As soon as she regained her balance she slapped him on the shoulder - thankfully not his bad shoulder. It wasn't a playful, coy little slap. Not in the least. She was serious.
“Stop sneaking up on me!” she yelled. After forcefully pulling away from him, Amber bent down, grabbed her jacket and purse off of the chair, and started to walk around him, headed for the door in a huff.
He didn’t want her to leave this upset. Not knowing what else to do he asked, “Do you have gloves?”
She looked back up at him like he had lost his mind. “What?”
Seth repeated the question, “Do you have gloves?”
She blew out an audible breath her hands outstretched in frustration, “I heard you the first time. I meant, what are you talking about? Seriously, can’t you ever just have a normal conversation?”
“Yes,” he said trying not to smile at how cute she looked when she was telling him off.
People normally didn’t call him out on things. He was how he was. No one questioned it. But in Harper’s Crossing, things were different. His brothers certainly had no problem with it, and he liked that she didn’t either.
A look of resignation crossed her face. She pulled a pair of gloves out of her purse, “Yes. I have gloves.”
“Do you have to be anywhere right now?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “No.”
Before he changed his mind, he reached down, grabbed her hand and started towards the door.
She pulled her hand back. “Helloooo. Where are we going?”
He looked down at her and asked simply, “Do you trust me?”
She stared at him blankly. He hadn’t realized until this moment how much her trust meant to him. His stomach clenched as he waited for her response.
“Yes,” she nodded, placing her hand in his.
He closed his eyes as a sense of relief and happiness washed over him at the sound of that one small, simple word.
“Put on your jacket and your gloves,” he instructed.
She straightened her back, chin held high. Then she raised her hand to her forehead and saluted him, barking smartly, “Yes sir.”
“Smart ass,” he smiled, shaking his head.
She laughed as she put on her jacket and gloves. A sense of pride welled up in him that he had been the one to make her happy after she had been so upset. He liked that feeling.
Chapter Fourteen
“Okay,” Amber shifted back and forth on her feet, not from the cold, but from nerves. “I know I said I trust you and I do. Totally. But…are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Yes,” Seth replied in his trademark flat tone.
Right, so that didn’t really help. She did not feel any more assured by his ‘yes.’
Information. That’s what she needed. Facts. Statistics that would ease her mind.
She asked, “How many people have you had on the back of this thing?”
“None.”
Wow. That answer soooo did not calm her nerves.
Wait a minute. That didn’t make any sense. She looked down at her hands.
“Then why do you have two helmets?” She held the helmet up as Exhibit A.
He sighed, “In case one of my cousins talked me into taking them for a ride.”
“People can actually talk you into things?” She didn’t even try to hide the shock in her voice.
His mouth turned up in a smile, dimples and all, before his eyes grew dark with intensity. “Some people.”
His words spread through her like hot chocolate, warming her from the inside out. Well, that calmed her nerves right on down. Alright, that settled it. She was doing it.
She kept looking into his eyes, his gaze locked with hers, giving her the courage she needed as she put the helmet on over her beanie and clipped the strap under her chin. He reached up and adjusted it slightly on her head, then tightened the strap.
“Do you remember what I told you?” he asked when he was finished.
She nodded. He just stared at her.
“Yes,” she answered.
The engine roared and Amber swallowed…hard. Then, before she chickened out, she threw her leg over the back, threw her arms around Seth, and held on for dear life.
Her eyes were shut tight and she could feel her heart pounding hard against Seth’s solid back. She felt the bike tilt up beneath her and she squeezed her eyes tighter. Then there was a deep vibration between her legs and they were moving.
Her arms gripped him hard around his torso. She was holding him so tightly that she was scared she might crack one of his ribs. Still, he was just gonna have to take one for the team at this point, because she was not letting go or even loosening her grip.
She tried to remember the instructions he had given her. Lean with him. Keep feet on pegs. Don’t make hand signals to other drivers.
Check, check, and check.
No danger of that last one anyway, because of the aforementioned 'not letting go' thing! So, really, she just had to think about leaning and feet. Two things. Doable, even at high speeds.
A few minutes into the ride, she opened her eyes just a little and saw that they were on the frontage road along the river. The shimmering water was illuminated by the moon shining across its surface and the strings of lights the city had recently put up, lining the riverbank with a magical glow.
It was beautiful. She felt all of the stress and worry of the past week – hell, maybe even the past decade - melting off of her as she watched the beauty of the river flash by. Nothing else existed except right now. Right here. This moment.
This was exactly what she imagined flying would feel like. Free. Weightless. Amazing.
All of her life she had been terrified of motorcycles. They seemed wild and untamable. She stayed away from them for the same reason she had gotten drunk one time, and one time only - because she liked to have control over her environment.
She knew the only reason she was on this thing now was because she knew with absolute certainty that Seth could handle the machine. She innately sensed that he could handle anything. He was the most capable man she had ever met. Capable and frustrating, sure - but capable all the same.
In relationships, Amber had always maintained the upper hand. She had always attributed this to a number of factors. First, it was common knowledge that the person who cared the least in any given relationship held the most power. Needless to say, she had always made sure that she cared the least.
Second, she wasn’t a highly emotional person. She dealt in logic. When you took the emotions out of actions you usually made a smarter move than your opponent, or (in this case) significant other. She did not misstep. Not ever.
Third, she liked to win. Now, she would be the first to admit that it’s not the most romantic thing in the world to look at relationships merely as games to be won or lost. But, be that as it may, she won. Every time.
And last, but certainly not least, she picked safe men. Men that she could handle being with. Men that didn’t ever challenge her or take her out of her comfort zone. The thing with men like that is, they don’t usually cause you to fall head over heels for them. There's just not enough spark to make a fire. Amber was fine with that. She appreciated the certainty of safe men, the knowledge that her heart would remain intact.
The problem with Seth was that from the first moment she'd met him, he’d represented complete and total safety...while simultaneously representing complete and total danger. How he pulled that off was beyond her, but he did – and spectacularly, at that.
She trusted him to keep her safe. She knew he would never do anything to intentionally hurt her, and she knew that if he was around, he wouldn’t let anyone else hurt her, either.
The danger came into play because she also knew that she couldn’t risk her heart with him. That was a problem, because her instinctive response to him was so powerful that she wasn’t sure if the walls of protection she had built around her heart could withstand it.
Ah, well. There was
nothing she could do about that right this second. That was a worry for another day. Right now none of that mattered. Because tonight? Tonight, she was flying.
--- ~ ---
Amber’s hands spread across Seth’s abdomen, gripping tightly - but not the same way that she had when they had started their ride, back when she had been terrified. He could tell that she was not afraid now, not at all.
When she had put the helmet on and decided to go, a feeling of pride had washed over him. He knew that she trusted him now, with her life. That fact shouldn’t make him as happy as it did.
They had been out for over an hour and he sensed immediately the moment she had surrendered to the experience. Her body had relaxed behind him and he could almost feel the tension draining from her.
He could still feel her breasts pressed up against his back. Her inner thighs gripped his hips. But it was not in a holding-on-for-dear-life type of a feeling anymore. Now, it felt more like the grip of exploration and enjoyment.
He had chosen to cruise this route along the river because the day he had gotten his bike, five years ago, it was the first thing that he had wanted to do. Obviously, since he had been stationed in North Carolina it hadn’t been an option.
Since he had gotten home a week ago, he had been meaning to do it, but it had never felt like the right time. This ride was momentous and symbolic – it meant he was accepting that this was his life. That he lived in Harper’s Crossing. That he was no longer a Marine.
Somehow, though, with Amber behind him it wasn’t such a hard thing to face. He had always used rides to set the reset on his brain. In the past, he had used the solitary time to work out his demons on the open road. After being out with Amber, he wasn’t sure if a solo ride would still hold as much appeal.
The experience was heightened beyond what he had ever imagined it could be. He knew that she needed this just as much as he did. He could feel that she was enjoying it just as much as he was. This ride felt sacred.
Unfortunately, he knew that for a novice rider, they had been out long enough. He didn’t want her to wake up tomorrow sore because he had kept her out too long. If she was going to be sore and him be the cause, it wouldn’t be because of his motorcycle, he thought to himself as he pulled back on the main road that would take them back to the shelter, allowing himself a small grin.
He felt her melt into him as he did, and he could almost hear a sigh coming from her mouth, realizing they were headed back. If he wasn’t mistaken, her body language was saying that she didn’t want this ride to end any more than he did.
She made him wish that he could be different. That he could be the man for her.
He wasn’t.
She deserved someone who wasn’t as damaged as he was. After hearing her conversation with her mom, he hadn’t been able to distance himself like he should have. Granted, he had only heard her end of it, with bits and pieces of the other side, but it was enough for him to figure out the basics.
He thought she had needed a friend and he wanted to be there for her.
That was it. He hadn’t had any ulterior motivation. But somehow this innocent ride had turned into a much more intimate experience that he had anticipated.
Pulling into the lot, he parked next to her car. He heard the click that told him she was unfastening her helmet. She grabbed his shoulders for leverage as he felt her swing her leg off. She stumbled as she tried to stand. He wrapped his arm around her waist and steadied her.
“My legs feel like Jello.” Her warm golden-green eyes were filled with excitement.
“That’s normal,” he explained, not removing his arm.
Their faces were mere inches apart. She licked her lips expectantly. He wanted to kiss her so badly but he knew that it would end messily if he did. Their lives were too intertwined for messy.
He stared at her, not able to look away from her full plump lips, gorgeous glowing skin and windblown hair. She looked like she had when they had laid in bed together, before he had fallen asleep. She looked like a satisfied woman.
That made him want to satisfy her in the same ways he had in that hotel room. Which was exactly why he needed to keep some space between them.
When he removed his arm he saw a flash of disappointment in her eyes before she quickly masked it. She smiled but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. He didn’t want that. He didn’t want to be the cause of any sadness for her. That was why he knew he was doing exactly the right thing by maintaining distance.
“Thank you so much for the ride. It was incredible. I feel so relaxed and calm.” Her arms stretched out and she spun around once, “It felt like I was flying.”
“I’m glad you liked it.” The corners of his mouth turned into a grin.
“I loved it!” she exclaimed. “I was always scared of bikes. I even had to break up with a few guys because they wouldn’t leave me alone about riding with them.”
Her eyes widened as she realized the gravity of the statement she had just made.
“Why did you ride with me?” he felt his heart tighten at her admission and for some reason he just wanted her to say it.
She stared, her eyes glowing with emotion, “I trust you.”
Even though he already knew the answer, those three words washed over him in a powerful wave.
He knew he didn’t have any rights to her. No rights to make any demands whatsoever, but he heard the words coming out of his mouth, “Don’t ride with anyone else.”
Her eyes darkened with lust at his authoritative command. She licked her lips. He wanted so badly to kiss her perfect mouth. His body knew what her lips felt like and it ached for them. He heard a deep moan of appreciation escape him.
A knowing half-smile tilted Amber’s mouth as she shrugged. “We’ll see. I might trust other people too.” Lifting her hands to her chest, she added sincerely, “I’m a very trusting person.”
“Smart ass,” he smiled, knowing she was messing with him.
“You keep calling me that like it’s a bad thing,” she smiled proudly. “Just so you know, I take it as a compliment.”
“It is a compliment.” His voice had an edge of need to it.
He saw her shiver and realized it was freezing out and she needed to get in her car. He got his bike and walked to her passenger door. He heard her unlocking it as he did.
After he opened it, she stepped inside and sat down. Her eyes filled with sincerity as she looked up at him and touched his chest. “Honestly Seth, thank you for the ride, the security system, the class. Everything.”
He nodded at her before closing the door.
She rolled down her window as she pulled out of the space. “Now that I know you can speak in full paragraphs we’re going to have to try and work that into our conversations.”
She smiled widely, her eyes bright with humor as she waved goodbye to him.
He shook his head as his own face broke into an unintentional smile. Smart ass.
Chapter Fifteen
Amber heard the knock on her door and walked slowly to answer it. With every step, her body told her that muscles that had not been used in a very long time – if ever – had been overworked the night before. Not that she was complaining.
That bike ride with Seth along the river had been one of the best nights of her life, only coming in second to her night in DC with her Mystery Man now-known-as-Seth. Yes, she realized there was a pattern here. Both nights had one thing in common…Seth. No, she did not want to think about the significance of that observation.
She looked through the peephole and saw Jamie standing there, holding brownies. Hmmmm...Jamie might just be her new best friend.
Amber opened the door to her smiling, brownie-bearing, neighbor.
“I come with chocolate treats.”
“In case I haven’t told you lately,” Amber said as she stepped out of the way to let Jamie in, “you are the best neighbor a girl could ever have.”
Amber noticed Jamie’s smile falter a little and then return looking a
little forced.
“Everything okay?” Amber asked, feeling a little worried. She hadn’t known Jamie that long but Amber truly did consider her one of her best friends. There were just some people you clicked, with and she and Jamie had clicked.
Jamie and Joey, Jamie’s six-year-old son, had only moved to Harper’s Crossing a little over a month ago but it already felt like they had been there for years.
Jamie had recently gotten engaged to Alex Sloan. Things had happened really fast and Amber hoped everything was okay with them.
“Everything’s great,” Jamie said brightly. Her false cheeriness was not really putting Amber’s mind at ease.
They moved into the kitchen where Amber pulled the milk out of the fridge and two glasses from the cabinet.
Jamie sat at the small breakfast nook and when Amber sat down, she asked her, “How are things with you and Seth going?”
Jamie was, by far, the least gossipy person Amber knew, so it took her by surprise to hear that question coming from her. Amber would expect this line of questioning from Katie, Sophie or one of the Sloan girls. Even Chelle, if she were feeling concerned about Amber.
But Jamie? She never got involved in any of the juicy stories of the day. So why was she sitting in Amber’s kitchen asking her about Seth?
“Umm…” Amber took a drink of milk to stall. She wasn’t trying to shut her friend out, she just really wasn’t sure what to say.
“Alex and I are getting married on Christmas Eve,” Jamie blurted out.
“That’s great! I am so happy for you guys!” Amber exclaimed. She was happy for her friends...and also happy the subject had moved off of herself and Seth.
Jamie continued, “I wanted to wait a little bit, but you know how Alex is. He’s pretty determined once he sets his mind to something. So I just insisted that we wait until after Chelle had the baby and then we would set a date.”
My Everything - Seth & Amber Page 11