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‘But not to you?’
He hesitated, taken aback not just by the appreciation in her voice, but by the way it made him feel. His heart pulsed too hard in his chest. He braced himself against the uncomfortable sensation.
Time to get this seduction back on track. He didn’t need to impress her—he just needed to persuade her to get on the bike. Hot and giddy was what he wanted...sincere and genuine not so much.
He unbuckled the bike’s saddlebag and pulled out the helmets. ‘Here you go,’ he said as he offered her one.
She tucked her bottom lip under her teeth, sending another jolt of heat straight through him.
‘I really don’t think I can... I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before. Isn’t it dangerous?’
Yeah, but not in the way you think.
‘That’s all part of the rush,’ he said.
She still looked unsure, her hands clasped behind her back as if she were determined not to take the bait, however much she might want to.
Inspiration struck.
‘How about we try this?’ he said, then plucked the pins out of her hair.
‘Oh!’ Her hands flew up to save her hairdo, but it was already too late, and the fragrant mass was tumbling down over her bare shoulders.
He laughed. ‘How about, if you come for a ride on my bike, I do something I’ve never done before, too?’
She frowned, her confused expression only making her more adorable.
‘Well, I don’t see how that’s going to work. I bet there isn’t anything you’ve never done.’
Smart girl.
‘Not true.’ He stifled a chuckle as he racked his brains to think of something that would work. ‘I’ve never let a lady ride on my bike before. How about that?’
‘Really?’ she said, and he could see the astonishment in her eyes, and then the pleasure.
The reaction should have made him uncomfortable. He didn’t like to give a woman the impression she was special or different, because it might lead to misunderstandings. But the truth was he’d never wanted a woman on the back of his bike before now.
He got a kick out of riding the vintage machine through the city solo whenever he was in town. He’d always been a loner. But wanting to share it with her didn’t have to mean anything. He needed to kick her out of her comfort zone, so he had no problem taking a small step outside his own.
‘Yeah, really,’ he confirmed. ‘You’ll be my first passenger.’
The emotion on her face made his heartbeat uneven as he waited for her answer.
‘Okay, you’re on,’ she said, with a determined expression which was half-excitement and half-terror. ‘Give me the helmet,’ she added, holding out her hand.
‘Let me,’ he said, scooping her chestnut locks into his fist, no longer able to resist the desire to touch her. Her hair whispered against his palm, soft and silky, but he had to let it go after he’d placed the helmet on her head, to clip the chin buckle and adjust the straps for a snug fit.
‘I bet I look completely ridiculous,’ she said as he put on his own helmet.
‘Not at all,’ he said, stifling the urge to kiss her.
He needed to take this slow. He knew anything worth having was worth working for. And Cassandra James definitely ticked that box.
The sea breeze fluttered the ends of her hair peeking out from underneath the helmet and she shivered. He shrugged out of his tux jacket and placed it over her bare shoulders. ‘Here, put this on—it might get chilly.’
She wasn’t a short woman, but even so his jacket engulfed her. Sadly, it covered up her magnificent breasts in that clingy material, but he forced himself not to sulk. If his luck held tonight, and their chemistry proved as strong as it seemed, he would get a much better look soon enough.
‘Now I know I look ridiculous,’ she said, rolling up the sleeves. ‘But thank you.’
