by Opal Carew
He handed her the helmet and she pushed her long, black hair behind her shoulders and pulled it on.
She stepped closer to the bike, eyeing it, wondering how in the heck she was going to get on it in this dress and still look ladylike. She’d have to swing her leg over and—
He wrapped his big hands around her waist and lifted her, setting her atop the seat. Luckily the dress had a full skirt, so she held it in place in front of her as she straddled the leather seat.
“That shawl’s not a good idea.” He held out his hand and she reluctantly drew the rectangular woven shawl from her shoulders and handed it to him.”
His gaze fell to her chest and she wished she still had the protection of the shawl around her.
“You’re going to be cold in that dress.” He unzipped his leather jacket and pulled it off.
Her gaze fell on the tattoos coiling down his muscular arms from his black T-shirt. The sight of them took her breath away. She’d never known anyone who was so… bad-ass. And wickedly exciting.
“Here, put this on.”
“But what about you?”
“I’ll be fine.”
She pulled the big jacket around her, slipping her arms into the huge sleeves. The musky male scent of him enveloped her. He zipped it up as she pushed the sleeves up as best she could. He climbed onto the bike in front of her, then the engine roared to life.
“You have to hang on, so wrap your arms around my waist.”
She slid her arms around his muscular body. The heat and hardness of his body sent her hormones into a spin. The engine roared louder as he pulled onto the road As they picked up speed, she tightened her hold on him, her body pressing tight to his solid back.
What had she been thinking? Getting onto a motorcycle with a complete stranger—one covered in tattoos, no less—then driving away with him into the night.
It was dark and the big machine wound along the twisting road. She shivered as she clung to him, terrified he’d lose control and they’d go spilling onto the hard pavement.
“It’s okay. I’ll get you home safely,” he said over the engine.
She just nodded and held on tight. Finally the road straightened out and she relaxed a little. Unfortunately, she then became very conscious of how close her body was to his. He was hot and sexy, and oh, so masculine. And it didn’t help that the vibration of the big machine between her legs sent heat coiling through her.
She shifted on the seat, alarmed by her growing excitement.
Relieved, she saw the lights of town glowing ahead. A few minutes later, they’d reached the outskirts and streetlights lit their path. She gave him directions to her place.
He pulled up in front of the house she directed him to, then turned off the bike and dismounted. She held down her skirt and drew her leg over the bike, then hopped down to the ground. She unzipped his jacket and drew it from her shoulders, then handed it to him.
“Thank you.” Then she removed the helmet and gave him that, too.
He dropped the helmet and his jacket in the container attached to the back of the bike and grabbed her shawl, which he’d stowed inside. Instead of handing it to her, he draped it around her shoulders.
“You know, I’m new in town.” He smiled, a devastatingly sexy show of straight white teeth. “I’d love to see you again. Maybe you could show me around.”
“I don’t think that’s good idea.” You scare the hell out of me.
He stepped close. That winning smile was so sexy she thought she’d melt on the spot. “I think it’s a great idea,” he said in a low, almost growly voice.
She just shook her head. “Thanks for the ride.”
“You’re welcome.”
She hesitated, knowing she should walk away, but his captivating blue gaze held her mesmerized.
Suddenly, she found herself swept into his arms, and his warm lips captured hers. The kiss was devastatingly sensual, persuasive, and erotic. His tongue dipped into her mouth with a gentle nudge, then swirled and slipped away. His big body wrapped around hers made her hormones swirl and vibrate through her in a whirlwind of confusion.
God, she wanted to drag him up to her apartment and into her bed right now.
But that’s not how she did things.
She did not sleep with complete strangers.
No matter how devastatingly handsome.
Especially a crazy tattooed biker who almost ran her over on the road. Even though that was mostly her fault.
“Good night, Jessica I-don’t-know-your-last-name.” He grinned. “And I bet this isn’t your place, either, is it? You know I’m going to watch until you’re safely inside, so unless you know the people who live in this house well enough to walk inside at 2 a.m., then why don’t you own up.”
She sighed. “Okay. I live in the apartment building at the end of the street.”
He gazed down at her, seeming a little sad. “You know, Jessica. I wish you didn’t distrust me so much. I promise I won’t hurt you.”
She gazed up at him and nodded nonsensically, mesmerized by the warmth in his eyes.
He laughed. “Okay, back on the bike, or walk?”
It was only about fifty yards away.
“Walk.”
She started forward, but her heel tipped on a stone and she wobbled a little before she steadied her footing, more from the wild sensations still flooding through her after that kiss than anything else. Suddenly he scooped her into his arms. She clung to his neck as he carried her to her building.
“I really can walk, you know.”
“I know it, but it’s the only way left for me to give you a ride.”
Their gazes met and other ways of him “giving her a ride” jumped to mind. Her cheeks heated at the unbidden thought and he grinned, clearly knowing exactly what kind of ride she was thinking about.
“Well, Miss Jessica I-don’t-know-your-last-name, I see you’re not quite as prim as your pretty white dress and skittish attitude let on.” He reached the entrance to her building and set her down. “I sure would love a coffee.”
She fished for the keys in her purse. “There’s an all night donut shop on Main. Just go back the way you came then turn left.”
“You’re a hard woman, Miss I-don’t-know-your-last-name.”
“And you’re a hard man,” she said absently as she continued searching in her large purse, having trouble finding the darned keys.
Her fingers curled around them and she pulled them out, then glanced up to see his eyes twinkling. Clearly, he’d taken her “hard man” comment, which she realized she hadn’t finished, for something else. She could just imagine the part of him he was imagining hard. Or that was already hard.
Oh, God. She had to stop her gaze from drifting to the front of his jeans.
“I meant, a hard man to get rid of,” she said tightly. Now that just seemed mean. She sucked in a deep breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude. I’m just tired. I really do appreciate you helping me out. Thank you.”
His eyes, which she could now see by the overhead light were a gorgeous shade of sky blue, gazed at her with warmth.
“You’re very welcome.”
She almost expected him to pull her into his arms again. In fact, part of her longed for him to do so. But instead he just stood waiting. When she didn’t move—man, she was rattled—he took the keys from her hand and opened the door, then handed them back to her.
He pulled the door open and held it for her. “Good night.”
She stepped inside.
“Jessica, I’m not going to give up on you. Just fair warning.” Then he released the door and walked away.
The next day, the sun shone brightly and the cloudless sky was a vivid blue, so Jessica decided to go to the beach. Since her car was in the shop—she’d called them last night to tow it in—she couldn’t do any of the errands she’d hoped to get done today, but having a day off to just relax was not a bad thing. She threw on her bathing suit, then a tank top and sarong overto
p. After tossing a towel in her beach bag, along with a water bottle and some sunscreen, she put on her sunglasses and a straw hat and walked the mile to the lake. Usually, she’d go with Sally, but Sally had plans with her fiancé today.
She found a nice place on the beach that was far enough back from the water, so she wouldn’t have sand kicked on her as children ran past. Several giggled and played right on the water’s edge, a couple building an elaborate sand castle with plastic buckets and shovels. She laid her towel on the sand, then she shed her sarong and tank top and stretched out.
The sun beat down on her as she read her book, and soon she put it down and closed her eyes, enjoying the heat on her body.
“Hey, if you fall asleep, you’re going to burn.”
She opened her eyes and smiled up at Travis. She couldn’t see his eyes behind the mirrored lenses of his sunglasses, but his lips were curled up in a smile.
She grinned back at him. “What’s it to you?”
“I don’t want a sister who looks like a lobster.”
She grabbed her rolled up top and threw it at him, aiming at his face, but he just caught it and tossed it on her bag.
“Mom mentioned you were coming here today, so I thought I’d stop by and see if I could find you. Good thing you’re in your usual spot. We just finished rehearsing and I thought you might want to grab a bite to eat together.”
“Sure.” She stood up and gathered her things, then tossed them in her bag. She slipped on her sandals. “Should I go get changed?”
He shrugged. “We’re just grabbing something at the snack bar.”
She followed him across the sand to the park at the edge of the beach, then across the grass to the stands where they sold food, but he walked right by them.
“I already grabbed the food and it’s at the picnic table.”
It was odd that he’d leave the food unattended, but her brother had his quirky ways.
“Over there.” He pointed to one of the picnic tables under a big tree, but there was someone already sitting there. “I hope you don’t mind. I invited a friend. He’s new in the band. Just arrived in town last night.”
She could only see his back, but the tribal tattoo around his left arm was a dead giveaway. This was Storm, the biker who had driven her home last night.
“Oh, uh… I should go change first.” She did not want to sit across from this man in just her bikini.
“Forget it. The food’s already getting cold, and I can’t stay too long.”
She sighed, tugging her sarong from the bag and quickly wrapped it around her hips as she followed him to the table. She walked to the other side as Travis sat down beside Storm.
“Hey, Storm, this is my baby sister, Jess.”
Storm pulled off his sunglasses and slid them in his pocket, his eyes gleaming as he took in her low cut bathing suit top and bare midriff, his mouth curling up in a smile.
“Hello again.”
“Storm told me he helped out a woman last night whose blue Ford Escort had died on the road into town. I figured that must be you. When I told him I was going to track you down for lunch, he asked if he could tag along.”
She nodded. “Thanks again.”
“My pleasure.”
Travis handed her a paper plate with a hamburger and fries, and a soda in a covered cup, then he sat down and set his sunglasses on the wooden table. She didn’t realize how hungry she was until she took her first bite. She opened a ketchup packet and squeezed it onto her plate, getting some of it on her fingers. As she opened her mouth and slid her index finger inside to lick off the ketchup, she noticed Storm watching her with a glitter in his eyes.
She raised an eyebrow. Really? He was going to make a thing out of the fact she was sucking on her finger. She slid her middle finger into her mouth, wrapping her lips around it and…
Oh, damn, now all she could think about was penises… big and hard… She picked up the hamburger and bit down on it, pushing the images out of her mind. But when she wrapped her lips around the straw to take a drink, thoughts of his big member sliding into her mouth made her cheeks burn.
“How do you two know each other?” she asked. “Did you have auditions today?”
Travis was part of a rock band and they’d lost their guitarist. They’d known it was going to happen for several weeks now, but they hadn’t found someone to replace him yet.
“We met when I went to Colorado last month for that big music festival. He jammed with me and the guys and we all figured he was a good fit. I told him we needed a new guitar player and if he wanted the gig, it was his. He let me know last week that he was interested.”
Jessica turned to Storm. “So you’re staying in Bakersfield?”
“Yeah, for a while.”
Travis threw his arm around Storm. “Man, this guy is awesome. You should see some of the shit he’s into.”
“Really?” That certainly sounded ominous.
“Turn off your judgmental face, Jess.” Travis pulled out his phone and flicked his fingers over the screen. “I mean stuff like this.”
He showed her the phone and there was a picture of Storm hanging from a vertical, sheer rock cliff. He flicked through a few more pictures showing Storm progressing up the rock face, then one of him hanging from the underside of a huge lip right at the summit.
“The guy does all kinds of stuff like that.” He grinned at his new friend. “Clearly, he doesn’t understand the meaning of the word fear.”
She shivered at the sight of him dangling in the air, a long, sheer drop beneath him. “I don’t know how you could do something like that. It would terrify me.”
“Maybe if I show you how to do it, you won’t find it so disturbing.”
Travis laughed. “You’ll never get my sister anywhere near a cliff like that.”
Storm shrugged. “We could start small, with harnesses.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Travis continued flicking through the photos on his screen, then he laughed and nudged Storm’s arm. “Hey, remember this?”
He turned the phone to Jessica. “This guy is awesome on stage. We went to see him play at a club in Colorado, and I recorded this video.
Travis handed her the phone and she pressed play. The sound on the phone wasn’t great, but she could see the passion in his eyes as he played. She sat mesmerized, watching him own the stage as he played his music.
“Watch this part,” Travis said.
Storm frowned. “I don’t think she wants to see that.”
At the end of the song, a woman jumped up on stage and scrambled toward him. She wore embarrassingly short Daisy Dukes which revealed the bottom of her bare behind, and a midriff top that was cut so low, it looked like her boobs would drop out at any minute. She threw her arms around Storm and kissed him passionately.
Then the video ended.
“Is that your girlfriend?” she asked, annoyed at the jealousy seething through her.
“No, that’s the thing,” Travis answered. “The women just throw themselves at him.”
She took a sip of her drink. What did she expect? He was gorgeous, sexy, and he was a rocker. Of course beautiful women would throw themselves at him.
Travis glanced at his watch, then wolfed down his second hamburger.
“I’ve got to go.” Travis put on his sunglasses and stood up. “I’m meeting with a new potential manager today. If he’s any good I’ll get the rest of the guys together and see what they think.”
“I should get going, too,” she said.
“Nonsense,” Travis said. “Stay and keep Storm company.”
Jessica glanced at Storm who hadn’t finished his lunch yet. It seemed rude to just walk away. Anyway, she still had her drink to finish.
“See you later, sis.” Travis sauntered away and disappeared beyond the trees.
“Your brother’s a great guy.”
“I think so. We’ve always been close.” She smiled. “We always looked out for
each other in school, although I think I was the more protective one. He’s always been the dreamer while I was the practical one.”
“Yeah, I could tell.” He smiled and his gaze fell to her swimsuit top. “You look gorgeous today, by the way.”
She was both embarrassed at being so exposed, and elated that he found her attractive. She sipped her drink as he finished his lunch.
“I really should get going,” she said, and stood up. “I’ve gotten more than enough sun today.”
He stood up, too. “Let me give you a ride home.”
She thought about protesting, but the thought of wrapping her arms around him and leaning against his big body while they rode his big bike was too appealing.
He took her bag and they walked to the parking lot. The sight of his sleek black bike sent a thrill through her.
He pulled his leather jacket from the storage compartment. “You’re going to need this again. It’ll protect you from the wind.”
She pulled it on, then donned the helmet he handed her. She climbed onto the big machine, her sarong pulling open as she sat straddling the wide leather seat. He glanced appreciatively at the expanse of thigh laid bare, then he put on his sunglasses and mounted the bike. Soon they were speeding along the road, her arms linked tightly around his waist.
Then he pulled up at her door and climbed off the bike. Once he’d retrieved her bag from the storage bin, she handed him his helmet and jacket, missing the warmth as soon as she pulled it off.
“Thanks again. And good luck with the band.”
But as she started to walk away, he grasped her hand and drew her back.
“Wait. I told you I wouldn’t give up.” He pulled off his sunglasses, revealing his compelling, sky blue eyes. “Go out on a date with me.”
She frowned. “Look, I get it. You’re used to women following you around, throwing themselves at you. You probably just have to snap you fingers and they fall at your feet. It must be wonderful for you, but that’s not me. If you’re hoping I’m some kind of groupie—”
“No, I don’t think you’re some kind of groupie. And you don’t get it. I don’t want some beautiful, vapid blonde who’s only attracted to me because I play a mean guitar, or because she figures I’m famous because I’m up on a stage.”