After putting on his helmet, he swung his leg over the bike and held out his hand for her.
She stood a step back, clutching the helmet to her chest, eyes wide and filled with dread.
“You okay?”
She slowly licked her lips then asked, “You don’t have a car?”
“Not here. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I’ve been riding motorcycles since before my legs were long enough to reach the ground.” But it wasn’t fear he saw in her eyes, more like loathing.
With obvious reluctance, she put on the helmet then fumbled with the chin strap.
“Come here.” He motioned her closer. He secured the strap for her then pushed the button on the side and a tinted visor snapped down in front of her eyes.
“Cool.” She managed to smile and he helped her mount behind him.
“The exhaust pipe gets really hot, so watch your leg.”
“I’ve been on a motorcycle before. I just don’t like them.”
He fired up the bike and she tentatively placed her hands on his sides. With a chuckle he grasped her wrists and drew her arms around his waist. “Hold on, angel. I like to move.”
Heather barely suppressed a cry as Jake set the motorcycle in motion. He kept things fairly tame until they left the clutter of downtown then he opened up the engine and the bike lunged beneath her. She locked her arms together around his lean middle and pressed against his back.
As if her nerves weren’t frayed enough, Jake had to ride a motorcycle? Ever since David’s fatal accident, even the rumble of a motorcycle engine sent unwanted emotions echoing through her being—grief, anger, loneliness and loss. And the unintentional reminder of her fiancé was the last thing she needed right now.
She turned her face into the curve of Jake’s shoulder and snuggled against his back. Despite the summer heat of daytime, mountain nights were always cool. So why wasn’t he cold? Wind whipped around them, easily penetrating her sweater. All he wore was a t-shirt and jeans, yet his body heat radiated like the midday sun. She fought the urge to slip her hands beneath his shirt and explore the firm torso pressing against her splayed fingers. She’d just escaped pain and degradation at the hands of lust-crazed males. How could any man appeal to her right now?
But there had always been something about Jake that fascinated her. Therians had higher metabolisms and stronger immune systems than humans, so they tended to remain lean and healthy without much effort. Jake was handsome by anyone’s standard but so were a lot of Therian males. Whatever drew her to this particular cat was more than physical.
Despite her denials, she wasn’t surprised that she’d ended up in Aspen. Thoughts of Jake had teased her days and haunted her dreams for the past two years. She’d seen Jake in person for the first time shortly after Landon joined the rebels. Her father had spotted Jake and several of his friends at a restaurant in Frisco. Nate stormed over to the tigers’ table and accused them of coercing Landon’s participation in their “juvenile mutiny”.
Jake had attempted to de-escalate Nate’s anger, but when it became obvious Nate would not back down, Jake dug in his heels and refused to be intimidated. Heather could still remember the intensity of Jake’s gaze. His dark-green eyes flashed with warning, yet his expression remained calm, controlled. She’d never seen her father so angry or anyone so indifferent to his rage. No one stood up to Nate Fitzroy. No one looked him in the eye and told him to go to hell.
That’s where her fascination began but she wasn’t sure what kept it going. She didn’t interact with him on a regular basis and still the fire smoldered.
Then two weeks ago Lexxie and Jake had been thrown together by Dhane’s health crisis. If Jake was aware of Lexxie’s matchmaking efforts, it was possible he believed this was the next step in her plan. Heather dismissed the possibility. If she’d wanted to capitalize on his supposed infatuation, the last thing she would have done was roll around in a truck bed full of manure. How humiliating. No, Jake had to know that this crisis had nothing to do with the conversation he’d had with Lexxie.
Still, the possibility of exploring her feelings for Jake hovered on the horizon like a shimmering mirage. Loyalty to pack had always held her back. Jake was handsome and well-respected, ridiculously sexy and easygoing. He’d basically put his life on hold in order to protect and provide for his orphaned sisters. It was so noble, so honorable. It made Heather ache for just a taste of that sort of devotion.
Still, he was a cat and she wasn’t just a wolf, she was Nate Fitzroy’s daughter. Her father’s pack, perhaps the entire Canine network, was waiting to see who would eventually claim her. The thought made her tense and drew her focus back to the present. Tonight had been close, too damn close. And the danger was far from over.