8. 8
“You already told me how old you are, and I still find it hard to believe,” Cowboy said.
Ava’s face heated. She was too old to be single again, she knew it, but there was no way she was staying with Hank after what she’d walked in on. She pushed that out of her mind and went to step past Cowboy to take her turn, but he caught her with an arm around her waist. She looked up at him, marveling at how someone she barely knew could make heat pool low in her belly.
“You’re the best-looking person in this place, thirty-five, twenty-five or eighteen,” Cowboy said, keeping his voice low enough so only she could hear him.
Once he’d said that he released her and let her go to take her turn. She stood for a moment facing the lane as she waited for her face to cool and the rush of pleasure that washed through her to fade so she could focus on making her shot.
After throwing the ball, she closed her eyes for a few seconds instead of watching the ball as she usually did. The joy that had come over her at Cowboy’s words still raced through her, she didn’t even care how well her throw had gone. She opened her eyes, turned, and headed back, assuming she hadn’t hit anything because she hadn’t heard the ball crash into the pins, but as her gaze landed on Cowboy, she heard it. The ball crashed into the pins. But how? She’d been standing there far longer than it should have taken for the ball to make its way down the lane. She turned to look and had to stop and stare. It was a strike.
She’d been so flustered by what he’d told her, she could barely focus. How on earth had she managed to throw a strike? She blinked to make sure she wasn’t seeing things, then turned back to Cowboy.
“That is a strike, right? I’m not seeing things?”
“You’re only seeing what’s there. You hit a strike.”
He stood and she went to the bench and let her knees collapse beneath her. She wasn’t sure which was harder to believe. That he thought she was the prettiest girl in the place or that she’d managed to hit that strike. Not that it was her first strike of the night, it wasn’t. But how had she done it when she could barely focus?
After four games, dinner and more laughing than Ava could remember doing in a long time, they called it a night. She was a little nervous about getting back on the motorcycle but not as bad as before the ride over here.
“Do you need help getting it on or you want me to let you try?” Cowboy asked, handing her a helmet.
“Let me try. If I can’t figure it out, I’ll ask.”
“All right.” He reached for his own and had it on and fastened before she finally gave up. She just couldn’t manage to get the two ends of the clip lined up to fit together.
“I give up.” Ava tilted her head back, trying to give him as much room as he might need to get the clip together.
“No problem.” His voice was muffled through the heavy helmet. He took the two ends and fitted them together in seconds. She didn’t know what he did but the next thing she knew, his voice was crystal clear and as if he was right there in the helmet with her.
“You want to go straight home or ride around a little first?”
Ava tilted her head to one side, thinking. “Let’s ride a bit.” She didn’t say it but thought she wouldn’t panic this time when she didn’t know where they were.
This time he didn’t have to tell her where to put her feet or re-position her legs once she was on, that made her feel at least a little less incompetent.
“Ready?” He turned his head back, as if he were trying to look at her, though she couldn’t see how he could see her with the helmet on.
“Ready.” She wrapped her arms around him and waited while he once more walked the bike backward, then they zoomed forward. Or at least it felt like that to Ava. They were still in the parking lot and probably doing under ten miles an hour, it just seemed fast to her.
By the time they made it back to her apartment, Ava had relaxed and wasn’t holding onto Cowboy quite so tight, at least in her opinion. She could see why people thought riding a motorcycle was fun. It wasn’t something she wanted to do every day, she liked her car, but she could get into it, especially with Cowboy.
He pulled the bike into the same space he’d been in when he picked her up. She got off the bike then watched as he did the same, while she tried to figure out how to release the catch on the helmet. Cowboy took off his helmet and hung it on the handlebars, then turned to watch her. Ava appreciated that he didn’t try to take over but let her struggle until she was ready for his help. When she gave up in frustration and let her hands drop with a sigh, he didn’t make her ask, just reached up with one hand and popped the latch. He didn’t lift it off for her but let her do that at her own pace.
“I don’t know how you can get this thing off and on so easily.” She handed him the helmet.
“Practice.” He shot her a grin before hanging her helmet on the other end of the handlebars. “I fasten them several times a day. It’s almost second nature to me.” He walked her toward the building and took her right to her door.
“Why don’t you come in for a while?” She wasn’t ready for this night to end. She liked him and she wanted more but wasn’t sure how to ask for it.
“I’d like to, but I’m afraid more would happen than you’re ready for.”
Ava couldn’t help the frown that creased her brow as she stood beside him in front of her door.
“What do you mean?”
“That’s exactly what I mean. You are sweet and mostly innocent. I like you, more than a little. And I want to do this again, but you’re not ready for what you think you want. I’m not going to just drop you here though.”
“Then what are you going to do?” She was even more confused. What did he mean she was innocent? She’d been married for nearly fifteen years. How could she be innocent anymore?
“I’ve been wanting to do this all night, but in the middle of the bowling alley wasn’t the right place, even if it wasn’t busy.” He slowly lowered his face to hers.
Ava saw him coming and thought there was time to stop him, but why? If he wouldn’t come inside, at least she would get a kiss. Man did she want that kiss. She ached to know what he tasted like, what his hands felt like on her body. She wasn’t going to get everything she wanted, but she’d take what she could get.
Cowboy’s mouth covered hers and she didn’t hesitate to open her lips beneath his probing tongue. Her hands found their way to his arms, as if of their own accord. She lost herself in the feel of his arms as they went around her. His kiss turned hot, searing every thought from her mind but him.
More.
She needed more. Her fingers curled into his arms as she tried to pull him closer. A soft sound escaped from her throat as he pulled away.
“Damn, angel. You taste as sweet as you look.”
Ava stared up at him, dazed. “Come inside.”
Cowboy shook his head. “Angel, you’re tempting as hell but not tonight. You’re not the kind of woman to take a man to bed on the first date. Even I know that. I’ll call tomorrow and see if you want to do something soon. Give you a little time to make sure this dirty old biker is what you really want.” He dropped a brief soft kiss on her lips before releasing her and taking a step back. “Be warned though, I don’t know if I’ll be able to do the right thing and walk away a second time.” He motioned to the door. “Inside before I leave. I want to make sure you’re safe before I go.”
She did as he instructed, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, turning to watch him as the door closed. She wished he’d stayed but somehow because he’d refused, she wanted him even more.