Page 19 of The Secret Mate Society

"You're literally brooding right now."

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me."You're impossible."

"So I've been told," Ethan said, finishing the last of his latte.He looked at me with those green eyes that seemed to see right through all my defenses."One ride.What's the harm?"

I let out a long, drawn out sigh.“One ride,” I grumbled.“A short one.”

Ethan stood up, finishing off his latte.He held out a hand.“Well?Come on bad boy.Let’s go for a ride.”

Chapter9

Ethan

Icouldn’t believe Calder was gonna do it.So far he’d been fairly standoffish during our ‘date’, although he couldn’t keep his eyes off me either.As much as he tried to play the tough straight act, it wasn’t fooling me.Clearly he was interested, at least in some small way.Why would he even agree to meeting up in the first place?He tried to pretend it was about the animal attacks, but I wasn’t falling for that little bit.I’d helped enough straight guys ‘experiment’ in college to know the signs.

Still, I didn’t really expect him to say yes to the ride on his bike.However, as we stepped out of the coffee shop and up to his sleek black sport bike with red accents, I couldn’t help feeling a bit giddy.The level of detail told me it was a custom job.Apparently Calder had a bit more expendable income than his rugged exterior implied.Then again, he owned a car garage.He might’ve gotten the work done for free.

“Here,” Calder said, pulling his backpack open and handing me a second helmet.“You’ll need that.”

“Do you… always pack a second helmet?”I asked, unable to hide the grin curling over my lips.“Or did you know this was gonna happen?”

He grunted.“You never know when a hot chick is gonna want a ride.”

“Well, I’m flattered you think I’m a hot chick,” I shot back, giving him a wink.

He grumbled again.“Nevermind.Give the helmet back.”

“Hell no!”I said, stuffing it on.I slid it into place and flipped the visor open.“You promised me a ride!”

His brows were furrowed and those light brown eyes of his had a mischievous sparkle despite his grumpy attitude.“Are you always this much of a pain in the ass?”

I shrugged.“Maybe.Or maybe you’re just fun to mess with.”

“It’s gonna be a real short ride if you keep this up.”

“Nah, I think you like it.”

Another deep grumble as he stuffed his helmet on and swung his leg over the bike.He turned around, flipping the visor up.“Well?You comin’ or what?”

I nodded, stepping up beside him.My stomach fluttered as I placed a hand on his shoulder, feeling the heat through his leather jacket.I swung my leg over and settled down behind him, my body pressed tight against his back.A jolt of electricity shot through me as I felt my junk come to rest against his ass, though I tried not to think about it.But even through the helmet I could smell that spicy scent that seemed to always cling to him.It wasn’t like any cologne I’d ever come across and I found myself wondering if maybe it was natural.

“Hold onto me,” Calder said, flipping up the kickstand.

I put my hands on his shoulders.“Okay.”

He paused, glancing back at me through his helmet.Then, shaking his head, he grabbed my hands and placed them around his waist.“Like that,” he said, leaving no room for argument.“I don’t need you falling off.”

My chest fluttered again as my hands came to rest around his waist.Even through the leather I could feel the taut muscles beneath his clothes, the raw power within his body that called to something deep inside me.My attraction to him was primal and the lust I felt was getting harder and harder to conceal.I said a quick prayer of thanks to whoever was listening that I decided to wear tighter jeans that day.If they’d been any looser there would be no concealing how turned on I was about being this close to a hunk of a man like Calder.

The engine roared to life beneath us, the vibration traveling through my body in a way that did nothing to help my current situation.Calder revved the throttle a couple times, the sound cutting through the quiet afternoon air before he eased us out of the parking spot.

"Ready?"he called over his shoulder, his voice slightly muffled by the helmet.

"Born ready," I replied, tightening my grip around his waist.

He chuckled, the sound rumbling through his back and into my chest.Then we were off, zipping through the streets of Portland with the wind whipping around us.I couldn't help but press closer as we leaned into the first turn, my thighs squeezing against his hips for stability.If he noticed or minded, he gave no indication.

The city blurred around us as Calder navigated through traffic with practiced ease.There was something mesmerizing about the way he handled the machine between his legs, his body moving in perfect harmony with the bike.I found myself following his movements, leaning when he leaned, straightening when he straightened.