Faith dragged her mouth from Gus’s and spied Sage standing at the foot of the stairs that led to the upper loft. The petite redhead grinned and slowly walked past them. The woman had a laptop in hand and a bag slung over her shoulders. Her hair was in a topknot, and she wore a baby-blue summer dress adorned with yellow sunflowers. On her feet were a pair of flip-flops.
Sage stopped near the stairs and winked over her shoulder. “You guys keep this up and I might have to start writing about you two instead of the characters who’re giving me problems.” She gave a small wave and disappeared downstairs.
Faith reluctantly stepped out of Gus’s embrace. “Do I need anything else?”
“No. Are you ready?” he asked. At her nod, he grinned. “Okay, let’s go.”
Faith grabbed her crossbody bag and locked up before following Gus downstairs. His bike was out front, a shiny black and silver machine that looked as sexy as its owner.
“She’s a restored ’69 Shovelhead.” He ran his hands over the seat. “Not that I expect you to know what that means.”
“I’ve never been on a motorcycle.”
“No?” He turned to Faith, and she basked in the smile he shot her way. “Come here.”
She moved closer, already craving another kiss. He grabbed a helmet and placed it over her head and then secured the chin strap, and though it looked heavy, the helmet felt light on her head.
“This looks good on you.” He stepped back, his eyes moving from the top of her head down to her toes. “Do you have sunglasses?”
She nodded and pulled them out of her crossbody while Gus pulled on his helmet and hopped on the bike. He motioned for her to do the same, and she managed to climb onto the bike easily. She was so close to Gus that she felt the warmth from his body, and gingerly, she slid her arms around his waist.
“Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly.
“The city. New York. Have you been?”
She kept her face neutral. “A few times, yes.”
More than a few times, in fact. Her family owned a penthouse in an exclusive building on Central Park West, which faced the park. It was a place she would visit several times a year, mostly for shopping trips with her mother. She supposed with her family’s assets frozen they didn’t own it anymore.
The bike roared to life, and he leaned back, head turned to the side. “You’re going to have to hold tighter than that.”
They eased out slowly, and once on the street, Gus guided the bike toward Main. He kept his pace slow, and the noise of the engine didn’t overwhelm as they headed downtown. Aware that all eyes were on them as they rolled by, Faith gripped Gus tighter and leaned into him, loving the feel of power between her legs and between her arms. When they hit the open road, he increased his speed and the feeling that washed over Faith was one she’d never experienced before.
It was as if she’d finally shed all the heartbreak, stress, and anxiety she’d been carrying with her for months. Maybe longer. And right now, on this perfect Saturday, with a gorgeous sun overhead, in the company of a man who intrigued her, who heated her blood and set her body on fire, she felt . . . free.
Had she ever felt this way before?
Did she care about anything before now?
Not today.
As the bike ate up the miles on their way to the city, she decided to divest herself of a past that had weighed her down for far too long.
Faith Winters was going to do something she’d never done before. She was going to live in the moment and take things as they came. She was going to live for herself.
And to hell with the consequences.
At least for now.
Or, as long as she could forget.
Chapter Thirteen
Gus couldn’t have asked for a better day to be on the open road — especially on his bike. The wind was low, the traffic light for a holiday weekend, and as they sped toward New York City, he was enjoying the feel of the woman pressed against his back. She was only the second woman he’d ever taken for a ride, and the first one — his sister, Iris — didn’t count.
He smiled at the thought and reminded himself to call her back — there’d been a few missed messages and phone calls when he’d dragged his butt out of bed this morning.
About an hour and a half into the trip, he pulled off the interstate and ten minutes later stopped at a roadside café. He was more than familiar with the place and figured since Faith wasn’t used to riding, she could use the break. Besides, the owner, Mauve DuPree — mother to Brendan, a fellow SEAL and a good buddy — served up the best beignets he’d ever tasted, including the ones he’d had in the Big Easy. After Hurricane Katrina, she’d moved her brood from New Orleans to New York State and the area was better for it. The market thrived, and she was a big part of it.
