by Fawkes, Sara
around in the dark?”
She just stared at him, adrenaline pumping through her, as he pulled off his helmet, revealing dark
spiky hair.
Oh, God, when she’d feared someone scary would come driving by, this is exactly what she’d had
in mind. Only this was worse.
What would he do once he calmed down and realized she was out here all alone. She shuddered.
* * *
Storm stared at the woman in front of him, unshed tears glazing her eyes, though he didn’t think she’d
be able to hold them back much longer, and he cursed himself for swearing like a fucking sailor.
He’d been hanging around with a rough crowd lately and had picked up some bad habits. That’s
why he’d decided to move on. A band in the little town of Bakersfield just ahead needed a guitar
player and he’d been offered the gig.
But right now, he needed to try and calm the frightened woman in front of him and see if he could
help her.
“Is that your car back there?”
She nodded.
“I take it you couldn’t get it started.”
She shook her head.
He raised an eyebrow. “And you were going to walk all the way to town? Do you know how far
that is?”
She nodded, and just when he thought she’d never utter a word to him, she added, “Five miles.”
“You live there?”
She nodded.
“Okay.” He walked to his Harley and opened the hard-shell compartment on the back, then
retrieved the spare helmet. He offered it to her. “I’ll give you a ride.”
She shook her head. Great, back to non-verbal communication.
“What’s the problem?”
“I don’t know you. And I certainly don’t want to ride on that.”
“Really? You’d rather stay out here on your own?”
She glanced around and he could see she was shivering, but whether it was because she was
wearing that pretty little sundress, all white and sexy, or because of fear he didn’t know. Probably
both.
“I’ll be okay.”
“Like hell. Lady, I’m not leaving you here alone.”
Her eyes widened at his tone and she stepped back.
He drew in a deep breath and dropped the helmets into the compartment. “Look, I’m sorry. I
didn’t mean to scare you.” He ran his hand through his hair and smiled reassuringly. “I promise I’m
not going to hurt you. Okay?”
She shook her head and backed away another step. She glanced around and he was sure she was
going to bolt.
He held up his hands, palms toward her. “Okay, what if we walk back to your car together and I’ll
see if I can get it going again?”
He could see the car down the road, about fifty years behind them.
“I’ll walk in front if you promise not to run away. That way you’ll know exactly where I am, and I
can’t sneak up behind you. Deal?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Good. At least they were making some progress.
He pushed his bike further onto the shoulder, then turned around and started toward the abandoned
car behind them. He heard her footsteps on the sandy gravel behind him. Once at the vehicle, he
released the hood, then walked to the front of the car and gazed at the engine. After a quick perusal, he
noticed that the serpentine belt was gone.
She peered at the engine from the other side of the car.
“The serpentine belt must have broken,” he said. “That’s the part that drives the water pump and
circulates coolant to cool the engine, the power steering pump and the alternator.”
“Could we jump start the engine to get it going again?” she asked.
“Not from my bike, and even if we could get the engine started again, it might not be safe to drive.
It’ll have to be towed to a garage.”
She nodded. “Okay. Thanks anyway.”
She turned and started walking again. He started after her, then fell in step beside her. She sent
him a sidelong glance, but kept on walking. He matched his pace to hers, which was slower than his
natural gait. He had longer legs, and he wasn’t wearing high heels.
When they reached his bike, she kept on going.
“Really? You’re still insisting on walking?”
He stepped ahead of her, blocking her path. “Look, let’s talk about this.”
* * *
Jessica frowned. “There’s nothing to talk about.” She stepped past him, then started forward again.
Just then, something scurried across her path. At the flash of white on black, she realized it was a
skunk. She screeched, then spun around and lurched forward, smacking straight into his chest.
His big, broad, solid chest. His arms came around her and stopped her from tumbling. She
hesitated a moment, her face pressed against his buttery soft leather jacket. Mmm, it smelled so
good. Musky man scented leather.
“You okay?”
Oh, God, she knew she had to pull away, but she didn’t want to fight anymore. She didn’t want to
walk five miles to town. Her feet already hurt. And it was scary out here, with deer and skunks,
insects and such.
And big, scary bikers. Or, at least, one in particular.
The thing was, she didn’t really find him scary. He was actually pretty sexy. And helpful. And
kind of nice. Despite the anger and foul language that had been their first exchange.
But he seemed to regret yelling at her.
And if he was going to murder her, or rape her, wouldn’t he have done it by now? Why take her
somewhere on his bike to do it?
Many reasons started poking through her brain, but she pushed them aside.
“Miss? Are you okay?”
She nodded against his leather jacket, trying to find the strength to pull away.
“Okay, good.”
He didn’t seem in a rush to push her away, either.
She gazed up at him, without pulling herself from the warmth of his arms. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t
be clinging to you like this.”
“I don’t mind. It’s a big improvement over you being afraid of me.”
Finally, she drew in a breath and summoned the will to stand up on her own two feet again.
“My name’s Jessica.”
He smiled. “I’m Storm.”
He offered his hand and she shook it.
“Does this mean you’ll accept a ride to town with me?”
“Yes.” She eyed the big bike warily. Unfortunately, that meant climbing on his big beast of a
machine. But it was better than staying out here on her own.
* * *
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 h
is 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 overtop. 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.”