AllFreeNovel
Share Us
"Yeah."
She rises from the sofa and sweeps her palms down, fidgeting with her clothes. "Do I need to change?"
"You're perfect just the way you are." I reach out and take her hand, tugging her toward the direction of the front door.
"Wait; shouldn't I say something to Jake before leaving?" Ember keeps pace with me as her eyes scan the room. Only then do I notice all the casual chatter around us has stopped, and all eyes have fallen on the two of us making our escape. I stride past the table that Jake, Logan, Austin, Quinn, and their women are occupying and pause. "Need us for anything?" I ask Jake, and his eyes dart between Ember and me.
"Nothin' comes to mind." He keeps a straight face, but the old lady beside him, Grace, doesn't attempt to hide the satisfied smile she's wearing. "Ride safe and keep the rubber side down, brother."
"Have her home by midnight, son," Quinn chimes in then lifts his beer. "And remember: love is cleaner with a packaged wiener." He winks at us.
"Quinn,"Bella, Grace, Emerson, and Lelani chastise in unison.
"What?" He exaggerates being clueless.
With Ember at my side and all eyes in the room on us, I continue heading for the door. Behind our backs, Quinn adds with a fake emotional sniffle, "Our Blake is growing up. I'm so proud."
"Oh my God." Ember giggles slightly at Quinn's performance, and I can't help but chuckle. He is who he is, and is not ashamed to live authentically. I admire that about him. His humor holds no malice. It's simply the way he communicates with others to show he cares.
Once outside and away from the weight of everyone's stares, I turn to Ember after reaching my bike. "You change your mind?" she says quickly.
"Hell, no." I step into her space, filling the small gap between us. "You?"
"Where are we going?" She smiles, and like a magnet, she draws my face closer to hers. The smell of her floral perfume invades my senses.
"You'll see." I step back and swing my leg over the seat. With one glance from me, she smiles again, places her hand on my shoulder for balance, and slides in behind me. Just like the last time, her hands wrap around my middle. Not waiting for another beat, I fire up the engine and pull away from the clubhouse.
The farther my bike carries us down the highway, the lighter I become. Nothing compares to the unbridled freedom of the sun on your face and the wind kissing your skin while on the back of a Harley. I look in my side mirror and catch Ember with her eyes closed and the wind whipping through her hair. Does she have any idea what she does to me? I put my eyes back on the road and increase my speed, making Ember's hold on me tighten, and the smile on her face grows. I lean back, dropping my arm, and wrap my hand around Ember's calf. The simple gesture holds more meaning, and judging by the way Ember slides in closer and presses her chest flush against my back, she understands what I'm feeling without saying anything. She lays her head between my shoulder blades, and one of her palms slides up my torso, resting on my chest. I wonder if she feels my heart beating like a jackhammer. At this moment, I know without question that I want her on the back of my bike for the rest of my life. I wonder if she feels the same.
A short while later, I turn on a side road and follow it for a few miles until we come to a fork, then take a left turn onto a dirt track, which is also the start of my property. After cresting the hill, the barn comes into view. A few minutes later, I'm bringing the bike to a stop. Ember climbs off first, and I'm quick to follow.
"So this is where you disappear all the time." She takes in the rolling fields of waving grass and wildflowers. "Look at that." She points toward the body of water, visible over the treetops in the distance. "You can see the lake from here."
I slide open the barn door. "You can see it better from the loft." I grab her by the hand and lead her inside.
"Wait." Ember stops in front of an unfinished sculpture. She runs her fingers along the rough edges that have yet to be smoothed out, tracing the shape of a woman's body and the cello between her legs. "Blake," she whispers, "is this… me?"
"We're going to miss it." I pull her away.
"Miss what?"
I point to the ladder leading to the loft overhead. "Go on up, and I'm right behind you."
She places a foot on the bottom rung, then reaches above her head and starts to climb. After she has gotten up the ladder, I climb up behind her. Once at the top, I direct her to sit on a futon. "Have a seat." I scrub my palms down the front of my jeans and step away for a second to pull the cord on an old vintage floor lamp with one of those fringe bottom shades, bathing the dark loft in warm amber light.
"How do you have power out here? I don't remember seeing an electric pole."
Tucked away in the corner is a mini fridge, and I stroll over to grab a couple of chilled beers from inside. I pop off the tops using a bottle opener tied to a string hanging from the nearby wall, then I point above my head at the rafters and answer her question. "I installed a couple of small solar panels, and not having trees shrouding the place has advantages." I hand her the two bottles of beer and turn to unlatch the loft door, then pull it open.
Ember gazes at the perfect view of the setting sun reflecting on the lake. “Wow.”
I sit beside her and she passes me a beer, which I lift to my lips, not once taking my eyes off her. The red glow seems to set her hair on fire and showcases the spattering of light brown freckles on the bridge of her nose, where the summer sun has kissed her skin.
"You're missing something wonderful here by staring at me." Ember's lips lift in a smile before she sips her drink.
"I'd rather look at you." I don't hold back the thought in my head.
That adorable dimple appears as her smile grows, but she keeps her attention on the Montana sky.
