My body shivers again in the good way. I cuddle my arms around him, soaking up his radiating warmth. I exhale a shaky breath and find myself smiling. “I trust you.”
We pull out of the hug, and Dax reaches to grab my helmet. When it’s in his hand, my nerves frazzle and I grab onto his arm. “No, not yet.”
He puts the helmet back and then cups my face. “What’s wrong?”
“I… I can’t.”
Dax’s smile is adorably cute as he holds the sides of my face. “Ness, I won’t leave you. I’ll sit right behind you, holding the handlebars with you. You’ll be safe, I promise. I wouldn’t do anything that puts you in harm. You trust me, right?”
I shiver, not in the good way. “Yes, I do.”
“Thenwe’vegot this. Okay?”
I nod, not fully committed. “Okay.”
Dax doesn’t reach for the helmet again. Instead, he moves to the locker. He slides off his jacket, flopping it onto the seat. “First, I need to show you I’m in this with you.”
When he takes out the box of nicotine patches, I’m quick to say, “If you think I’m being too pushy, you don’t have to try them. I don’t want you to do it just because I said so.”
He opens up the box, pulls out a patch and peels the sticky side. He slaps it onto his upper arm and winks.
I latch onto his hand and give it a gentle squeeze. “You’re okay with this?”
“Do you want me to throw my cigarettes off the edge of this cliff to prove it?”
“That would be a dramatic gesture. But, no, don’t litter.”
Dax’s shoulders relax, and he leans in close, meeting my lips with a kiss. I caress his cheek, molding my lips against his supple bottom lip, enjoying the taste of a smokeless kiss.
“Mmm,” Dax moans, pulling out of the kiss. “I think I could handle withdrawals without the patches if I have you around twenty-four-seven to kiss.”
My face flushes with hot pink. “Umm, ahh, well… Umm, I don’t think I can promise that level of commitment.”
Dax feigns heartache, clutching his chest and wincing. “Ugh. That cuts me deep.”
I fan my face. “Sorry. I got embarrassed.”
He rubs his neck, his eyes sparkling at me. “That’s too darn cute.”
I exhale hurriedly, looking away with extra nervousness.
“Okay, so what do you say, Vanessa?” he says, redirecting our conversation. “Ready for your first lesson?”
I twirl a piece of hair around my finger, smiling bashfully. “It feels weird when you call me Vanessa.”
“Why? It’s your name, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, but I’m used to you calling me a ridiculous nickname.”
Dax laughs. “Then why are you complaining if you don’t like being called sassy?”
“Because it reminds me that every other guy is boring and predictable. Every reckless and unpredictable thing you do makes my heart flutter.”
He hooks his thumb under my chin, lowering his voice to a gravelly tone. “Then I’d better keep driving you nuts, shouldn’t I?”
I bite into my lip, nodding as his head tilts and eyes fall shut. His stubble grazes my cheek, making my blood pump hard in my veins. When his lips find a sensitive spot below my earlobe, my knees weaken. My hands slide up the material of his T-shirt, and my breathing cuts short when I feel the physique underneath.
I catch my breath, resting a hand on his broad shoulder. “Okay, I think I’m ready.”
