Chapter 10
Linda
I stared at him with my arms still crossed over my chest. “What makes you think that I want to go on a ride with you? I already said I wasn’t interested in learning.”
“I’ll be the one driving so you have nothing to be afraid of. I’ve never been in an accident.” I found that hard to believe. The way he had ridden the day before made me feel like he was reckless. “Do you not trust me anymore, just because you found out that Liv is my ex-girlfriend? Jealousy really is the green-eyed monster.”
“I already told you, I’m not jealous.”
“Whatever you say.” I rolled my eyes. Of course I wasn’t jealous. Why should I be? It wasn’t like what happened between us meant anything… I just lost my head last night. That’s all. Nothing more.
Kyle started the motorcycle and it roared to life. I stepped back quickly, a bit apprehensive, but I had to admit that the sound of the bike did send a rush through my body like I was being hit with a dose of adrenaline. I couldn’t quite explain it.
“You’re really going to make me come over there?” He hopped off and came toward me with a helmet, plopping it on my head. “How do you expect to learn about the motorcycle culture if you’re afraid to get on a bike?”
“I’m not afraid.”
“Right, right. You aren’t afraid of anything.”
“Exactly.”
“So, you should have no problem getting on board and going for a spin with me.” Kyle grinned, knowing he had cornered me. Backing out now would just make me look like a hypocrite.
“Fine.”
“I knew you’d come around.” He gently adjusted the strap on my helmet and then kissed my cheek. I felt a rush of excitement run down my spine. As distant as I wanted to be toward this man, it was hard when he made me feel so alive. But I had to keep a clear head. If I was going to figure out this murder case, I needed to be in the right frame of mind. I couldn’t let myself get too drawn in.
“Where are we going anyway?”
“You love to ask that question, but the best part of going for a ride is that there’s really no destination. The roads are yours for the taking. You can end up anywhere. You let the bike guide you.”
“Isn’t that just a way of wasting gas?” I asked.
“Maybe. But people waste a lot of things in more frivolous ways.”
He had a point. I sighed and watched him as he put on his leather jacket and matching helmet. I couldn’t help but stare at him. He was so attractive. Back when I first met him, when he was wearing a prison-issued jumpsuit, he looked like any other man, but now, dressed in nothing more than tight black jeans and a leather jacket, he looked like someone that belonged on the front cover of a magazine. I gulped down my emotions, knowing I couldn’t let him figure out what I was thinking.
He looked back at me, waiting for me to get on. Mustering all my courage, I got back on the bike, very much aware of all the times I had failed to ride it that morning. As he pulled up the kickstand, I expected that excoriating grinding sound to return, but with Kyle in command, it rolled out of the open door with ease. We turned onto the street and the wind started to whip around the few strands of hair that poked out from under my helmet.
“Are you okay back there? You should really hold on.” My hands were on my thighs, but then I remembered the first time I had ridden with him. I quickly wrapped my arms around his waist, locking myself into place. I wasn’t going to fall off. I didn’t even want to think about it. With my head against his back, I started to relax. The vibrations that scuttled under my skin seemed to somehow soothe me. I could almost understand why motorcycle gangs existed. The feeling associated with being on the open road was exhilarating.
I held onto Kyle just a little bit tighter, scooting forward until our bodies were pressed together. I could feel the hardness of his muscles and it sent a tingle down to my pussy. Last night, Kyle had rocked my world and I still couldn’t get my mind off it. His naked profile haunted me and all I could do was imagine his lips on my chest. I could almost feel it…
As we turned into a backroad, Kyle pulled back on the throttle, really making us fly. My fingers tightened around the fabric of his shirt as I started to get anxious. When I closed my eyes, I was pulled back into one of the memories I had long tried to forget. A memory I had suppressed and only now remembered.
I was with a group of my friends – or at least I thought they were. We used to hang out in an alleyway, exchanging stories to pass the time. It was the place where misfits came to hang out – misfits like me.
One day, one of my closest friends came in hauling a dirt bike. He had a dirty grin on his face when he showed it to me. I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I thought I’d be able to drive all the way to Canada on that thing so I persuaded him to let me take it for a spin.
Everything started off okay. The bike started to move and as I pushed it a little harder, it jerked forward. I must have locked up because the next thing I knew, I was flying down the street, heading straight for a brick wall. All I remember is smashing into it – seeing little stars in the corners of my vision. Then, the excruciating pain in my legs and chest kicked in…