“Don’t worry, okay?” Amy patted her father’s hand and kissed him on the forehead. “He’s a really nice guy, if you look beneath his image.”
Her father fixed her with a baleful gaze. “You’ve got to be careful. Men like him will trample over your heart. They’re narcissists. Your brother already showed us all the pictures of him with all his women. Don’t forget, you’re playing a role. Don’t get your heart mixed up in this. Guys like him with money and looks don’t have to be nice.”
“I’ll be careful.” She stood. “I’ll be right here when you get out of surgery. Promise.”
“You’re a good daughter. If I don’t see you again, I want you to promise me you’ll marry a responsible man and settle down.”
If settling down meant a boring suburban life, no thanks.
“You’ll be around to nag me until I’m eighty,” Amy said. “I have to go now.”
She stepped out of her father’s hospital room, but her mother and brother were nowhere in sight. They’d said they would be waiting outside.
Since she hadn’t replaced her cell phone which had been damaged in the crash, she had no choice but to wander the hallways looking for them. She checked the waiting room, then the cafeteria. Where were they?
Maybe they went to the car already. She exited the hospital and scanned the parking lot. Some idiots had roped off a large section, forcing incoming patients to fight for parking spots near the trees on the far side.
A crowd of people gathered behind the roped off area.
Vrroom, vroom. The chuckling putter of a motorcycle engine revved. Which wiseass would disturb the hospital’s peace with a motorcycle demo? Even though the sound and smell reminded her of Teo, she resisted walking over. He’d never pull a stunt like this, with his Zen philosophy and emphasis on harmony with nature.
Amy spotted her brother waving his hand, volunteering. That Joe. Always hyper. And her mother who always indulged him was standing next to him. But he’s the baby, was her oft-quoted refrain. Amy rolled her eyes and headed toward them.
Someone handed Joe a helmet. She couldn’t see over the heads of the crowd to see who. She tapped her mother. “What’s going on? Why’s Joe going to ride a motorcycle?”
“Oh, it’s a wish granting thing. There’s a cancer patient, a little boy who wants to race a motorcycle. That’s his wish.”
“But Joe’s not sick.”
“The little boy’s afraid. See? He’s over there.”
Amy craned her neck. A child, about ten or eleven was dressed in full body racing leathers, complete with Suzuki team colors and sponsor insignia. A pit girl was holding an umbrella over him.
“Why Joe?” Amy shrugged.
“He’s demonstrating so the kid will get on the bike.”
“By himself?” Amy strained toward where her brother was headed.
“No, holding onto the famous celebrity.”
Amy’s heartbeat rioted within her ribcage. The celebrity looked a heck of a lot like Teo, about the same height and build. He even wore the same racing leathers, number sixty-nine. Could it be Teo? He hadn’t contacted her ever since the car accident.
Shit. He probably thought she’d blown him off. She’d been so preoccupied with her father. Amy elbowed her way, edging between people, to the front of the line.
“Ready to rock and roll?” Teo straddled a sleek black motorcycle with swooshed back tailpipes and instructed Joe to step up to the passenger’s seat.
Amy swallowed and clutched her hands. Her brother was about to ride with Teo, something she’d never had the courage to do. The thumping of the motorcycle matched the speed of her heart as Teo revved the engine and took off between two cones. He rode a circuit, then slalomed between the cones, zigzagging.
She couldn’t see her brother’s face, but his posture showed he was exuberant and confident. He waved at her as they drove by and tapped Teo’s back, pointing her direction.
Teo jerked the cycle into a sharp U-turn and sputtered to a stop in front of Amy. He lifted his visor and flashed her a drop dead gorgeous smile.
Amy might as well drop dead on the spot. Butterflies tangoed in her stomach and her heart did a flippity flop the size of Shamu at Orca Stadium
Before she could say anything, Joe had jumped off the bike and removed his helmet.
“Man, that was awesome. He’s got a Hayabusa, you know what that is? The fastest bike in the world. It’s a Suzuki. You’ve got to ride it.”
“Oh no, oh no, oh no.” Amy’s pulse skittered to her throat. Sweat prickled her forehead, and she wiped her nose. “What about the patient? He’s waiting.”
Joe spread his hands wide at Teo. “Can I go on it with you? Full speed?”
“Another time.” Teo tipped his head. “Come on, Amy, be a good sport. I promise I won’t go faster than fifteen miles an hour. After you ride, you can talk to George over there. He’s kind of shy. I know you and him will be best buddies.”
Amy swallowed a gulp and found herself nodding. Nodding like an idiotic bobblehead doll. Her brother stuffed the helmet over her head. Okay, she had no excuse. None at all. She was wearing jeans and sensible shoes. She could do it. But then, if she did, wouldn’t he assume she’d go riding on a road with him, a winding, twisty road? At full speed?
No time to think. Teo had gotten off his bike and was holding his hand to her. “Come on, moro mou, up you go.”
Whatever did he just call her? Her heart was already at blast point, and it didn’t help that the entire crowd of spectators were staring at her, or that the news crew had their cameras on her. Teo licked his lips as if he would kiss her, except for the encumbrance of the helmets.
“Joe, give your sister a hand.” Teo straddled the bike and kicked up the stand.
Joe picked her up and plopped her onto the passenger seat. “Keep your feet on the pegs.”
“Ready?” Teo revved the engine. “Hold on.”
Amy more than gladly grabbed onto Teo’s waist.
“Ahhh!” The speed at which he took off surprised her.
Teo zoomed around the parking lot. Wasn’t he not supposed to go faster than fifteen miles per hour?
Amy clutched Teo and squeezed her thighs. Oh no. Not the slalom. He wove between the cones and she glued herself to his back, shutting her eyes. Stop the ride! Stop the ride!
The noise, vibration, scent of road tar, and dizzying twists and turns had to be her own special version of hell. But the awesomely hot man she was attached to, and the spikes of adrenaline shooting through her veins sped her pulse and wet her lips. She hugged him tighter and tried to breath evenly, imagining herself meditating with him on a mountain top surrounded by clear blue water.
“Amy? Amy?” Teo’s delicious voice warbled in her ears. She didn’t want to answer. Holding onto him was pure bliss.
“Mmm …” Her mind dragged away from the warm sand and calming waves. She blinked, realizing the motorcycle was idling.
Cheers and hoots surrounded her as the nurses brought the little boy toward them. Amy’s brother lifted her off, and her legs wobbled, unsteady as sea legs.
She peeled off the helmet and greeted the boy. “Hello there, little guy. What’s your name?”
“George,” a shy little voice replied.
His skin was so transparent and pale she could see his veins, and he had no hair on his head.
“George, I’m Amy. What’s your wish?”
“To race motorcycle. But I’m scared.”
She knelt and took his hand. “I was scared too, but there’s nothing like being brave. Think how happy you’ll be when you’re done. Are you ready to race?”
The boy nodded. “I want a real helmet.”
“Here’s one for you to take home,” Teo said. “I signed it especially for you.”
George stood up straight as Teo fitted the helmet on him. His little chest, which had been hollow before, puffed out with pride. Amy stepped back as a nurse lifted George onto the bike.
As they roared off,
he gave her a thumbs up. Even though she couldn’t see his face, she was sure George was smiling from ear to ear—the same way her face was split with a wide grin.
Teo had put it there. Teo, the boy with the sad eyes.
What could she do to change those eyes to happy?
* * *
“So, you’re Amy’s costar.” Amy’s mother narrowed her gaze at Teo as he set the lunch tray on the table for them.
“It’s nice to meet you, ma’am. I really enjoy working with your daughter. She’s very talented and I see a bright future for her.”
“I don’t agree.” Her mother pulled out her wallet and removed a couple of twenties. “How much do I owe you for lunch?”
“Mom!” Amy nudged her. “He said he’d treat. This is nothing.”
“He’s a freaking billionaire.” Her brother, Joe, looked up from his smartphone. “His father’s Costas Alexiou. He owns half of Europe.”
Her mother scowled and kicked Joe under the table. “He’s my daughter’s friend. I’m the elder here. I pay.”
“Okay, Mother, if you insist.” Amy hooked her hand around Teo and flashed him an appeasing smile.
“Sure, thanks for lunch.” Teo took the money and shrugged. “Since you treated me for lunch, I have tickets to a benefit talent show this evening at the Smith Center at Ohlone College. It’ll be fun and all in good cause. We’re raising money for the Wishes Come True foundation.”
Amy waited for her mother to respond first, as befitting her status as an elder.
Her mother scrutinized the tickets as if they were counterfeit dollar bills. “My husband’s going into surgery and it might take all day.”
“But Mom, there’s nothing we can do while he’s there.” Joe drummed on the table between gobbling up chicken fingers.
“It’s up to you.” Mother shrugged in Amy’s direction. “After surgery, he’ll be in the ICU for another day or two and then a long recovery, at least six weeks. You’ll need to be around to help out.”
Amy’s shoulders sagged. Her mother was essentially asking her to give up acting in favor of staying home to take care of her father. She couldn’t even say ‘no.’
Teo cleared his throat and bent to kiss Amy behind the ear. “I’ll leave the tickets with you. Text me if you’re coming.”
“I broke my cell phone in the crash. I guess I should get it replaced.” She fingered the tickets as if they were her passport to freedom. “I’ll come. Joe, you want to bring a friend?”
“Sure.” He grabbed two of the tickets. “Mom, you’re sure?”
Mother glanced at her cell phone. “I’m going to check on your father before he goes under, then I have to go back to work. I’ve an important conference coming up next week.”
In other words, she had to go on a business trip while Amy stayed home with her father. Her acting career was in shambles now.
“Come on, Joe,” Amy’s mother said. “I need to get back to the office.”
Amy waited until her mother and brother had departed before sighing and rubbing her eyes. “I can’t believe it’s over.”
“What’s over?” Teo rubbed her back. “Your father will come out of it okay.”
“My acting career. I have to take care of him. I want to take care of him. Six weeks. The show will go on without me.”
“Not necessarily.” Teo squeezed the back of her neck. “I can hire a home health worker to replace you the weekends of my races. Your father just has to agree.”
“No.” She pushed away from the table. “I can’t let you pay for everything. It’s not fair. I can’t keep taking from you.”
“It’s only money.”
She closed her eyes and shook her head. “It may seem to be only money to you, but it’s not the Japanese way. We’re not beggars at your mercy.”
“You’re my girlfriend. I’d do anything for you.”
“Fake girlfriend. Teo, please stop. You’re making me feel worse. Please. I appreciate your sentiments, but it feels empty. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
He encircled her with his arms, holding her in the cocoon of his protection. “I’m being selfish. I want you on the show, and I want my grandmother to be happy. Let’s not argue about this right now. Let me just be with you.”
“Sir, are you done with the table?” A man holding a tray gestured to their table. The cafeteria was crowded and several people ate standing.
“Sure, no prob.” Teo picked up the tray and cleared it at the garbage can. He took Amy’s hand. “Anywhere you want to go this afternoon before the show?”
She wasn’t ready to let him go yet. Even though the show must go on, he was here, for now.
“If you’re free, let’s go for a walk.” She held his hand, lacing her fingers between his.
“Walking meditation. Hike up Mission Peak or around Lake Elizabeth?”
“The lake is closer,” she said. “I don’t have a car and my mother left already.”
“Then you’ll have no choice than to ride with me. On my bike.”
“Piece of cake.”
Chapter 18
Teo showed Amy how to climb onto the bike using the foot pegs. “Keep your feet on these at all times, your arms around me and lean with me. If I lean right, you stay with me. No jerking around or you might cause an accident.”
“Okay, got it. We aren’t going far, are we? The park is across the street, literally.” She pulled the helmet over her head.
“Remember, stay on the bike and no back seat driving.” He flipped her visor down and straddled the sleek black bike built for speed.
Riding with Amy was going to be fun, but only if she relaxed. She wasn’t as fearful of speed as she was at the thought of going fast. He’d show her how much fun it was to stay centered in the moment, the here and now, and stop worrying about what might happen.
“Okay, hop on.” He nodded over his shoulder. Amy put her hands on his shoulders and straddled the bike easily. Because of the fat exhaust pipes, she’d have to bend her legs and lean forward, hugging him intimately, just the way he wanted.
She was fine the first block. Traffic wasn’t heavy, but when they zoomed past the lake and turned toward the freeway, she started tapping on his shoulder.
“Where are we going?” Amy yelled when they were stopped at a light.
“Surprise. Just hang on and don’t worry. No knee dragging turns, promise.”
“How much longer?”
“As long or short as it needs to be. Stay with me, sweetie. Don’t think, just be.”
The light changed and he zoomed off. She immediately clutched him tighter. Ah … he could get used to this so easily. Amy covering his back felt so natural, as if she belonged with him, as one.
Taking the diamond lane, he accelerated onto the freeway.
* * *
Amy clung to Teo, fighting to hold on, to not think. The speed was horrifying, but the traffic was worse. Teo wove in and out of lanes, cutting between cars and trucks with the grace of a dancer. Where the hell was he taking her? That rascal promised her a walk around the lake.
If she wasn’t so frightened of an accident, she would have pounded him upside the head. All she could do was cling on and close her eyes.
They approached the Dumbarton Bridge. Tingles and spikes drew shivers across Amy’s body. Could she hang on long enough? What if they flew off the bridge into the water? The bridge was relatively straight, but the water was choppy. Where was he taking her? San Francisco?
Shit. Amy’s stomach ground nuts when she spotted the sign toward Woodside. He was going to take her on the infamous winding road to La Honda. The one with hairpin turns where motorcyclists lie almost horizontal when ripping around the mountain. She’d been on it only once in a minivan and it was the scariest ride of her life.
Amy said her prayers and clung onto Teo. Lean with him, stick to his body as one. Don’t fight it.
The road got darker as oak trees gave way to towering redwoods. Thankfully there were other slow tr
affic and Teo couldn’t go too fast. Sunlight would flash between the trees and disappear as they turned and twisted further into the hills, the road becoming narrower.
Suddenly, Teo roared past a minivan and broke for daylight.
Yikes. Up ahead, the road signs zigzagged to show how treacherous the turns could be. Amy leaned with Teo to the right, then the left, his wheels hugging the ground. The powerful purring of the engine droned in her ears, and vibrations from the engine rumbled between her legs.
She lost sense of time and space. No past, no future. Only now. She stopped thinking. Her eyes open, she let the sights absorb into her, removing herself from the equation, although aware of every image and sensation.
And then it happened. An exhilarating, crackling sense of wellbeing floated her spirit. It was like flying on air currents, having a sense of no control, but being absolutely sure that everything was under control.
She moved as he moved, went where he went, flowing together with Teo until there was no her and no him. The mental rush was tremendous, the feeling of freedom, untethered. Soaring over the clouds.
The moments melded together until Teo stopped at a crossroads, bringing her out of the zone, if that was what it was called. She’d heard of it, but experiencing it was truly transforming.
“San Gregorio State Beach,” Teo yelled over the noise of the motor. “Want to dip your toe in the water?”
“Let’s go, what are you waiting for?” Amy bounced in the seat behind him. She’d braved the entire way over, she might as well claim victory by dancing on the beach.
Despite her bravado, Amy’s legs were weak and wobbly when she dismounted. The entire ride had been one hot stimulation, flushing her with heat and throbbing between her legs.
“Now what?” She ripped off her helmet and let her sweaty hair fly in the ocean breeze.
“We cool off a bit.” Teo took her helmet and his, locking them to his bike. “Was it fun?”
“Fun? Fun? I thought I was going to fall off the cliff. I was scared out of my mind.” Amy punched him lightly.
With a growl, he picked her up and swung her around and around, then walked to the edge of the bluffs. The view was awesome, from a salt water estuary on the left filled with driftwood to the soft sand dunes on the right. Beyond it all was the ocean, waves crashing further out to gently lap at the shore below.
Roaring Hot! (Contemporary Romance): A Billionaire Biker Romance Page 13
