I falter, not understanding what he means. “Come again?”
I hear him release a deep breath. “I was talking about your innocence. Something that many of the assholes here would take advantage of, if given half the chance. And the thought of that shit with Kyle happening to you again makes me fucking insane. It had nothing to do with your sight.”
I think about his answer and guilt instantly plagues me. “I’m sorry for assuming differently, but the same goes for this reason as the last. Innocent or not, I am capable of taking care of myself. I know it doesn’t seem that way because of what happened with Kyle, but I really am smart about the choices I make and I try to avoid putting myself in a situation where that could happen.” I feel him watch me again, the cackling of the flames seeming louder as I wait for him to say something.
“Leave here with me.”
“Huh?” I ask, thinking I misunderstood him.
“I want to take you somewhere.”
My heart speeds up with excitement at the thought. “Where?”
“It’s a quiet place where I like to go at night. It’s not far from here.”
This is one of those situations I try to be smart about and avoid, but I’d be lying if I said the idea wasn’t completely captivating. I’ve been waiting for the opportunity to get to know him better.
“I would never hurt you, Emily. Despite what you may have heard,” he adds quietly, mistaking my silence for something else.
“I know you wouldn’t.” And it’s true. Despite everything I’ve heard, I know in my heart he wouldn’t hurt me, actually, if anything, I feel safe with him. Which is why I don’t waste another second thinking about it. “Okay, I’ll go with you.”
Grabbing my hand, he stands and pulls me up with him. The warmth from his simple touch shoots all the way up my arm like a bolt of electricity.
“I need to let Cece know.”
“We will look for her on our way to my bike. Do you have your phone? Can you call her or leave her a message?” I nod then follow his lead as he tugs on my hand. He slows his strides when I have a hard time keeping up. I am not a fast walker.
“So, uh, we are going on your bike?” I ask cautiously. The entire thought is both nerve wracking and exciting. I’ve never been on one before.
“Yeah. You aren’t dressed for it but we won’t be riding for long, and I’ll give you my jacket.”
“Oh, that’s okay, you can keep it. I’m sure I’ll be fine.” He grunts, clearly not agreeing.
The noise from the party gets further away, and when we don’t run into Cece I pull out my cell and send her a voice message. “Hey, Cece, it’s me. Listen, um, I’m leaving the party with Ryder, so don’t worry about a ride home for me. Have fun and I’ll talk to you later.” I drop my phone back in my purse and know she is going to be pissed. Like really pissed.
We come to a stop, where I’m assuming Ryder’s bike is, when suddenly I feel something warm envelop me. I instantly know it’s his jacket from the amazing scent that surrounds me. “It’s really okay. The night is warm, I’m sure I will be fine.”
“You’re wearing the jacket, Emily,” he responds sharply, his tone brooking no argument.
Well geez, he doesn’t have to be so bossy about it. I startle out of my thoughts and gasp when I feel him try to put something over my head.
He freezes. “Sorry, I should have warned you. It’s just my helmet.”
I feel my cheeks heat with embarrassment then nod my permission. The helmet is heavier than I expected and it encloses most of my face. “Here, I’ll flip the visor up since you have glasses on.” I feel my face heat once again, knowing how stupid I must look with sunglasses on in the dark. Once he flips the visor up I feel a lot more air on my face and don’t feel so confined. I lift my chin as I feel him fiddle with the strap.
“I’ll bet this looks killer with my outfit,” I joke, trying to imagine how silly this all must look with my yellow, strapless sundress.
“Oh, Emily, you have no fucking idea.”
Whoa. All the oxygen suddenly gets sucked out of my lungs from his rough, husky voice. I have a feeling our ideas of what constitutes a killer outfit are completely different.
“Come here,” he commands before grabbing both of my hands and placing them on the seat of the bike. I feel him lean in closer to me. “Now take this leg,” he whispers in my ear and softly touches my left leg, causing a shiver to flow through my whole body, “and swing it over the seat.”
I follow his instruction and lift my leg high enough to swing it over the soft leather. His hands move to my hips in a firm grip then lifts me just enough to push me back on the seat. Oh lord that was hot. I hear him clear his throat before getting on in front of me. I sit with my hands on my lap, not knowing where I am supposed to place them.
“Baby, you better hold on to me or you’re going to fly off this bike.”
Baby? My stomach does a flip at the endearment. I have never been called that before, but boy do I like it. I quickly shake myself from my thoughts when I realize he’s waiting for me to follow instruction. Get a grip, Emily. Awkwardly, I slide my hands up his back, and don’t miss the toned definition of muscle I pass before finding my place on his broad shoulders.
As soon as he starts up the bike, the loud rumble and massive vibration has me sucking in a sharp breath and quickly moving my arms down to wrap tightly around his stomach. I feel him shake with laughter, and it makes me want to slap him. My heart begins to pound wildly in my chest and I start thinking this isn’t such a good idea after all. “Ryder, I’m not sure I want to do this anymore. I’m really scared.”
His laughter stops abruptly at the fear in my voice. “I’ve got you, Emily, I promise. Just hold on and you’ll be okay. If you hate it, just yell at me and I’ll stop. Okay?”
I take a deep breath and nod. “Okay.”
I feel him shift, and when the bike kicks forward I let out a squeal and grip him as tight as humanly possible. Oh god. My heart rate escalates to a whole new level when I feel us turn onto the highway and we pick up speed.
Adrenaline rushes through every part of my body as a million sensations plague me at once. Taking another deep breath I calm my thundering heart, and it’s not long before I let go of my fear and let myself feel. The fast wind on my face is invigorating, the smell of the earth around us is refreshing, and the feel of my body against Ryder’s hard, warm one is, well… I am not sure there is a word for it. The entire experience is both terrifying and exhilarating, but more the latter. It’s hard to explain, but it’s like experiencing the world in a whole new way. It’s a sense of freedom I have never felt before, a freedom I have desperately craved for so long.
“You doing okay, Em?” Ryder’s question is muffled from the whipping wind, and it isn’t until he asks that I realize I have the biggest smile on my face.
“Yes. Go faster,” I yell bravely. My heart jumps in my throat when he speeds up and I belt out a giggle, loving the rush. I soak in everything about this moment, not wanting it to ever end, but unfortunately, a few minutes later, I feel us slow. We lean slightly to the left as Ryder turns into our destination and comes to a stop.
He shuts off the bike and sits for a moment. “Em?”
“Yeah?” I breathe out softly, a huge smile gracing my face.
“You need to let go.” His voice is laced with amusement and I realize I still have a death grip on him.
“Oh sorry.” I apologize with a giggle then wince at how stiff I am from holding him so tight.
I instantly miss his warmth as he climbs off. “Was it as scary as you thought it was going to be?” he asks as he takes my hand and helps me from the bike.
I feel my smile grow bigger as he works the straps under my chin and removes the helmet. “Yes, but it was also incredible. It was the most exhilarating experience of my life and I can’t wait to do it again.” I quickly realize how presumptuous that sounds of me. “I mean, uh… I just meant if I ever get the chance to go again that is.” Oh god, Emily, just shut up. I blow out a heavy breath, feeling like a complete idiot.