He held out his hand. “Deal. Let’s shake on it.”
Sonya took it, and he loosened up a little on his powerful grip so he wouldn’t hurt her. He wished he didn’t have to let go of her hand, but he did.
The tow truck arrived, and Trent helped the driver load up her car. When they were alone again, he opened up the case strapped to the back of his cycle that held two full-faced helmets. He picked up the spare and held it out to her.
“Go ahead, try it on. You’re actually the first person to wear it.”
“The fit is snug,” she said. Her voice sounded muffled and a little bit fearful behind the visor. “Like it was made for me.” Her hands trembled as she tried to fasten the strap underneath her chin.
“Allow me.”
He fastened the strap and then flipped open the clear plastic visor.
“Your eyes are lovely, so to protect them from the wind and dust, be sure to put this back down again before we take off.”
She nodded and gripped his wrist. “What do I do now?”
He glanced back at her and grinned. “Climb aboard, hold on and don’t let go.”
She hesitated for a few moments, and he could almost see the wheels of decision turning in her brain. He wondered if she was a risk-taker, or was she one of those women who questioned everything?
When she settled in behind him and held on tight, he breathed an audible sigh of relief. A smile of triumph crossed his face, and he allowed himself to hope, after the ride was over, that he would see her again.
Sonya straddled the seat and took her place behind Trent. Though her muscles were limber from years of dancing and yoga, the simple movement felt foreign to her. The rumble of the motorcycle’s engine vibrated throughout her body. It seemed to hone in on her loins, adding to her excitement.
I must be nuts, she thought, but it was time to reclaim her life.
She’d defied her father’s wishes and left Bay Point when she was seventeen years old. Their relationship, already on shaky ground, had deteriorated completely. Since then, she’d avoided taking risks in her personal and private life. Over time, she had suffered a few injuries due to the strenuous training and performance schedule. The decision to teach had been hard, but it was necessary if she wanted to continue in her profession. She’d also found the courage to end a relationship with a man that had run its course and was going nowhere.
When she moved back to Bay Point, she’d vowed to find a way to forget about her past and get back to focusing on her new life. If part of the process was a motorcycle ride from her instructor, then so be it.
“Get a little closer, will you? I don’t want you to fall off.”
She touched her helmet and scooted forward, keeping their bodies only a couple inches apart. She placed one hand and then the other on each side of Trent’s waist. Her lips lifted into a tiny smile. Holding on to Trent from behind felt safer somehow. He couldn’t see the pleasure on her face, and she didn’t want him to know how much she enjoyed touching him. Once again, she wished she could slip her hands under his shirt so she could finally feel his skin.
“All set,” she said loudly, so he could hear her over the engine.
Without warning, the motorcycle lurched forward, crushing her breasts against his back. Her arms looped around his waist and briefly settled on the tops of his hips, before she jerked them away.
“Hold on,” Trent commanded in a gruff tone without looking back. “I don’t want any accidents.”
“I will, and there won’t be any, as long as you go slow,” she retorted.
“I have to start moving in order to slow down, don’t I?”
She couldn’t respond. She was too busy trying to resist the urge to lay her cheek against the middle of his back, where the leather stretched over his shoulder blades.
He glanced over his right shoulder, a slight grin on his lips, as he revved the engine again. “Are you scared?”
The delicious thrum of the motor against her inner thighs and the challenge in his voice made her close the gap between their bodies.
“Not a bit,” she assured him, even though her heart was in the pit of her stomach.
“Good, because I would never hurt you.”
At his words, her heart melted. His body heat radiated through his clothes, and his masculinity draped around him, heavy and comfortable. She sensed she could snuggle up in his arms, fall asleep and not have to worry about a thing.
How she wished she could sweep everything that kept her up at night away from her mind, replace them all with a man that would sweep her right off her feet. She wasn’t looking for it, but she never stopped hoping for a second chance at love.
She inched even closer, until her... She could feel his abdomen tense up.
Oh, my, she thought, with a lick of her lips.
His muscles were deeply ridged. It was as if she could climb a mountain and grab on to them so she wouldn’t fall.
“That’s better,” he said in a gruff tone. “Hold on as tight as you’d like. I won’t mind.”
She nodded, inhaling the scent of his leather jacket. She had visions of him wearing it, and nothing else.
“Would you like to join me for a burger? It’s way past my dinnertime and I’m starving.”
She pursed her lips. “I thought you were going to take me home.”
“I will, right after we eat.”
She gave him a reluctant shrug, even as her curiosity to learn more about him was getting stronger.
“I don’t have much choice, do I? You’ve got me captured.”
He turned around. “I get the feeling that if you didn’t want to be here, you wouldn’t be.
“Then again, maybe it’s just fate,” she interjected.
He grinned and revved the engine. “You can tell me where you live when we get to the restaurant. I’m shy and I don’t know how to make conversation.”
She didn’t ask him where they were going, allowing him to take the lead and surprise her. The college was located east of Bay Point in a residential neighborhood, and the dining options were limited to fast food and strip-mall takeout.
She figured the most likely destination was downtown Bay Point, which, much to her delight, had been revitalized in recent years with an influx of new restaurants and shops. Most of which she’d been too busy to try.
When they reached Magnolia Avenue, which led west to downtown Ocean Avenue, Bay Point’s version of Main Street, Trent hooked a left and continued east. The road and the area was unfamiliar territory to Sonya, but she felt perfectly safe with Trent.
Tiny stars were just beginning to pop in the twilight sky as they rode silently through the moist autumn air. She wanted to open the flap of her helmet to smell the fresh air, but she didn’t dare let go of Trent.
What does a man think about when he’s totally alone? Wearing his helmet made her feel close to him, even though his thoughts and feelings were unknown to her. She was glad to have it.
About ten minutes later, they turned onto a gravel driveway. The roadside bar had no sign. Motorcycles and pickup trucks cluttered the parking lot. In the windows were colorful neon images of a martini glass, a bottle of champagne with the cork exploding and a frothy mug of beer.
In spite of the place’s