Chapter Eight
Rose
He makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. -Rose
“Pretty damn amazing up here, isn’t it?” Lucky calls out to me. I can barely hear him over the rushing wind.
I hug him tighter and nod against his back.
The scenery flies by, but I try to take in every sight.
I’ve always loved the mountains of North Georgia, but seeing them like this, on the back of his bike is a different experience.
The natural beauty of the scenery feels close enough to reach out and touch.
The deep green valleys and hills roll by and the sun shines down on us adding to the beauty of the day.
I close my eyes for a second just to enjoy the moment that I’m in.
Riding on the back of a motorcycle with a man I’m starting to fall for, going to a place he called a “surprise”, and just living life.
Living a real life with a little danger and a lot of joy.
I breathe in the simple spicy scent of Lucky’s cologne.
I relish in the feel of his leather jacket against my cheek.
For the past few years, this is all I’ve wanted.
To experience life. To live it and soak it up.
Too much time was spent in hospital beds watching life pass me by.
I needed to feel this. Back then, I could only dream about having the opportunity to fall in love one day.
Now, I was getting my chance. I wouldn’t trade this for anything.
I open my eyes and grin wide. I feel like screaming, like yelling into the wind. I restrain myself, but just barely.
The bike slows down and makes a slow turn down a gravel driveway. “Sorry, gonna get a little bumpy here!” Lucky shouts back to me and I nod again.
We ride along the gravel road until my butt starts to get sore and I’m aching to stop somewhere.
Finally, I catch sight of a house. It’s the most beautiful house I’ve ever seen.
It’s a pale-yellow Victorian with a wraparound porch that my mom would have loved when she was alive.
When Lucky comes to a stop in front of it, I just stare in awe.
“Whose house is this? It looks like something out of a dream.” I swing my leg over the seat of the bike. I glance around, looking for the owners that might appear at any moment to yell at the strangers on their lawn.
Lucky places a hand on my shoulder. “It’s mine, Rose. I thought you might like to see it.”
“What are you talking about? Yours?” I can only stand there with my mouth slightly open looking like a fish gasping for air.
His blue eyes twinkle with mirth. “I bought it last year when I decided Holly Oaks was my home, when I finally found a place that felt like mine.” He gazes at the house with pride. “Somehow I just knew it was mine.”
I stare at him for a second, lost in those baby blue eyes and the genuine smile that rests on his perfect face.
Lucky is not at all what I expected. When I saw him across the street my immediate thought was playboy followed by, I want.
But there’s something deeper there…something I didn’t realize I may crave more than sex.
“Come inside. I want you to see everything.” He takes my hand and pulls me up the porch stairs behind him.
There isn’t a lot of furniture in the living room and the kitchen is a bit sparse, but everything sparkles like new.
Lucky blushes and rubs the back of his neck.
“I haven’t even had the guys over yet. It felt like…
well, it felt like they might think it was weird that I got this big ol’ house for just me.
” He stands at the stainless-steel oven and runs his hand along the rim of one of the burners.
“I mean, it is weird, right? A single man wanting all this? I just couldn’t pass it up. The place called to me, I guess.”
I saunter over to him slowly, feeling like my heart is going to burst. There’s so much more emotion in me than the simple lust I expected to feel.
I circle his hips with my arms and rest my head against his back.
“I get it. I think this place is beautiful. And I agree it feels like a home. My mom would have loved it. She loved places with big wraparound porches. And you know what? I think she would have liked you.” I stand on my tiptoes and place a gentle kiss on the back of his neck where he rubbed it earlier.
“I think she would have really liked you.”
He turns in my arms and gives me a tender look. “Really?” He kisses my forehead and I feel warmth spread throughout my body. “Tell me about her. Tell me all about her.”
We both sit down at the little wooden kitchen table, and I tell him about the woman I lost when I was twelve.
About how brave she was fighting against cancer and how she always encouraged me to take chances.
I tell him about how life had been hard after she died.
I tell him about getting sick but leave the part about what I was sick with out.
I don’t want his pity now. I just want him to always look at me the way he is now.
With adoration and a little awe. I can almost make myself believe he’s falling in love with me.
“I got sick for a little while and had to stay in the hospital. That was the worst, not having her there to comfort me. My dad tried, but there’s just nothing that replaces a mom, you know?”
He nods but I can see something in his eyes that stops my next words. “Lucky, you haven’t told me anything about your family. I don’t even know where you’re from.” I giggle. “I’ve just been going on and on about me.”
He glances down at our joined hands. “Not much to tell. My mom left when I was little. Dad went into rehab. My uncle raised me. Wasn’t real happy to do it, but he did.
” He pauses and I hear the pain underneath his blunt words.
“My dad’s family was rich as hell. Dear ol’ Dad was a disappointment and therefore so was I, as an extension of him.
After all, my real name is Lucas Chapman III.
” He snorts and shakes his head. “What a shitty name. Anyway, I tried to stay in the background when I was a kid, but then I decided to…” he looks up and gives me that characteristic smirk, “well, I decided to become a little rebellious, I guess. And so, the Lucky you see before you was born.”
I scoot my chair closer to him and reach out a hand to touch his cheek. “I bet Lucas Chapman III wasn’t a bad guy either. I’m pretty fond of Lucky though.”
He brings my hand to his mouth and kisses it. “He’s pretty damn fond of you too.”
I cock my head to the side and send him a slow (what I hope is sultry) smile.
“So, um, what if I told you that I told my dad that I would be staying over at a friend’s house tonight?
” I feel a little silly that I have to lie to my dad at the ripe old age of twenty-two but until I’ve saved enough for my own place, this is my fate.
“I would say that I was kind of hoping that you did. And that I have a king-sized bed upstairs that I would be more than happy to share with you tonight.”
Excitement pounds through me, almost, but not quite, knocking out the nerves in my stomach. “I’ll take you up on that offer.” I take a deep breath. “And I hope to hell we’ll be doing a lot more than just sleeping in that bed.”
“Oh, princess, don’t you worry. You will be thoroughly debauched by the end of tonight.” He says the words like a promise and heat flashes through me.
I can’t wait.