He studied me briefly through the side view, and I answered his attentiveness with a smile. The man was good looking, and I wondered if he knew of his effect on women. He was cocky but not in an obnoxious way. It came out as confident, but not arrogant like so many other men blessed with ridiculously good looks. Or maybe he did know just how good looking he was and didn’t make it a point to let anyone else know. If that was the case, I liked him even more for it.
I’d only ever been attracted to one man in my life whose outside matched the beauty of his inside. I know that’s what did me in with Grant: his heart. Looking at Jack’s strong profile, I wondered if the same was true of him. Was he a good person, or did he manipulate women with his looks in a way that would make him unbearably ugly?
A real man wants to know and explore the inside of a woman before he attempts to claim her in any real way. That was the truth I knew; that was what being loved by Grant taught me. A sick feeling washed over me as I realized I had only been alone with Jack for a few minutes and I was already comparing him to Grant. I squeezed my eyes shut tight and tried to clear my head in an attempt to give my friendship with Jack a chance.
“My mother didn’t protect us from any words we would eventually hear,” I said, returning to the previous subject in an attempt to silence my inner musings. “She didn’t see the point. She told us which ones not to say even though she said them often.”
Jack chuckled. “Sounds like Laura. Your sister seems to have quite the colorful personality, too.”
“You have no idea,” I said as I gripped him tighter and lifted in my seat slightly in a useless attempt to keep the throbbing between my legs at bay. “Anyway, I get crap for it all the time. No one I’m close to likes my music.”
“I can’t sympathize. I’m not a fan, myself. My uncle did teach me everything there is to know about music, but given the choice, it would never be rap.”
“See,” I said with emphasis. “I never win with the company I keep.”
“Sorry,” he said unapologetically. “Tell you what, give me a song to listen to every day… educate me. By the time I’ve set up shop and am ready to leave, I can make a more informed decision.”
“You’re on,” I said as a thousand song titles danced through my head.
“So you think my family is colorful?”
“Absolutely, and I can relate. I know exactly what it’s like to have a colorful family,” he mused. “I was raised by five people.”
“Five?” I asked, curious about the man I was holding onto with a death grip.
“Yeah, my parents, both my aunts, and my uncle. Technically, only my mom and dad are blood relation to me. My uncle and my dad were best friends for years. They met my aunts on a road trip before I was born and have been inseparable since. My aunt and uncle weren’t able to have children, so I guess in a way they shared me. And, well… my other aunt, she was just as much of a part of my life as everyone else. It’s kind of a weird dynamic, I guess, but it’s all I know.”
“Must have been some road trip,” I said, trying to imagine a younger Jack.
“I’m pretty sure it was. Nine months later, I was born.”
We shared a laugh as Jack turned to the county road behind the center. I felt a rush of relief that I may just make it back without losing my cool. Yet the more I brushed against Jack’s hard body and inhaled his scent, the more turned on I became. His face in the mirror, his voice, and hard lines of his body had all contributed to the state I was in. Anything could tip me over. I could feel the indents of Jack’s six-pack underneath my thumbs and rubbed over them without thinking. He eyed me through the side view. It was a heat-filled warning, and behind that warning, a fire had been lit. Apparently, he enjoyed muscle appreciation as much as I enjoyed giving it. He pushed the throttle, making me jump in my seat. Our eyes met in challenge, and I couldn’t help but rise to it.
All right, Jack, let’s play.
I moved my hands as slyly as possible, caressing his midriff and repositioned them just above his belt buckle as I stroked him subtly. I clenched my thighs around him and heard his reluctant curse as he kept his head averted so I couldn’t get a good look at him. He was easy prey, and I wondered if it had anything to do with my unintentional strip tease last night. Secretly, I hoped it did. I let out a soft chuckle as Jack’s head snapped to. Catching his eyes, his intent behind his gaze was all too apparent.
I had been falsely confident in a game his eyes told me he was sure he would win.
The gentlemen who seemed intent on sparing me further embarrassment had just left and was now replaced by a man hell-bent on torturous foreplay. Our eyes locked as he slowed at the entrance of the center. I let out a small breath of relief that maybe I had misjudged his intentions, all the while becoming completely engrossed in the feel of him. I was no longer at a friendly distance, my breasts pressed against his back, my legs all b
ut wrapped around his waist. His entire body was stiff with the tension we’d created and I could now feel the sweat between us as I adjusted myself on the seat. Jack idled at the entrance, his legs firmly planted on the pavement. He pulled the throttle and watched my lips part. I was on edge again, and there was no stopping it. He tugged at the handlebar again, and I dug my fingers into his flesh, gripping him to me as I panted into the speaker.
“Jack,” I pushed out and heard the desperation in my voice. My whole body vibrated in warning as I clutched him tighter to me.
Eyes pleading with his, I willed him to stop our dangerous game, but with one last rev of the engine, I went over. A small cry escaped my lips as I clung to him for dear life. The orgasm washed through me, so intense I went with it, no longer giving a damn about my audience. I tilted my helmet-clad head back slightly as it rolled through my body. Digging my nails into his stomach, I moaned out his name as the last powerful wave coursed through my limbs. Jack quickly parked the bike then jumped off. He paced next to me, his helmet in his hand, as I slowly removed mine, embarrassed but… relaxed.
Owning my part, I made a light joke, though my body was still aching in a way it hadn’t in years. Nervous laughter spewed out of my mouth as I felt the full weight of what had just happened. “Well, that’s one way to get a girl to like to ride.”
I braved a look in his direction. He stopped pacing and stood looking down on me with a mix of lust and confusion.
Avoiding his odd reaction, I made quick conversation. “I think we should do a rain check on the Tesla. I’m in need of a shower,” I said, setting his helmet on the seat.
“Seth is a good friend of mine,” he huffed out in slight exasperation.
“We’ve established that,” I said, looking up at him with a grin that faded as soon as I saw that wasn’t the response he was looking for.
“And you want to pretend that didn’t just happen?” he said roughly as his eyes lit every single nerve ending in my body on fire.