Once the engine settled beneath him, he gave Emma a nod. As she swung into place, her hands settled on his waist, searing his skin even through all the layers of clothing. No doubt about it, she was going to be his undoing tonight.
* * *
Whoa.Emma closed her eyes and let out a shriek as Ryan guided the bike onto Main Street and picked up speed. The cold wind whipped her face, taking her breath away. Beneath her, the engine rumbled and roared like a wild thing.Holy shit.She was on the back of Ryan Blake’s bike, and it was amazing.
The wind bit through her thin, knit gloves, hitting her fingers with an icy blast. Actually, every part of her was freezing, but she didn’t care. She wrapped her arms more firmly around Ryan’s waist, anchoring herself to him so she didn’t tumble off the back of the bike, and somehow her hands slipped beneath his jacket.Ahh.That was better. Toasty warm, and also…her hands were on his T-shirt. Even through her gloves, she felt the hard contour of his abs, and nope, she wasn’t cold now.
And this was absolutely freaking amazing.
She hung on tight as he guided them over Haven’s twisting mountain roads, deserted at this hour. Overhead the moon shone like a beacon, illuminating the night in its soft, silvery glow. The roar of the engine and the slap of the wind against her face shocked her senses. It was thrilling, invigorating, so completely different from riding inside a car.
She’d never have done this if Mandy hadn’t dared her, and now she felt like her eyes were open for the first time in years.Thiswas what she needed. Somewhere along the way, as she sat at the bar talking to Ryan, she’d realized she was having fun,reallyhaving fun. And she wanted more. She wanted it all, every last wild and crazy fantasy.
All too soon, her building came into view. Ryan cut the engine and guided them quietly into the driveway, coming to a stop behind her silver Toyota RAV4.
“Don’t worry,” she told him. “I share this place with students. They’re probably still up, but if not, I’ve suffered through enough of their late-night parties that they’d sure as hell better not complain about a little motorcycle noise.” She rented the front half of this multi-unit cabin. The back half had two apartments, both occupied by college students.
He turned his head to look at her, so sexy in his helmet and riding glasses. “So how was it?”
“Even better than I thought it would be.” She gulped for air. His lips were way too close to hers, and she was still a little bit drunk on beer and a whole lot drunk on her first motorcycle ride. Mandy’s words echoed in her ears.Bonus points if you kiss him. Just stand up a bit, lean over his shoulder, and…
Emma leaned forward, her chest sliding up his back as she tipped her face to his. Holy hell, she had completely lost her mind, but she was going for it. Every nerve in her body went haywire.
Clunk.Her helmet smacked into his, drawing her up an inch short of his lips.
Ryan sucked in a breath, his dark eyes locked on hers.
She froze. Oh God, this was so embarrassing! She was pressed against him, her hands still on his waist, her face so close to his, so awkward, so obvious she’d been about to kiss him. Foiled by the stupid helmet.
“Emma.” His voice was low, his face a blank mask behind his glasses.
“Um—” Well, now the moment was ruined, and she felt like a total idiot. She scrambled off the bike, pulled off her helmet and glasses, and turned her back to him.
He came up behind her, put a hand on her shoulder, and spun her to face him. “What just happened?”
She just shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest.
He stared at her for a long second, looking so disreputably rumpled she almost went for it again—this time without helmets to get in the way.
“You had too much to drink tonight.”
“I’m not drunk.” Or wait—maybe she should have let him think she was. That might be less embarrassing, and it’s not like she was totally sober, after all.
His gaze slipped to her lips. “It wouldn’t be a good idea.”
And there it was. She absorbed the sting of his words. “Oh. You don’t—I mean, I get it. Those other women at the bar are a lot more—”
“Emma,” he interrupted her, his dark eyes nearly knocking her off her feet with their intensity, “it’s got nothing to do with them. You’re…any guy would be lucky to kiss you, but I can’t.” Something flickered in his expression. It almost looked like desire…for her.
Whoa.“Why not?”
A muscle in his jaw flexed. “You know why.”
She jabbed a finger at him. “Don’t you dare bring up my brother right now.”
“I promised him I’d look out for you. I specifically promised him that I wouldnottake advantage of you.”
“Well, that’s insulting because I wouldn’t call anything that happened tonight you taking advantage of me. And that was over ten years ago, Ryan.” She paused as hot tears pressed against the backs of her eyes. “Derek’s gone.”
