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“Pardon?” I step back to let him in. He advances on me, and part of me wants to step back but not in fear. I want this man. Everything about him calls to me.
“You look beautiful,” he says in his gruff tone. He reaches out and gently cups my cheek. I close my eyes at the feel, leaning my head into his touch. His thumb brushes under my eyes just like the other day. “You need some sleep, spitfire.”
I roll my lips between my teeth, needing to break the connection as I step back. Even though I tried to cover it up, he still saw through my mask.
“I’m fine. Let me grab my stuff.” I turn away from him, but he pulls me back and into his arms. My hands land on his chest and he leans down. I watch as his head gets closer and closer. His lips coming toward me. Part of me wants to step back. But the main part needs to feel this. Needs to know I’m alive and free of those demons. I take a breath and close my eyes just before his lips touch mine. The kiss is light and soft. So soft I push up needing more. He growls and drops the helmet in his hand. It clunks on to the bench next to me. With both hands now free, he pulls me into his body and lifts me up. I wrap my legs around his waist as my back hits the wall behind me. I groan in need for him along with pain as my scarred, damaged body tries to take it. Take the pain.
His beard and mustache abrade my skin as he deepens the kiss. His tongue slides across my lips and I open to him. My head falls back as he turns it to take my mouth deeper. We both groan in pleasure. My hand is in his hair pulling him closer. I need to become a part of him. I need to feel alive. He rips his lips away and I try to find him again. I try to pull him back to my needy mouth, but he holds himself away. His breaths are coming in gasps. I look into his eyes and know that will have to be the last time I lose control with him. I can’t introduce him to my world.
“Spitfire, if we don’t leave now, I’m taking you against this wall and you aren’t ready for what that will mean for you.” His words wash over me and I like the image, but I don’t understand them. It could be that goodbye fuck I’ve heard about.
“Oh… Okay.”
He releases me and I slide down his body. My leg briefly catching on the chain to his wallet. He holds me until I feel steady on my feet again.
“I got you a helmet and a band for your hair.” He turns from me and picks up the helmet he dropped. The helmet is black with red roses all over it. The matching leather wrap for my hair is in the same print and design. I love them.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to. They are beautiful.” My lips feel swollen from his kiss.
He reaches out after handing them to me. “I want to keep you around for a while, so we need to protect that beautiful mind of yours.”
I smile up at him and then look down embarrassed and unsure how to take in what he just said. This will be the only date we ever have.
“Now come on. I have a full day planned for us.”
He leads me outside and I turn to see his flat black Harley sitting in my drive. It hits me that it’s the same flat black color as his truck.
“Harlen helped me get the second seat on so you won’t be sitting on the fender.”
I don’t know what to say. I just stand there worried for the first time that I won’t be strong enough to push him away like I need to after today. I remember the first time I saw him on his bike, the feeling of need that raced through my body. How powerful and sexy he looked on that very bike. I step up to the machine and put the leather wrap around the base of my ponytail before I slip the helmet on. He helps me buckle it. The full-face cover has a tint to it, so the bright sunlight is dulled slightly.
When he swings his leg over the seat and sits on the machine, I’m instantly turned on again by the picture he presents. The sexiness of him and the machine. He holds his hand out to me and I slip on behind him. I try to keep my distance, not wanting to be too close to him, but he reaches behind my knees and pulls me in close to his back. My hands tentatively hold his sides as he puts on his own helmet and starts up the engine. The power flows through my body, and as he takes off on to the street, I relax into him. I slide my hands to the front of him and under the edge of his jacket to his flannel shirt underneath. I rest my head on his back and forget who I am and my past.
* * *
Tucker
The moment she relaxes into me, my body relaxes too. I could see her trying to pull away from me before. I needed to kiss her lips just for a moment. Just to feel them. To know if they are as soft as they look. To mess up the perfect color on them, but the lipstick didn’t budge, and all I did was prove that she is mine more than ever. Every time she is close, I must be near her. From the first moment I saw her watching me from her door to the moment she cowered in my arms afraid of whatever was in her mind at that time, each memory is ingrained in my soul and helps heal the pain I feel every day.
She thought I would run when I found out about Mari, but all she did was solidify in my heart that they are mine. When Sydney told July that Mari’s father was dead, yeah, I was glad, but more than that I was determined to make sure Mari never knows the pain I did when I lost my mom. That she will always have support.
Sydney’s hands clench on my stomach as we take a turn and I’m instantly thinking about that kiss again. About the way she felt in my arms. The way her body responded to mine. My brothers call it the “Boom.” I don’t care what it’s called, I want to keep feeling it. I leisurely take her around Murfreesboro and around the back roads until I get to the area where my property is. I turn on to the gravel driveway I had put in last fall, careful of my precious cargo on the back behind me. We make our way down the tree-lined lane until it opens up to the field where I’ll build my house someday. Right where my house will be, I have a small canopy set up with picnic fixings. I pull to a stop and shut off the bike. She swings her leg off and stands there for a moment letting her legs adjust.
I can tell she’s not used to riding as much as I am. I stand up and take off my helmet as she takes hers off too.
“What is this place?” She looks around the clearing.
“This is where I plan to build my house. It’s my place. Well, I mean it will be. I live at the compound right now, but someday I’m going to build here.” I wave my hands around the area.
“It’s beautiful. My gram’s farm isn’t far from here.”
“Where?” I lead her over to the blanket, and she sits down with her legs crossed, almost sitting on her feet.
“About two miles that way.” She points in the direction to where a new development is being built. “My gram passed a while ago, and my mom recently had her new home built on the property.”
“Ah.” I lift my chin as I sit down and open the basket. I take out the sandwiches, cheese and meat platter, and fruit. I pull out the two bottles of water and hand her one.
We spend the time getting to know each other, but she doesn’t offer very much about herself as we eat. Just that she grew up here and in South Africa. She tells me her parents are divorced and her mom is the only one she talks to. I can hear the pain in her voice when she mentions her father has a new family and lives in another country.
