Undeniably His(17)

“The fastest production bike ever made.” Lia adds.

“That’s right, Miss Marzella.”

“It sounds dangerous.” I pout.

“Don’t worry, Annabelle. We won’t be going two hundred miles an hour on the highway. It’s a racing bike, but street legal. It comes in handy when I need to commute to New York,” he says with a confident grin. He hands me the helmet. Turning to Lia, he gives her a reassuring nod. “I’ll have her back soon.”

Lia crosses her arms and shuffles her feet.

I clumsily put the helmet on, trying to figure out what goes where as Lia looks on, amused.

Kalin moves his large hands to adjust my helmet and strap it properly in place. My eyes linger on his mouth as he explains the mechanics to me. His lips are so full, firm, and sensual. His dark whiskers outline his strong jaw. God, he looks so rugged and sexy in his leather motorcycle gear. Blood courses through my veins in a mix of excitement and dread.

“Hold onto me and just follow my lead. If we take a corner, lean in with me gently. Don’t let go of me and don’t take your feet off the passenger pegs.” His eyes brighten as he checks my helmet. “You look adorable.” He smiles. “Now get on,” he commands me.

The bike looks smaller next to Kalin. But up close it’s much larger and more intimidating. I throw my leg over the seat but stop short of straddling the wide bike. Lia is bouncing with amusement now. I wrap my arms around Kalin and push myself over the bike seat, using his sturdy body to anchor myself in. “Sorry, just getting adjusted,” I say with a wince.

“Don’t apologize, Annabelle. You’re going to have to hold on to me a lot tighter than that when we open up.”

Open up? Holy crap.

Kalin presses his hand over mine against his waist, and turns his head slightly. “Ready?”

“Yes,” I bleat.

After flipping a few switches, Kalin presses a button and revs up the powerful engine beneath us. I take a deep breath and hold on as excitement tingles through my body. He pushes the kickstand up. I press against him tighter, and Lia waves at me before we zoom off onto the road.

Kalin passes cars on the road, and my fear gives way to excitement as the warm air caresses my skin. My body feels weightless as we accelerate on the road. Kalin takes the expressway heading east. The lightness beneath me makes it feel like I am flying. Pushing the bike to the left lane, Kalin opens up on the throttle, sending a rush of excitement through me. My heart is in my mouth and my pulse pounds in my ears as he accelerates faster and faster, passing car after car.

The bike bullets down the expressway faster and I hold onto his waist for dear life, leaning into him to anchor myself against a freefall sensation rushing through me.

“Where are we going?” I scream through the deep roar of the bike.

“A little place I have west of here. You’ll love it.” Kalin expertly commands the bike across lanes to an exit before slowing. My heart is beating against his body, and the sensation thrills me. I lean my head against his back and pull into him to reposition myself. Elegant homes surrounded by lush greenery, colorful flowers, sun filled meadows, gardens, winding stone terraces, and majestic trees pass through my vision. I breathe in the fresh air and sweet scents of fruit trees and flowers mixed with the pleasant, clean scent of Kalin. He turns into a drive and an electronic gate opens for us. Slowing the bike to a thundering growl, he pushes the kickstand out and plants his feet down. He turns the engine off and pushes off the bike. Turning to me, he offers me his arm, and I brace my body against him. He lifts me off with one strong pull and sets me on the ground. I lift the helmet off and shake my hair out, glowing like a teenager. “That was awesome!”

“I told you. The sensation of complete freedom. The closest thing to flying.”

“It felt like we were flying,” I beam.

I feel so invigorated and alive. Kalin places the helmets on the bike, and waves of salty air drift over me. “Where are we?” I ask.

“This is my vacation spot. We are in Southampton, New York. We’re just yards from some of the most pristine beaches in America. This house has its own private deeded access to the beach.”

“You own the beach?”

“Yes, I guess that’s another way of putting it.” He smiles. “It’s motivating, isn’t it, Annabelle?”

“It’s amazing.”

“This is all part of your training. This is what success is. I want you to look at it, feel it, smell it. When you do your job bigger and better, you get bigger and better things. Do you understand?”

“Yes. I mean, I guess so. Talk about bigger and better. This place is beautiful! My God, Kalin, how many of these houses do you own?”