“That was incredible!”
She felt him relax. “You mean it?”
She finally let go of him so she could pull off her own helmet. “Jake, I loved it. I didn’t want to stop. Can we go somewhere after lunch? I mean, for a longer ride?”
He slid off the bike and then held out a hand to help her off. “Hell, yes. We can ride all afternoon if you want.” He grinned at her. “I knew there was a biker chick inside of you, just waiting to come out.”
She grinned back. “I don’t know about that. But I definitely want more of whatever it is I just felt.”
Her words came out sounding a lot sexier than she’d intended, and she saw the look that flashed into Jake’s eyes before he turned away to open the leather saddlebags.
He wanted her. But as he kept his back to her and unpacked their picnic, Erin knew he was as determined as ever to resist the chemistry between them.
Erin walked away a few yards and looked out at the lake, rippling like silk in the breeze.
She was wearing a blue tank top that left her arms bare. As she hugged herself around the waist she looked down to see goose bumps prickling every inch of her flesh.
It was as warm as a summer day, so she couldn’t blame it on the weather. This was something else—something that crackled across her skin like electricity.
She turned to look at Jake. He was still focused on their picnic, spreading a blanket down over the grass and setting out containers of food. After a minute he glanced up.
“Come and get it,” he called out.
Another irresistible invitation, she thought as she sat down beside him on the blanket. There was fried chicken, baked beans, potato salad and strawberries, and as she watched him fill her plate and hand her a cup of sparkling cider, she was suddenly ravenous.
“So, how does it look? It’s all courtesy of Allison.”
“It looks delicious,” she said, meeting his eyes over the rim of her paper cup.
His eyes locked on hers for a minute before he looked away. “Have you thought about where do you want to go? For our ride after lunch.”
“Anywhere you’re willing to take me.”
They rode for two hours, and the fact that he never pulled over to the side of the road to tear Erin’s clothes off was a goddamned miracle.
He’d had women on his bike before but it had never been like this. Nothing had ever felt so right as Erin’s arms around his waist and her body pressed against his. He could feel her excitement, how much she loved riding, and that was a turn-on, too. For the last hour he let himself imagine they were on a trip together, and that tonight, when they hit a motel or maybe camped out under the stars, he’d make love to Erin until sunrise.
Like all fantasies, eventually it had to end. He pulled up in front of Erin’s house and took off his helmet, twisting around in the seat to look at her.
She pulled off her helmet, too, and her golden hair came tumbling down. It was so close and so touchable that he forgot whatever it was he was going to say.
She smelled like leather and strawberries.
It had been a mistake to go on such a long ride with her. It felt like they’d been fused together somehow. His body remembered the vibrations of the bike, and the deeper pulse of his desire for Erin.
She slid off the bike and handed him her helmet.
“Thanks,” she said with a smile.
He wasn’t sure how it happened. He didn’t know which of them moved first. But suddenly the helmets clattered to the ground and Erin was in his arms, and they were kissing like the next few moments were their last on earth.
God, she was so sweet. She tasted like honey. Like sunlight.
He had to let her go. But he only held her tighter, kissed her deeper, and she kissed him back with the same desperation.
He must have hauled her up on the bike because she was in his lap now, her back to the handle bars and her legs around his waist, and when he realized he was grinding his body against hers he finally came to his senses.
He forced himself to break the kiss. “Erin—”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” she panted. She looked as wild as he felt, her lips parted and her face flushed as she tried to catch her breath.
“Erin—” he tried again.
“You know I want this,” she said, and even though her voice was trembling he could hear the determination behind it.
“I’m leaving tomorrow.”
“I know.”
His heart was pounding. “If we do this…Erin, I can’t stay the night.”
Maybe that would change her mind. The fact that he wouldn’t sleep beside her after they made love.
“I don’t have any expectations, Jake. All I want is this moment.”
His hands tightened on her even as he gave it one last shot. “You deserve so much more.”