Nite! Sweet dreams!
Keep it clean, sis!
I didn’t bother responding.I knew she would’ve just kept at it half the night, and I was ready to call it a night. I set my phone onthe nightstand and curled into my pillow. It wasn’t long before my mind drifted to Luke—not that he’d ever left.
Just thinking about our night together had me feeling almost giddy, and that wasn’t a feeling I was used to. It actually scared me a little, but it excited me even more.
I closed my eyes, and it wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep. I had a dream or two, and before I knew it, I was at the clubhouse the next day with Luke, surrounded by his brothers and their rumbling motorcycles. He stood next to me with his hand on the small of my back, helping me settle on the back of his bike, and it couldn’t have felt more natural.
Once he helped me with my helmet, he smiled and asked, “You good?”
“I think so.”
“You’ll do great.” He got on in front of me, and when I wrapped my arms around his waist, he chuckled, “Don’t worry, babe. I’ve got you.”
There was something about the sound of his voice that sent a chill down my spine. I was still trying to ground myself when Luke’s brothers started lining up beside us. Their engines were growling, their ol’ ladies were laughing and adjusting their helmets like they’d done this a million times before, and I was busy trying not to look like a complete idiot.
Luke followed them through the gate, and the second we hit pavement, he hit the gas. The wind was the first thing that hit me, and it hit hard. It took me a second to manage facing forward while managing to take a breath. It didn’t help matters that there was a bite to the air.
Luke was right. It was a warm spell, but sixty-two degrees at sixty miles an hour was colder than I’d expected. I leaned in closer, pressing my cheek to his shoulder, and it wasn’t long before I felt the warmth of the sun on my back.
Trees blurred, and the sky stretched wide and blue. It was beautiful. After I settled in, I started to relax, and I actually managed a giggle when the bike leaned into the first long curve. It made me feel alive in ways I couldn’t begin to describe.
I could see why Luke loved riding so much. There was a feeling of freedom on that bike, and being out in the open gave you a sense of clarity like nothing else could. It was just the stretch of road ahead and the man sitting in front me, solid and sure, and for the first time in a very long while, I didn’t feel like I was holding on to something.
I felt like I was flying.
We’d been riding for over an hour when we pulled into the lot next to the lake. Engines died, one by one, and the sudden quiet rang in my ears. I eased off the bike, removed my helmet, and immediately ran my hands down my thighs, hoping it would ease the tremors.
When Luke noticed what I was doing, he chuckled, “Riding takes some getting used to.”
“Yes, it does, but it’s worth it.” I glanced over at the water that stretched in front of us and smiled. “It’s beautiful.”
“You sure are.” He leaned in and kissed me on the forehead. “Glad you came.”
“Me, too.”
The guys started pulling off helmets and walking about, stretching their legs while they teased one another. The ol’ ladies clustered together like it was second nature, and I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. I just kind of stood there until Luke took me by the hand and said, “C’mon. I want you to meet a couple of people.”
He led me over to an attractive brunette with a warm smile and a figure to die for. Her smile grew even wider when Luke stepped in front of her and said, “This is Antonia. She’s Memphis’s ol’ lady… You met him the other night.”
“Yes, I remember.” I smiled. “It’s really nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too.” She studied me for a moment, then asked, “You were at the clubhouse a week or so ago, right?”
“Yes. I was there with Davis.” I grimaced as I told her, “And that was the mistake of all mistakes. Still not sure what I was thinking with all that.”
She laughed. “Don’t worry. It happens to the best of us.”
“I’m Jenna. I’m Grim’s ol’ lady,” the woman next to her announced. She pointed to one of the older brothers with long, salt and pepper hair and a thick beard who was currently scowling as he talked to one of the brothers. “Mr. Sunshine over there.”
“I see.” I giggled when Grim’s eyes skirted over to us. “I think he knows we’re talking about him.”
“Don’t worry. He’s used to it,” she scoffed. “They all are. We’re always talking about them, but that’s only because they give us so much ammunition.”
“You aren’t kidding!” Antonia laughed. “I forgot to tell you about the whole laundry incident.”
“Oh, do tell.”
