take an unexpected detour along the way, but I never get so sidetracked that I find myself lost.”
“But don’t you have responsibilities? Things people expect of you?”
“Those are different things, aren’t they? I have a job and bills to pay, if that’s what you mean, and I do both. But I don’t live my life according to other people’s expectations. My job is something I love, something that gets me out of bed every morning.
And the bills, well…I can’t avoid those.”
Aubrey sat back, speechless. She’d finally moved out of her parents’ home the last year of school, gotten her own apartment, and insisted on paying her own bills. But the apartment was in a neighborhood her mother deemed ‘safe’ and she was still required to attend family dinners. And Aubrey had to have a roommate. She agreed, although they rarely saw each other; Melissa was pre-law at the university and just as busy as Aubrey. She wondered more than once how having a roommate would make the world safer, but Aubrey knew better than to argue with her mother.
The symphony had been her mother’s idea—obsession—for as long as Aubrey could remember. There had been Suzuki violin lessons at such an early age. Back then, Aubrey had barely been able to hold the violin. It was the only thing she’d ever known.
“I’m auditioning for a spot with a pretty prestigious orchestra next week. It’s something I’ve worked for—pushed for—all my life. It would be my life.”
“ ‘Pushed for’ or pushed toward?”
Aubrey’s eyes widened. “Pushed toward, I guess. My parents, my mom really, wants this for me…maybe more than I want it for myself.”
“And what do you want, Aubrey? For yourself. What life would you want to wake up to every morning?” Caleb leaned forward, arms resting on the scarred table, eyes searching hers.
“I want...” She leaned forward as well, her voice dropping. She felt like she was about to speak heresy and her mother would appear in pearls and a puff of smoke to smite her with a big stick and disown her.
“I want to teach music to kids, little kids, elementary school kids perhaps. But not like I was taught. I want them to really love it, to find the joy in playing music.”
“So why don’t you do that?”
“Well…I can’t…” Aubrey floundered for a moment, every reason her mother ever told her why she should audition flooding her mind.
“I don’t know how to undo where I’m at. I can’t just stop…”
Caleb reached forward, taking her hands in his. A thrill went through her from his touch, and with it came the slow realization that she wanted more from this night than just a conversation with a guy in a bar.
“You can do anything you want, Aubrey. Anything.”
The thrill intensified, a subtle shiver coursing through her. In response, Caleb squeezed her hands.
“I think….” Before he could finish the sentence, the laconic waitress appeared with their order. Caleb let go of her hands and they both sat back as the waitress set their plates in front of them.
“You all set then?” She cracked her gum. Caleb looked at Aubrey, then at her bottle of beer, one eyebrow raised. Aubrey nodded.
“Two more Rolling Rocks and some ketchup and we’re good.”
Aubrey looked down at her plate. The burger was enormous, the pile of crispy fries hanging over the edge of the plate. Alongside was a small paper cup filled with a creamy sauce. She dipped her finger into it and took an experimental taste.
“What is this?” She grabbed a fry, dunked it, then stuck the whole thing in her mouth. “It’s amazing.”
Caleb poured ketchup on his plate, covering his fries. “It’s something top secret, but as near as I can tell, there’s sour cream. That’s about as far as my culinary skills go. But yeah, it’s pretty good.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Aubrey put down her half-eaten burger and wiped her mouth on a paper napkin.
“So what do you do, Caleb? What gets you out of bed every morning?”
Caleb took a swallow of beer. “I’m an artist.”
“Really? What school? Abstract, surrealist?”
“Right now, I tattoo. But art…painting…is my first love.”
Aubrey swallowed hard. “You’re a tattoo…guy? You tattoo people?”
“You can call us artists. Yeah. I love creating for people, either with art for their walls or art for their bodies. And there are enough bad tattoos out there as it is. I want to tip the scales, balance out all the dreck with something beautiful.”
Aubrey took another swallow of beer, stalling for a moment, not quite sure what to do with this new information about Caleb. In her mother’s world—and Aubrey’s, until now—artists were acceptable, even struggling artists. But tattoo artists were right up there with drug dealers and other sleazy members of society.
“You look like you want to bolt from the bar.”
Aubrey focused on Caleb. “No…but…”
“But I’m something outside your circle of experience, and you have no idea what to do with me.” His words held no rancor, just a hint of amusement, which reached his eyes as he held her gaze. “I have that effect on women.”
She swallowed, then nodded. “Pretty much. I mean, that you’re outside my circle of experience, not that I want to bolt from the bar.”
He pushed his plate aside and leaned forward. “Good. Because I’d really hate for that to happen.” The amusement in his eyes deepened into something dangerous. Aubrey’s lips parted, her breath coming up short.
“Oh.”
“Let’s go.”
Caleb tossed a few bills on the table and rose, holding out a hand to Aubrey. She took it. The touch of him, warm and solid, was reassuring and arousing at the same time. He held her hand as he led her out of the back door of the bar.
They walked toward his bike and Aubrey shivered. Twilight had descended; stars dotting the clear sky overhead, and with it came an unexpected chill.
“Here.” He took a step toward her and her heart skipped a beat.
Caleb draped his jacket around her, settling it on her shoulders. His hands lingered, sliding lightly down her arms, and the chill that ran through her now had nothing to do with the weather and everything to do with the gorgeous man standing in front of her. A curious ache rose up inside, a longing for more contact, running side by side with the sudden restless desire to throw herself at Caleb, grab the front of his t-shirt, pull him to her, and kiss those sensuous lips.
“Caleb…”
Wordlessly he bent his head, quickly capturing her lips before she could even find the words to finish the sentence, apparently able to read her mind. More likely he was able to read her body; if arousals were visible, she thought she’d be glowing.
She gave in to the pressure of his mouth, parting her lips, letting his tongue play with hers. He’d yet to touch her anywhere, his hands still resting lightly on her upper arms.
But his mouth was doing enough damage, as he slowly, deliciously devoured her. No one had ever kissed her like this and she eagerly parted her lips to him, tentatively matching his movements and then with growing confidence, initiating her own.
His mouth curved into a smile against hers as his hands tightened on her arms. A small sound started in the back of her throat, a tiny whimper as his lips moved over hers. Their kiss deepened and he finally pulled her against his chest, the hardness and warmth of his body pressed against hers, his scent of him surrounding her, rich and dark and utterly masculine.
The intensity between them was suddenly white hot, setting off a cascade of sensations inside Aubrey. Everything spun dizzily and for a moment it was all too much.
She pulled away with a gasp, eyes wide, hand over her mouth. Caleb made a sound somewhere between a groan and a growl. For a heartbreaking moment, she thought he was angry with her and she looked up into his eyes with trepidation, her body tensing in his grip.
But what she saw as he looked down at her was anything but anger. His face bore the traces of what she felt: intensity, arousal, and longing. His mouth was relaxed, those lips that had just been hard against hers parted, his breathing just fast enough for her to realize what they’d shared was just as passionate for him as it had been for her.
“Nothing’s going to happen that you don’t want, Aubrey. I’d never force you to do something against your will. There’s nothing in that for me. I want this…I want you. But only if you’re in this with me.”
&n
bsp; She looked into his eyes, hooded with arousal, dark with the intensity of his emotions. There was nothing there, nothing at all in those blue depths that scared her. Any fear she felt, any hesitancy faded.
“I want you too, Caleb.” She breathed the words, barely able to hear them. She drew a breath, ready to repeat the words.
But Caleb heard her. A brief flicker of relief passed over his features and he smiled down at her. The smile grew, warm and sensual, utterly charming. Aubrey returned his smile, and the realization of what she’d just opened the door to sent a shiver of delight through her.
“Then let’s take this someplace else. I live close by…” There was a question there, but Aubrey was already nodding.
“Yes.” The word, spoken clearly, hung in the air. Caleb nodded, grabbed her hand, and walked to his bike with her in tow. He threw one long leg over, settling himself on the machine. Aubrey pulled on his jacket, dwarfed inside the black leather. He grinned at her then offered her his hand.
With more confidence than before, she climbed on behind Caleb, sliding her arms around him. She was immediately conscious of his body against hers, his warmth against her breasts, the hardness of the muscles in his chest beneath her hands. He started the bike, gunned the engine, and pulled back into the alley.
Even though she was excited to get wherever they were going, she wished this ride would be a long one. She’d put her arms around his chest in an initial death grip as they’d pulled into traffic, but she’d relaxed now and her hands slid lower. Caleb’s t-shirt was stretched tight against every inch of him and her exploring fingers felt the flat plane of his stomach. She closed her eyes, leaning her head against his shoulder, trying to imagine what he’d look like without his t-shirt, if he had a smooth chest or if he had any chest hair.
Her fingers strayed lower, slowly caressing his belly through his shirt. She felt the outline of his navel, her finger tracing the taut edge. Her finger moved a hair’s breadth lower, skimming across the waistband of his jeans.
Caleb shuddered briefly beneath her hand and she quickly moved her hand higher. He pulled up to a stoplight and turned his head, leaning back. She was forced to sit up and he reached behind her head with one arm, pulling her face close to his lips.
Full Throttle Page 2