“We won’t crash.”
She was now completely engulfed in my jacket. It hung down her thighs, and, laughing, she raised her arms to show me how the sleeves flopped past the end of her hands.
I grinned at her and pushed the sleeves up a bit. “I climb on first. Then you climb on behind me and put your feet here.” I pointed out the pegs where she could rest her feet. I got on my bike and braced it with my legs so the wobbling wouldn’t freak her out. “I’m ready. You can climb on.”
She hesitated, her hands clasped in front of her and her lower lip caught between her teeth.
“It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind,” I said.
“I haven’t changed my mind. It’s just...well, I don’t know where to put my hands in order to get on.”
This woman. I wanted to gather her up and hold her close. The urge to kiss her was overwhelming. “It's okay if you touch me.”
She stepped closer. “Okay. I’ll put my hands here.”
A hand came down softly on each of my shoulders as she braced herself to climb on. She swung a leg over and balanced her feet on the pegs. Then she let go of my shoulders, and she wasn’t touching me at all.
I glanced over my shoulder and saw she had grabbed the sides of the fender, and had tensed her body, keeping it from touching mine. “Audrey?”
“Yes?”
“You’re going to need to put your arms around my waist.”
“I am?”
“You are.”
After a moment, I felt her fingertips gently rest on my sides, warm through my T-shirt. After a moment, when it was clear she wasn’t going to grip me tightly enough, I grabbed her hands. Sensing no resistance from her, I pulled them forward.
Her front gently collided with my back, and she clasped her hands in front of me. Her thighs were tight against my hips, and I pulled in a ragged breath. “Is this okay? This is how it will be safest for you to ride.”
“Yeah. This is okay.” Her voice was barely above a whisper.
I started the engine, and it rumbled to life under us. My already racing heart kicked up another notch. I loved the sound of my bike’s engine, and the way it made me feel. “Where should we go?” I said loudly, so she could hear.
“Surprise me, Johnny. I want you to surprise me.”
The perfect place came to mind, and I pulled onto the street. She gasped as we wobbled the tiniest bit, and clung more tightly to me. Where I wanted to take her was only fifteen minutes away, so I headed toward one of my favorite back roads to prolong the trip.
As we got up to speed, which was only forty-five miles per hour, Audrey let out a little squeal of delight in my ear. “I never thought this would be so fun!”
“I knew you’d love it,” I shouted back to her.
It was a little hard to focus on my driving with her pressed against me like she was, her hands moving occasionally at my stomach, laughing when I sped up, and her thighs tightening around my hips as we took corners. I forced myself to drive carefully and never went above the speed limit.
After driving for about an hour, I took a spot in the small parking lot of a secluded park. I shut off the engine, but Audrey didn’t move. “I’m sad it’s over.”
I turned my head so I could see her face. “There’s always the ride back.”
She let her hands fall away and used my shoulders again to help her climb off. I stood beside her and stretched, and she laughed and poked my side where my shirt rode up. I bit my lip and stared at her, aware of the goofy smile on my face but powerless to do anything about it.
That hour on my bike, touching the whole time, tightly bound together as we flew down the road, it had shifted things between us. You couldn’t ride on a bike with someone without getting a little more comfortable touching them.
Standing close to her, I unbuckled her helmet, letting my fingers brush her skin liberally. She watched my face as I worked, her lips slightly parted. I set her helmet on my bike and removed my own. She handed me my leather jacket, giving me a sneaky look. “You know, I always thought you were a bad boy, Johnny Bright.”
“What makes you think I’m not?” I teased.
She tapped the helmet. “You’re more concerned about safety than my mother, and that’s saying something. I’m not sure we ever got up to the speed limit.”
I sucked in my cheeks to contain the size of my grin. I loved the way she teased me. “Gotta keep your pretty head safe.”
Audrey slipped out her ponytail and ran her fingers through her hair, laughing. She held up the long strands. “Look at this rat’s nest. Not so pretty now, is it?”
“It looks beautiful to me.” She waved her hand and scoffed, brushing off my comment. I meant it, though. She was always beautiful.
She walked toward the playground. I shoved my keys in my pocket and caught up with her, because the playground wasn’t my destination. “See this path?” I pointed to a thin dirt trail leading into the woods.
She turned back. “I see it.”
“That’s where we’re going.”
She crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. “You want me to go into the woods with you? In the dark, when nobody knows where we are.”
I grinned. “Yes.”
She eyed me for a minute, then bit her lip. I could almost hear the thoughts racing through her head, a growing list of reasons she should say no. Then she burst out laughing. “Okay, Johnny, take me to your lair.”
“I’m not a wolf, I promise.” I turned on the flashlight app on my phone and ducked under the trees.
She followed close behind. “You’re a little bit wolfish. But I like you that way.”
I stopped on the path and turned, shining the light near her head so I could see her eyes. They glimmered with mischief. “What if I bite?”
She shrugged. “Then I’ll bite you back.”
“I’ll hold you to it,” I said, and continued up the path. After a few minutes, the sound of rushing water could be heard. We were getting close. Another five minutes or so, and the trees thinned and we came to an opening, dimly lit by the bright moon. I stepped to the side to allow her to see the waterfall.
She gasped. “Johnny! I didn’t know this was here. How did I not know?”
The waterfall was small, only about eight feet high. I wasn’t even sure it had a name, but I’d found it when I came to the park as a child and followed the path. It was a hot day so I went swimming in the small pool at the base of the falls. Mom had come tramping up the path to shout for me after about two hours. She’d always allowed me freedom to roam and explore, so when I asked to explore that path, she said yes. But she hadn’t counted on waiting for me half the morning at the park.
We’d come back often, especially on hot days, and I never came across anyone else at the waterfall. “I don’t think many people know about it.”
She stared, enthralled. “A secret waterfall,” she murmured.
We walked to the edge of the pool, and she looked down the stream. “I wonder which stream this is. I’m disoriented from all the turns we took on those back roads, but I think it could be the same one that goes through Gladiola Park.”
I held out an arm “North is that way.”
She looked around, thinking. “I think it is the same stream. I can’t wait to look at a map later.” She grinned up at me. “I can’t believe this. I love it so much.”
I sat on a rock and took off my boots and socks.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m going swimming.”
She laughed. “Really?”
“Come on. Let’s get in. Let the water fall on our heads.”
She laughed, as if she thought I was joking. But when she saw my face, she sobered. “I don’t have a swimsuit.”
“You’ll dry on the way home.”
The look on her face told me she was considering it. I tugged my shirt off and threw it on the rock and reached for the button on my pants.
She held out a hand. “Stop right there. Do not remo
ve your pants.”
I laughed. “You want me to swim in jeans?”
“Yes.”
I held my hands up. “Okay.”
She held my eyes, as if making sure I was going to comply, and then leaned down to unbuckle her sandals. I walked to the edge of the water, and after a moment, she appeared beside me. Awareness thrummed through me, and the hair on my arms stood up at her nearness. I needed to touch her somehow. I brushed the back of her hand with my pinky finger.
Her breath hitched in her throat and the sound gave me courage. I ran my hand over her wrist, then moved it down, playing with her fingers. I could hear her breathing over the sound of rushing water, and I knew my own breath was coming equally as fast. I continued caressing her hand until I could take it no more, and pressed our palms together, fingers interlocked.
She whispered my name, and I thought I might lose my mind.
Needing the cold water to snap me out of it, I stepped into the pool, never letting go of her hand. “Careful, it’s slippery,” I said as she moved forward.
She stepped into the water, and we waded toward the center. The pool wasn’t deep, only about three feet at the deepest part. At the center, the water swirling around our thighs, I stood in front of her. I looked into her eyes as I grabbed her other hand, and this thing between us, this energy, it sparked to life. Heat flashed through me.
She smiled at me. “I can’t think of a better reason to miss curfew than this.”
Abruptly I dropped her hands and stepped back. “What? You have a curfew? And you’re missing it?”
“Yes, but…”
She trailed off, and I ran my hand through my hair, pacing in the small pool, aggravated that the water was slowing my movements. “This isn’t how this is supposed to go. You can’t miss curfew because of me. I want your family to respect me.”
Her hand landed on my forearm, and she squeezed. “It’s okay, I swear. I texted Val before we left. I told her I’d be late.”
“Won’t your parents be upset?”
“Valerie will cover for me. She’ll tell them I’m asleep. I’m never out late, so they’ll believe her.”
“I don’t like that you’re breaking a rule to be here with me. I’m dragging you down already.”
She pressed her lips together, and I could see she was fighting a smile. I froze as she lifted her hands and moved them toward my face. She ran a finger along each of my eyebrows, smoothing them. “Such a fierce scowl.”
Her hands moved down, touching the sides of my neck, and coming to rest on my bare chest. Could she feel how fast my heart was beating? “You’re not dragging me down.”
“I am. I want to be better for you.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want you to change for me, Johnny. I like you the way you are.”
“Except the fighting,” I said, smiling lightly.
“Yes, except that.”
I put my hands on her waist, drawing her nearer. An owl hooted nearby, and Audrey’s eyes shone in the moonlight.
“My heart is pounding, Johnny.”
“Mine is, too.”
“I’ve never felt this way before.”
“Me neither.”
Her eyes dropped to my mouth. “I want to kiss you,” she said.
I let the moment hang in the air, the energy crackling between us. “I want that, too.” I held her eyes a moment before I leaned in, and suddenly the expression on her face changed. She looked afraid, and she jumped back. I let her go.
She turned away from me. “I’m sorry. Oh, God, I’m so embarrassed.”
“Hey, it’s okay,” I said, reaching for her hand. I held it from behind, waiting for her to turn back.
After a minute, she did, looking at me as though she wanted to crawl into a hole. “I got spooked. I want to kiss you, I do, but I guess I’m not ready.” She bit her lip, and I was afraid she might cry.
I cupped her cheek in my hand, soothing her with a gentle caress of my thumb. “It’s okay, Audrey. I promise. I understand.” And I did. She needed to know she could trust me. She needed to know I was in this for real, that this meant something to me.
“I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. This is the best night of my life.”
A surprised laugh burst out of her. “Really?”
“I swear it.” I reached for her hand again. “Come here. Let’s stand under the falls and feel the water drop on our heads.”
Chapter 17
Audrey
I bounded up the front steps, turning to wave at Johnny. His helmet bobbed as he nodded, and he sped away. I watched, my heart full to bursting, until I couldn’t see him anymore. I stayed on the porch until the deep rumble of his engine was gone. That sound lingered in me, buzzing through my veins, as if I were still on the back of his motorcycle, wrapped around him.
I’d told him not to walk me to the door. He argued a little, but let me have my way. If he were here with me now, I’d be kissing him. I wouldn’t be able to help myself, and I wasn’t ready. God, how I wanted it, though. I sighed dreamily, and went inside.
“Hello, Audrey.”
I shrieked and slapped my palm over my mouth. Valerie sat on the steps, about halfway up. Hand on my heart, I laughed. “What are you doing there?”
“Waiting on you. Come on. Cat couldn’t stay awake but she said we had to wake her the minute you got home.”
“Can we talk about this in the morning? I want to stay in this dreamlike state that Johnny put me in.” I was teasing her, and she knew it.
“It is after one o’clock in the morning, Audrey. I’ve waited this long, and I can’t wait any longer.”
She pulled me upstairs and we tiptoed past our parents’ room and went straight into Cat’s. We sat on her bed, bouncing a little to wake her up.
Cat woke with a start, and was immediately alert. She sat up straight and took me in. Her eyes narrowed as she studied my appearance. She touched my hair, which was stringy and a little crunchy from drying in the wind on a motorcycle. “This hair is not the hair you left home with. This hair went swimming.”
Valerie gasped and joined Cat in petting my head. “Where did you go swimming?”
“There’s a waterfall. Do you guys know about it? It’s in the woods near that little playground out by the Morrison farm.”
“I didn’t know there was a waterfall anywhere near here,” Cat said.
“Me, neither,” Valerie said. She opened Cat’s bedside table, took out her hairbrush, and began fixing my hair. “You swam under a waterfall? My God. No wonder this guy has charmed you.”
We all laughed a little at that. But something didn’t sit right. I didn’t like the way she said that he had charmed me. As though he were a magician and I was under his spell. I glanced at each of my sisters in turn. “I really like him,” I confessed. “He’s wonderful.”
“What was it like to ride on his motorcycle?” Valerie asked, leaning forward.
I bit my lip, trying to keep from blushing as I remembered what it felt like to be wrapped around him. “It was thrilling.”
“Was he careful? Did he give you his helmet?” Cat asked.
“Yes, he had two helmets, and he gave me his jacket to wear in case we crashed.” I laughed. “Honestly, I wanted him to go faster. He’s so careful. He’s not at all what you might think.”
“You feel safe with him,” Cat said, reading between the lines.
He’d given me safety gear, yes, and he drove slowly, but he also made me feel like it was truly okay that I backed out of kissing him. He’d taken away all my embarrassment and made me feel wanted. He was a safe choice. I was sure of it. “Yes. He makes me feel safe.”
My mind flitted back to what it felt like to have my hands resting on his bare chest, and how my stomach had spun when he looked in my eyes. The physical pull to him was strong, but there was more. So much more.
“Johnny is very sweet,” I continued. “It may not seem like it if you don’t know him, but he’s so gentle. You
should have seen him talking to Louise, that injured dog. Louise’s owner is his neighbor, and he knows her daily routine. She feeds him butter cookies and makes him scarves. He clearly adores his mom, and he really listens to me. Like, really listens. When I tell him something, he takes it to heart and remembers it.”
I could feel my cheeks warming as I thought about what I wanted to say next. “So he’s sweet, but he’s also...you know, strong, and it’s a little bit of a challenge to pry him open. But once you do, when he gives you something of himself, it feels amazing.”
Valerie fanned herself. “When you put it that way…”
I laughed and shoved her shoulder.
“I mean it,” she said. “I can see the appeal. He’s the strong, silent type, and he’s obviously crazy about you.”
“And the listening part,” Cat said. She fiddled with her rings a moment, then met my eyes. “I think I need to take a lesson from Johnny and be better at listening to you.”
I shook my head. “No, that’s not what I mean. You two are everything I want for sisters. You tell it to me straight, and I don’t want you to ever censor yourselves. But I like how Johnny talks with me. I just like him. Dad likes him, too.”
Valerie’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“That’s what he said.”
“If you like him, if you trust him, then I will, too,” Cat said.
“Me, too,” Valerie said, and after a group hug they finally let me tell them how it felt to stand under a waterfall with Johnny Bright.
Ruby and I came in from her backyard where we’d been lounging in the huge hammock under their oak tree. We decided we needed a midmorning snack so we could get our strength up to continue lying around. “Do you want chips or pretzels?” Ruby asked, peering into the pantry.
“Any cookies in there?” I asked.
“No, sorry.”
“I’ll go with pretzels, then.”
“Hi, Audrey,” came a voice from behind me.
I spun around. “Oh, hi, Keaton.” I held myself tense, still unsure of my place with him, or of how things would be between us.
He scratched his neck and yawned. He looked like he’d just woken up, which wasn’t like him. He was usually an early riser. “How’s that dog? Any news?”
Broken Rebel (Sparrow Sisters Book 2) Page 11
