I don’t know what to say to that. With my head in the weird fucked-up place it is, I decide it’s better not to try. Instead, I grab my bike helmet from the seat, slide it over her head before she can protest, and fasten the strap.
“But what about you?”
“I don’t have a beautiful little girl waiting for me to come home.”
I straddle the bike and hold my hand out so she can climb on, giving her a rundown of dos and don’ts. The last thing I want is for her to burn herself on the pipes.
She grips my cut as I rev the engine. I need her closer, so I reach up and take her hands, moving them to my stomach so her front is plastered to my back.
“I don’t want you to fall,” I call out over the noise before I take off, grinning when I hear her squeal.
I’ve always been about the cars. I have a collection at home, and it wasn’t until I started prospecting with Raven Souls that I got my first bike. Now I can’t believe I waited so long. There is something so freeing about riding with no destination in mind, the wind on my face, and my mind empty of everything but riding.
She holds on tight, rests her helmet against my cut, and doesn’t complain once. It isn’t until I notice I’m running low on fuel that I realize how long we’ve been riding. I pull in at the nearest gas station—a large one with a diner on one side and a motel on the other. A steady flow of traffic from the freeway just beyond the trees means this place will always have an influx of customers. I stop the bike next to the pump and nudge the kickstand down with my boot before holding out my hand for Citi.
“I’m not sure my legs will work,” she admits.
“Alright, hold on a second.” I carefully ease myself off the bike before I turn back to her.
I unfasten the helmet strap and pull it free, hooking it on the handles and letting her hair tumble down around her shoulders. When we found her, her hair had been all the way down her back and hacked unevenly where she’d been cutting it herself. The shorter look suits her better.
“I should have taken it easy on you, with it being your first time and all.”
I freeze when I realize what that sounded like, but Citi surprises me by laughing.
“I swear to god my mouth always engages before my brain does. Too many knocks to the head, I guess. Here, let me help you down.”
I wait until she wraps her arms around my neck before I lift her and lower her to her feet. When I start to let go, she sways. I grab her hips to catch her and pull her so close, she’s plastered against me.
Her breathing picks up, and my cock thickens in response. When her eyes widen, I know she feels it too. I’m two seconds away from slamming my mouth down on hers when a look of fear flashes in her eyes, and I remember who I’m fucking messing with. I keep hold of her but take a step back, putting just enough distance between us that she can’t feel how hard I am anymore.
“Think you’re good if I let go now?”
She nods. I let go but hover close for a minute until I’m sure she’s really okay and not just trying to escape me. Once she’s good, I touch my phone to the pay screen, grab the nozzle, and start filling up.
“I need to use the restroom. Do you want me to pay while I’m inside?”
“I’m paying for it here, don’t worry. If you hold on for two seconds, we can head over to the diner. Restroom will likely be a fuck of a lot cleaner in there.” Safer too, I think, but don’t say it out loud, not wanting to spook her.
“Okay.”
She stands beside me, unsure of herself, watching the pump until it clicks.
“Done.”
I hold the handlebars and kick up the stand so I can wheel the bike over to the diner, needing to stretch my legs a little, too.
“So what did you think of your first bike ride? Minus the monkey butt.”
“Monkey butt?” She cracks up laughing, which drags a lip twitch out of me. I can’t say I’ve felt like I’ve had much to laugh about lately, but there is something about Citi’s innocent laughter that’s infectious.
“You won’t be laughing later, trust me. You’re going to want to rub some cream into it. I can help if you wish to—Fuck. What the hell is wrong with me today?”
She grins, not looking offended. That’s something, at least.
“I sound like a horn dog. I’m not. I haven’t even thought about it, with my sister being sick and working at the gym. And well, there’s just been a lot on my mind. And then there’s you. You’re fucking beautiful and sweet, and my brain has suddenly remembered that I’ve been starving it of female company lately.”
She bites her lip, looking nervous, but not afraid. “It’s okay. I mean, I’m not afraid of you. Your jokes don’t scare me because I know you wouldn’t cross any lines I’m not comfortable with.”
