21. Piper
CHAPTER 21
Piper
I 'm sitting on the back of a bike, my arms wounded tight around Gage's waist. The sun is beating down on us and gleaming over the chrome and deep red accents of the dark engine as we roar through Interstate 17 like a black bullet running through a vortex of hell-hot, dry, dusty air.
The heat is a bit much, and the muscles in my thighs ache from being locked tight in an unfamiliar position for this long, but I'm still enjoying the miles and miles of desert on either side of the road through the darkened visor of my helmet and the feel of my man’s back plastered to my chest.
Incredibly, even though the sand motes swirl through the atmosphere, the scents that reach my nose are clean and mineral-like and make me feel reinvigorated despite the almost unbearable torridness of the day.
My eyes are so full of the natural, rugged beauty speeding past us that I don’t know where to look.
Gage said we’d be taking a panoramic route, but I had no idea that vistas of desert terrain dotted with vibrant flora and jagged mountains in the distance would be so movingly gorgeous.
The contrast between the clear blue sky and the warm tones of the landscape would be enough in and on itself to keep me entertained, but there’s so much more that captures the eye.
A veritable living tapestry of swatches of colors surrounds us on all sides, ranging in an infinite spectrum of shades from the green hues of the large palo verde trees and the majestic saguaro cacti standing impossibly tall against the backdrop of the desert with their countless prickly arms crowned in snowy blooms that seem to reach toward the sky, to the deep gold of the sand, before passing through an amazing array of earth tones from pale beige to reddish brown. And then there are the occasional bursts of white, ochre, orange, and bright yellow of the beautiful, resilient desert flowers that slash through the muted, ever-changing palette of the landscape and take my breath away.
“Gage, this is so amazing! Everything looks so beautiful around here! I had no idea!”
“Me neither. This is my first ride through this part of the country. It really is breathtaking,” he replies, reading my thoughts, his voice coming loud and clear through the built-in com system that connects our helmets.
“I bet it looks even more wonderful at sunset,” I muse.
He sighs. “We can postpone our departure a couple of hours when we leave, and you can see it for yourself if you want.”
I grin, my arms giving him an extra squeeze. “Really, we can do that?”
“Absolutely. We can do anything you want. You having fun, baby?” Gage asks me.
I smile so big my cheeks hurt as I break away from my contemplation. “Yes! So much! I had no idea riding on a motorcycle could be so revitalizing!”
“Yeah, it’s great, right? Especially the first time when you don’t know what to expect…”
“Hmm, hmm… I didn’t think it would feel different than sitting in a car with your window down, but I was wrong. It’s like flying, only you’re still on earth.”
“That’s a good definition. Maybe if you like being on the back of a hog so much you’d like to ride one someday, too. What do you say?”
My eyes widen as I press myself even harder to Gage’s back. “Would you teach me?”
“Sure thing, baby.”
I smile. “Then yes… not anytime soon, though. I need to psychologically prepare myself first.”
He chuckles. “You say the word, sweetheart, and we’ll get to it. I’ve got a pal in Maine who’s a genius when it comes to building hogs. His name’s Bear… he and his wife Wren can whip you up a custom-made little beauty in a couple of months…”
“Don’t go start planning, Gage! Still processing the idea, here…”
He laughs. “Sorry… you know how I am. I think it, I do it. But we can shelf this for now.”
I give him an extra squeeze. “Thank you.”
“How are you doing? Getting sore?”
I take stock of my body for a moment. “My legs are starting to get a bit tense, and my butt is kinda falling asleep, but I’m good overall.”
I really am. I love rushing through the road with my arms around his large, hard body. Best feeling in the world —unless I count doing the same thing but with some degree of nakedness is involved.
"We've been on the road for about two hours since we took the scenic route. We're almost to our destination, but I think going further would be too much for you, Piper. I don't want you to pull something. We'll stop in a few minutes for another break. We can get some lunch while we're at it, and then drive the last half an hour or so without taking any more detours, okay?"
“Sounds great.”
I sigh, lying my head over his back a little and tilting it to the side so I can watch the fantastic panorama some more.
I can't believe the crazy, unexpected turn my life has taken.
When I said yes to babysitting Sylvianne's apartment and came here to Arizona, I was fantasizing about getting all my writing done, maybe going on a little stargazing adventure as a prize when I finished my book, and when I pushed a little, I also tacked on the thought that I could maybe make some new friends in the process, but that was stretching it already.
I could never in a million years have imagined meeting my person . Nor would I have been able to guess what kind of man apparently I'm really into because Gage is so wonderful that he bowls me over. He is so forceful and decisive!
It's like he said: he thinks it, and he does it. He's my polar opposite.
I always have to have advance notice. I need to think things over, go at them from all angles, and think of all possible consequences, while he just… goes for things like the entire world belongs to him and does it with no fear whatsoever.
And the funny thing is that I’m not afraid or worried when I’m with him. All the things that normally would bother me to insanity and back about a last-minute trip like this don’t matter right now because I know that when he says everything is under control and taken care of, he means it.
He makes me feel so safe and protected I wouldn’t make a fuss if he asked me to go to Australia with him tomorrow.
I love how assertive he can be, yet he takes into consideration everything I say and takes the time to reassure me about stuff.
Usually, I hate getting surprises to no end, but with him, I just can't wait for what he'll do next.
So that's why this morning at eight a.m. when, out of the blue, he told me to pack a light bag because we were going to leave in two hours to go do the celebratory stargazing trip in the Sonoran Desert that I had planned to take after finishing Trouble by Name , a trip I hadn't even mentioned to him, I didn't even hesitate to do as I was told —after I was over the shock, that is.
I wasn’t even thinking about the trip any longer, so caught up I’ve been in wrapping up the book, being with Gage, and dealing with the intense feelings I have for him, but the fact that not only my bestie would be so sweet as to tell him but that Gage would arrange everything himself for me without a second thought just leaves me speechless and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.
I’m one lucky girl!
A couple of days ago, I introduced Gage to Sylvianne through a video call since my bestie was chomping at the bid to have a talk with him and to give me her stamp of approval —which I got in spades.
They found much to talk about —and many secrets to share, apparently.
In a matter of minutes, they spoke to each other and joked around like friends. That’s mainly thanks to Syl, that girl has never met a stranger in her life.
The fact that they seem to like each other only adds to my happiness.
I’ve never had this type of problem in the past, but I know that the best friend and the boyfriend hating each other’s guts to no end is a number one worry among women, so it’s good that I dodged that bullet since they are both so important to me.
At some point over the phone yesterday, Syl must have told him about my wish to sleep in one of those transparent bubbly dome thingies in the desert to stargaze and today he had our itinerary planned already.
It’s insane how fast this guy works, but I shouldn’t expect less from someone who was capable of making me fall head over heels for him in a matter of seconds. Fast is the only speed we both seem to have when it comes to one another, but Gage can really take fast to a whole new level.
This morning, I woke up with a start when I felt he was no longer in bed with me, only to hear a knock on the door a minute later and see him standing there in yummy jeans, boots, and a dark Henley, looking all coffeed-up and like he had somewhere to be while I stood there bleary-eyed and yawning in one of his rumpled T-shirts so long on me that it could have easily passed for a nightgown, hair going every which way.
The only thing he said to me was. “Hey, baby, a little birdie told me that you meant to go glamping in the Sonoran for some stargazing now that you’re done with the book. I’m taking you today. We’ll sleep over. Pack a bag, but keep it light. Only take essentials. We’ll be on my hog.”
And that was it. I was given only like… thirty seconds to react, and when I just remained there staring at him in confusion, he picked me up and walked to the bedroom with me, laughing as he pulled me over his shoulders fireman style.
He put me down in front of the wardrobe, gave me a spank on the ass, and then he dropped on the still-crumpled bed that I had no idea he had even left, in one of his sexy-as-hell manspreads .
“Chop-chop, little doll! It’s hot as Hades out. I want to reach the resort before the midday heat wave.”
And just like that, I ended up on the back of a bike for the first time in my life.
A bike he had only mentioned a few days back in passing that he had decided to get shipped down from Seattle.
He told me that originally, he didn’t think he would have much use for one of his rides here since he didn’t plan to get much time off during his stay in Phoenix, but that having me in his life changed all that.
He said that now that he knew that there would be no working on the weekends, he just couldn't wait to have me on the back of his crazy-expensive, one-of-a-kind, raven metallic customized Harley Davidson CVO Road Glide ST.
I haven't told him yet, but even though I've never been on one of these things before, I did quite a bit of research on bikes for a book once –a motorcycle club romantic suspense story– and I'm pretty knowledgeable about them now.
It's become kinda of a hobby of mine even if I never believed for a second I would ever enjoy a ride on one in my life.
And sure, as usual with him, everything has gone insanely fast since I didn’t think he meant to have me on the back of his bike this soon after first saying word one about it, but it’s not like I really have reasons to complain.
I'm having a wonderful time, and I'm so glad I shed my innate fears and said yes to him —though to be sure, knowing Gage like I believe I'm learning to pretty well, I don't think he would have let me actually say no, that's simply not in his CEO, boss-man genes.
And I know on a rational level that I should be running scared because guys like him can be quite a handful because of how controlling they can get if you don't set the proper boundaries, but I know it won't be like that between us.
We're very yin-yang-like : perfectly balanced and matched, so I really have no fears.
The man seems to live to anticipate my every wish and need, and he’s always so careful of my sensibilities and my feelings and so thoughtful and attentive, how could I not fall for him and trust him?
He's been so cute all through this ride, slowing down for me to admire the scenery or snap a quick photo of the landscape, then stopping here and there for a minute to make sure I get enough water and breaks to give my legs a rest.
He even went out this morning to go to the nearest pharmacy to buy me hypoallergenic SPF 50 sunblock face cream and checked twice to make sure the tube was in the bike saddle before we left because he doesn't want for me to get a sunburn.
I mean, how adorable is that?
He was so cute and earnest about it that I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I go nowhere without sunscreen and had already packed some myself.
So yeah, all in all, I’m un-annoyingly surprised for the first time in my life.
I’m still a bit confused, to be perfectly honest, but also absolutely the happiest I’ve been in my life.
And it’s all thanks to my Gage.
I wish this night would never end.
It might be a cheesy line, but it’s true.
We’ve been lying in each other’s arms in the middle of this huge, plush king-sized bed that dominates the center of the bubble for the better part of three hours, talking literally about anything and everything under the sky, kissing, cuddling, laughing and enjoying the awe-inspiring nocturnal spectacle extending with no-end in sight above our heads and all around us beyond the transparent curved walls and ceiling of the bubble in which we’re spending the night.
Outside, the temperature has significantly dropped, and the invisible fingers of the wind have shaped the sands of the desert around us into low, undulating dunes while purplish shadows dance over the low granite inselbergs that abruptly interrupt the smoothness of the planes here and there.
Over our heads, the velvety dark blanket of the firmament seems to endlessly stretch in every direction in a canopy of stars that's making the celestial vault twinkle like someone dipped it in diamond dust.
So many stars and so many constellations!
I can easily make them out with the naked eye. The Milky Way sweeps the sky in a bold glittering arch, cutting through the firmament with its starry trail.
A waxing pale moon that seems to be abnormally large and it's a deep, ghostly silvery white looks down on us, bathing the sand in an enthralling, ethereal bluish faint glow that casts all kinds of shadows around the bubble perimeter and over the dunes and the giant saguaros standing sentinels in the dark.
I still can’t believe how jaw-droopingly beautiful this place is.
We reached the luxury resort nestled amongst the natural serenity of the Sonoran Desert in the early afternoon but only came here briefly to learn the pathway by daylight and drop our bags before going back to the main building of the hotel to have some ice cream and enjoy some sightseeing while on the back of Gage’s bike.
Even then, the bubble and the surrounding area looked stunning.
The one-way-only see-through walls are made of some type of electrochromic material. Under the sun, the bubble was a dark, smoky shade, and you could not see anything of the interior from the private deck surrounding the structure, even by pressing your face to the glass.
We spent a few minutes sitting on the super-comfortable upholstered chairs to take in the beauty of the flowers dotting the arid desert land and enjoy the light, sweet-smelling breeze while we mapped out the rest of our day and decided where to eat for dinner and even then, under the clear blue sky with not a cloud in sight, I could have just stayed there for hours, but still I had no idea everything would look this beautiful under the star-studded darkness of night.
When we came back after dinner, I was just blown away.
It was like stepping into another world. Everything looked so pretty that it brought tears to my eyes.
The living space inside the bubble is enormous and air-conditioned, other than the bed that's placed strategically so, once you lie down, you can have an uninterrupted view of the nightly sky for miles, there's a bathroom so big people could live there that comes with a large stall complete with rain shower, then there's this cute little sitting area with comfy armchairs and even a gas fireplace. All the furnishings and the general décor of this place come in muted, earth shades that complement the natural surroundings and there's every comfort and sophistication known to man available.
Yet, instead of being jarring, the contrast with the natural exterior just works to perfection and seems to bring the outside atmosphere in as if creating a seamless connection between the indoor coziness and the outdoor wildness.
It’s a full immersion experience and an absolute stargazer dream, and the fact that I get to enjoy it while nestled in the arms of the man I’m pretty sure I’m in love with beyond reason by now just makes it all the more magical.
I relax against Gage’s hard chest as I look on, sighing at the feel of his warm, strong hands stroking circles into my back while the glinting night envelops us, lulling us in with its inky black embrace and wrapping us in a sense of wonder and peace.
The infinite moment we’re living tonight is so charged with meaning that it feels like it’s helping us add threads to our bond with every soft kiss we exchange and every breath we share.
We’re in our own little comfortable cocoon, whispering as if afraid to break the almost absolute silence surrounding us in a soothing symphony of soft rustling sounds and the occasional, faraway chirp, hiss, or howl of some nocturnal animal. Our foreheads are slightly touching, our heads lying over the same pillow, our eyes are glued to the sky while we gaze into the darkness, talking about the stars, my hand holding his large wrist as I guide his index in tracing the shapes of the various constellations above us, sharing with him all that I know about the timeless cosmos and its many celestial beauties.
“And you see those last five stars? How they curl a little?”
“Hmm, hmm… that’s the tail?” he says, curving his index a little to point at the sting.
“Exactly. Now you see the shape?”
“Yeah. And what’s that star over there called?”
“That’s Antares… they say it marks the spot where Scorpius’ heart is.”
I turn a little to study Gage’s handsome profile, and I can see bursts of starlight mirrored in his eyes, and now I’m torn: I don’t know if I should look at him or at the sky above as both views are quite mesmerizing.
Gage leans toward me and kisses my nose before pointing at another formation. “That kinda looks like a triangle…”
I follow his finger and nod. “It is. It’s called the Summer Triangle… it’s an asterism, meaning it’s not exactly a real constellation… one of its stars is part of one, though. The Aquila constellation. You see…” I slowly sweep our joined hands over the formation. “Those are the wings of the eagle…”
Gage’s finger points upward. “That’s the head, the one that’s so bright?”
I nod against his shoulder, kissing him there. “Yeah… you’re getting pretty good at this! This star is called Altair and it’s the brightest star in this group and also the one that belongs to the Summer Triangle.”
I see him smiling in the corner of my eye. “Of course I’m getting good! I’ve got the best teacher right here with me… what’s that?” he asks, pointing to the north.
I smile. “Oh, that’s an easy one… Orion’s belt,” I whisper, using Gage’s big, tapered finger to trace the familiar three-star pattern around the hunter’s waist.
Gage points to a nearby group of stars. “That’s part of the same constellation?”
I nod.
He frowns slightly, eyes focused on the stars, and then he turns to me again. “His shield?”
“Yes! –I move his hand to the opposite side– You see that… that’s his arm… and those are two of the brightest stars you can see from earth… that’s Betelgeuse, and that’s Rigel… they’re both supergiants. The first’s a red one, meaning while it is brighter than most stars, it’s less bright than the second one, which is a blue supergiant. They are both nearing the end of their stellar life cycles now…”
I feel Gage’s free hand squeeze my hip. “This is amazing. I’ve never taken the time to really look at the stars like this. I mean, they were there… they’re pretty, you know what I mean… but it was all a riot of lights to me. You, on the other hand… you can make order out of this beautiful mess, give it shapes, names… it’s fascinating!”
I lean my head onto his chest. “That’s the cutest way anyone’s ever used to call me a nerd,” I quip
He turns entirely onto his side to look down at me, holding himself up on his elbow. "That's because you are the cutest nerd out there," he says, fixing my glasses over the bridge of my nose before bopping it and then kissing my lips softly before lying back flat on the bed and pulling me again lo lie over his chest.
We spend hours just like this, naming stars and tracing patterns in the darkened, bejeweled sky; our voices whispering, our fingers interlaced and drawing invisible lines above our heads as I share one of my deepest passions with the man who holds my heart in his hands.
And we kiss. And kiss. And kiss. We share a whole night of kisses.
We kiss slowly, gently, our desire for each other purposefully kept to a low simmer as we share our souls with each other, telling stories of our childhood, talking about long forgotten memories, even painful ones, confessing little and big secrets, our words woven through the starlight as we whisper about the Big Dipper of Ursa Major, and then about the North Star, Polaris, and so much more.
Our lips keep coming together in an embrace that never ends but never grows either. It’s slow, steady, and gentle and yet It’s somehow more potent than any of our other, more lustful exchanges have been up until now.
The darkness of the night starts to fade into a golden dawn blossoming in pinkish hues as yesterday turns into today, and still, we share this long kiss as sweet as a fairytale and as strong as the rising sun. A kiss so meaningful that it makes me feel dizzy and breathless.
When we pull apart to get some much-needed air for the umpteenth time, stars are no longer visible anywhere in the sky, the horizon is traversed by bursting splashes of orange and indigo, and the bubble is slowly turning a smoky amber color again.
We look into each other’s eyes, and without thinking, between one breath and the next, I finally say out loud the words that have been living in my mind and heart for days now.
And there’s only one thing that makes sharing my feelings with him more precious, and that’s the fact that the very same words leave Gage’s lips at the very same time, my voice and his blending in unison as we share them.
“I love you.”
“I love you.”
We smile at each other, and then our lips mesh together again, and once more, we kiss and kiss and kiss , staying locked into each other until we slowly fall asleep.