Chapter Seven
Lauren
Jake was just full of surprises, wasn’t he?
I stole glances at him as I strapped on the helmet he gave me. He was wearing his leather jacket again with the Black Storm logo, which looked as cool on him now as it did when I first saw him, but this time, half his ash-brown hair was tied up in a bun, and somehow, that did things to my chest. Unless that was the coffee.
Just like earlier in the garage, he looked so serious as he checked some things on his bike. I wondered if he would ever take me that seriously.
Then again, he had already surprised me by offering to teach me how to ride a motorcycle. I thought he wasn’t interested in me at all since he wasn’t making an effort to spend time with me even though he was the one who offered me a home, but now, I had a glimmer of hope that he was. A part of me felt a tinge of guilt that I was spending the day with another man after just having had sex with Max last night. That was the voice of my conscience giving me another lecture. Another part, though, the part that kept telling me to just relish the present, was simply excited to know Jake more.
Right. That was all I was doing. Getting to know the man who had taken me into his home.
“How do I look?” I asked him when I was done putting on my helmet.
He checked the strap, stepped back to take a good look at me with his hands on his hips, and nodded. “Great.”
A more detailed description would have been better, but the one-word compliment was enough to make me smile, nevertheless.
“Here.” He held out a leather jacket identical to the one he wore. “Put this on, too.”
I turned my back to him and stretched my arms, letting him slip the jacket on me. As I zipped it, I caught the scent of something musky and slightly spicy. Whether it was Jake’s smell or just the leather, I didn’t know, but I liked it.
“One last thing.” He handed me a pair of gloves.
I put them on, lifting my hands afterward. “Now, how do I look?”
“Like a biker,” Jake replied casually.
Still, I could tell from the gleam of appreciation in his eyes and the way his Adam’s apple bobbed before he spoke, that he liked what he saw.
And I liked that even more.
“Great,” I told him with a shrug. “Now that we’ve got the hard part out of the way, everything else should be smooth sailing, right?”
He chuckled. “I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
I wasn’t. When my dad taught me how to ride a bicycle, it took a few weekends and about a hundred attempts, many of which ended up with me falling and getting hurt. I had no confidence in my sense of balance or my coordination. Actually, I was starting to feel a little scared.
Jake placed his hand on my shoulder. “Hey. I’m right here. I’ll be with you every step of the way and I’m not going to let you get hurt, okay? I promise.”
I looked into his eyes, the warmth in them engulfing me. Ah. He really had a talent for quelling my fears.
“Okay.” I took a deep breath. “What do I do first?”
Jake brought me closer to the bike that was parked in the driveway. “Well, first, you have to get on.”
Of course.
“Just stand here on the left side of the bike, grab the handlebars, and swing your right leg over.”
I did just that but paused as soon as I had a leg on either side of the bike. Why on earth did I suddenly get an image of straddling Jake instead of this chunk of metal?
In my mind, he was looking up at me, grabbing my waist as I positioned myself on top of him, the wet tip of his hard cock brushing against the inside of my thigh.
“Now, use your foot to push the kickstand up and straighten the bike, making sure your feet are firmly planted on the ground. Get a feel for the bike. From now on, it will be under your control.”
Under my control.
I imagined his cock firmly in the grasp of my gloved hand as I guided it inside me. He was under me, so large and strong, yet he was at my mercy.
“How does that feel?”
“Hot as hell.” The words spilled out of my mouth before I could think.
Fuck.
“I mean, this helmet and this jacket feel a little warm, but getting on top of…getting on a bike feels great.”
Thank goodness I had a helmet on, or Jake would have seen me blushing, and I would have died of embarrassment.
“You’ll feel cooler later.”
I sure hoped so, but for now, I needed to calm myself down and get my head on straight. I reminded myself that I had a boyfriend and that riding a bike was a task that took serious concentration. It was seriously hard.
Serious. I meant serious. I had to take it seriously.
Focus, Lauren.
I took another deep breath and squared my shoulders. “So, what do I do next?”
“Let me teach you about the different parts, starting with the throttle…”
I released the throttle just as Jake had taught me an hour ago, pulled the clutch back and shifted all the way up to second gear with my left foot. As soon as I heard the gears engage, I slowly began to release the clutch, then I gave the bike a bit of gas and twisted the throttle toward me to gain speed.
And boy, did it get faster. Now, we were talking.
As the bike wheels whirled beneath me, I felt a sense of exhilaration and, at the same time, release. I understood why Jake, Max, and Wade loved their bikes so much.
Right now, it felt like it was just me, my bike, and the road, which seemed to stretch endlessly ahead of me. And the wind drifting alongside me, whispering, brushing against the sleeves of my leather jacket, and blowing through the tendrils of hair that couldn’t fit inside my helmet. If I closed my eyes, it might have felt like I was flying.
Of course, I didn’t, though. I kept my eyes peeled and my gloved hands on the handlebars, losing myself at the moment. If Jake hadn’t shifted his hands that were firmly gripping my waist, I would have forgotten he was sitting right behind me.
He had been there the whole time, just quietly keeping me company. We couldn’t talk much even if we wanted to, anyway. Still, his presence was enough to make me feel safe. The broad chest against my back told me he had me covered, and the strong hands above my hips let me know that he wasn’t going to let go no matter what. It was because of him that I had managed to learn how to ride a bike so quickly and if not for him, I would never have had the courage to be riding at all.
It would’ve been better if he had his arms wrapped around me, or then again, maybe not. Even with the layers of fabric between us, I was well aware of how close our bodies were. Closer than ever. If he was hugging me right now, it would be hard to breathe. Or concentrate on my driving. I probably wouldn’t mind, though, if it was a different scenario like if we were sitting in front of a fireplace sharing a single blanket and a bottle of wine. Or in a bathtub with him kissing the side of my neck.
Whoa. I tried to shake off that last steamy image, telling my mind to behave. Again.
What’s wrong with you? I already told you not to think of other men, remember? Especially not now. Right now, you have to focus on …
My thoughts disappeared as a motorcycle appeared next to me in the same lane, just about two feet away. The driver, who wore a maroon leather jacket, turned his head toward me, then suddenly darted ahead.
Asshole.
If I had more experience on a bike, I probably would have chased after him, but I just let him go, glad that he was gone. Or so I thought, until he stopped several feet in front of me, turning his bike sideways and barring my path.
What the hell?
“Lauren!” Jake’s voice forced me to gather my wits. “Hit the brakes now!”
My brain scrambled to remember what he taught me. Right. The brakes. There were two—the front on the right handlebar and the rear near my right foot. What did he say again? Use both evenly? Gradually?
“Lauren!”
I applied pressure to both brakes, hoping against all hope that I would avoid a crash in time even as fear crept up my spine.
“Downshift!”
I pulled the clutch lever and shifted down to second gear. The motorcycle started slowing down but the other one was still up ahead.
Just right ahead.
What the hell did this asshole think he was doing?
My heart pounded, my adrenaline pumping as panic seized me.
Did I escape getting shot just to die in a motorcycle accident?
For a moment, I froze. Jake brought me back by grabbing my arms. With his guidance, I managed to steer the bike around the other one, driving past the jerk of a driver.
He gave a mocking laugh. “What’s the hurry, old man? Don’t you wanna stay and have some fun?”
Jake ignored him, continuing to guide my hands as we turned towards a vacant parking lot. Eventually, the bike stopped. Remembering Jake’s instructions, I kept the front brake engaged and planted my feet on the ground, then I shifted to neutral. I was supposed to get off next, but I was still shaking.
Jake got off, took off his helmet, and pulled me into his arms. “Are you okay?”
He was hugging me almost too tightly for me to move, but I managed to nod. Eventually, I felt myself stop trembling, my heartbeat slowing down in the warmth of Jake’s embrace.
I was about to close my eyes, feeling too comfortable with my head resting on Jake’s chest, when the other bike whizzed past on the road, the driver laughing and taking a hand off his handlebar to give Jake the middle finger. Jake watched the bike disappear, his jaw clenched. As he stepped away from me, one of his hands curled to make a fist.
“Are you okay?” I asked him, though I could tell he clearly wasn’t.
I had never seen him like this before. Seething with anger. On the verge of losing control.
What was I supposed to do?
“Those damned devils,” Jake cursed under his breath.
My eyes grew wide. Jake knew who that asshole was?
He gritted his teeth. “I’ll make them pay.”
A part of me was touched that he wanted to avenge me, but his anger also scared me. I wasn’t scared of him, just of what his anger could do to him. I didn’t want him to get hurt because of me.
I took off my helmet, got off the bike, and touched his arm. “It’s okay, Jake. It’s going to be okay.”
“No, it isn’t.” His shoulders heaved to keep up with his aggravated breathing. “That guy tried to kill you.”
Just me? Wasn’t he on the bike, too?
“I’m okay.” I tried to sound reassuring now that I had calmed down, my emotions taking a backseat to Jake’s. I stroked his arm. “We’re okay.”
He shook his head. “I promised you that you would be okay.”
I grabbed his hand. “Hey. What happened was absolutely not your fault.”
“That guy was a member of the Raging Devils. He only did what he did because he saw that I was wearing a Black Storm jacket. He recognized me and my bike.”
So that guy was a member of an MC, too. A rival of Black Storm. And here I thought rivalries between bikers only existed in the movies. Still, that didn’t make what happened Jake’s fault.
I squeezed his hand. “You didn’t do anything wrong. If anything, you saved me. You kept me safe.”
Again, Jake shook his head. “I put you in danger. I should never have put you on a bike.”
I frowned. So he was regretting teaching me how to ride a bike now? I wasn’t going to let him.
“Jake, listen to me. I wanted to ride a bike. I enjoyed riding with you. It was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before. So thrilling and freeing. And I have you to thank for that.”
“But you nearly died.”
“I’m alive, Jake.”
“But you nearly died,” he repeated as if he hadn’t heard what I’d just said. “You could have crashed into him or into the curb or into a tree. And you could have been thrown off and…”
“I’m alive, Jake!” I spoke louder as I placed both my hands on his arms and stood in front of him so he could look at me. “I’m right here.”
Finally, he looked at me. The anger in his eyes had faded, giving way to sadness and anguish that made my own chest hurt.
Why? Why did he look like he was in so much pain?
I reached out to touch his cheek, to offer him some comfort. He placed his hand over mine.
“I would never forgive myself if anything bad happened to you,” he said, a quiver in his voice.
Why? Because I was Max’s girlfriend and Max was like a brother to him?
No. Right now, he was looking at me like I was more than just someone dear to his friend, like I was someone precious to him personally.
He was looking at me like he was afraid to lose me.
I stroked his cheek. “I’m right here, Jake.”
For a moment, we just gazed at each other like two scared, miserable, wounded souls offering each other what solace we could in the silence. No words were spoken but for the first time, I felt like I got to see a glimpse of the real Jake, and I had an urge to let him know the real me.
I pulled my hand away and touched the pendant of my necklace. “Jake, there’s something I have to tell…”
Suddenly, his phone rang. He answered the call.
“Yeah, George?”
I didn’t know who George was or what he was saying, but Jake nodded.
“I’ll be there in five minutes. I have something to tell the guys, anyway.”
Then he ended the call.
I rubbed my arm. “Do you have to go to your tattoo studio?”
“No. That was George. He works at Billie’s bar. There are quite a lot of members of Black Storm there right now. They want to talk to me about something.”
“Oh.” I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “So, are you going to drop me off at the house? I don’t think I can drive after what just happened.”
“I’ll drive, but I was wondering if you wanted to come to Billie’s instead. She’s been wanting to meet you.”
My eyebrows arched. “Really?”
“But only if you feel okay, of course. I understand if you’d rather go home and rest.”
I shook my head. “It’s fine. I’d love to meet Billie and the rest of Black Storm.”
Jake chuckled. “You might not feel the same way afterward.”
I shrugged. “Besides, I could use a drink.”
Jake nodded. “You can put all your drinks on my tab.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, and we can talk there. You were going to tell me something before George called?”
I waved my hand. “Oh, it’s nothing.”
I didn’t feel like telling him about my secret anymore.
“I’m just glad that you’re okay now,” I added as I grabbed my helmet. “Shall we go?”