I rolled down the windows and turned the radio up a little bit louder.
My tires squealed a little when I took the curve, but I didn’t have a care in the world. I sang louder and then screamed while slamming on the brakes.
His bike was stopped blocking the one-lane country road. He sat sideways, leaning into the seat lightly, with his arms and ankles crossed as I held tight to the wheel, and the car jerked to a stop.
My back hit the seat, hard, and I whooshed out a breath and inhaled the scent of burnt rubber.
We sat staring at each other as I gulped in lungfuls of air. I couldn’t see his eyes behind the aviators, and I couldn’t string a thought together. I just sat there, heaving breath into and out of my lungs, frozen with my foot on the pedal.
My cockiness was gone. It’d flittered away as I careened toward a madman with an apparent death wish.
Angrily, he stood upright and started to stalk my way.
For the first time, I felt a frisson of fear.
It was all fun and games until his bulky, powerful body stormed my way. It didn’t lessen the excitement I was feeling, but I was definitely feeling a little scared.
He walked up and leaned down to look in my open window, an arm to the top of the car door, and a scowl on his face. I thought I was prepared, but when he roared at me, I started to shake. “What the actual fuck did you think you were doing?”
I flinched and gripped the steering wheel tighter. Common sense was finally starting to prevail, finally, after weeks of it being nowhere to be found, and I was second-guessing my following him.
I was also, strangely, very turned on.
I didn’t speak, I just stayed where I was, taking in his admirable jaw-line. I shifted in my seat and looked into his glasses, unsure and waiting.
For what, I had no idea.
He took in my face, and blew out a breath, shaking his head and pushing off the door frame. He stood for a moment, staring at me and then said in a softer, almost gentle voice, “Follow me, yeah? And this time, try and keep up a little better. I had to stop twice to let you catch up.”
My lips tugged up into a huge smile, and his face softened as he watched. The fear left my body, and I relaxed.
Right back into crazy-town.
Finally, he reached over and tapped a fist to the top of the car twice, grinning and nodded.
It was the weirdest non-conversation I’d ever had in my life.
The bike roared to life, and I eased my foot off the brake and onto the gas pedal, slowly speeding up as he pulled off. I was happy, but it had to be said.
My vagina led to me the most ridiculous situations.
3
I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face as I followed him down the long winding road, turned onto a dirt road, and drove up to a house.
When he stopped and kicked down the stand on his bike, I put my car into park and sighed. I heard the danger bells distantly clanging in my head again, but I disregarded them.
I was right where I wanted to be.
I climbed out of the car and slammed the door shut, turning to him and pausing. Those glasses turned my way, and he gestured with his head toward the massive log cabin. “You good? Because we gotta talk.”
I bit my bottom lip but nodded and moved in his direction. When we were side to side, he put a guiding hand to the small of my back and led me to the front door.
He stepped around me and unlock
ed the door before gesturing for me to pass him. When I stepped through the door, the strong, steady hand moved back down to my back, and it burned.
I shivered and heard his answering soft chuckle. I stood up a little straighter and focused on not stumbling as he led the way to a sunken living room. I sat on the love seat where he gestured, realizing that I hadn’t even spoken yet.