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After the initial escape, Joey drove at a more reasonable speed. He didn’t take the time to tell her where they were going, but she noticed that they were going over the Brooklyn Bridge right as the sun was dipping down below the horizon.
Layne kept herself securely situated on the back of the motorcycle. There wasn’t much talking to be done while they were traveling. At least not verbal communication anyway. While it couldn’t be seen underneath her full coverage helmet, she smiled mischievously as one hand slid down to Joey’s upper thigh, giving it a firm squeeze. Her thumb stroked over the inside of his leg suggestively as her hand glided up over his zipper to the top of his pants.
His body tensed as Layne’s touch continued, feeling her fingers slip under the front of his shirt and begin to travel south inside the front of his pants, but before she could execute her bright idea, he moved her hand back up to the front of his flexed stomach.
It seemed someone didn’t like being distracted. She chuckled in light entertainment and behaved herself as she watched all the sights around them pass by.
It was incredibly liberating to know that she had successfully ditched her security detail. They may not have known it, but she knew that Joey was far more capable of keeping her safe than the recruits who worked trying to make a name for themselves in the O’Reilly family operations.
CHAPTER TEN
Finally, they eased to a stop and the engine cut off. When Layne looked past Joey’s shoulder, she saw a narrow and battered boardwalk separating them from a sandy beach where the water was lapping at the shore.
He stepped off the bike and removed his helmet. Layne remained there on the back seat, taking off her complimentary head protection.
“Oh good, it really is you. I was concerned that maybe I had just hitched a ride with some random guy.” She smirked as she set the helmet down on the seat between her legs.
Joey held out a hand for her to take to assist in getting off the back of the bike. Layne didn’t decline in taking the assistance.
“And if it had been a stranger, he would have been one lucky son of a bitch with the way you were providing quite the distraction.”
“You’re welcome.” She winked at him.
“C’mon.” He kept a hold of her hand and led her towards the quiet and unoccupied beach.
It was a welcome reprieve from the constant noise pollution of Manhattan. Joey released her hand so he could hide both his hands in his pockets as he stared at the last bit of sun reflecting off the water as it sunk lower in the sky.
“It’s not much, but I like to come here when things get too heavy.”
She stopped right next to him, linking her arm through his. “I can see why. It’s like a mini-escape from reality.”
Layne rested her head against the side of his arm as her eyes drank in the scenery of the ripples of the water caressing the shoreline. She could have stood there with him, getting lost in the serenity of this spot for days. What she really should have been thinking about was the chain reaction of events her taking off was going to cause, but instead, she found herself wondering why she had never felt this level of ease with any other man.
When she eventually took her eyes off the mesmerizing waters and looked up at Joey, she was surprised to see him looking right back at her. Turning to face her, his finger gently went underneath her chin and tilted it upwards. Her breaths seized in her chest in anticipation as his mouth approached her rose-stained lips.
Layne pressed an index finger to his lips before they were able to connect with hers, giving him a sweet smile.
“Sir, our date has only just started. What kind of girl do you think I am?” Joey eased her finger away from his mouth, drawing it to the side.
“You’re going to be in so much trouble later.” The glimmer in his eyes showed he had every intention of following through on that. He dropped his finger from underneath her chin and took a peek at the time showing on a silver watch on his wrist. “If we don’t get going, we are going to be late.”
“Late for what?”
“For someone who comes off like she knows everything, you ask a lot of questions. Just trust me, eh?” He led her back to his bike, but instead of mounting it, he walked right on by.
It was several minutes of walking along the sidewalk before they arrived at their destination, a cozy brick building with no discernable signage indicating if it was a business or residence. Once he escorted her in through the front door, it was clear it was a homey little restaurant. There were not very many tables in there, and the ones that were appeared to barely fit in the room.
“Are you sure they’re open?” Layne noticed there wasn’t a single soul to be seen.
“For us they are.” Joey grinned at her with a mischievous wink. His fingers slipped between hers as he took them into the kitchen, where it was clear they were no longer by themselves.
An elderly woman stood in front of the commercial stove, stirring a metal pot of red sauce with a wooden spoon. She was a frail-looking thing, but what she lacked in height and bulk she made up for in an aura of warmth and kindness. Her soft blue eyes were set behind a pair of thick glasses that were a little too large for her face and her pure white hair kept in short but voluminous soft curls. The well-aged woman banged the wooden spoon on the edge of the pot to rid it of excess sauce before setting it down on a ceramic spoon rest.
“Ah! You made it, finally.” She wiped her hands off on the front of the vintage-looking apron wrapped around the floral fabric of her dress. The woman turned and gave them both a larger-than-life smile.
Approaching Joey, she reached out her wrinkled hands and cupped his face. Her hands had a minor shake to them that one could venture came naturally with age. She pulled Joey’s face down and greeted him with a kiss on each cheek.
Then, she turned to Layne, still emitting an extraordinary level of happiness despite being strangers to one another. “So, this is the one, huh? What a beautiful young lady!”
