"Amazing wow." I turned my head slightly to catch different angles. "I didn't know makeup could do this."
"Right?" Skye said from behind us, her voice laced with pride for her bestie's talent. "I love it when she does mine."
Then Aurelia turned her attention to my hair, running her fingers through it, assessing its natural waves before making them more pronounced, fuller. She teased out each strand with such care that when she finished, myhair cascaded around my shoulders like it belonged in a shampoo advertisement.
"Perfect," Aurelia said, stepping back to admire her work.
I was captivated by my reflection. The nerves about the date were still there, but now they were edged with a quiet confidence. If Ashton had planned something special, at least I'd look the part.
I hugged them both, overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thank you both, seriously."
"Friday night, girls' night," Skye said, grinning at me.
"Wild horses couldn't drag me away," I promised.
"Great, we'll pick you up at eight," Aurelia said with a nod.
"Perfect." I smiled genuinely. They were lifesavers, and I felt so much better about my date.
Oh, crap. My date. It was time for that.
Chapter 17
Erin
I grabbedmy purse and slipped on a small bottle of bug spray inside before heading downstairs. Ashton was lounging on the couch, his eyes lifting from the phone screen to meet mine. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile as he took in my outfit, and I returned the grin when I saw his attire. Our plaid shirts were nearly identical.
"Looks like we got the memo," I said.
"Great minds." He chuckled. He stood up, holding out his arm gallantly. I linked mine through his, feeling the warmth of his body even through the fabric of our matching shirts.
Ashton led me outside, the evening air fresh against my skin. He stopped just short of his sleek motorcycle parked at the curb, its chrome gleaming under thestreetlights. Turning to me, his expression was a mix of excitement and curiosity.
"So, how do you feel about motorcycles?" he asked. "We can get closer to our destination on this than we could in a car."
I hesitated for a fraction of a second. Motorcycles meant danger. They meant risk. Looking at Ashton, with that half-smile and adventurous glint in his eye, an unfamiliar thrill ran through me. If I was totally honest, it made me a bit wet. The idea of wrapping my arms around him while the world blurred past.
"Doesn't bother me." I feigned nonchalance as I met his gaze. "Let's ride." Hmm. How convincing was that?
Ashton handed me a helmet, the exterior as sleek and well-tended as the motorcycle itself, so it must've been convincing enough. I took it from him, turning it over in my hands like a foreign object. He swung a leg over the bike, settling himself with a practiced ease that had my pulse quickening.
"Ever been on one of these before?" he asked, his voice casual as he glanced back at me. A twitch of his lips told me he knew the answer already.
"Can't say that I have," I said, though I tried to keep any hint of nervousness from creeping into my tone.
"Nothing to it," he said with a calm smile. "Just climb on behind me." He pointed to a spot where I could putmy foot. I did, so glad I hadn't worn sandals and anything but graceful as I hoisted myself onto the seat behind him. My hands hovered over his torso until he caught them, pulling them firmly around his waist. His touch was warm, solid, anchoring. Holy crap. His body was hard. Why was that so hot?
"Okay, hold on tight," Ashton said, and something about the way he said it, steady and confident, had anticipation zipping through me.
When the engine roared to life beneath us, the vibrations sent a shiver up my, well, let's just say my spine. Then we were moving, accelerating so quickly that the world blurred into streaks of color and light. The wind whipped past, tugging at my hair and clothes, and I clung to Ashton, my body pressed close to his.
The sensation was nothing short of exhilarating. The earlier hint of arousal flared into something more insistent, and I pressed my thighs tighter against the sides of the motorcycle, seeking friction. My hands, gripping his waist, slid inadvertently lower, brushing against the hard ridge of his erection straining beneath his jeans. A jolt, hot and electric, shot through me, and I sucked in a sharp breath, my core clenching in immediate response, and I pulled my hands away, hoping against hope he hadn’t noticed my hands traveling.
We sped toward the mountains, the scenery shifting from urban landscapes to open roads bordered by forests. Ashton maneuvered the bike with a precisionthat spoke of years of experience. He leaned into the turns, and I moved with him instinctively, as if we were two parts of the same whole.
At one bend in the road, he slowed just enough to turn his head slightly, his voice carrying over the roar of the engine. "This is my family's land," he yelled back to me.
The revelation didn't surprise me. If anything, it made sense—the same way his presence felt like coming home, even though we had been strangers not long ago.
