He grinned to himself as he pulled away from the curb. Kaylie’s arms snaked around toward his stomach sending a jolt of arousal straight through him. It wasn't a bad exchange at all.
He was definitely the one who got the better side of the bargain.
Chapter 9
Kaylie
Well, this was an adventure.
Devlin hadn't told her where they were going and she hadn't asked. It only occurred to her how odd that was after they'd been riding for a half hour. She'd been too absorbed by the sensation of the bike, the scenery, and him.
She decided that it didn't really matter anyway. If he wanted to surprise her, she'd let him. Even if she wanted to ask him, it would have to wait until he pulled over. There was no way he would hear her over the rumble of the bike.
It was the sort of thing that should make her hate traveling this way. Clinging to him, with zero control over where they were going, how far or how fast. But she didn't hate it at all.
She loved it.
It surprised her how much she loved it. The speed, the smell, the incredible thrill of it all. Riding was dangerous. As dangerous as the man her arms were wrapped around right now.
But most of all, she loved that she wasn't riding alone. They were together. Fused into one. She trusted him implicitly. She was going on pure instinct alone.
Maybe it was foolish, but it was true.
They'd left town far behind already and were heading through endless fields of corn and other crops. She felt her curiosity rise again. There was nothing out this way, unless he planned on taking her over the state line.
What on Earth was he up to?
It was another ten minutes or so before she realized where they were going. It all clicked into place. The only place people went during the summer.
The lake.
People went out here to swim all summer, but right now there was an even bigger draw.
The county fair was on. It had been years since she'd been. It was an hour away and her mother didn't have the time or money to travel for frivolous reasons.
But Kaylie remembered it well. As a child, she had always loved the little day trips they'd taken as a family. Back when her father was still alive. It had been a yearly event for them.
Afterwards though, the trips had stopped. A lot of things had stopped.
She didn't blame her mom though. Raising a child alone was difficult, and she didn't have an extended family to help out. They'd had fun in other ways. But her mother wasn't the sort to kick up her heels or laugh at something just for the fun of it.
That had been Kaylie's dad. The joker, the prankster, the life of the party.
She missed him each and every day. Her mom did too. He'd been the one who came up with the fun ideas of things to do. He always had a plan or a game to play. But he could be serious too, like about Kaylie knowing that she had self worth.
He'd instilled that in her early.
'Don't be a pushover Kaylie. Stand up for yourself.'
She'd listened to him when he said that. She'd heard. He’d told her that people expected pretty little girls to do what they were told. But he taught her that being right was more important than being nice.
She had a crazy feeling he’d approve of Devlin, despite his bad boy reputation.
She was still thinking about her father when they pulled up to the camp grounds next to the fair. Devlin parked the bike near a row of Harley's. A bunch of people waved at him but he just nodded and helped her with her helmet.
"Are you hungry?"
She shook her head.
"Thirsty?"
She shook her head again.
"Do you need to use the facilities?"
She blushed and shook her head.
"No. Thank you for asking.”
He grinned as if that were the cutest thing he had ever heard. For some reason, it annoyed her that this big tough man was treating her like a puppy. A desirable puppy, but a pet all the same.
She frowned at him.
"What is it?"
"So polite. It's adorable."
Her cheeks got warm as he leaned down to kiss her. It was only the second time he’d kissed her. This was different. This time it was in broad daylight.
She sighed as his lips pressed into hers. His arms slid around her waist to her lower back. His hands were warm and-
"Dev! I hope you're hungry! We're grilling already man!"
Devlin lifted his head with an exaggerated sigh. Kaylie giggled at the despondent look on his face. He winked at her and smiled. It was like she knew exactly what he was thinking, and he knew that she got him.
She’d never had that before, except maybe with family or her very best friend. But this was different. This was knowing someone, but on steroids.