Fragile Simplicity

by Tara Neideffer

  She closed her eyes as his tongue slid inside her mouth, her stress already dissipating just from his touch. Fighting back the heat that was beginning to form between her legs, she pushed him back and said, “We’ll see about that. First, take me for my first ride.”

  Sliding the black helmet down on her head, she looked at David already sitting on the bike, and watched as he readjusted the mirrors. The vibrations of the black Harley reverberated against the garage, and she felt excitement build up inside her. Adrenaline was ricocheting throughout her body, causing her hands to tremble from the rush, and making her fingers fumble with the straps of her helmet.

  “Come here, let me help,” David said, over the roar of the engine.

  Leaning her head within his reach, she smiled at him as he fastened her helmet, the gesture making her feel like a little kid.

  “All right, you’re secured and ready,” he said, giving her helmet a smack and motioning for her to hop on back.

  She gripped his shoulder as she threw her leg over and then wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Pressing her chest firmly against his back, she asked, “How’s this?”

  Cocking his head to the left, he gave her a sideways look, showing a dimple filled cheek as his grin widened. “Perfect.”

  Revving the engine, David slowly took off down the driveway as she tightened her grip. After a bumpy ride down the gravel drive, he turned right out of his place, taking them farther into the country. As they picked up speed, the vibration of the bike between her legs intensified, and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the wind whipping against her face. The feeling of flying down the open road was indescribable and she had the urge to let go of David and hold both her arms out. Her shirt ruffled up from the breeze and strands of her dark hair flew out from under the helmet. She inhaled a deep breath, already feeling as though the fresh air was cleansing her soul. This was exactly what she needed.

  “Oh, my God, David, this is unbelievable. I can’t believe you never took me out on this!” she yelled, smacking the back of his shoulder.

  “Hey!” he yelled, laughing. “Sorry, you just never mentioned going, so I guess I never thought you’d be interested.”

  Resting her chin on his shoulder, she said, “With the vibration between my legs and the feel of all my stress flying away with the wind, it’s almost as wonderful as sex.”

  “What? No way am I letting my bike outperform me. I’ll give you the ride of your life later tonight,” he said, casting a look over his shoulder at her as his hand reached around and squeezed her thigh.

  “Hmm, I’ll be sure to take you up on that,” she said, pressing her lips against his neck.

  They threaded through the country landscape for hours, the sun finally resting on the top of the trees, and the wind taking on a faint coolness as it caressed her skin. The ride had been invigorating, more so than she could ever have thought, and she was dreading for it to end. She had the urge to tell David to keep going all night, to see where the road could take them, and see if the bike could magically be the means of escape from her past. That thought excited her. Right now, nothing sounded better that to ride away into the night with David and start a new life. She wondered if that would be possible, if he would go for it, if starting fresh, again, would be the answer to all her problems. She thought it was possible, there wasn’t much in Sweet Haven that was holding her back, and it would be easy to pack a few items onto the back of the bike and take off on an adventure. The thought made her feel alive, but realization quickly stole her happiness. She knew there was no way running from her problems would fix anything. The only way to make the problems go away was to face them head on and confront it all.

  Everything.

  And that conclusion didn’t sound nearly as exciting as running away from it all and pretending it never happened.

  David’s voice broke her out of her wandering thoughts. “Anywhere you wanna go? The open road is yours, baby,” he said, holding one hand out in front of him as he gestured to the endless landscape.

  She thought about it for a second, not sure where she wanted to go exactly, but knew she wasn’t ready to go back home yet. Passing Cliff Ridge Road, she knew they were close to Tyler’s place and the thought of seeing Paige and Kyra thrilled her. “Let’s visit Paige and Tyler, we’re actually not far from their house.”

  “Okay,” David said as he made the next right. “I haven’t seen Kyra in a while anyway.”

  The curves and hills plunged them towards Tyler’s house and the setting sun left its mark across the sky, with pastel hues splattered across the horizon. With the cool evening air dipping in, she clung to David to keep from getting too cold, letting her head rest against his back and loving the warmth that he brought. Not just in the ride, but in their relationship as well. He always knew what to do or say to make her feel better.

  Rounding a sharp corner, Tyler’s driveway finally came into view, and she felt David switch gears to slow the bike down. Looking up, she saw lights peeking out of the windows, clearly indicating they were home. Relieved, she watched their house grow closer. Tyler and Paige had moved in together a month ago, and everyone seemed to be adjusting really well with living together.

  Coming to a stop, she waited for David to shut the engine off before she hopped off the back. As she was swinging her leg over, she heard the door slam shut and Kyra’s high pitched voice shrieking in excitement.

  “Motocycle! Motocycle!” she screamed as she raced down the steps, Tyler laughing as he scooped her up into his arms.

  “All right, Kyra, let’s not get too close or you’ll get burned,” he said, securing her on his waist. “Come on, let’s go take a look, okay?”

  Kyleigh looked up to see an excited Kyra squirming in Tyler’s arms, Paige following close behind them.

  “Kyleigh, oh, my God, what are you doing?” Paige exclaimed. “I didn’t think you liked to ride motorcycles?”

  Grinning, Kyleigh said, “Yeah, me either, but we both needed a little escape and this was by far the best transportation.”

  “So, did you enjoy it?” Paige asked, as she studied the bike.

  “It was unbelievable, Paige. You need to ride one,” Kyleigh said as she pulled her helmet off.

  “I think I’ll stick with horses,” she said, giving Tyler a smile.

  “Hey, Kyra, what are you doing? Do you want to sit on the motorcycle?” David asked, as he held his arms out to her.

  Kyleigh watched as Kyra went to him, and smiled as David gently placed her on the bike, keeping a close eye on where her legs touched.

  “Mommy, Tyler, look, I ride a motocycle,” Kyra screamed and then giggled as she tried pushing some buttons.

  “I see you,” Tyler said, smiling.

  “Did you guys have a good ride?” Tyler asked David.

  “Yeah, it was really nice. The weather was perfect for it. First time for Kyleigh, and evidently she enjoyed herself.”

  “It was so much fun. I wish you guys had one, and then we could all go together,” Kyleigh said, running her fingers through her knotted hair.

  “You guys want to come in for a bit?” Tyler asked as he pulled Kyra off the motorcycle, her small arms hugging around his neck as she stared at the bike with enthusiasm.

  “Sure,” David said as he set their helmets on the bike.

  “Lookie what I got today, Uncle Davey,” Kyra said, thrusting a doll into his face as soon as they entered the house.

  “Yeah, that’s great, Kyra.” He took the doll and examined it before placing it back into her outstretched arm.

  “And I got this, too,” she said, shoving a bottle into the doll’s mouth.

  The carefree laugh that came from David couldn’t help but make Kyleigh feel bad for him. She knew he visited Kyra occasionally, and she couldn’t imagine how hard it was for him, knowing his brother would never be able to see his daughter grow up.

  “I see you are all adjusting well together,” David said as he glanced around at the toys s
prawled across the living room floor.

  The brown leather couch squeaked as Tyler’s large frame leaned back into it, and he clasped his hands behind his head as he took in the mess of toys. “Yeah, we are. She’s definitely made herself at home,” he said with a laugh. “But, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Feeling a tap on her leg, Kyleigh looked down to see Kyra staring at her with big blue eyes. “I rode Marshmallo today,” she said, her enthusiasm showing as each word seemed to explode out of her tiny mouth.

  “I bet that was fun,” Kyleigh said.

  “Yep, and he ate a apple,” Kyra said with a giggle.

  Laughing, Kyleigh said, “Paige, you guys need a date night so David and I can babysit. I feel like I never see her anymore.”

  Looking at Tyler, Paige said, “Yes, that sounds wonderful. Besides, Tyler’s birthday thing the other night, it’s been over a couple of months since we’ve had a night out.”

  “What the hell?” Kyleigh yelled, and then quickly covered her mouth. “Sorry for the language. I mean, why haven’t you called me, you know I’d babysit any time, and David is always ready to spend time with his niece.”

  “I know, it’s just that we’ve been so busy with this place that it’s just escaped our minds to make time for ourselves, but we need to change that, so be expecting a call sometime in the next week or two,” Paige said with a smile.

  “Yay!” Kyleigh cheered, and then looked over to Kyra. “Are you ready for a fun night of games and baking cookies with me?”

  Kyra nodded her head eagerly, and then turned to Paige, “Mommy, can I stay with Kyleigh?”

  “Yes, but it will be next week, okay?” she said as she adjusted the pony tail sitting on top of her head that was secured by a pink scrunchie.

  “Okay,” Kyra said as she darted for the pile of toys in the corner.

  Losing themselves in conversation, the night began ticking away, and before they knew it, midnight was heading around the corner. Kyleigh looked over to see a passed out Kyra on the loveseat, one foot dangling off the side, and a pink blanket tucked around her.

  “We had better get going, I didn’t realize it was getting so late,” David said as he lifted himself off the couch.

  “It’s not a problem, we’re glad you guys stopped by,” Tyler said as he followed behind David who was already at the door.

  Kyleigh jumped up and turned to Paige, “Remember, I’m babysitting next week, don’t forget.”

  “I won’t, because I’m looking forward to it too much,” Paige said with a laugh.

  Pulling the helmet down, Kyleigh was able to secure the straps herself this time, and gripped David’s shoulder as she slung her leg over. The motion made her realize that she was already feeling the three hour ride earlier and she dreaded the thought of what tomorrow would bring to her muscles.

  Waving at Tyler and Paige, she slid her arms around David’s waist as he turned the bike towards the road, the damp night air already coating her skin. As they picked up speed, she closed her eyes, taking in the last half hour of the carefree feeling. She knew it wasn’t going to be the last time she rode. She was not only hooked on riding now but the thought of getting her own bike was now crossing her mind. Pushing away all her worries, she let herself enjoy the rest of the ride because she knew once they parked all her stress would be waiting for her.

  But for now, she let the wind mess up her hair, let the moon soak into her soul, and let the vibrations of the Harley make her feel alive.

  Chapter 10

  Some Closure

  Increasing their speed down the empty road, David leaned back farther against Kyleigh, one side of his mouth tilting up as he felt her breasts push against his back. He was anxious to get her home but he was already going too fast for the winding country roads. Her grip tightened around his waist and then his muscles tensed as he felt her hand slid down his thigh and between his legs, gripping with just the right amount of pressure. The grunt that escaped his dry mouth was barely audible over the wind but he could tell Kyleigh heard it from the way her hand began to move faster and with more purpose.

  Leaning farther back against her he said, “Dammit, Ky, you’re torturing me. I can’t move or touch you.”

  The wet kiss she planted against the side of his neck made him squirm even more against her hand, the need to touch her growing stronger. “I know, isn’t it great?” she teased, her lips moving against his ear.

  He shivered and reached down to move her hand away from his growing erection. “That’s enough of that until we get home,” he said, trying his best to hide his smile.

  Yanking out of his grasp, she returned her hand between his legs, moving in a slow, steady rhythm. “You’ll just have to deal with it because you can’t do anything about it right now, and I’m enjoying teasing you,” she said the words coming out in quick gasps as she increased her speed. He realized the more she increased the hand caressing him that he was slowly increasing the speed of the motorcycle. He relaxed the hand clutching the gas, dipping them down to a safer speed.

  “Just a few more minutes,” he said in a raspy and disjointed voice that sounded nothing like his own.

  “Are you letting me know this or just reassuring yourself?” Kyleigh asked with a laugh that sounded both sinister and seductive.

  “I’m reassuring myself, if that’s okay,” he said as he briefly squeezed his eyes shut, willing the road that led to his house to hurry and appear. He did his best to block out Kyleigh’s laugh and touch as minutes ticked slowly by, almost as if time were torturing him as well.

  As he pulled into his driveway, David knew it was the first time in his life that he was ready to end his ride, but his body ached to get Kyleigh in bed. Coming to a stop in the yard, he didn’t bother opening the garage to put the bike up; he figured it would be okay out here until morning.

  “Let’s go,” he said as he grabbed Kyleigh’s hand and pulled her towards the house.

  She followed him with a giggle, letting him pull her behind without hesitation.

  David slammed the front door shut with the toe of his black boot and then quickly scooped her up into his arms as he shuffled up the stairs towards his bedroom. Through distorted vision from Kyleigh’s brown waves slinging in his face, he stumbled down the hall, turning into the first door on the left where his bed was waiting.

  “Ah, here we go, finally,” he said as he dropped her onto the bed.

  “David!” she yelled in a muffled voice as she bounced once then twice, her face red from laughing.

  “I’m not sorry, you deserved that,” he said with a laugh.

  “What? You can’t handle a little teasing?” she asked lightly, cocking her head to the side innocently.

  Pinning her down with his body, he rested his upper body on his forearms and stared down at her. “I can handle some teasing, but a full half hour of teasing when I’m completely helpless to do anything about it is a different story.”

  A devilish gleam appeared in her eyes as she said, “I know, and I enjoyed every minute of it.”

  “You know what is great?” he asked as he leaned down closer to her.

  “What?”

  “That now you’re going to have to reap what you sowed,” he said, carefully pronouncing each word as his lips lightly traced her neck. “Now, it’s your turn to see what it feels like.”

  He watched her arch her back as his lips began to descend towards her breast. “But, David,” she begged, her face scrunching up as if she were on the verge of throwing a tantrum. The sight amused him and he wondered how long he could keep up with the teasing.

  She began to squirm, her legs locking around his waist, pulling him closer to her, and he couldn’t hide the smile of satisfaction. “Yes, Ky, what’s wrong?” he asked, his tongue tracing the outline of the black lace on her bra.

  “I’m not as strong as you,” she breathed, clasping her fingers into the strands of his dark hair and pulling him up to her.

  Keeping himself inche
s out of reach, he said, “Sometimes, you have to just deal with it, if you’re not strong enough to stop it.”

  “I’m not going to deal with anything,” she said as she lifted herself up and pressed her mouth against his.

  As soon as her tongue forced itself into his mouth, he knew he was done for. The half hour worth of full on teasing didn’t give him a chance to hold out for long, and before he knew it, he had both of their clothes off and was sliding inside her.

  Afterwards, as they lay in bed, both loosely draping their arms around each other as sleep threatened to take them under, David found himself thinking about his brother, Randy. Seeing Kyra tonight, smiling as she clung to Tyler’s arms, made him feel a sense of closure and a feeling of loss. Kyra’s happiness, though, brought him more joy than the grief he felt about his brother’s death. He still felt responsible for Randy’s death in a way, but he knew his brother would have done anything to see Kyra happy and for her to have a good guy in her life to take his place.

  He startled when Kyleigh’s hand ran across the stubble on his jaw. “What are you thinking about?” she murmured, the grogginess in her tone insinuated she was on the verge of falling asleep.

  “I thought you were already asleep” he said, turning over on his side to face her.

  “Almost, but I could sense that you were still awake. Everything okay?” she asked.

  That was a loaded question, but he knew what she meant. Was everything okay, right now? For the first time in a while, it was. He hadn’t had a drink in a couple of days and he was glad that Kyra had found someone decent to fulfill that missing piece in her life. He liked Tyler all right. He’d made sure to analyze him while they were at their house shootin’ the shit, and from what he could tell, he seemed okay.

  Brushing her hair away from the side of her face, he said, “Yeah, I think everything is okay, right now. I was just thinking about how grateful Randy would be that Kyra and Paige found someone who makes them happy. Plus, it helps to give me some closure on his death, you know, to know that they are taken care of.”