18 #2
I chuckle as the elevator descends. “I got that out of my system a long time ago.”
The doors slide open, and I hold my arm out for Bonnie to exit first. “The last bay to the left.”
“Is that a—?”
“A Harley, yes.” We stroll towards my beauty. I do feel like I’m showing my favourite toy to the girl I fancy in the playground. I’d better be careful not to show off on the bike . . . out of my system and all that.
She eyes it apprehensively. “I was hoping for a moped or one of those Batman and Robin ones with a sidecar.”
My brows lift, amused. “You want to weave in and out of London traffic in a sidecar?”
She huffs her disagreement. “This thing looks vicious.”
“Nonsense,” I say as I open the locker on the wall. “She’s not meant to look good. She’s meant to feel good. Trust me.”
“Why do men call their toys she ?”
I shrug. “Only the ones we worship.”
“That would be romantic if you weren’t talking about a bike.” Her hand runs down the side of the bike tentatively. “How fast does this thing go?
“Nought to sixty in four to five seconds. Top speed is about 140 miles per hour.”
Horror settles on her face.
“Relax. I’m not testing that out with you. Here.” I hand her a size small helmet from my locker. “This one should fit you.” I pull out the smallest protective trousers and jacket set I have. “And these.”
She takes them from me. “You have a collection of leather outfits down here?”
I grin. “It helps to be prepared in case there’s a damsel in distress. Go on, put them on. You’ll thank me later.”
She scowls but reluctantly kicks off her running shoes and pulls the trousers up over her toned legs.
“How many distressed damsels have been on the back of this thing,” she mutters.
“I hope you wash these regularly. And by the way, this particular damsel is more distressed right now at the thought of being on the back of this beast rather than a nice safe run home.”
“You’ve got nothing to worry about.” I pull my own lightweight leather trousers up over my jeans, much quicker than Bonnie. “I’m a safe biker.”
“I’m serious,” she says sharply. “You need to go slow.”
Her gaze trails down my leather-clad thighs.
I grab her by the waist and lift her onto the Harley. She gasps and a flush rises on her neck. This is already an enjoyable ride, and we haven’t left the parking lot.
“Bonnie,” I say to her seriously, “I would never put you in danger. Come on, legs on either side.”
She swings her right leg over so she’s straddling the Harley. Lucky bike. “I’m quite high off the ground. I feel like I’m on a horse.”
I take her helmet and pop it on her head, inching close to her face to adjust it.
She has no option but to stare back at me as I buckle her helmet. I could do it quicker but what’s the rush?
God, she smells good.
She looks beautiful on my bike. My fingers tangle in a lock of blonde hair flowing from her helmet.
“Ready?” I ask softly.
She nods under the helmet. Her face looks heated. “Ready.”
I hop on the bike in front of her. I wrap her arms around my chest. “Hold on tight, darlin’.”
Her grip tightens around me as I turn on the ignition. I hold the clutch in and work the gears until the light comes on.
“Wait!” she calls out behind me. “You haven’t told me the rules. I lean into the turn, right?”
This is going to be the wedding dance all over.
“You do nothing. The only rules you need to obey are to relax and hold on tight.” I turn my head around until our faces are nearly touching. “Let me lead this time.”
She nods solemnly. “I can do that.”
“After this you’ll be asking me to take you home every night.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Mr. Knight,” she counters breathily.
Grinning, I place my hand over hers on my stomach to try to reassure her then kick-start the engine into life.
She screams like I’ve just set the bike on fire.
“It sounds worse than it is.”
“It sounds like a Boeing 747 taking off,” she mutters into the nape of my neck.
The gate opens and I inch out, trying to get a space in the traffic to pull out.
I take a quick glance around again. “You okay back there?”
“Uh-huh.” She nods feverishly with her eyes closed.
“ Fuck,” is breathed on my neck as I lean into the turn, taking us out into the main road. We’re not even doing ten miles an hour. It wasn’t easy resisting this opportunity to take the piss out of her.
I wonder if she’ll notice if I take the long route home.
***
“I didn’t think it would be this slow,” she says in my ear as we cruise past the old flower market towards the factory.
More cars honk. If I don’t speed up a tad, I’m going to get arrested.
It would be worth it.
“Still,” I say, “best you hold on extremely tight. Keep a good grip on my chest.”
I am acutely aware of her breasts pressed against my back. Thankfully the leather is restricting my cock from bobbing against my stomach in appreciation.
I wonder if I could convince her to get on my lap and straddle me.
Probably one for the second ride.
“The lady on the bicycle over there has kept up with us the whole way,” she muses. “In fact, she keeps overtaking us.”
“Oh yeah?” I turn my head slightly. “Never noticed.” Because driving this slowly takes a lot of effort.
“I’m such a badass!” She laughs into the wind.
“The baddest.”
As we turn the corner, a heaviness comes over me, like it always does. The memorial plaque on the brick wall with my dad’s face on it comes into view. The face I inherited my arrogant grin from, apparently.
It looks like one of my sisters has added fresh flowers.
“Oh, Jack,” she murmurs behind me. “This is where it happened.”
“Yup.” I slow the Harley to a stop, the engine chugging.
“I’m sorry,” she says softly, resting her cheek in the crook of my neck. “No one deserves what you went through.”
When I turn my head, our faces almost touch. If I believed in heaven, I’d say Dad is looking down at me and winking.
She looks at me tentatively. “Does grief get easier over time?”
I think about it. “I’m not sure if easier is the right word. Manageable, perhaps. There’ll be days on end when I’m in great form, then bang, something will remind me of what happened. I’ll see one of the Wicks family on the street or something.”
“That’s shocking he was never convicted for it. That must make it all the worse.”
I smile sadly. “Yeah, I have this belief that I’ll find closure if Dad’s murder goes on Wicks’s record.
Some day.” I frown. “I know work and life can get in the way and it seems like there is always tomorrow but don’t lose sight of what matters.
I took my dad for granted. It’s good you’re visiting yours. ”
She nods and we are quiet for a moment.
Eventually, I clear my throat. “Come on, let’s get my badass Robin home safe.”