And then they were off, driving down the darkened road, the streetlights passing them in intervals.
Constance closed her eyes, loving the wind that rushed through her hair. She smiled, not able to stop herself. She did feel free in this moment, the pavement below them, rushing, disappearing. They were going far faster than they probably legally should, but she didn’t care. She loved this. Nothing held her down.
He revved the engine and took the corners tightly, having her heart jump in her throat for a second before calming. She was lightly sweating, adrenaline rushing through her veins, causing her to want him to slow down … yet go faster.
She had no clue where they were going, but right now it didn’t matter. Right now she felt like she had the world in her hands.
Vengeance turned his head slightly, his focus still on the road, but his mouth closer to her so she could hear what he was about to say. “How’s this feel?”
She grinned.
“Like I’m flying,” she shouted, trying to be heard over the rumble of the engine.
The feeling of this powerful, massive bike beneath her, rumbling, vibrating the sensitive area between her thighs, had her turned on. Or maybe it was the excitement of being on this bike, Vengeance the only solid thing keeping her stationed.
He slowed, even though they were still on the back roads, and she swore this wave of wildness rose up in her. Could she do it? Did she even want to? For so long she’d kept how she felt buried, hidden. She’d played by the rules, made sure she didn’t cross any lines. She survived, but she wasn’t really living.
So, feeling like for once in her life she was just going to take that next step, Constance braced her feet firmly down, held onto Vengeance’s shoulders, and rose slightly.
Her knees shook, like warm pudding in a bowl, but she embraced it.
“Constance, what the fuck are you doing?” Vengeance said, but there was this laugh in his voice.
Of course she’d never done anything so wild or dangerous before, but she was tired of toeing the line, playing by the rules.
She was now standing, her hands on Vengeance’s shoulders, her nails digging into his leather vest. She felt him slow the bike even more and she closed her eyes, letting the feeling of really being free, of nothing holding her down rush through her.
It was intoxicating, invigorating.
The wind seemed fiercer up here, like she was on top of a building, the world rushing beneath her, the act of falling so close.
“You’re fucking crazy, woman.” He was laughing as he spoke.
For once in her life she felt like she was actually alive, and she didn’t want that to end.
5
For the first time in his life, Vengeance didn’t want this moment to end, but like all good things, it had to. He rode back toward the cemetery where he’d first met her, and turned off his engine.
Constance climbed off the back of his bike and removed the helmet. They were near a street light so he could see her in the dark, and her face was aglow, as if she was completely enthralled and happy. It was a far cry from how he had first seen her. She had looked sad, even if she hadn’t cried.
“That was like the coolest thing ever,” she said, giggling.
He couldn’t help but join her, smiling. Taking the helmet from her, he secured it to the bike and climbed off. She was so small compared to him. With the way she had been pressed up against him, he knew she had curves in all the right places, at least all the places that he loved.
“Don’t you think it’s sad that I think the biggest highlight of my life was being on that bike?”
“Not getting engaged?” he asked.
“You do pay attention.” Her smile seemed to widen, and she pressed a hand to his chest.
“I have no choice but to pay attention. When I’m with my club it could be the difference between life or death.”
She nodded. “And you do not want to die.”
“I’d like to live a bit longer.” He couldn’t resist reaching out and stroking her cheek, which was warm, yet soft to the touch.
“I loved my fiancé.”
“You did?”
“Yeah, I did. I loved him so much, and getting married seemed like the right thing to do. I knew it was what my parents wanted, and it was what he wanted.”
“What did you want?”
She paused, frowning. “I don’t know.”
“Did you want to get married?” he asked.
Again, she shrugged. “I really don’t know. I just did what everyone expected of me, you know.”
“I do actually.” They stood still, both breathing a little heavily as they stared at each other. “Is that what you’ve done your whole life, what everyone else expected you to?”