Rapid Pulse: A Limited Edition Spicy Romance Collection
Page 179
“Well, you’re just so quiet, it made me wonder,” he admitted. I bit my lip as I stared at his single hand gripping the top of his steering wheel, his other arm leaning on the center console.
“I was just thinking how pretty the leaves are now that it’s autumn,” I said, lying through my teeth as I tried to stare out the window instead of at him.
“Yeah, I love it up here. Not too hot, not too cold, and the seasons bring change to the mundane routine of everyday life.” I couldn’t help but look at him as he spoke, his passion for the Hendersonville area of North Carolina mirroring mine.
“The weather is one of the reasons I chose to stay,” I admitted, realizing after the words came out that I just invited him to pry.
It didn’t fail either. As soon as I said it, he began to ask questions.
“Stay? Were you born here?”
“Yep,” I said with a nod, even though his eyes were on the road and he likely couldn’t see me. “Born in the hospital I now work at. I’ve never really wanted to leave, and I don’t think Dylan ever wants to leave again after his time in the service.”
“I hear ya. I’m from Sky Valley, near Dillard, Georgia.” When he mentioned Sky Valley, he smiled, pride in his voice. And he should be proud. Sky Valley was a pretty ritzy area.
“Is that where we’re going now?” I asked, hoping he’d say yes.
“Yeah. My dad still lives there, and for good reason. It’s really pretty there.” With a flex of his hand that rested on the console, he took a deep breath and said, “Maybe we can go see some of the waterfalls in the valley, if you’re up for it.”
“That’d be nice. The sound of the waterfalls and creeks are always so calming.” Closing my eyes, I breathed through my nose and just thought of how peaceful it’d be with him.
“So, I know I should’ve asked this sooner, but is it okay for me to be staying with you guys? I mean, do you rent? Do we need to put me on the lease or will the landlord not mind an additional body?” He was rambling, and I could tell this subject bothered him a bit. I was curious as to why, but again, I didn’t feel like it was right to be nosey.
“Considering I’m the landlord, I think it’s all okay,” I said with a smile. “I own the house.”
“Really?”
“Is that surprising?” I asked while trying to keep the sting from my tone.
“Just a little unexpected for a woman your age to already be a homeowner.” I could tell he was just being honest, but the idea people thought I wasn’t responsible enough to own my home bugged me a bit.
“I’m twenty-five. I don’t think that’s really too young,” I said with the need to defend myself. I worked damn hard for the roof over my head.
“This day and age, it’s pretty uncommon. Hell, some twenty-five-year-olds are still living with Mommy and Daddy,” he said with a chuckle, not realizing what a comment like that would do to me.
With that, I got silent. I didn’t want it to affect my mood, but it did, and it was clear as day he noticed.
“Did I say something wrong? I didn’t mean to offend you.” His eyes looked frantic as he glanced at me and back at the road.
“Nah, it’s not that,” I said with a wave of my hand. “My mom and dad left me the house when they died.”
“Oh, shit. I’m sorry. Dylan did tell me you lost them a while back, but he never spoke about it much... me and my big mouth. I’m sorry,” he said, obviously trying to lighten the mood.
“S’okay. I got the debt that came along with it too, so it’s not like it was much of a benefit. But I’m grateful we were able to keep it in the family,” I admitted.
He didn’t say anything, but I could tell he wanted more info. If he was going to live with us full time, I didn’t see any reason why I had to keep secrets.
“I was almost nineteen when they died, and Dilly was twenty-one. I couldn’t wait to get out of the house as soon as I turned eighteen. As soon as I could, I got my own apartment with some roommates, even though I wasn’t going to college far away. Now I wish I would’ve stayed home. I would’ve gotten more time with them,” I admitted, feeling a bit of relief to talk about it.
I was surprised when he reached over and grabbed my hand, his fingers dwarfing mine. I knew he was doing it just to comfort me, but little flutters still filled my stomach at the feel of his warm touch.
With a gasp I couldn’t seem to hide, I looked over at him and back at our hands. I managed to glance down just in time to watch his fingers stretch out and intertwine with mine. It could’ve been just my imagination, but it seemed way more intimate than just a comfort hold.
While I was sure my face looked like that of a startled deer in the headlights, his smile was warm, calming. He knew exactly what he was doing to me... almost like he enjoyed it.
I tried to process what was going on. If he enjoyed messing around with girls to boost his ego, I was the wrong person for the task. He clearly knew I was affected by his touch. It was like he could hear my heart quicken as soon as his skin came into contact with mine. And I couldn’t get it out of my head that he was doing this just to make himself feel better, make himself feel like he could have anyone he wanted.
Gently, I pulled my hand out of his. He didn’t need to know how broken I’d be if he treated me like every other man did. I was disposable to men, and I definitely didn’t want to be.
Thankfully, he didn’t say anything or question my actions. Instead, he picked his hand up and put it on the wheel, never looking at me. Even though his eyes weren’t on me and he didn’t seem upset with my refusal, I still felt pain. Not like physical pain, but pain in a different sense. I wanted him to want me, but only for the right reasons. Yet there was no way I knew him well enough to voice my needs... not now, and likely not ever.
The rest of the ride went by in silence, the colors of fall surrounding us as we made our way up the mountain to Sky Valley. The roads were windy, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact we must’ve crossed state lines at least three times on our way up.
I was in awe of the location and the A-frame house we pulled up to. The place was simply breathtaking—there wasn’t another word to describe it. I could see myself getting quite comfortable in a place like this.
Once at his father’s house, we backed up toward the garage and began loading the backseat of his truck with a few random things, mostly boxes with the initials TMW on the sides.
“What’s your middle name?” I asked, wondering what the M stood for.
“Michael. It’s my dad’s name,” he said as we loaded the last of the boxes in the back cab.
“And where is your dad? I thought I’d get to meet him.” I was trying to make light of the situation, but overall, it just seemed awkward we were at this man’s house without him here.
“I told him I was coming, but I guess that wasn’t important enough for him to make sure he was home.” I couldn’t help but notice the anguish in his words. He covered them well, trying for nonchalance, but I saw right through it. He was hurt his dad didn’t care to be here.
Before I could think of what to say, how to respond in a soothing manner, Travis put his hands on his hips and stood strong, masking his pain in the only way he knew how.
“Well, that’s the last of it,” he said, his voice taking on a deeper tone. “All we have left is the bike.”
“Do you want me to drive the truck while you ride the bike back?” I asked. I was wondering how we’d work this out and suddenly wished we would’ve brought my car so I wasn’t driving his massive truck.
“Nah. I’ll load it up in the bed,” he said as if it weren’t a big deal at all. “But I was wondering if you’d want to go for a ride first? I promised to take you to the waterfall here in the valley.”
“Me? Ride?” I said, my voice coming out like that of a squeaky chipmunk. “I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything. And I’ll go slow, I promise,” he said, his voice becoming warmer,
more seductive than before. I felt like I was being talked into something much more intimate than riding bitch.
“Okay,” I agreed, bobbing my head up and down. I really wasn’t sure if I was ready for this. I was both excited and nervous at the same time.
“Hang on,” he said, walking to his truck and digging into a box for something. It didn’t take long for him to come back with a leather jacket slung over his shoulder. “It’s going to be a bit big on you, but the temperature is just cool enough here for you to be a bit chilly with the wind in your face. Your tank top isn’t going to protect you much.”
“But it’s in the low seventies,” I argued. I really didn’t want to wear his jacket. I’d probably swim in the dang thing... hell, not swim... drown was more like it.
Draping it around my shoulders, he gestured for me to put my arms through. “Trust me, you’ll want the protection.” Zipping the jacket up around my torso, he tugged at the lapels and smiled. “You look scared.”
“I’m not scared, I’m excited,” I admitted. I was barely able to crack a smile though because, regardless of how excited I was, I definitely was nervous too.
“Good, I’m glad.” The smiles he kept gifting me were nothing short of breathtaking, and I suddenly noticed my mind wandering to thoughts of what it would be like to be kissed by his strong lips. His voice interrupted my evil thoughts when he asked, “Do you have a hair tie with you?”
“Yeah,” I said, lifting my wrist to see nothing but black leather covering my hand. I pulled the jacket sleeve back to show him the hair band I was sporting around my wrist like a bracelet.
Without saying a word, he took the band and walked around me. He sure as hell knew how to get a rise out of me because before I knew it, the man was running his fingers through my hair.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my stomach doing all kinds of funny things at the feel of him playing with my hair. God, it felt good. It was all the strength I could muster not to moan out loud.
“Braiding your hair. It’ll get all knotted up otherwise,” he answered as if it weren’t a miracle a man knew how to braid.
“Oh, okay.” I really had no other words. It didn’t take him long to finish, his fingers lingering on me a bit longer than was necessary.
“Well hello, Travis,” a voice said from the driveway, startling both of us at the same time.
“Dad,” he responded with a nod of his head.
“And who is this pretty little thing?” the man said as he made his way toward us, his long legs eating up the concrete in a mere few steps.
“Dad, this is Danielle, Dylan’s sister and my new roommate for the time being. She came with me to help me pack things up and take them back to Hendersonville. Danielle, this is my father, Michael Walker,” Travis said, his voice clipped and to the point.
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Walker,” I said, hiking the sleeve up on Travis’ massive jacket to shake the man’s hand. He was just as big as Travis and the resemblance was uncanny. It was clear as crystal where Travis got his size.
“Please, call me Mike. You kids going for a ride?” he asked and gestured toward the bike.
“Yeah, I just thought I’d take it for a quick spin before I loaded it up on the bed of the truck,” he explained, his eyes never meeting his dad’s as he spoke.
“I’ll be glad to get that noisy thing out of my garage,” he said as he began to walk in the house. “Nice to meet you, darlin’.”
I couldn’t even respond before he disappeared inside and shut the door behind him.
“Sorry about that,” Travis said, though I couldn’t quite understand what he was apologizing for.
“I thought he was nice.” Smiling, I hoped my words made him feel a little better. It was obvious there were some serious issues between the two men.
“Heh, right,” Travis huffed. Without saying another word, he shoved his boot under the kickstand and began to walk the bike out of the garage.
The steep driveway was intimidating, and I suddenly worried that I was just too heavy to be on the back of a motorcycle, especially in the mountains.
Travis saw the obvious fear on my face as I stood there staring at the steep embankment we had to climb. “Don’t worry. I know what I’m doing. All you have to do is hold on,” he said, his smile reassuring me a little.
“Travis,” I said, muttering his name as I worried my lip. “I hate to doubt you, but are you sure I’m not too heavy for something like this? I mean, I’m not delusional about my size.”
Putting the kickstand back in place, Travis closed the distance between us and reached for me, placing both his hands on my arms and ducking his head slightly to snare my gaze.
“Dani, trust me when I say this... you’re perfect in every way imaginable. I’ve never met someone as beautiful as you. Now, I would love nothing more than for you to come riding with me. Please?” he asked. His words had my heart fluttering, my mind in a fog, and my knees close to giving out beneath me. It still didn’t ease my mind any about him hauling my ass up that steep driveway, but it at least had me feeling a bit more resolved that I wanted to make him happy by accepting.
“While I know you’re just being nice to me, I’ll go riding with you. But could I get on the bike after you drive it up this insanely steep drive?” I asked, pointing to the death trap before us.
He laughed, finally letting go of my arms, and nodded. “Sure. Meet me up there, okay?”
“Yes, sir,” I said as I began walking up the steps. Yes, this driveway was so steep that it actually had several sets of wooden steps alongside it, making the climb a bit easier.
I could hear his laugh just before he started the bike up, the engine roaring against the confines of the hillside. The sound made my tummy jump with nerves.
“This better be good,” I muttered under my breath. I couldn’t believe he talked me into doing this. I might’ve been a strong-willed woman, but a daredevil, I was not.
From the top of the driveway, I watched him ride the bike up the embankment with ease. Just the idea he didn’t falter at all had me feeling a bit more confident. Then again, he didn’t have my weight on the back to hold him down.
“Here, put this on,” he said, unhooking a helmet from the back and handing it to me. It was as if he read my mind, because he had another thing coming if he thought I was going to get on this thing without protecting my brain.
Quickly, I strapped the helmet on my head, synching it under my chin until I felt somewhat secure.
“What kind of bike is this?” I asked while I watched him put his helmet on. His muscles were doing a delicious dance under the tight sleeves of his t-shirt and I couldn’t help but stare as he began to speak.
“A Harley Softail.”
“And it’s okay for two people to be sitting on?”
“Quit stalling and get on. I need to feel those beautiful legs wrapped around me,” he said, gracing me with a wink and another dazzling smile.
“Shit, okay,” I said, cursing loud enough so he could definitely hear me over the roar of the engine.
I felt like a total dweeb, completely out of my element as I hiked my leg up and over the seat. He could probably feel how nervous I was as I clung to him, digging my fingernails into his bicep as I got situated behind him.
“You okay?” he asked once I finally wrapped my arms around his waist and held on for dear life.
“Yup, just dandy,” I said, squeezing him tighter now that I knew he was about to move this monster.
And then, we were off.
Chapter Six
Travis
She was so adorable as she clung to me with her thighs tightening around my hips. I laughed, I couldn’t help it, and I was pleased to feel her warmth up against me the whole time.
The day was simply beautiful, a perfect day for riding. First thing we were going to do was go see Mud Creek Falls. With the easy access and close parking, she probably wouldn’t be too freaked out and I wouldn’t need to leave my bike unattended.
I noticed her hold on me ease up a bit, her nails no longer digging into my abs, and I knew she was becoming more comfortable on the back of my baby. I could only hope she was enjoying the ride as much as I was. I wanted this to be a good day for her.
The twists and turns down to the waterfall made me realize just how much I missed fall in the mountains. Where I was stationed over in the sandbox, everything was the same for as far as the eye could see. Seasons were nearly nonexistent unless you counted the short, cool winters when quite a bit of rain would drop from the heavens.
With the memories of that sandy hellhole in the forefront of my mind, I was damn sure enjoying my time now that I was home in the Appalachian Mountains.
Pulling up to the parking area by the falls, I looked back to Dani and caught her smiling. She was looking all around us, absorbing her surroundings. Being raised in the Blue Ridge Mountain area, I was pretty sure she’d been to a plethora of waterfalls before. She’d probably also had her share of the fall colors time and time again. But obviously experiencing it on a bike really had her awestruck. I was pretty pleased with myself that I was the one to give her this experience.
“Go ahead and climb off and we’ll walk around a bit,” I told her with hesitation. I was really enjoying having her arms around me.
“’Kay,” she muttered just before bracing her hands on my shoulders and hiking her leg up and over. My bike was low to the ground, so she had no trouble getting down.
With excitement clear on her face, she stood there waiting for me to do my thing, getting the kickstand in place before climbing off. After taking my helmet off, I walked the few feet over to her and began to remove the clasp from beneath her chin.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice quiet—a light, gentle flutter to my ears. “Can I take this monstrosity off too?” she asked as she held her arms out and the sleeves of the jacket flapped past the edge of her fingertips.