Chapter 7 #2
“Okay.” Her words shook, and she wasn’t the only one.
“I’d love to. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the back of a motorcycle.
If that’s what you mean by ride, correct?
Because the answer is no if it’s mountain biking.
I am already healing from bruises, and I don’t need to go ass over tea kettle. ”
“Don’t remind me of the bruises,” I ground out, angry all over again.
She nodded. “Done. And I hope I didn’t overstep by calling people bad names.
But they deserve it. Just like paparazzi who come after the people I care about.
And the so-called fans who only want to cut you down.
People out there can be generous, loving, and caring.
And they can also be jerks. So those guys can just fuck off. ”
“Yes, they can. And yes, there are good people out there.”
“I can’t believe you just said that. Agreeing with me and everything.”
“Don’t push it.” My gaze went over her body, and I swallowed hard, telling myself I was just making sure she was wearing the right clothing and not checking out her curves or the fact that her tits were big enough to overfill my hands, and I had big hands.
And that her hips had perfect sway to them that they’d be best for holding onto while sliding into her from behind.
Bile coated my tongue, and I told myself that it was just because of our close proximity.
I did not want Kiera West. And if I kept telling myself that it would be true. I hadn’t been with anybody in the over three years since I’d lost my family. And I wasn’t going to start now.
I cleared my throat, my voice sounding far angrier than I meant. I wasn’t angry at her, but myself. “You should change into jeans and boots if you have them. You need to protect yourself on the bike.”
“Got it. I’ll be quick. Promise.”
“And pack a smaller bag!” I called after her, and she flipped me off, and I did my best not to smile in return. She confused me as all get out. I had no idea what I was supposed to do when it came to her.
By the time we were on the road, with Kiera wearing the helmet that I had set aside for my sisters, I knew that this had been a fucking mistake.
With her legs wrapped around me, and my back pressed against those breasts that I could not stop thinking about, it was literal torture.
My dick ached, and I knew I was going to have to get myself off in the shower later.
I usually just thought about a faceless woman, using my fist to get through the tension, and that was it. One and done.
But the last two nights had been about Kiera. And that shouldn’t have happened.
I should have felt grief in that moment, about thinking of someone else who wasn’t Courtney, or the fact that none of Courtney’s things had survived the fire, so I’d had to start over. Nobody would blame me for moving on, for even thinking about moving on. Even Courtney wouldn’t have.
Yet why did I think that I was making a mistake?
Kiera rode like she had been born on a bike. She wrapped her arms around my waist, her thighs cradling me, and leaned with every turn with perfection. Riding with her was easy, and with each passing mile, I relaxed into her, enjoying the ride more than I had in years.
Ashford Creek was settled in the Rocky Mountains outside of Denver.
There were countless small towns all over the mountain range, and up into Wyoming and even farther south.
Not all of them were tourist destinations that had to do with skiing or were as famous as places like Vail.
No, Ashford Creek wasn’t for the high-end person.
That’s why I liked it and stayed, despite the bitter hatred that came with living there sometimes.
But places like Silver Lake, Sunrise Ridge, and Cage Lake were decent enough tourist destinations, and a short enough ride that it could be counted as an afternoon ride versus a longer one.
You could go and stop for lunch and not worry about getting home before dark.
Though we had started late, so this would be a dinner, and we would be riding through the mountains at night, I had done it enough that it wouldn’t be a problem.
Plus, rain wasn’t in the forecast, so we would be fine.
Today, we would be stopping in Runaway Springs, because nobody knew me there, and hopefully, we would be able to keep Kiera’s identity on the down low.
I parked my bike behind the visitor center, where countless other vehicles were parked since it was high tourist season, and rolled my shoulders back.
Kiera patted my arms before I positioned myself so she could get off the bike quickly.
I immediately missed her warmth and told myself I was all kinds of an asshole.
She undid the strap of her helmet and grinned at me, her gaze bright as she slid her sunglasses onto the V of her shirt. “That was amazing. I mean, I’ve ridden through mountains before, but this was unheard of. It didn’t even look real.”
“It’s home,” I said with a shrug. I took her helmet and mine and strapped them where they would be secure and safe, so nobody could steal them. Then, I got her bag out of the saddlebag and handed it over. “Thank you for switching to a smaller one.”
“I like my crossbody just fine.” She winked as she said it, before taking out her low ponytail and shaking it out.
I swallowed hard, telling myself not to watch the way that her breasts moved, or the way the light played off her face.
Kiera was a problem, and I had a feeling we both knew it.
I gestured toward the nearest sidewalk and swallowed hard. “Let’s go. We can get dinner before we head back.”
“Thank you, well, for taking me out. I left the cabin twice today. It must be a record.”
I grunted and moved to stand on the left side of her, closest to the street. She gave me a knowing look, but I ignored it. When somebody walked down the wrong side of the sidewalk, I shifted to the side, my hand at the small of Kiera’s back to make sure they didn’t run into her.
Then I lowered my hand, hoping she hadn’t noticed, and I just watched as Kiera took in the small town, her gaze interested in everything that she saw.
Runaway Springs had a similar footprint to Ashford Creek, so it didn’t really inspire me for art or anything that was beyond what I could get at home.
The fact that nobody recognized me here was a plus, and I knew I could move here, and things would be fine until somebody from Ashford Creek saw me and spread the rumors.
Because rumors always followed you. That was why I stayed.
I might as well sleep where I knew the devil was.
“You know, I bet I could get Rocky and the others to come and do a small tour in some of these towns. Just surprise pop-ups that wouldn’t wreck parking and things. But something fun.”
“I thought Wilder sold out stadiums.” At least they had when Malcom had been part of the band. I’d been so damn proud of my brother that sometimes it was hard to breathe.
“We do. And it doesn’t feel real when I say it. I mean, I get to play with rock stars every day. Yes, we’re on a break right now just so we could catch up and breathe, but I get to play music nearly every night and be with fans who love it just as much as I do.”
“You say that as if you’re not a rock star, right along with them,” I said dryly.
She shook her head. “They were famous before I joined.”
I didn’t like the fact that she didn’t see herself in the bright light where she belonged. “And my brother was a rock star right with them. It doesn’t hurt to say his name, you know. To talk about him.”
I must have surprised her because she nearly tripped over her feet, and I reached out, my hand on her hip as we continued to move. I forced myself to lower my hand, wondering what the hell I was thinking.
“Malcolm was one of the drummers I looked up to.”
My lips quirked. “You say that as if we’re not close in age.”
“You are at least six years older than me, right?”
Not too big of an age gap, but something to think about…if I wanted to let myself think about it. “So? My brother was in his twenties when he died. How long could you have looked up to him?”
“Long enough. He is still one of my idols. And playing with Wilder means the world to me. So yes, I’m going to talk to Rocky and Gabriel and see if we can do something. At least check how the logistics will be.”
“Honestly, it sounds like a nightmare.” I shook my head.
She grinned at me, unrepentant. “And that’s why I don’t work on the logistics.”
“That’s why I let Teagan handle things for me.”
A wink. “And look at that, we agree on something else.”
As she continued to talk about the town and the band, I followed her, letting her soak in the moment. And when she smiled up at me, saying something that I was barely paying attention to, I knew I was in deep trouble.