by Rachel Lacey
He glanced at her ass. Yep, she was definitely all grown up now. “You sure you want to do this? If Mark’s still up, I could get his keys and drive you home in his SUV.”
“I’m positive I won’t freeze to death in the time it takes you to drive me home.”
“All right then.” It was cold tonight, but he’d always found it exhilarating to feel the icy rush against his body as he rode. Emma might regret her decision later, but she was right; she wouldn’t freeze to death in the time it took to get her home. “You got gloves?”
She pulled a pair of black gloves out of her pockets and slipped them on.
He led the way around the corner and down two blocks to the renovated building he, Ethan, and Mark had bought condos in last year. Ethan’s condo was noticeably empty these days as he spent more and more time at Gabby’s place.
Emma walked up to the Harley and rested her hand on the handlebar. She turned to look at him with a gleam in her eyes. She really did want to ride on it. Well, he’d be damned. Maybe he’d underestimated her.
He unlocked the door to his first-floor unit and grabbed the spare helmet he kept for just this occasion. Except usually the woman riding on the back of his bike was someone he was either sleeping with or hoping to sleep with. But this is Emma.
“You ready?” he asked as he held it out to her.
“You have no idea.” She took it with a smile and slid it onto her head.
And…fuck. The combination of the skintight jeans, jacket, and his helmet on her head was too much. He’d never been able to resist a woman dressed to ride, let alone a woman on his bike. Which meant he was crazy to give her this ride.
He handed her a pair of glasses, then put on his own helmet.
“What are these?” she asked.
“Eye protection.” His slid his pair into place. Too bad they did nothing to obscure his view of Emma, because damn, she was turning him on big time right now. Those jeans…“All right, wait for me to give you the all clear, then you’re going to put your left foot on the peg, grab my shoulders, and climb on.”
“Okay.” Excitement danced in her eyes.
He mounted the bike, settled himself, and cranked the engine. It roared beneath him with barely leashed restraint. This bike was his pride and joy, the first thing of value he’d ever bought for himself. He’d worked his ass off for this beast and never regretted a single penny he’d spent.
Once the engine settled beneath him, he gave Emma a nod. As she swung into place, her hands settled on his waist, searing his skin even through all the layers of clothing. No doubt about it, she was going to be his undoing tonight.
* * *
Whoa. Emma closed her eyes and let out a shriek as Ryan guided the bike onto Main Street and picked up speed. The cold wind whipped her face, taking her breath away. Beneath her, the engine rumbled and roared like a wild thing. Holy shit. She was on the back of Ryan Blake’s bike, and it was amazing.
The wind bit through her thin, knit gloves, hitting her fingers with an icy blast. Actually, every part of her was freezing, but she didn’t care. She wrapped her arms more firmly around Ryan’s waist, anchoring herself to him so she didn’t tumble off the back of the bike, and somehow her hands slipped beneath his jacket. Ahh. That was better. Toasty warm, and also…her hands were on his T-shirt. Even through her gloves, she felt the hard contour of his abs, and nope, she wasn’t cold now.
And this was absolutely freaking amazing.
She hung on tight as he guided them over Haven’s twisting mountain roads, deserted at this hour. Overhead the moon shone like a beacon, illuminating the night in its soft, silvery glow. The roar of the engine and the slap of the wind against her face shocked her senses. It was thrilling, invigorating, so completely different from riding inside a car.
She’d never have done this if Mandy hadn’t dared her, and now she felt like her eyes were open for the first time in years. This was what she needed. Somewhere along the way, as she sat at the bar talking to Ryan, she’d realized she was having fun, really having fun. And she wanted more. She wanted it all, every last wild and crazy fantasy.
All too soon, her building came into view. Ryan cut the engine and guided them quietly into the driveway, coming to a stop behind her silver Toyota RAV4.
“Don’t worry,” she told him. “I share this place with students. They’re probably still up, but if not, I’ve suffered through enough of their late-night parties that they’d sure as hell better not complain about a little motorcycle noise.” She rented the front half of this multi-unit cabin. The back half had two apartments, both occupied by college students.
He turned his head to look at her, so sexy in his helmet and riding glasses. “So how was it?”
“Even better than I thought it would be.” She gulped for air. His lips were way too close to hers, and she was still a little bit drunk on beer and a whole lot drunk on her first motorcycle ride. Mandy’s words echoed in her ears. Bonus points if you kiss him. Just stand up a bit, lean over his shoulder, and…
Emma leaned forward, her chest sliding up his back as she tipped her face to his. Holy hell, she had completely lost her mind, but she was going for it. Every nerve in her body went haywire.
Clunk. Her helmet smacked into his, drawing her up an inch short of his lips.
Ryan sucked in a breath, his dark eyes locked on hers.
She froze. Oh God, this was so embarrassing! She was pressed against him, her hands still on his waist, her face so close to his, so awkward, so obvious she’d been about to kiss him. Foiled by the stupid helmet.
“Emma.” His voice was low, his face a blank mask behind his glasses.
“Um—” Well, now the moment was ruined, and she felt like a total idiot. She scrambled off the bike, pulled off her helmet and glasses, and turned her back to him.
He came up behind her, put a hand on her shoulder, and spun her to face him. “What just happened?”
She just shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.
He stared at her for a long second, looking so disreputably rumpled she almost went for it again—this time without helmets to get in the way.
“You had too much to drink tonight.”
“I’m not drunk.” Or wait—maybe she should have let him think she was. That might be less embarrassing, and it’s not like she was totally sober, after all.
His gaze slipped to her lips. “It wouldn’t be a good idea.”
And there it was. She absorbed the sting of his words. “Oh. You don’t—I mean, I get it. Those other women at the bar are a lot more—”
“Emma,” he interrupted her, his dark eyes nearly knocking her off her feet with their intensity, “it’s got nothing to do with them. You’re…any guy would be lucky to kiss you, but I can’t.” Something flickered in his expression. It almost looked like desire…for her.
Whoa. “Why not?”
A muscle in his jaw flexed. “You know why.”
She jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t you dare bring up my brother right now.”
“I promised him I’d look out for you. I specifically promised him that I would not take advantage of you.”
“Well, that’s insulting because I wouldn’t call anything that happened tonight you taking advantage of me. And that was over ten years ago, Ryan.” She paused as hot tears pressed against the backs of her eyes. “Derek’s gone.”
The words hung between them, crisp and cold. Ryan had been there beside her at Derek’s funeral. He’d always been there for her. But he didn’t want to be with her. And it hurt even more than she’d feared.
His eyes shone with regret. “And I can never get his okay on this.”
* * *
Emma woke up the next morning to the ding of an incoming text message, followed by another, and another. Her head ached, and ugh, her pride stung even worse. She pressed a hand over her eyes with a groan. A heavy weight plopped onto her chest, knocking the breath from her lungs.
“Meow.”
E
mma peeked through her fingers at the gray cat perched on top of her, regarding her from wide blue eyes. “Morning, Smokey.”
She shifted the cat to the side so that she could grab her cell phone off the nightstand. The screen showed five new text messages, all from her friends.
Rumor has it you did indeed catch a ride on Ryan’s bike, Gabby said.
Details. We need details! from Mandy.
I’ve got fresh cinnamon buns. Come and get ’em, and let’s gossip, from Carly, who owned A Piece of Cake bakery and made the best cinnamon buns Emma had ever tasted.
I’m in, Gabby texted.
Be there in thirty. Emma, wake up! from Mandy.
I’ll be there, she texted. But the details are less exciting than you’re imagining. I’m going to need extra frosting, Carly.
Then she rolled out of bed. Smokey meowed again as she hopped victoriously onto Emma’s pillow and sat, lifting a paw to wash her face.
“You are such a diva,” Emma muttered as she headed for the bathroom. She stepped into the shower, submersing herself in the hot spray. Forty-five minutes later, she walked through the doors of A Piece of Cake, finding her friends already gathered at the counter, drinking coffee and munching on cinnamon buns.
She scowled. “You could have at least waited for me.”
“You’re late. Long night?” Mandy gave her an assessing look, one eyebrow raised.
“More like too much beer.” She rubbed her forehead as she sat on an empty stool. “What happened with you and Carl?”
“Eh, he turned out to be a dud,” Mandy said with a shrug. “But we want to hear all about your night with Ryan.”
“Extra frosting,” Carly said, passing a plate across the counter with a cinnamon bun dripping with gooey white goodness. She set a steaming cup of coffee beside it.
“You’re the best.” Emma inhaled the rich aroma of cinnamon and French roast, feeling her system starting to perk up already.
“So?” Gabby asked. “What happened?”
Emma held up a finger. She took a big, fortifying sip of her coffee and popped a forkful of sinfully delicious cinnamon bun into her mouth. Once the sugar and caffeine had taken effect, she turned to her friends. “Ryan gave me a ride home on his bike.”
“And?” Carly asked.
“Was it amazing? I’ve always wanted to ride on a motorcycle,” Gabby said.
“It was great.” A shiver of excitement snaked down her spine as she remembered the feel of the bike beneath her, the wind in her hair, the moon illuminating them like a scene out of a movie.
“Just great?” Mandy gave her a look that said, We want more.
“It was fantastic. Is that better?” Emma shook her head. “You guys really pushed me last night, and you know what? I loved it. I had so much fun hanging out at the bar, and riding home on Ryan’s bike was the most fun I’ve had in ages.”
“So why the extra scoop of frosting?” Carly asked, leaning her elbows on the counter.
“Because between the dare, the beer, and the motorcycle ride, I completely lost my mind, and I kissed him. Or I tried to kiss him.” She pressed a hand over her eyes as her friends squealed in surprise.
“Did you kiss him or not?” Mandy asked.
“I went for it, but at the last moment, we bonked helmets instead.” She cringed.
“That sounds kind of adorable,” Carly said, a wistful note in her voice.
“It wasn’t. It was awkward and embarrassing.” For a moment right before their helmets bumped, she’d been so sure he wanted to kiss her, too. “And then he gave me some speech about how he’d promised Derek he’d never take advantage of me.”
“Really? He promised Derek he wouldn’t go after you?” Mandy looked surprised.
Emma nodded. “Which was reasonable at the time. I was fifteen and as innocent as they came, and he was an eighteen-year-old troublemaker who had no business anywhere near me.”
“But Derek never came home from the war,” Gabby said softly.
“That was twelve years ago,” Emma said. “Things change. We’re adults now.”
“What are you going to do?” Mandy asked.
Emma took another bite of her cinnamon bun. “Easy. I’m going to pretend it never happened.”
“But you do have feelings for him?” Carly asked.
Emma spluttered. “What? No! Like, of course he’s hot, and I’m sure the kiss would have been great, but feelings? No. No way.”
They were all staring at her. Gabby’s mouth dropped open.
“Whoa,” Carly said. “You totally do.”
Emma felt her cheeks start to burn. “Don’t be ridiculous. I do not have feelings for Ryan Blake.”
“Ever hear that saying about ‘the lady doth protest too much’?” Mandy said.
“Cut it out, seriously.” Emma gulped from her coffee and scorched her throat, making her sputter again.
“Interesting. Very interesting.” Mandy tapped her fingers against her lips. “Well, I’d say last night’s dare was a success. Now we have to keep the momentum going. You need an excuse to see him again.”
“I’m seeing him in a couple of hours,” Emma mumbled, still coughing. “I’m going out to Off-the-Grid to talk about spring landscaping.”
“That’s right,” Mandy said. She and Emma both worked at Artful Blooms Landscape Designs and often helped each other out on projects. “But you need something more interesting than work. You need to get back on his bike or—”
“Remember last night how you said you wanted a tattoo?” Gabby asked. “Ryan used to manage a tattoo parlor. It would make perfect sense for him to take you.”
Emma choked down the last bite of her cinnamon bun. “After last night? Definitely not.”
Chapter Three
Ryan arrived at Off-the-Grid, bleary-eyed and buzzing with restless energy. The temperature this morning barely topped fifty degrees, but he didn’t care. He needed some quality time on the rock face before work to clear his head. He went into the closet for his Patagonia jacket and hat. No gloves. He needed full contact with the rock to climb.
Back outside, he hiked down the path through the woods, letting the exercise get his blood pumping. Fifteen minutes later, his favorite climbing spot came into view. Last night’s motorcycle encounter with Emma had left him off balance. She’d been drunk, but what was his excuse? He shook his head as he gripped the base of the rock and hauled himself upward.
He didn’t have one. Never should have happened.
He’d wanted to kiss her. Really wanted to kiss her. Would have kissed her if the damn helmets hadn’t gotten in the way. And now he had to figure out how to stop thinking about her in those jeans, wearing his helmet, on his bike…looking so goddamn sexy and windswept by the light of the moon. Because just thinking about it was turning him inside out.
The truth was, he’d been feeling unsettled for the last six months or so, almost since he’d returned to Haven. He’d picked up a few women right after he got back in town, but not in months now. And now, every time he closed his eyes, he thought of Emma.
He pulled himself up on top of the rock and sat, looking out over the forest. Around him, the trees buzzed with activity. Birds sang. Squirrels leaped from branch to branch. Ryan felt like the King of the Jungle up here. He’d missed this during his years on the road, missed having a place where he belonged. A part of him had always envied Derek for knowing what he wanted out of life. Ryan had felt more adrift than ever after his friend enlisted. But he had Off-the-Grid now, and no way was he going to fuck this up. Finally, he climbed down and hiked back to the office, ready to tackle the day ahead. He went in through the back door.
“There’s someone here to see you,” Ethan called from the reception area.
Ryan glanced at the clock. It was just past ten, and already his stomach was grumbling for lunch. Clearly he’d gotten up too early this morning. Or gone to bed too late last night. Or a combination of both. “A vendor?” he asked. He wasn’t expecting anyone today
other than…hell, Emma was scheduled to come talk about spring landscaping in an hour.
But Ethan was shaking his head. “Don’t think so. Looks like a teenager to me, but he asked for you specifically.”
“Might be looking for a rock climbing lesson.”
“Could be. I’m heading out on the zip-line course with a group. Be back in a couple of hours.” Ethan headed for the door.
Ryan walked through the reception area and out the front door to find a kid standing there, hands wedged in his pockets, shoulders hunched, watching Ethan lead the group of tourists down to the zip-line course. Late teens maybe. Asian. He glanced at Ryan, then his eyes darted back to the zip-line group. They’d never met, and yet something about him was oddly familiar.
“I’m Ryan Blake. Can I help you?”
The kid looked at him again. He swallowed hard. “My name’s Trent. Trent Lamar.”
Trent. Ryan felt like he’d been slammed backward. It couldn’t possibly be. After all these years…
Trent shoved his hands farther into his pockets. “I, um, I think I might be your brother.”
Ryan hadn’t known his baby brother’s last name after the adoption, but shit. He didn’t know who Trent’s father was—or his own for that matter—but he knew his brother had Asian heritage. “Nah, man. I’m sure of it.”
“Really?” Trent eyed him warily.
“Yeah.” Ryan pulled him in and clapped him on the back. Then they stood there, staring at each other. Ryan found himself uncharacteristically at a complete loss for words. Trent. Hell. “I can’t believe it. How did you find me?” Because he’d spent years, half a lifetime, searching for the half brother he hadn’t seen since Trent was an infant.
“My parents told me your name.” Trent looked away.
Yeah, Trent’s adoptive parents had been total assholes, to Ryan anyway. They’d labeled him a bad influence and cut him out of his brother’s life after the adoption went through. “Let’s go inside where we can talk.” Ryan led the way to his office and closed the door behind them.
Trent sat in the big chair in the corner, fidgeting with his hands in his lap. “I tried to look you up online a few times, but I never found anything. Then, a few months ago, I saw an article about this place. It had your name and your picture, and when I saw it was in Haven, I knew it had to be you.”