The next morning, Miranda's muscles ached from exertion. Despite the pain, she enjoyed it. Her cheeks burned with the memories of what she and Tyler had done the night before. Miranda shook her head and focused on the sizzling bacon she cooked.
Another well of pride staggered through her head as she thought of Tyler. He was still asleep, thoroughly wiped out. That fact brought a pleased tingle to Miranda's core. Her toes curled against the linoleum as she imagined what would happen when he awoke. Images of being thrown on the table and taken flashed through her head.
“What's got you all worked up?”
Tyler's voice behind her made Miranda jolt. She swallowed down a yelp as she turned sharply. “What are you talking about?”
“Your face is all flushed.” Tyler grinned, knowing exactly what had been on Miranda's mind.
Miranda turned back to the stove, a sudden pop of bacon grease calling for her attention. The image of Tyler's naked torso still burned in her head, even as she turned her back to him. Tribal-esque tattoos lined his body, along with a few horrifying scars. Then, of course, there was that trail of dark hair that spread from navel to groin. Miranda's face prickled at the very thought of it.
Behind her, Tyler leaned against a counter. She busied herself with the bacon before moving on to some eggs. He watched her carefully with a heated gaze. Miranda's fingers trembled with excitement as each quiet second passed.
Finally, once breakfast was finished and dished out, the two took their seats at the small dining room table. Miranda's face felt about ready to melt off. No matter how hard she tried to divert her attention, her thoughts and her gaze constantly flickered back to Tyler. It was infuriating. Closure should have erased her schoolgirl crush or, at the very least, abated it a little!
“Do you have plans for the weekend?” Tyler's words crashed through Miranda's thoughts and her eyes moved back to his face. He forked some egg around on his plate before giving her a hesitant glance. In Tyler's head, pragmatism reamed into him. One night. That's all they got. No more. He should have booked it at the first sign of daylight. Yet, he lingered in bed while his hands gingerly stroked her back, her side, her face.
“As long as the bank doesn't call, no.” Miranda's shook her head, still shocked by Tyler's inquiry. She had half-expected to wake up in an empty bed. When her eyes opened, finding her lover still snoozing beside, she had been taken by surprise.
A glint of mischief and delight sparked in Tyler's eyes. “Want to go for a ride?”
“On your motorcycle?” Miranda's eyebrows cocked upward, a wry grin on her lips.
“Well, that, too,” Tyler purred, his voice husky and the heat in his gaze intense. “We could go to Flagg Forest. Maybe take a hike like old times?”
“By old times, I'm assuming you mean when you forced me to play hooky,” teased Miranda, waving her fork around to emphasize her point.
“There was no force! You did it willingly.” Tyler bristled, a defensive pout curled at his lips. Suddenly uncertain, he added, “…right?”
Miranda softened as Tyler's worries cropped across his face. She couldn't deny her excitement every time Tyler came for her. How his infectious grin and bright eyes spoke to a deeper part of her. Naturally, her parents were livid when they found out. They blamed Tyler, though their disappointment in Miranda was thick enough to chew on. Residual streams of excitement throbbed through her as she sighed and nodded, “Yeah, I guess I did.”
Tyler's tense shoulders eased. Relief fluttered through him, but bashfulness still tinged his words. “So, what do you say?”
Miranda's gaze turned down toward her plate. Her thoughts skittered across the invitation and her imagination painted enjoyable scenarios in her head. What if the bank needed her? She'd be farther away than if she had been at home. Her cheeks burned, the potential words of her customers curled tightly along her thoughts. That wasn't even accounting for her family, who owned the bank. If they found out she had spent time with Tyler, already, they'd snipe at her until the end of the millennium.
She couldn't do it. Miranda's gaze flickered back toward Tyler. He waited, patiently and quietly, with an earnest expression. Her heart fluttered and her gaze shot away from his face as she murmured, “Should I pack a lunch, too?”
* * *
A picnic at Flagg Forest. Tyler's body sang with giddiness as they rode to the forest. With prior precedent, he had no doubt their little excursion would be a happy one. Miranda's body pressed flush against his back helped his excitement along. Even in the bright light of day, she became braver. Her arms looped lazily around his waist – versus the deadly awkward hold on his torso from last night – and her fingers fiddled close to his groin. Did she even notice the dangerous proximity of her fingers?
Sparks of electricity burned and churned his core. Was she going to touch him? Or was she just teasing him? After ten minutes of resistance, Tyler couldn't handle it any longer. At a stoplight, his hand drifted down to hers. He moved her hand to his side, only slightly tempted to press her palm to naughtier bits of his anatomy.
Against his back, he could feel Miranda's laugh. “So, that was getting to you.”
When Tyler didn't answer, she grinned to herself. Since last night, a part of her had reestablished itself in her mind. It was a troublesome part that she thought had long ago departed.
Miranda pressed her cheek to the back of Tyler's shoulder as her fingers worked their way under his shirt. His heart thrummed faster in his chest, the rhythm echoing to her ear. Smug pride swelled in her chest as her thoughts became fat with confidence. The way he reacted to her, on every level, made Miranda feel warm and tingly inside.
The tips of her fingernails scraped down his sides, sending ripples of excited prickles thundering over his body. Heat pooled in his groin. His pants felt tighter, almost to an unbearable point, as his erection grew. It took all of his self-discipline to keep driving.
Through his shirt, he could feel Miranda's grin pressed against his shoulder. A flare of indignity burst into his thoughts and, he realized, she had always been like this. Testing him, teasing him, pushing him to the edge until he couldn't take it any longer. Tyler suppressed a pleasant shudder at the thought. Even if he tried to be on his best behavior, she tempted his true nature.
Before long, his chopper rolled into the parking lot of the picnic area. Quite a few people were enjoying the sunny Saturday. The scent of grilled meats hung in the air. Chatter filled the air. Kids ran around the grassy knolls, squawking and shrieking in delight No one seemed to notice the ruffian as he parked and climbed off his bike. Or, perhaps, they blatantly ignored him.
“Do you want to eat here or…” He trailed off, his gaze flickering to the forest. Long ago, they had a spot they hiked to. He couldn't even be sure it was still there. Any number of things could have happened to it in the last ten years. The trail changed, trees obscured the path, overgrown poison ivy. The thought of losing such a sacred place made his heart twinge unhappily.
“I thought we'd go to the usual spot, Tyler.” Miranda hopped off the bike and stretched her arms out. Tyler's gaze flicked back to her just in time to see her tank top inch up over the waistband of her jeans. Excitement coiled in his stomach. Their spot was far from the trail and away from prying eyes. They had spent plenty of schooldays, avoiding truant officers, among the trees of Flagg Forest.
Miranda swallowed down her pleased grin as she hoisted the backpack from the motorcycle. She pushed it against Tyler's chest and his arms clasped around it. They locked gazes and she smiled, though a teasing glint shimmered in her eye, “I did bring the blanket, after all.”
Without hesitance, she turned to the forest and started down one of the lesser-used paths. Tyler followed, the burn of a desirous flush reddening his cheeks.