Never Too Late

by Alyssia Leon

  God! Did she really want to do this?

  But the sight of Brian glowering as they whipped past, had her smiling to herself.

  Yep, it was so worth it.

  On this thing, Barrowdene was only a few minutes away. She could hang on.

  But her blood burned as it coursed through her, and it wasn’t in fear. It was Jake, all Jake, and the thrill of being this close to him.

  The ride was exhilarating.

  The bike cruised over the road like a missile, houses and people whizzing past them in a heartbeat.

  But all she knew was Jake.

  His body was as solid as a rock in the circle of her arms and against her legs, and the slight shift of his muscles as he controlled this beast of a machine sent shockwaves surging through her.

  Molten heat pooled low between her thighs.

  Thank god he couldn’t see her now.

  Catching sight of the turning into Barrowdene’s driveway up ahead, she breathed out in relief. But relief soured to disappointment the closer they came. Would she ever do this again with him?

  Once her feet were back on ground, she would, of course, thank him for the lift home. He’d likely shrug it off and admit it’d been on his way and he’d only been polite, and everything would return to how it had been between them when Lilayni had been here. As it should.

  The turning into Barrowdene came and zipped past.

  Startled, she watched it disappear behind them. “Jake, you missed Barrowdene.”

  “We’re not going there.”

  Her eyebrows knitted together, and she turned her attention back to the wide road ahead. “Then where are we going.”

  “Halstead.” His voice was matter-of-fact. “Your Nan was right; it’s a beautiful place. I wanted to share it with you.”

  Share it with her. A tingle of guilty pleasure shot through her.

  Wait. What about Lilayni? There was no such thing as an innocent outing with him anymore. “I… I don’t think that’s a good idea. It doesn’t take much to set tongues wagging around here.”

  As it was, the speed at which some tongues were already wagging, they were in danger of coming unglued from mouths, and the way she’d left Brian standing today, she was really pressing her luck. More eyes than theirs would have seen that little stunt, and gossip about her and Jake was about to hit the stratosphere.

  He laughed, a deep rich sound that filled her helmet. “Let them talk. I suspect they’re in dire need of the entertainment. Besides, I got the impression Halstead was out of the way of Appleby’s grapevine, so don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”

  She gritted her teeth. Oh, if only she could knock some sense into that arrogant skull of his.

  Why did she worry? Because—she wanted to yell down his earpiece—you have a loving girlfriend who’d see this little trip very differently and I have a life here I don’t want to completely nuke.

  But he was right about Halstead being out of Appleby’s reach. None of the village locals worked there as far as she knew.

  Her tone was sullen as she answered. “I’m really not sure what you’re hoping to see there. The manor house closes to visitors after five o’clock.”

  “Leave it to me.” His voice held a smile.

  Did she have a choice?

  But since she was stuck with his plans, she could at least make the most of the moment. And leaning in closer, she lost herself to the secret part of her that burst into flames at just being anywhere near him.

  10

  They didn’t pass Halstead’s grand manor house. Instead, Jake swung the bike on to a narrow road leading into tall green woodland on the edge of the estate’s grounds.

  The air was cooler here, with the spreading crowns of imposing trees blocking the blue sky and subduing the sunlight. It was calm and quiet, like an undiscovered fairy wood. Even the big bike purred through, seemingly loathe to disturb the serenity around them.

  His laughing voice reached her ear. “Can’t beat Mondays for peaceful sight-seeing. Everyone’s stuck at home dreading the next work day.”

  Like she should be. With a pang of guilt, she remembered the trouble Martin was in, but quickly pushed it from her mind. She may only have this brief time with Jake; she was going to enjoy it.

  “Never you though,” she teased.

  “I make my own hours.”

  Wow. What did that sort of freedom feel like? She loved her job, but it was another anchor among many in her life holding her in place. He was like an uncaged bird, free to come and go as he pleased, and it suited him.

  They passed a middle-aged couple, complete with hiking sticks and boots, threading their way hand-in-hand around the trees. The man stopped and put his arm around the woman’s shoulders as he pointed out something high in the trees. Then the bike left them behind.

  Unease stirred in Molly. “Did you and Lilayni walk through here on Saturday?”

  “Yes, there’s a footpath just up there.” He nodded his helmeted head towards the trees on their left where the couple had been. “But it wasn’t like today. Every walker, his mother, and their dog was out in force. It was a forest of people, not trees. You couldn’t take a step without crashing into some oblivious fool.”

  But I bet you still held hands. She shook her head, furious with herself. How was it any concern of hers what he did with Lilayni? But she couldn’t reign back the images popping up in her mind of how it would be to walk hand-in-hand through the woods with him.

  “Was that trip with Martin your first time here?”

  His voice had her guiltily snatching back her thoughts. “No, of course not. Nan and Grandad used to bring me here on weekends when I was a child. Though… we never really went much further from home. We weren’t… aren’t great travellers.”

  That last part came out apologetic, and she bit her lip. Why had she admitted that? But all of a sudden it was important to know what he’d think of her.

  He raised a shoulder in a half-shrug. “Nothing wrong with that.”

  No, it was boring, and his was a polite way of saying it.

  The trees thinned on one side and the road broadened. Jake brought the bike to a gentle stop near some steep wooden steps that led down to a wide stream below.

  “This is it.” He waited for her to dismount first.

  Without taking off her helmet, she scrambled off the bike. But as soon as her feet touched the packed dirt of the ground, the wobble in her legs threw her off balance and she stumbled.

  He threw a quick arm around her, pulling her close to his side, steadying her. “You okay?”

  He’d removed his helmet and she stared into his bright amber eyes and nodded, her legs no longer wobbling because of the bike ride, but the feel of being plastered against him again.

  “You’re just not used to the bike yet,” he said with a smile. And with his free hand, he unclipped and removed her helmet.

  He looked her over as he held her, and her skin heated under his scrutiny. Suddenly he reached out and with a grin, pulled off the hairband that kept her hair subdued in its French plait before running his fingers through its length to free the curls.

  She gasped, her hands flying to the giant frizz mop her hair at once bounced into.

  “Leave it. I like it better free. It suits you.”

  He liked it? It suited her? With nothing on her face except a faint swipe of mascara and lipgloss and now her hair gone bouffant, the only thing she must look like was a pale stick topped with golden candy floss. If this was his attempt at flattery, he was failing miserably.

  Shooting him a prim look, she lowered her hands and stepped away, then busied herself with removing her gloves as he dismounted.

  “Thank you.” She handed the gloves to him. “I’d better have my jacket back. I wouldn’t want to ruin this one.” She opened the zip of the fine leather jacket, ready to take it off. Whoever actually owned it wouldn’t want her traipsing around in it either, no matter what he said.

  “Keep it on. You’ll
be more comfortable with it.” He looked her over again. “I’ll get you the rest of the gear soon. The jacket was easy to guess, but you’ll need to be fitted for the trousers and boots.”

  Her jaw dropped. “You bought this for me?”

  “I had it made. The stuff you buy off the rack feels more like battle gear. It’d crush a little thing like you in seconds.” He reached out and flicked open the sides of the jacket, exposing more of her cream camisole beneath, and her cheeks blazed. “This, you can wear even when you’re not on the bike,” he said softly, a golden gleam in his eyes.

  She licked suddenly dry lips. The jacket gaped, showing the curves of her breasts and the dip of her waist beneath the silkiness of her camisole. It was no different to how she sometimes wore her suit jacket at work, but under Jake’s gaze, it was as if she was fully exposed.

  She fingered the edge of the leather jacket, resisting the urge to pull the zip back up. “It’s beautiful, Jake. But you shouldn’t have. I… I can’t accept it.”

  “You need the right gear when you’re getting on the bike with me,” he said with a shrug.

  “But, I’m not—”

  “Did I say this was a choice?”

  She bristled, but his jaw set and his gaze raked over her once more. “I intend to keep you safe, Molly, so don’t bother fighting me on this.” And he turned away to pull something out of one the bike’s compartments.

  She stood staring at his back, perplexed. She wanted to protest, but a flush of awareness shot through her at his concern for her safety. It was… sweet.

  But surely he wasn’t planning on more bike rides with her? Even as the thought exhilarated her, cold logic fought back. He was taken. She shouldn’t be encouraging this, no matter how untroubled he was about two timing Lilayni.

  No, there would be no more bike rides for them after today. She couldn’t keep the jacket. Every time she looked at it she would think of him and she didn’t need any reminder of him in her life. He may not accept it back now, but she’d keep it folded away and return it to him, maybe on the day he left Barrowdene.

  But the thought of that day had her heart dropping.

  He turned back then, his eyes locking with hers, a small smile playing about his lips. “Don’t look so worried. It’s just a small picnic.” He held up a bulging poppy print bag in one hand. It was one Nan sometimes used for shopping trips to the market. “Come on,” he said, taking long strides towards the steps. He descended two and then held a hand out to her. “Hold on to me. These are kind of steep.”

  She stared at his hand. She could no doubt navigate anything in the boringly sensible flats she wore, but his very presence reassured her. And slipping a hand into his, she thrilled at his firm grip as she descended the raggedy old wooden steps after him.

  He only released her once she was safely standing on the sandy clearing beside the stream, and she curled her fingers into her palm, missing his touch already as she looked around.

  The small clearing was like a half-moon carved out of the bank and the only dry way of reaching it was down the steps they’d come. The stream flowed wide and fast in front of them, splashing and gurgling around the smooth tops of the rocks jutting out of it. A handful of people walked their dogs on the green fields opposite, and in another clearing further downstream, another couple sat with a picnic hamper and everything laid out.

  The air smelled faintly of damp moss and was cooler on her skin than it had been up in the forest, and she was grateful for the comfort of her jacket.

  But Jake shrugged out of his black leather jacket, revealing a plain white t-shirt beneath. It was similar to what he’d worn that first day at the pub and he looked every bit as delicious now as he had then. Her gaze stayed riveted on him as he pulled a red tartan blanket out of the bag and spread it over the dry sand.

  “I saw this spot on Saturday and knew it would be perfect.” His voice brimmed with glee and she had to smile.

  She indicated the familiar blanket. “Did you plan this little trip with Nan?”

  “I told her I was planning on taking you to Halstead today and she suggested the picnic.”

  But of course Nan did. Still, it was impossible to drum up any ire towards Nan; she meant well. No, it was Jake who needed to be set straight. She had no idea what he was playing at, especially with Lilayni away, but he needed to know that plans like this, involving her, were not okay.

  But the words refused to be said, and she gritted her teeth at her own craving to prolong this stolen time with him as long as possible.

  He pulled off his biker boots and sat down on the blanket, then patted the space beside him. After just a moment’s pause she slipped off her shoes and joined him. She’d tell him soon.

  One by one he pulled containers out of the bag, opened them and arranged them on the blanket: little chicken and bacon pastries, golden cottage buns stuffed with ham and cheese, and a crumbly apple loaf. Last came a bottle of white wine and two glasses.

  She groaned inwardly. This had all the makings of a romantic tryst. Nan had been busy.

  “Your Nan is a rare jewel,” he said, nodding in satisfaction at the food before them. “She knows how to use food to fill a person’s soul.”

  “She loves to cook, and it always shows.”

  He opened the wine and poured it into the glasses, handing one to her. “I think it’s something you’ve inherited.”

  “I’m nowhere to her standard, but I try.”

  He clinked his glass to hers and raised it to his lips, watching as she took a sip.

  The tangy liquid tingled over her tongue, releasing flavours that were peaches one minute, ripe berries the next. Her reaction was uncontrolled. “Ooh, fruity.” He laughed and took another sip from his glass, and her cheeks burned in embarrassment. “Sorry, I’m not much of a wine buff.”

  “No, you’re spot on. It is fruity… also delicate, with many hidden flavours. It’s a Riesling, and I got it because it’s different. It reminds me of you.”

  Flushing under his steady gaze, she shifted her attention to the food. “These do look good.”

  “Tuck in then,” he said with a grin, and reached for a chicken and bacon pastry.

  His tone was relaxed, and she silently berated herself. It looked like everything he was doing was purely to set her at ease. Surely then, she could get through this little picnic without misinterpreting his every word and action?

  Throwing off her embarrassment, she followed his lead and reached for a pastry.

  Their talk was pleasant as they ate. Jake told her more about his work, and she laughed at tales of the lengths clients sometimes went to in order to have their projects jump the company’s work chain.

  Being with him was fun. Had she been overreacting before? Since that one kiss and then Lilayni showing up, he’d made no further move on her. Maybe he was regretting the kiss they’d shared and wanted to rein things back to friend level between them. Wasn’t that what she wanted too? But the thought didn’t sit as well as it should, and she listened with increasing disquiet as his descriptions moved on to different cities she would likely never see. He’d travelled around the world, and knew so much. The gulf between them was palpable and she fell silent at the enormity of it.

  “Enjoying yourself?” he asked as she absentmindedly bit into a ham and cheese bun.

  “Yes.” And at a sudden loss on what else to say, she held up the sandwich. “The cheese is Double Gloucester, in case you’ve never tried it before. Nan always buys it because it’s my favourite.” She was babbling, and she glanced at him, her face hot.

  He grinned, and wrapping strong fingers around her hand, brought the sandwich to his mouth and took a bite.

  She gawped at him, her mind scrubbed blank in that moment, and as soon as he let go, she snatched her hand back and stared at him as he finished chewing.

  Amusement flickered over his features. “Delicious.”

  She dropped her gaze to the sandwich in her hand, where the rough imprint of his tee
th marked where a chunk had been torn out of it, and she longed to bring it to her lips, to taste where he’d just tasted.

  No. Oh no. She had to steer clear of that road.

  He leaned back and took another sip from his glass, watching her.

  “Jake, this… we… it’s not right.”

  “I don’t follow,” he said, his expression inscrutable.

  Mortification crossed her. Was she reading his signals wrong? Well, if that was the case and she was about to make a ginormous fool of herself, then so be it.

  She put the sandwich down, took a breath, and looked him in the eyes. “I like you. That is… I’m attracted to you, which woman wouldn’t be? But I’m going to ignore that because nothing’s going to happen between us. It’s impossible.”

  “Explain that to me.” He placed his glass down, a deep frown on his brow. “You admit you’re attracted to me, and I’ve never made any secret of my attraction to you. Yet it’s impossible. How so?”

  So he hadn’t changed his intentions since the moment he’d kissed her. She didn’t know whether to be elated or furious. “Isn’t it obvious?”

  A fierce light entered his eyes. “It’s Brian Wilkins, isn’t it? I should have known, the way you were standing with him today.”

  “No! I don’t want Brian! As a matter of fact, I was telling him to get lost when you showed up.”

  “If that’s so, then what’s the problem?”

  “Lilayni!” she almost shouted.

  Confusion replaced the anger in his eyes, but her temper was on a roll. Leaning forward, she poked him in the chest with an indignant finger. “You’ve some nerve accusing me of trying to get with Brian, when you’re busy coming on to me while you’re dating Lilayni. Well, let me tell you, I’ll have no part in hurting her, no matter what I feel for you, and if you have any shame, you’ll stop playing around behind her back.”

  With a laugh, he grabbed her hand and she gave a tiny yelp as he flipped her on to the blanket and rolled on top of her, straddling her and caging her in beneath his big body. Bearing his weight on his elbows on either side of her, he used his hands to pin down both of hers.