by Sky Winters
Heading home, she still found herself thinking about him. His good looks and chiseled physique were hard to resist. It wasn’t like she was a virgin, though she would be the first to admit her experience with men was limited. She was a smart girl who knew how to take care of herself. Why couldn’t she have a little fun with a local while she was home for the summer? No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than so did the answer. He was bad news and somehow, she knew that it would end with more chaos than fun.
“Good morning, gorgeous,” he said as she entered the diner the next morning.
“Good morning,” she replied in a much cooler tone. “I’m sorry, but I just came by to tell you I couldn’t have breakfast with you. I would have called, but I didn’t have your number.”
“So, you drove all the way across town from your mama’s house on Eldorado Parrish Lane to tell me you won’t eat with me?” he said with a half grin.
“Pretty much. I didn’t want to be rude and just not show up,” she replied, not really surprised that a man with his contacts knew where she lived.
“I believe they have a phone here at the diner,” he told her, an eyebrow raised in her direction.
Dixie blushed a crimson red color. It seemed that the fact that she could have called the diner and had a message given to him rather than coming down here didn’t escape him at all. He might just be some sort of biker gang leader, but he was a smart one. She tried to think of a reason she chose to come down here instead of calling and finally stammered out an explanation.
“I had to come into town to pick up something for my mother, so I thought I would just stop by,” she told him.
“Your mother is in Mississippi with her sister. I believe she is attending an old friend’s funeral,” he said.
“What? How do you know that?” she replied, looking at him with large eyes. Now, she was a bit surprised and a little frightened.
“I know everything. Just like I know you are here because you want to eat breakfast with me. You are just scared that you might actually like someone like me,” he replied.
“That is ridiculous,” she replied, trying unsuccessfully to will her feet to turn and walk out of here to prove her point.
“Then why are you still here? Just have a seat and eat breakfast with me, Dixie. I won’t bite you . . . right now,” he said with a smile. His teeth were nearly perfect, not at all what you would expect from some big biker thug. Then again, when you really looked at him, he didn’t look much the part other than the jacket and riding boots. Put Luke Roberts in a suit and he could pass for any professional you could name.
Dixie didn’t bother to argue. Instead, she sat down at his table and looked at him. The waitress came over and took her order before returning behind the counter to bark orders at a cook that looked like he had been out all night and rather be anywhere else but here cooking on a flat top diner grill. Luke never took his eyes off of her as she waited for her orange juice to arrive. She shifted in her seat a little, beginning to feel uncomfortable. The arrival of her drink was a welcome distraction.
“So, Dixie Andrews, tell me what it is you are studying in college,” he asked.
“Mechanical Design,” she replied.
“Wow, very impressive. You are just the sort of girl I need to know,” he replied.
“How’s that?” she asked, momentarily turning to thank the waitress as she brought their food. The way the young lady looked at Luke didn’t go unnoticed by her, but he seemed completely oblivious. No doubt he was used to women looking at him appreciatively. Dixie found herself wondering how many of them he had taken home with him.
“Well, I own a mechanical shop here locally and I have a few idea that I’ve been toying with but some issues with working out the designs. It might be something you could help me out with, if you were so inclined,” he said.
“Why would I do that?” she asked.
“Because you find me interesting and want to spend more time with me in close quarters,” he responded bluntly.
“Very sure of yourself, aren’t you?” she said a bit sarcastically.
“Usually, I am. You are a little hard on a man’s ego, though,” he replied.
“I don’t mean to be,” she told him. “It isn’t about you. You seem like a pretty decent guy, really. I’m just not interested in getting into a relationship when I’m going to be returning to school in a couple of months.”
“I guess I will just have to settle for a couple of months of mind blowing sex, then,” he told her, his eyes locked on hers. The intensity of them was almost too much. Not only did she find herself unable to look away, she felt herself becoming highly aroused merely by his presence.
“How about we just stick with breakfast for now?” she replied, having a hard time breathing evenly while speaking.
“That will be fine, at least until breakfast has ended,” he replied.
Their conversation settled into the innovations he was trying to work out in his garage and her studies. Somehow, their two different worlds seemed to find a lot of common ground in that they knew the same people and places. They laughed about some of the local drama and recalled their childhoods growing up here in the bayou. By the time breakfast was over, Dixie found that she was drawn to him in a way that she couldn’t deny.
“So, how about a ride down to Bayou Bluffs?” he asked as he took care of the check, still barely registering the rather attractive waitress that was ogling him.
“You talked me into it,” she replied. “Just let me step out to my car a moment.”
“Perfect. I’ll meet you out there in just a few minutes,” he told her. “I need to hit the head and make a couple of quick phone calls before we take off.”
Dixie nodded and made her way to the car. Dropping her sandals in the trunk, she slipped on the socks and boots she kept there for hiking at the state park nearby before dropping her entire purse into the empty backpack that also resided there. She grabbed an elastic band from the front of the car and twisted her long hair into a low ponytail and dabbed on some lip balm to combat the wind that would hit her on the back of the bike.
“You’re pretty prepared for a girl who had no intention of riding with me today,” Luke said with a smirk as he approached the back of her car.
“Don’t flatter yourself Luke Roberts. I always have this stuff for when I decide to stop by the park and go for a hike,” she told him.
“A likely story,” he teased. “The sooner you admit you want me, the sooner we can get to that whole unbridled passion I mentioned earlier.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?” she replied, blowing him off as she closed the trunk of her car. While she might have appeared calm and collected, her heart beat wildly and her nerves tingled along every extremity.
“Get on,” he replied, straddling his bike and waiting for her to get on behind him. The way he said it was extremely suggestive, but she pretended she didn’t notice. Instead, putting on the helmet he held out toward her and waiting while he fastened the straps for her. Once she was helmeted up, she climbed on the bike behind him and sat with her hands resting on her legs.
“Alright. I’m ready,” she said.
“I know you don’t think you can ride like that,” he laughed, reaching back for her hands and wrapped them around his waist. “Hold on tight. I wouldn’t want you falling off.”
Dixie did as she was told, feeling a little more unsettled between being wrapped so closely around him and on this death machine of his. The loud roar of the chrome pipes was a little frightening, to say the least. How in the world had she let herself get talked into this insanity? Her heart pounded loudly as Luke pulled away from the curb and began making his way down the side street that led away from the restaurant. She held on to him for dear life as they turned onto the main highway and picked up speed.
Her fear slowly faded into contentment as she watched the passing trees and lakes scattered on either side of the highway. The wind blowing across her b
ody felt oddly liberating. She could see why people enjoyed riding so much, something that she had never understood before. A moment later, she became aware of Luke’s hand on hers. He had taken it off the handle long enough to squeeze her on as if to silently ask if she was okay. She returned the favor in order to let him know that she was doing fine. The truth was that she felt much more than okay. She had to admit that this day was turning out far better than she had anticipated. She found the feeling of Luke’s boy pressed against hers exhilarating.
Before she knew it they had been riding for hours and she was starving, her breakfast long worn off. Luke must have been feeling the same way as he pulled into a combination diner and gas station a few minutes later. Parking at the pumps, he motioned for her to step off. He stepped off behind her, putting the kickstand out and removing his helmet. She watched as his rough hands tussled his thick hair before smiling down at her.
“Surviving so far?” he asked.
“Yes, so far,” she replied. She wasn’t ready to commit to telling him she was actually enjoying the ride.
“There is a little place down by the river I want to eat dinner, but I thought we could grab a little snack here to hold us over. I just need to fill up the tank while we are stopped. If you want to grab us a table in the diner, I’ll take care of the bike and be right behind you,” he said, pulling the nozzle out of the pump.
“You aren’t planning on dumping me in the middle of nowhere, are you?” she joked.
“Depends on how the snack goes,” he said with a wink. Dixie laughed and headed into the diner to find them a table. By the time Luke joined her, she had ordered them a sampler plate and a couple of waters.
“I didn’t know what you like, so I just ordered one of the mixed appetizers,” she told him.
“Sounds perfect. Should be enough to take the edge off while we finish the trip,” he said.
They sat enjoying their food over a conversation about Luke’s innovations he was working on in his shop. Before Dixie knew it, she was agreeing to come to the shop on her day off the following week so that she could look at what he was doing and see what she could do to help him work out some of the kinks. It was hard to believe how quickly she was warming up the him, but she didn’t seem to be able to stop herself. He had a certain animalistic charm to him that spoke to her basic instincts in all the right ways.
“Alright, we best get back on the road,” he told her once they had finished.
“Alright,” she replied. The two of them headed back out to where he had moved the bike after his fill up and climbed back on. This time, she didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms tightly around him before he took off down the highway toward their destination.
“Here we are,” Luke told her hours later as he pulled into the parking lot of what looked a bit like a dive to her. The rustic posts that surrounded an outer deck looked like they had been harvested off some old, rotten ship. Everything looked dank and dusty from out here. He helped her from the bike and hung their helmets on the side.
“Aren’t you worried that someone will take those?” she asked. It didn’t seem like a particularly good spot to leave anything.
“Not if they know what is good for them,” he laughed. Dixie could only imagine what Luke Roberts would do to someone that had the audacity to steal from him. They walked into the dockside place, named unimaginatively, “The Wharf”. She was surprised to find that it was much cleaner and more modern inside, though still a fairly simple home-style type restaurant. The server greeted Luke by name, looking appreciatively over the muscles that rippled beneath his leather riding jacket before casting a look of disdain in Dixie’s direction.
“Your usual table?” she asked him.
“If it is available,” he replied. Moments later, they were settled into a couple of beers and a large basket of fried oysters. It wasn’t exactly haute cuisine, but it was apparent that it was a delicacy at this locale and Luke was the resident food critic.
“How is everything, Luke?” an elderly man asked as he approached the table.
“My compliments to the chef,” Luke replied with a nod. The old man tipped his head toward him and moved on to another table. Luke turned his attention back toward her. “That’s Arnie Compton, his family has owned this place for as long as I can remember.
“It’s very cozy,” she replied, finding that she actually meant it. This place actually did have a sort of comforting feel to it. You could come in here and just relax. She could get used to it. They finished their meal over chatter about how he came to own a mechanic shop and how she came to pursue mechanical design. They had covered a lot of territory as far as sharing their stories during the course of the day and the sparks between them glowed the deep red of desire that was common between those that found a passion for one another so quickly.
“Let’s get out of here,” he offered, leaving cash on the table and slipping free of the booth in which they sat. She nodded and stood up, once again marveling at his size compared to her own. Though she was not a thin girl, Luke towered over her and was broad and muscular. He even made her feel petite. A tingle ran through her as she started in the direction of the bike, thinking about being curled up against him again as they rode again.
“What are you doing?” she asked, suddenly aware that he was walking past the bike.
“I thought we were going for a stroll along the river?” he said with a slow smile. The restaurant was set up on a cliff overlooking the water. No way could they get down to it from up here.
“Is there a lift or something?” she asked, confused.
“A lift? To the river? This isn’t snow skiing, babe,” he replied. Whether she was thrilled about being referred to by such a sweet term of endearment or just liked the way his mouth moved when he said the words was unclear, but she was quite certain she would follow him down the steepest slope in that moment. Of course, she had no idea that climbing down a rock face was exactly what they would be doing and in the dark, to boot.
“Are we going to be able to get back up this thing?” she said, looking back up the steep incline after they had dropped onto the small bank area below.
“I don’t know. I guess if we can’t, we’ll just have to sleep together on the river bank,” he replied with his sly smile. He was looking up at the rock facing as if he, too, were concerned, but she suspected that he had done this many times over.
“I guess so,” she replied, refusing to let him get anything over on her. He reached for her hand and led her down the bank, dimly lit with the lights that spilled over from the nearby restaurant parking and the houses built along the cliffs overhead.
“Did you ever imagine that you’d be spending your evening with a backwards biker when you met me last night at work?” he asked.
“Not in a million years,” she replied, not bothering to correct his self-assessment.
They walked quietly for a while, just holding hands and enjoying the night air along the water. A large fish jumped nearby, causing Dixie to startle a bit and stop in her tracks. Luke laughed and pulled her toward him. “It’s just a fish, babe.”
His own words were cut off by his mouth on hers, dancing a slow tango to a tune unique to the two of them as they clung to each other beneath the stars. The rest of the world faded away while she was in his arms. She was quite content with the thought that it might never return. As long as she was lost in him like this, there was nothing else she needed. Everything about him felt so right. If there was such a thing as love at first sight, then this was it.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against her ear as he pulled away from the kiss and held her closely to his chest. She cooed against him, allowing herself to just enjoy the moment while it lasted. They stood there for what seemed like only moments, though it was probably much longer. This all felt so right and yet, she was scared out of her mind. Finally mustering the gumption to break away, she pulled back and looked up at him.
“I need to go home now,” she said, willing h
er voice not to falter.
“Are you sure?” he asked, brushing some loose hairs caught by the wind away from her face.
“Yes, I’m sure,” she replied.
“I guess all good things have to come to an end,” he said quietly, leading her around a corner where she found a long wooden ramp that led back up to the restaurant.
“You knew this was here and you made me climb down those rocks?” she blurted out as they made their way up the sloped wooden dock.
“I’m sorry. The view from the rocks was better,” he told her.
“How could you tell? We were looking down, not up toward the sky,” she replied.
“You were looking down. I was looking up at you climbing down the rocks,” he replied with a cocky grin.
“You are awful!” she replied, laughing as they topped the path and made their way back to the bike.
“I know. What can I say?” he laughed, helping her into her helmet and onto the bike. The cool night air felt even more amazing than the warm summer day had on their way up. Dixie couldn’t imagine feeling more content than she did in the time it took to arrive there. Pulling into a strange driveway, however, shattered every bit of peace she had claimed on the ride home.
“What are we doing here?” she asked, thinking it must be his house and wondering how he could be so presumptuous as to assume she’d just come home with him.
“Don’t panic. I just need to grab something and I’ll be right back. It’ll give you a chance to stretch your legs,” he replied.
“Actually, do you mind if I use your bathroom for a moment?” she asked as he helped her out of her helmet again. She knew she should probably just stay outside, but she really did have to go and the restaurant would be closed by the time they got back there.
“Of course you can. It’s right down there on the right,” he told her, pointing down a hallway on one side of the house. He turned and walked into another room on the other side, leaving her to find her way.
