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“How? I just have my bike.”
“I don’t know. Can’t I ride on the back or on the handlebars or something?”
“No. I’ll be fast. Just wait here.”
“Please don’t leave me, Sam.” Her tone became more desperate. “Let me come with you. Please.”
Sam couldn’t do this. He couldn’t. But one glance at her pleading face and he broke. “Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle?”
Her large hazel eyes flicked away as she picked at the bark of a tree. Luna shook her head.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” he replied. The thought of her riding on the back of his motorcycle was twisting his stomach into knots.
She chewed on the corner of a nail. “I’ll be careful. I’ll do whatever you say.”
He took another moment staring off into the wilderness in silent debate. He hated this but he also hated the idea of leaving her abandoned on the side of the road, especially with the sun setting. He groaned before returning his gaze to her.
“Do you have a jacket?” Sam asked, eyeing her loose tank top and slim-fitting black jeans.
“No.”
“Come here.” He opened a storage hatch of his bike, handing her the zippered hoodie he stored in there for emergencies. “Put this on.”
She took it from him gingerly. It wasn’t dirty, but probably hadn’t been worn or washed recently. It was too hot these days to wear a hoodie and if Sam was getting on his bike, he usually slipped on the army-style jacket that used to be Nate’s. At the moment, all he cared about was offering her some protection. Without argument, Luna slipped her arms through the hoodie sleeves. She eyed him expectantly, appearing small and vulnerable in the oversized garment.
He approached closer, zipping it as she watched him. His own gaze avoided her face because he’d only think about the kiss and he was doing his best to forget. Sam was here to make sure she got home. Not to contemplate how her hazel eyes captured all the colors of the surrounding forest. Or remember how easily she melted into his arms. Those were all traps for him to avoid.
“Here,” Sam said, fitting his helmet on her head.
“What about you?”
“You said you’d do whatever I wanted. I want you to wear the helmet.”
She kept her mouth shut. Sam then explained in detail where to sit and where to keep her legs before climbing onto the motorcycle and offering her a hand. “All right, get on.”
She mounted the bike behind him, but he couldn’t feel her. Maybe she didn’t want to touch him, but this was no longer about comfort.
His head turned slightly toward her. “Put your arms around me and you don’t let go. Got it?”
Sam didn’t have to tell her twice. She pushed forward until her legs bracketed his thighs and wrapped her arms tight around his middle, pressing against his back as much as the helmet allowed.
He’d started the engine, turned them around, and they were cruising on the highway. This time he drove slower than the speed limit. She squeezed his stomach tight as though nervous. Sam was also terrified, but after a few minutes her grip relaxed. When the road straightened, he laid one hand over her locked arms, reassuring himself she was there with him, safe and sound. He could almost forget she despised him.
Sam pulled off the exit ten minutes later, deciding to go to Pollock Pines for gas. He rolled past the station, sliding into a parking spot at Pollock Pines Diner.
“What about the gas?” she asked after he shut off the bike.
He helped her disembark and removed the helmet. “Come on. We need to talk.” It might not change anything, but he wasn’t going to lose this opportunity to clear the air.
Chapter Twenty
“But why?” Asinking feeling hit her gut. She never liked the phraseWe need to talkbecause, number one, she didn’t know what to expect from it, and, number two, it usually meant she was in trouble.
He ignored her, strolling into the diner, and she had no choice but to follow.
“Cup of decaf,” Sam ordered from the waitress after taking a seat in a booth.
“Um.” Luna scanned the menu. “Can I have a chocolate milkshake?”
