by Iris Abbott
“I was wondering about that. Knowing I can talk to you in some way other than hand signals and rapid taps on the shoulder is a relief.”
“I wouldn’t consider taking you out without a way for you to communicate how you’re doing. I love riding, and I want to do everything I can to make sure you love it too. By the way, if the helmet is comfortable and you like the style, it’s all yours.”
Marla lightly chewed on her bottom lip. “I don’t know. It seems like a waste. I don’t own my own bike, so even if I enjoy our ride, I may never have the opportunity to do it again.”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem as long as you’re hanging out around here.” He flipped up the visor of the full face helmet so that he could look her in the eyes. “After last night, I don’t plan on letting you go anytime soon. So you might as well get used to being on the back of my bike.”
The intense look on his face caused Marla’s heartbeat to skyrocket. A small kernel of hope sprouted inside her and began to grow. “Even after Rob’s been dealt with, and it’s safe for me to go back to my own place?” she whispered.
“Even then,” he said. His voice was filled with conviction. “We still have a lot to learn about each other, and I want to know it all, feel it all, and experience it all with you.”
The hope inside her blossomed to completely overtake all other emotions. “Just so you know. I’d like that a lot.”
“The open road is waiting for us. Let’s ride!” He blew her a kiss and used a finger to tap the visor on her helmet closed.
Marla watched him swing his leg over the bike and settle onto the seat. She gave the small passenger seat a dubious stare. She took a deep breath and emulated Copper’s move. She pressed her knees into his side and tightly wrapped her arms around his chiseled middle.
“Stay nestled close just like you are now and hold on tight,” he warned. “You have to trust that I know what I’m doing. I’ve been riding bikes since I was old enough to remember. It’s the one thing Mercury, Steel, and I got from our paternal grandfather before he passed away.”
“You make riding a motorcycle sound so easy.”
“You’ll catch on in no time. I promise you’ll love it. There’s just one more thing,” he warned. “I’m going to lean into sharp curves. I need you to go with the flow. Follow my body and the natural movement of the bike. If you freak out and fight me by moving in the opposite direction, it might cause us to crash.”
Marla gently bumped the front of her head against his shoulder twice and let out a groan. “Great, I’m really freaking out about this ride now,” she told him.
“I’ll start out slow so that you have a little time to adjust to the feel of the bike under you. But once we get through town and out on the freeway, I’m going to open up the throttle, so be prepared.”
The ride was exhilarating. Her heart raced, and adrenaline coursed through her body as they flew down the fast lane of the freeway, passing car after car. The rush of wind was invigorating and probably addictive.
Copper was a confident and skilled biker. She never once felt afraid or uncomfortable riding behind him. She loved the freedom being on the back of his bike gave her. It somehow seemed liberating to race down the road without being surrounded by a steel framework separating you from the rest of the world.
She spent most of the ride tucked in as close to Copper’s solid body as she could get. Riding on the back of his bike was a great excuse to cuddle as far as Marla was concerned. About ninety minutes later, the beautiful island of Galveston came into view. She relaxed her grip when Copper slowed the bike and eased away from him enough to enjoy the passing scenery.
“There’s a state park not too far from here,” she heard Copper say through the Bluetooth. “You want to park the bike and check out the beach?”
“That would be great,” she enthusiastically exclaimed. “Natalie and I usually come here four or five times a year to explore. It’s a great one day retreat. I never get tired of the sand, surf, and sun!”
About five minutes later the bike was parked, and Copper held out a hand to help her off. Marla removed the helmet and jacket she was wearing and gave them to Copper. He removed a couple of bottles of water from the saddlebags on the back of his bike before storing her things inside.
“Good thinking,” she said taking an offered bottle. She took a couple of sips of the refreshing liquid before stepping forward. Her legs felt rubbery, and she wobbled. “Wow. I felt fine during the ride, but I have a feeling that muscles I didn’t even know existed are going to be screaming in the morning.”
“I know what to do for that,” he told her with a wicked gleam in his eyes.
“Really,” she was intrigued and couldn’t wait to hear what he suggested. “Do tell,” she urged him with a breathless smile.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled her neck. “How does a full body massage sound?”
“Absolutely divine, you sure know how to spoil a lady,” she told him.
Copper’s arms tightened around her. “Not really.”
“It sure seems that way to me. I think most women would find a bike ride, walk on the beach, and the offer of a massage very romantic.”
“Don’t go ruining my reputation,” he growled. “I don’t do romantic walks on the beach, and I’m usually the one getting the massage,” he smirked.
Underneath the gruff words, Marla thought she heard a hint of vulnerability. She was beginning to believe that her rapidly developing feelings were not one-sided. She wondered how much he would admit if she pushed him just a little bit more. “What’s today all about then?”
“You’re worth the effort, so I’m going that extra mile, but only for you, darlin’.”
She turned around until they were facing each other. She stood on her tiptoes and brought her mouth a mere inch from his. “That’s good to know, because I think you’re worth it too.” She leaned in closer until their lips were touching.
Copper’s hands left her waist and traveled up her body until he was cupping her face. “Open for me, darlin’.” He thrust his tongue inside her parted lips. Their tongues met and tangled.
Marla pressed against him trying to get closer. She’d probably crawl inside him if she could. A honking horn broke the spell, however, and the two lovers sprang apart from each other. She looked at him through dazed eyes from a passion-induced fog.
“I’m not much on public displays of affection. But you make me forget where I am, what I’m doing, and everything that’s going on around me.”
“That makes two of us. When you’re in my arms, it’s just you and me, everything else fades into nothingness.”
Wow. She actually felt weak in the knees. If Copper wasn’t holding her up, she might very well have melted into a puddle of goo on the asphalt of the parking lot. Then she realized that Copper wasn’t smiling.
“Is that a bad thing?” She was confused now. Marla felt her desire and confidence take a nosedive.
“I’ll always be honest with you, sometimes even brutally so.”
“And this is one of those times?” she asked bracing herself for his answer.
“Losing control is hard for a man like me in any circumstances,” he admitted. “It’s totally unacceptable when the stakes are so high. Until your ex has been dealt with, I need a clear head, especially when we’re in public. The consequences of failure are too steep a price to pay. I can’t let anything happen to you,” he insisted in a voice heavy with emotion.
Her emotional high was restored. She hugged him quickly before putting a little distance between them. “I’ve never felt safer than when I am in your arms,” she told him. “But you’re right, we should be more careful. I couldn’t live with myself if you were hurt because of my crazy ex.”
Copper’s cockiness was back in spades. “That’s not going to happen,” he said with a smug grin. “But I know better. I jumped all over Chrome yesterday for not being as vigilant as he should have been, and what I just did w
as so much worse. The honking horn could have just as easily been a firing gun. Hands off unless we’re on Metal Cowboys’ property,” he firmly stated.
Knowing that she got under his skin made it easy for Marla to graciously give in to his request. She captured his hand with her own, and they walked toward the beach with fingers entwined. Once they reached the sand, Marla laughingly removed her boots and socks, and rolled up the legs of her jeans until they were above her knees. “I have to dip my toes in the water at the very least,” she insisted when he gave her an amused look.
For the next thirty minutes, they strolled hand in hand down the beach. The crashing waves, cooling breeze, and smell of salt water helped to soothe her frayed nerves. Her steps were light and her smile easy and bright.
Marla’s carefree laughter caused several people to look their way, but it didn’t inhibit her at all. She was having too much fun. She dodged in and out of incoming waves, avoiding the largest ones to keep from getting soaked head to toe.
A pair of frolicking dolphins in the distance diverted her attention from the shore line. A rather large wave came in fast. She almost didn’t see it in time and lost her balance trying to get away from it. Copper was there for her. His strong arms wrapped around her waist and held on tight. The next thing she knew, he was swinging her off her feet and out of reach of the wave. He put her down on the firmly packed sand once the danger was over and the water retreated.
“That was close!” she squealed before dancing away from him and chasing more waves. About half a mile down from where she almost took a spill, they came across a huge sand castle complete with moat. “Natalie spends hours playing in the sand sometimes. She’d love this work of art.”
Marla took her phone out of the wristlet she was carrying. “I’m going to take a photo to share with Natalie, so she knows what she missed by staying home and moping.”
“Since you brought it up, there’s something going on with your sister.”
“Well, I know she’s worried about me.” Marla frowned. “That’s probably all it is.”
“I don’t think so. I can’t put my finger on the problem, but she’s been much more reserved at work lately, not her normal vivacious self at all.”
“I’m always physically and mentally drained by the end of the school year. I’m not as attuned to things around me as I should be. I’ll try having another heart to heart talk with her when we get back to your place.”
NINE
By the time they spent an hour on the beach and returned to Copper’s bike, Marla felt like a new woman. Instead of restless, scared, and full of dread, she was looking forward to whatever came next. She was definitely in the intoxicating and happy phase of new love. She felt strong enough to conquer the world. That high lasted until she pushed open the slightly ajar door of her apartment.
“Oh my God!” she exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. One hand flew to her mouth and the other to her throat. She blinked, hoping the view in front of her would change. Unfortunately it didn’t.
“I think we’ve been robbed! And look at the awful mess they left behind. Whoever’s responsible didn’t even try to hide the fact a crime was committed.”
A cold chill swept down her spine, and her entire body trembled as a sudden thought occurred to her. What if this wasn’t a robbery but something else? She gripped Copper’s arm so hard, she was surprised her fingernails didn’t break his skin.
Copper didn’t even flinch from the pinch of her nails. He moved in front of her, discreetly placing himself between her and danger. Marla wasn’t stupid enough to argue with him. He was much more capable of handling the situation than she was.
“Shit! Stay out here. I need to see if the intruder’s still inside.” He pulled a concealed handgun from an ankle holster. “And I don’t want you in the line of fire.”
Marla eyed the gun with a mixture of trepidation and relief. Copper never seemed to be without a weapon. She was wary of guns, especially since someone tried to kill her with one such a short time ago. But she knew Copper was more than capable of handling the gun, and she needed him to face any potential armed intruder on equal footing. She shook her head. Marla couldn’t imagine Copper being unequal to any man, no matter the circumstances.
She fumbled inside the small wristlet that contained her wallet and phone. “I need to tell Natalie about this.” Her sister was rightfully going to be as upset as she was. Their home and personal sanctuary had been invaded and none too gently from the looks of things.
“Call the sheriff’s department first,” Copper told her in a stern voice. “Speak only to Sheriff Davis, no one else. Give him your address, and tell him I’m going inside to check things out.”
“Okay!” She wanted to talk to her sister, but what he was saying made sense.
“When you talk to Natalie, remind her not to leave the house alone. I’m sure Chrome will be more than happy to drive her out here.” He placed a quick kiss on her lips, slipped inside the apartment, and firmly shut the door behind him.
Her hand was shaking so badly, she had a hard time finding the correct number to call. She sighed in relief when her call was finally answered after the third Ring.
“Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office,” a female voice greeted.
The voice was oddly comforting, the perfect sound for frazzled people calling into the sheriff’s office seeking help or filing complaints. Instead of responding to the friendly greeting, nerves made her giggle.
“Hello, whose there?” The voice was much brisker and more business-like this time. “Speak up,” the woman demanded.
“Um, hello. I-I need to speak with Sheriff Davis, Please. It’s an e-emergency.”
Then you need to hang up and dial 911,” the person on the other end of the phone instructed.
“No! This is Marla Taylor. I’m with a SEAL buddy of his. Copper told me to call Sheriff Davis directly.”
The voice softened. “Hold one moment please.”
The phone rang again, this time the sheriff answered on the first ring. Marla explained everything and begged him to hurry. She gave him the address twice before hanging up to call her sister.
Natalie answered on the fifth ring. Marla almost hung up, thinking that Natalie didn’t have her phone on or was ignoring all her calls. “Hey, you should be out enjoying your time with Copper, not calling to check up on me,” her sister admonished.
“I wish that’s why I was calling. Um… we’re at the apartment. The door was standing ajar when we arrived. I’m afraid somebody’s been inside. Copper’s checking it out now. He wants Chrome to bring you out here, the sheriff’s on his way too.”
“Copper better not let anything happen to you! I swear it’s been one thing after the other! This is shaping up to be one crappy summer.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want any of this to happen,” Marla said with a sniff.
“I didn’t mean it that way,” Natalie insisted. “This is all on Rob, and you better not forget that. None of this is your fault.” She sighed. “I haven’t seen Chrome since this morning. If he’s not here, I’ll drive myself over to the apartment.”
Marla’s teeth worked her bottom lip. “No, don’t do that! What if Rob’s erratic behavior is escalating? He has to know that hurting you would just about kill me. Please, don’t do anything stupid,” Marla begged her sister.
“I’ll be fine. Copper and Sheriff Davis are more than enough protection for anybody.”
“But you have to get here first,” she reminded her sister. “Just be careful, Natalie.” Marla let out a deep breath and disconnected the call.
Copper joined her by the front door several minutes later. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. “The place is clear.” He kissed the top of her head. “It’s trashed all to hell,” he warned her.
Marla buried her head in his chest and groaned. “Why won’t he leave me alone?”
Strong hands rubbed up and down her back. “He will, darlin’, one way or the other,” Copper
promised. His embrace momentarily tightened. “I will stop him.”
The sound of tires crunching on gravel made Copper instinctively move her behind him. He relaxed his stance when he recognized the sheriff’s SUV. He put his gun back in the holster and called out a greeting to the man when Sheriff Davis got out of the vehicle and walked toward them.
Standing on her tiptoes, Marla stared at the approaching sheriff from over Copper’s shoulder. The tall mountain of a man was menacing enough to be one of the Metal Cowboys. She didn’t have any trouble at all believing he served in the SEALs with Copper and Chrome.
The two men nodded at each other when the sheriff reached them. “Ma’am,” he greeted before turning his attention to Copper. “You’re standing out here calm and collected, so I take that to mean the perpetrator has long since fled the scene.”
“Looks like it,” Copper agreed. Flying gravel and screeching brakes made him stop talking. He glared at the small compact car that raced onto the scene. The glare was followed by a fierce frown when a solo Natalie stepped out of the car and rushed over toward the assembled group.
“I told you to tell her to catch a ride with Chrome,” he said in a hard and uncompromising voice.
“I did,” she said with a small shrug. “She said Chrome was MIA. I guess she didn’t want to wait for a babysitter. She’s been touchy about that all day,” she reminded him.
Copper growled. “She has a good head on her shoulders, she better start using it before her carelessness gets one or both of you killed!”
A week ago, the aggressive noise and statement would have scared Marla half to death. But she was getting better at reading Copper, and she knew he would never do anything to hurt her or Natalie. This was from concern and fear for their safety with a little anger over the situation mixed in. It wasn’t directed at her personally.
The two sisters embraced as soon as Natalie reached the trio. “How bad is it?”