Chapter Fifteen
Hazel
By one fifteen in the morning, I was standing in the back parking lot of Bing’s, wondering if I’d lost my mind.
Probably.
Bone was leaning against his motorcycle like this was a completely normal way to spend a Tuesday night.
He’d waited the entire time.
Every time I’d walked past the end of the bar, he’d been there. Sometimes talking to CL. Sometimes looking at his phone. Sometimes drinking his beer. And sometimes watching me.
He’d only had two beers the whole time, switching to water after the second one. I’d noticed that too.
By twelve thirty, Crystal had figured out exactly what was happening.
By twelve forty-five, Kori knew.
By twelve fifty, both of them were insufferable.
I’d refused to answer any questions, finished closing my section, counted out my money, grabbed my purse, and escaped through the back door before either one of them could follow me.
Now it was just me and Bone.
And his motorcycle.
I stared at it.
Bone stared at me. “Well?” he asked.
I looked at him. “Well what?”
“You gonna get on?”
“I thought there’d be instructions.”
His eyebrows pulled together. “Instructions?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a motorcycle, Hazel. Not heavy machinery.”
“Pretty sure it qualifies as machinery.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t. This is my first time.”
Bone went completely still, then his mouth twitched.
I pointed at him. “Don’t.”
“Didn’t say anything.”
I narrowed my eyes and his grin finally broke free.
“Jesus Christ, you’re twelve,” I laughed.
“You told me it was your first time.”
“On a motorcycle,” I stressed and slapped his arm.
He laughed.
Actually laughed. Not the low chuckle I normally got out of him.
A real laugh.
I stared at him.
“What?”
“I didn’t know you could do that.”
“Do what?”
“Laugh.”
His expression flattened. “There he is.”
“Get on the fucking bike, Hazel.”
I laughed and looked at the motorcycle again. “How?”
“You’re making this way harder than it needs to be.”
“Again, first time.”
“Keep saying that and we’re never leaving this parking lot.”
I shook my head. “You’re disgusting.”
“You started it.”
“I absolutely did not.”
Bone pushed away from the bike. “Come here.”
The laughter faded a little.
There was something about Bone saying come here that made my stomach do a stupid little flip.
I walked closer. Bone grabbed the helmet resting on the seat and held it out.
“Put this on.”
I took it. “What about you?”
“I’m good.”
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
“I’ve been riding most of my life.”
“And your skull is somehow stronger because of that?”
His mouth twitched. “Put the helmet on.”
“Bossy.”
“Hazel.”
“Fine.” I pulled it over my head. Bone reached beneath my chin and adjusted the strap.
His fingers brushed my skin and that tiny touch was enough to shut me up.
His eyes lifted to mine. “Too tight?”
I swallowed. “No.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
His fingers lingered another second before he dropped his hand. “All right.”
He swung his leg over the bike and settled onto the seat.
God, apparently Bone getting on a motorcycle was something I needed to add to the growing list of shit I found hot about him.
He looked over his shoulder. “Get on.”
I carefully climbed on behind him. “Now what?”
“Feet there.” He pointed. I did what he said. “And hold on.”
“To what?”
Bone turned his head enough to look at me. “Me.”
Oh.
Right.
Obviously.
I slid my arms around his waist and my entire front pressed against his back.
That was... nice.
Really nice.
Bone’s hands closed around the handlebars. “Good?”
“Yep.”
“You nervous?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
“I’m sitting on a motorcycle behind a man named Bone at one in the morning. I’m allowed a little nervousness.”
“Fair.”
I smiled, then realized something. “Where are we going?”
Bone looked back at me. “Nowhere.”
I frowned.
“And anywhere.”
“That clears it right up,” I laughed.
“Just hold on.” The motorcycle roared to life beneath us and I jumped.
Bone’s hand came off the handlebar and landed over mine where it rested against his stomach.
Just for a second, then he pulled away.
My heart started beating faster before we’d even moved.
A minute later, we were on the road.
And holy shit, I’d been wrong. Completely wrong.
I’d thought riding on the back of Bone’s motorcycle would be fun.
This was better. So much better.
The air rushed around us as Bone picked up speed. The lights of Marshfield slipped past, becoming fewer and farther between as we left town behind.
I tightened my arms around him.
Not because I was scared, but because I could.
Because for the first time since I’d met Bone, I had an excuse to put my hands on him and keep them there.
His body was warm beneath my arms. Solid. I could feel the movement of his muscles every time he shifted.
There wasn’t any conversation. The motorcycle was too loud, and the wind would’ve stolen most of the words anyway.
Strangely, I didn’t miss talking.
Bone took me through town first.
Then out on country roads. Long stretches with nothing but fields and trees. A few houses tucked back from the road with the moon overhead.
Every once in a while, we’d slow as we passed through a small town, then Bone would open the bike up again once we were back on empty roads.
I had no clue where we were. I didn’t care.
He’d said nowhere and anywhere. Apparently, he’d meant it.
At some point, I stopped thinking about where we were going altogether and I just held on.
The farther we rode, the more comfortable I got.
I leaned when Bone leaned. Relaxed against his back and let myself enjoy it.
I understood now why he liked this.
I smiled inside the helmet. Maybe Wisconsin wasn’t so bad.
We’d been riding for what had to be close to an hour when Bone slowed for a curve and his left hand left the handlebar.
I assumed he was going to adjust something. Instead, he reached back, and his hand landed on my knee.
I froze.
There was no reason for it. He didn’t need to steady me. Didn’t need to tell me anything.
My arms tightened around his waist and his thumb moved once against the inside of my knee.
Barely anything, but my breath caught anyway.
Then his hand disappeared.
Both of his hands returned to the handlebars, and the motorcycle accelerated.
I stared at the back of his head.
Yeah, I’d definitely felt that, and there was no way in hell I’d imagined what it meant.
Eventually, I started recognizing things. A turn. A stretch of road. Trees I’d stared at from my front porch. Then Pink’s house appeared with mine right beside it.
He pulled into my driveway and killed the engine.
Silence rushed in, and for a second, neither of us moved.
“Wow,” I breathed.
Bone looked over his shoulder. “Good?”
“Good?” I laughed. “That was amazing.”
His mouth curved. “Told you.”
“You didn’t tell me anything.”
“Worked, didn’t it?”
I reluctantly loosened my arms from around him. “Absolutely.”
I carefully climbed off the bike, and the second my feet hit the driveway, I felt like I was going to tumble over.
Oh God.
I managed to steady myself and pulled the helmet off. My hair had been tied back when we’d left Bing’s, but over the past hour, it had escaped my hair tie and was now a rat’s nest. I ran both hands over it, trying to tame it. “Don’t look at me.”
Bone turned. “What?”
“I probably look insane.”
His gaze traveled over me. Slowly. “You still look good.”
I stared at him.
Bone rested his forearms against the handlebars.
“After an hour on the back of that thing?”
“Yeah.”
“Going how fast?”
He shrugged. “I saw eighty.”
“I look like I’ve been hanging out a car window on the interstate.”
“You don’t.”
I smoothed my hair again.
Bone’s eyes stayed on me. “You look good, Hazel.”
The way he said my name did something to me. God, this man.
I dropped my hands. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Anytime.”
Neither of us moved.
I should’ve gone inside. It was after two in the morning. I had nowhere to be tomorrow morning, but that didn’t mean I needed to stand in my driveway until sunrise. Still, I didn’t want the night to end. And I didn’t want to keep pretending there wasn’t something happening between us.
Apparently, my mouth decided it was tired of waiting for the rest of me to figure that out. “Do you want to come inside?”
Bone didn’t answer.
My stomach dropped. Oh no, not again. Why did I keep doing this to myself?
Last night, I’d asked him for a ride, and he’d turned me down. Tonight, obviously, I hadn’t learned a damn thing.
I could’ve smiled, said good night, and walked inside with whatever dignity I had left. Instead, I stood there waiting.
Bone stared at me, and my heart thudded.
“Or not,” I added. “I just thought—”
He got off the motorcycle and I stopped talking. Bone took two steps toward me. Then another. I tipped my head back, standing my ground.
He was so damn big up close. Broad shoulders. Tattooed arms. Dark beard. Hard lines. Everything about Bone screamed that he wasn’t a man who did anything halfway.
His hands settled around my waist.
Oh.
My palms landed against his chest, and Bone pulled me against him. His body was hard against mine, and his eyes dropped to my mouth.
“Bone.”
His hand came up, and the backs of his fingers moved slowly down my cheek.
My breath caught as his eyes dropped to my mouth.
Oh yeah. I hadn’t imagined a damn thing.
“Tell me no,” he said.
I shook my head. “No.”
His brow furrowed.
I almost laughed. “That came out wrong.”
His mouth twitched.
“I mean, I don’t want you to stop.” That was clearly all he needed.
Bone kissed me. There was nothing hesitant about it.
His mouth came down on mine, and I grabbed the front of his shirt. Bone’s arm locked around my waist and hauled me tighter against him.
His other hand slid into my hair and I opened for him. His tongue swept against mine, and a sound escaped me before I could stop it.
Bone answered with a rough groan that I felt as much as heard.
Jesus.
I’d wondered more than once what kissing Bone would be like. My imagination hadn’t come close.
His beard scraped against my skin as he changed the angle of his mouth. My fingers curled tighter into his shirt, and I pushed up onto my toes because apparently being plastered against him wasn’t close enough.