Rough Ride (Riding with Honor)

by Rebecca Avery

  “I need to grab a few things out of the office and I’ll be ready,” Bobby said walking towards the office door.

  “I need to get my purse out of there also,” she said, setting her bags down near her car and following behind him several paces.

  As they stepped inside and the door closed behind them, the room suddenly felt even smaller than it really was. He seemed to take up all the space leaving no room and no air for her. He walked to the counter that acted as a hutch to the desk and grabbed a few items off the top of one of the stacks.

  She made her way past him and around the desk and bent over to pick her purse up from the floor.

  “Did you do this?” he asked gruffly.

  Embarrassment and insecurity reared their ugly heads. Had she overstepped her bounds? She didn’t know these people and yet she had made herself at home in this man’s office and messed with his business documents. How angry would that have made Darren and she had been married to him. This man was a complete stranger. What had she been thinking?

  “Yes, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…the time got away from me and uh…I’m sorry,” she finished lamely.

  Turning, she glanced up at him. His gaze changed from an awed expression as he stared at the desk to a dark and dangerous look when he faced her. She could feel her insides warm at his close scrutiny of her. His gaze swept down the length of her body and caressed it on the journey back up.

  When his eyes made it back to hers again he said, “Thank you.”

  She didn’t know how to respond to that. When was the last time someone thanked her for anything? Her mouth opened and then closed and then opened again “You’re… you’re welcome,” she stammered.

  He stared at her for several more seconds and then headed back out to the garage. She followed, stopping in the doorway to shut off the lights. They were obviously the last ones to leave. It felt good to put in a half day of real work, and it felt even better to be appreciated for it.

  She watched as Bobby pushed a monstrous looking motorcycle out of the open garage door. After putting the kickstand down he headed over and picked up her bags. Surely not! He couldn’t possibly mean for them to ride on that thing. She was in a pencil skirt, white blouse and heels. Not to mention, she had two bags plus her purse!

  Her mouth gaped open as she watched him use a bungee cord and some netting to tie the two bags to the back of a bar that acted as a backrest for the passenger seat. Once they were securely fastened he turned and stared at her. His intense gaze brought back the awkwardness and she quickly looked away. She could feel him continue to stare at her for several more seconds.

  Strapping on courage she didn’t know she possessed, she approached him as he continued to stand there looking dangerous, exciting and extremely sexy. What was wrong with her? He was likely a motorcycle gang member, with his tattoos, long hair and scruffy appearance and yet she could not deny the heat that seemed to arch between them the closer she got to him. She could actually feel her nipples tighten and the tiny hairs on her arms stand up.

  He turned and removed a helmet from the handle bars and handed it to her, taking her purse and stuffing it in one of the bags on the side of the motorcycle. She took the helmet and positioned it gently on her head. Unlike the helmets she was used to seeing on motorcycle riders, this one seemed to only cover the top of her head with a strap that went under her chin. It rested right on top of the ballet bun she wore at the back of her head.

  “Do you have sunglasses?” he asked.

  “Yes, in my car,” she replied.

  She was really going to do this! She had never been on a motorcycle in her life. She was both excited and nervous as she walked to her car and pulled her sunglasses from the visor. She slid them on and turned to head back to where he stood.

  He grinned. Wow!

  It completely changed his entire face. It didn’t seem possible that a simple lopsided grin could make him look even sexier… but it did. God help her.

  “Nice shades,” he smirked.

  Her mother-in-law had always referred to them as her Jackie Onassis glasses. They were big and round and white. She wasn’t sure if he was making fun of her or simply amused by her choice of eyewear.

  “Is there a grocery store anywhere on the way?” she asked.

  “Yea, we can stop if you need to but I wouldn’t buy anything more than will fit in the saddle bags,” He said, pointing to the leather bags that draped on each side of the seat. He reached inside one of the bags and pushed a garage door opener which closed the door to the bay.

  “I won’t and thank you for the ride,” she said politely.

  “Have you ever been on a motorcycle before?” he asked skeptically.

  “No, this will be my first time,” she answered.

  “Keep your feet on these pegs at all times,” he said, kicking a pedal with his foot.

  With that he kicked his leg over the bike and stood it up. Unsure of how she could possibly sit on the seat behind him since her skirt was straight and the hem hit right at her knees, she stood there.

  “You’ll have to pull your skirt up to get your leg over the seat and also to sit down. Use my shoulders to balance yourself,” he said and then turned his head away from her and wiped his chin on the upper sleeve of his shirt.

  Between his words and the heart-stopping grin that followed it, she could feel herself blush all the way down her neck. She could do this. Oh God.

  She approached close enough to the bike to step on the peg, hiked her skirt up to mid-thigh and held it there with one hand while placing her other hand on his shoulder. In one graceful move she stepped on the peg and slid one leg over the seat. Finding the other peg she quickly sat down.

  The skirt was tight but did manage to at least cover her bottom, though an excessive amount of her legs were showing for all other motorists to see. Scooting back in an effort to put some space between his back and her front, she wiggled around until she was situated.

  “Are you comfortable?” he asked, glancing back at her with his dark eyes.

  Was that amusement in his voice? “Yes, thank you. I do appreciate this,” she said.

  Bracing the bike between his powerful legs to ensure it was steady, he reached around behind both of them. Suddenly he cupped her bottom with both hands and slid her forward flush up against his back.

  “What are you doing?” she asked in shock, before she could stop herself.

  “Making sure you don’t fall off,” he replied.

  With that he grasped her hands that she was trying in vain to find a place for and wrapped them around his powerful chest.

  “Once I start the bike, lock your fingers together right here,” he said.

  She had never been this close to any other man besides Darren. Heat seemed to burn her each place that her front touched his back. She could feel the muscles of his chest bunching as he moved. This was entirely too intimate a position to be in with a stranger.

  She had seen other people doubled up on a motorcycle before and didn’t realize how close the back passenger would be to the one in front.

  As she struggled to control her racing heart and slow her breathing, she noticed that his heart beat fast under her hands. Did he possibly feel this same heated sensation she did?

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she nearly whispered.

  With that he stood and kicked a lever on the side of the motorcycle and then jumped on it which started the motorcycle. It was so loud she jumped at the noise. He sat back down and she carefully positioned her hands around him as he had indicated and locked her fingers.

  Suddenly they were moving and excitement unfolded in her stomach like she was on a roller coaster. It was exhilarating and even with his broad back and shoulders blocking most of her view she could still see where they were going. It felt like she was flying or riding downhill on her bicycle like she had done as a child. It was amazing!

  Chapter Two

  Bobby had never been so captivated by
a woman before. He felt like he was a teenager all over again gawking at an older girl who was way out of his league. As a grown man, women threw themselves at him, and sometimes were willing to wait their turn if necessary. The woman clinging to his back wasn’t like the women he was used to. She was dressed as though she was a high powered executive with a corner office downtown.

  The grey business skirt hugged her curves like wrapping paper on a gift. A white silk blouse was accented by a silk scarf around her neck. Her hair was all pulled back from her face into a tight bun at the base of her neck. When he saw her earlier in the office sitting next to Gran he thought he was being audited. Then seeing those ridiculous looking sunglasses and his helmet that was too big for her head, he had barely kept himself from laughing out loud.

  She was a far cry from the women in tight tank tops, tight jeans or short skirts that he normally hooked up with. Her light brown hair and startling blue eyes were a fascinating combination. What he would give to have a picture of this classy looking woman on the back of his bike.

  Something about her was sexy as hell. She was quiet to the point of being timid, so unlike most of the loud and rowdy women he knew… and it was a huge turn on. He snorted at the direction of his thoughts as he waited on his bike for her to come out of the local grocery store. As if a roughneck like him would ever have a chance with a fine piece of tail like her.

  Glancing over he saw her exit the store and turned his head to smile into his arm for the second time since being in her presence. She must have forgotten about the sunglasses and helmet and worn them in the store. Even with the helmet and sunglasses, not a man in the parking lot could miss the sway of her hips in that skirt and those heels. He could feel himself thicken as he watched the graceful way she moved as she approached. Forcing his mind out of the gutter, he stood as she approached and opened a saddle bag to put her groceries in.

  “The people here are so nice, first your friend Dickie rescuing me from a long hike off the highway and then Edna being so sweet, and just now the lady at the register helped me quickly find what I needed,” she said smiling at him.

  After tucking her purchases in the saddle bags he turned to her. He noticed as soon as he looked her in the eye she quickly looked down and away. Was she shy? That was a refreshing thought.

  “Strawberries and Wine?” he asked skeptically.

  “It’s been a rough day for me and I always have a glass of wine and strawberries… it calms me,” she replied, looking at the ground. “I’d be happy to share when we get to my sister’s house,” she offered after several long seconds of silence.

  “Do I look like a wine and strawberries kind of guy?” he asked, willing her to meet his gaze.

  “I suppose not, but the offer still stands as a thank you for all your trouble,” she said quietly.

  “Hop on the back, let’s ride,” he sighed.

  He enjoyed his first laugh in quite a while as they took off out of the parking lot. She gripped him tighter and he swore he heard a small squeal of excitement from her. No attempts to look hot or get others to notice that she was on the back of Bobby Jackson’s bike for her… nope…just pure enjoyment… and from a high class chick. Go figure.

  He knew the address she’d given him sounded familiar. It was only two streets down from where he and Gran lived, though he hadn’t realized her sister was Sherri Simons. Sherri wasn’t so bad but her friend Leah was obnoxious. The last party he’d been to at Sherri’s house, he’d had to pry the bitch off him. As he pulled into the front yard, Sherri exited the house and stood on the porch with her arms crossed.

  “Bobby Jackson, what are you doing with my sister on the back of your bike?” she asked.

  “You two know each other?” Lilly asked, as she stepped down off the bike.

  “Yea,” he replied.

  “You want to come in for a drink or a bite to eat?” Sherri asked him.

  “Nah, I got to get home and check on Gran,” he replied.

  “Well once you get her settled why don’t you come back and hang out for a while,” Sherri offered.

  Ignoring Sherri, he looked at Lilly and watched as she looked away. He waited to see if she would look at him again and eventually she did.

  “I’ll send Dickie to pick you up when your car’s repaired,” he said.

  “That would be so great, thank you for the ride,” she said as he stepped off the bike to unload her bags and her grocery items.

  He handed her the bags and she quickly turned and started towards the porch where her sister stood watching them. Then he was back on the bike and tearing off down the street. He needed to get away from her, she distracted him to the point she was consuming every thought in his brain. That made it time to go.

  As he entered the kitchen he found Gran drinking iced tea at the table. A plate of reheated dinner sat in the chair opposite her. She must mean to convince him of something while he ate. Great… he was tired and his thoughts were scattered thanks to her.

  “Did Dickie get Miss Lilly’s car all fixed up?” Gran asked as he sat down to eat.

  “No, the starters bad in it and with it being one of those sporty foreign jobs the auto parts store has to special order it in,” he replied between bites.

  “Did you notice her accent? She’s from up North,” Gran continued.

  “Yep,” he replied. Maybe if he acted disinterested in it she would leave off the topic of Miss Lilly.

  “She’s moving down here to stay with her sister for a while,” Gran said.

  Realizing that Gran was like a baby with a sucker and wasn’t going to let this go, he sighed “Is that right?”

  “Yes and she must really know her way around an office because she made short work of getting that computer program fixed and organizing all the paperwork,” Gran said.

  “Out with it old woman…” he said, looking her in the eye and pushing his plate back.

  “She said she didn’t have a job yet when I asked her and I appreciate the faith you have in me but I’m not a secretary or an office worker Bobby. You need someone who knows what they’re doing to straighten things out.”

  Oh hell no! He couldn’t work around her on a daily basis… she was a distraction he didn’t need.

  “I know where you’re going with this and it isn’t going to happen. I’m pretty sure I can’t afford someone like her,” he replied going to retrieve a beer from the refrigerator.

  “How do you know? Did you ask her?” Gran asked.

  “Of course not, but she has wine with strawberries to ‘relax’. I’m pretty sure she was shocked by the neighborhood when I dropped her off at her sister’s house a couple streets down. I’m not even real sure they are related since they couldn’t be more different,” he responded.

  “You know her sister?” Gran asked incredulously.

  “Not like how you’re thinking, but yea I’ve been over there before at a party,” he replied.

  “Who’s her sister?” Gran asked.

  “Sherri Simons. She lives over on Oak Street. I’m tired and I’ve got to get back to the shop early tomorrow unless I want to work the entire weekend, so I’m turning in early tonight,” he said as he polished off the last of his beer. Crinkling up the can he threw it in the recycling container and then left the kitchen.

  Gran made her way to the phone and pulled her address book off the shelf next to it. Dialing up a friend who happened to live on Oak Street, Gran asked if she had a phone number for Sherri Simons. After getting the information she was looking for she disconnected the call. Before she could dial Sherri’s number he stepped back into the kitchen.

  “Do you hate working at the shop that much Gran?” he asked as he held on to the back of a chair.

  “No of course not, but you need someone full time for a bit and she’s perfect for the job. She needs a job, you have a job… it just makes sense so I don’t see what the problem is,” she said.

  “Fine, I’ll run back over to Sherri’s and ask her,” he said as he rubbed h
is goatee.

  “You wouldn’t lie to an old woman would you?” Gran asked, shaking her finger at him.

  “No Gran I promise I’ll head over there as soon as I get a shower,” he frowned.

  Having showered, taken out the garbage, and rummaged through the mail he realized that Gran was purposefully waiting up to see if he would go and ask Lilly to work at the shop. The old woman could read him like a book and knew if she went to bed, he would blow off this whole idea. She didn’t say anything but he knew what game she played.

  “Fine… I’m going!” He scowled as he picked up the keys to the bike and headed out the door. Was he still ten years old?

  When he pulled up alongside two other bikes parked in Sherri’s yard and killed the motor, he could tell from the sounds within that a party was going on. Well he couldn’t stay for this one… he had a deadline to meet and besides Gran’s worrying took the fun out of it anyways.

  Knowing his knock wouldn’t be heard he let himself in the front door and was swarmed by those in the room including Sherri. After several handshakes from the guys and hugs from the women he turned to Sherri, “Where’s your sister?”

  “She’s around here somewhere, not sure…why?” she asked, giving him a curious look.

  “Just wondered,” he said as evasively as he could.

  After Sherri lost interest in his business he wandered through the house greeting people and keeping an eye out for Lilly. He eventually made it all the way to the back of the house and hearing people out in the backyard, wandered outside. Making his way through the crowd outside and still not seeing her, he turned to head back in the house. Something caught his eye up on the roof.

  After gazing up for a few seconds he saw it again… a bare foot bouncing up and down. Walking backwards so he could get a better view of the roof he was shocked to see Lilly sitting in a fold out lawn chair. She was wrapped in fluffy white bathrobe. She must have recently showered as her wet hair was brushed straight back and a glass of wine was in her hand. The woman was a marvel.