Chapter 2
APRIL
The stranger, Grant, smiles too much. It peeps through his beard and lights up his pale blue eyes, and every time he does it, I feel a twinge in my core.
Which is the last thing I need right now.
I’m on a mission, and there’s no time to get distracted by a hot man in leather straddling a bike.
Not even one that has a tattoo peeping out from the top of his t-shirt that clings to his muscular chest under his jacket.
He’s got red flags all over him, the kind of guy my caseworker would tell me to steer clear of. But like a fool, I’m contemplating his offer for a lift.
But what choice do I have?
I messed up the train timings and got to Hope late. Then I stupidly went for a walk along the river instead of waiting for the bus. But my back ached and needed a stretch, and now it still aches and needs a rest.
My fingers itch, and I scape them against my jeans.
Visualize your happy place.
I hear my therapist’s voice in my head. It’s her solution for when anything gets complicated.
With this bearded biker looking at me with intense curiosity and heat in his gaze, I think I just found my new happy place.
“Are you visiting someone in Wild?” he asks.
It’s a fair question, but I’m not sure how to answer it. “I’m on vacation.”
Which isn’t exactly a lie.
He stares at me, this time managing to keep his gaze from my chest. Although I have to admit, I don’t mind him checking me out.
My cheeks heat as he watches me. I’m not used to being looked at like this, like I’m somebody worth looking at.
“Most people stay in Hope. It’s got the river and the shops. Why Wild? It’s a bit off the beaten track.”
Damn, he’s asking too many questions. I stand up off the boulder, clenching my teeth when my back bites. It’s been good lately, but six hours on a train has triggered the old pain.
“I like being off the beaten track.”
I reach for my bag, hoping he gets the hint and doesn’t ask any more questions, but before I get my backpack, he gets there first. Our fingers brush, and a spark of electricity jumps between us.
It makes me gasp and I pull my hand back quickly, my eyes darting to his.
He looks as shocked as I do, so he must have felt it too.
I turn away quickly. The last thing I need is to finally find a man I’m attracted to. Not here, not now.
He stuffs my bag into his saddle bag and takes the shopping bag as well. He looks at the Babyland bag and I can tell he’s about to ask questions, so I cut him off.
“Do you know the Wild Times Hotel in Wild?”
“It’s the only hotel in town.” He frowns. “It’s above the bar. Not a nice place for a girl like you.”
I fold my arms and study him. He has no idea what kind of girl I am, but I appreciate the concern. Maybe a little too much.
“Get on, and I’ll take you there.”
He pulls the helmet off his head and slides it onto mine. His fingers adjust the catch, and when his fingertips brush my skin, heat skitters across my body and my pulse ramps up a notch.
His eyes meet mine, and there’s a mischievous glint to them as if he knows exactly what effect he’s having on me.
“I didn’t catch your name?”
There’s no way I’m giving out my name, not until I get what I came for. I match his grin, going for a flirty tone.
“I don’t give out my name to strangers.”
It doesn’t quite come out as lighthearted as I intended, but he chuckles anyway, and I’m relieved when he doesn’t press me.
“You been on a bike before?”
I nod, and he frowns. Is that jealousy I see flash across his features? In a moment it’s gone, and the jovial smile is back. I must have imagined it.
“Hold onto me and enjoy the view.”
We peel out of the overlook lot and onto the road that heads out of town and into the mountains. I cling to his waist, breathing in the heady scent of leather and mountain pine.
I must be crazy. I know I’m crazy. This entire scheme of mine is crazy, the act of a desperate woman. I don’t think I was thinking straight when I left home this morning.
But as I cling onto Grant, my head feels clear. Whatever happens this weekend, at least I got a ride on a motorbike behind a hot biker.