“Lily seems to be amassing a fair few private moments with members of the family in a very short period of time,” Jeff commented.
Something about his words stung and the way he said them made it stunningly clear that was his intention.
Victor’s face turned to stone as he stared at his son.
“Oh Lily, you look lovely!” Laura was coming out of the drawing room no doubt heralded by Lily’s near-shout and thankfully broke the odd tense moment. She was followed by Nate and at the sight of him, Jeff’s residual sting faded away and Lily caught her breath.
It was the first time she’d seen him when he wasn’t wearing a suit, instead he was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a black, v-necked sweater and black boots.
And he looked absolutely beautiful.
“It’s going to be hard for her to get on your bike in that get-up.” Jeff’s voice had gone from glum and contentious to jovial and vaguely snotty.
“Bike?” Lily murmured, confused, her awe at the sight of Nate melting.
“You can take the Jag,” Victor offered.
“You rode here on a bike?” She stared at Nate, the very thought of Nate on a bike was preposterous. Romantic heroes didn’t pedal around on bikes. It was, of course, London where bicycles were likely the best and easiest transport but she just couldn’t credit it and she found it somewhat disappointing even though she knew that was not very nice.
“The car, unfortunately, was scheduled to go in for a service. We’ll take a taxi,” Nate explained.
“Bike?” Lily repeated, still at a loss.
Jeff pushed away from the wall.
“Yeah, his Ducati. Nate likes to go fast, live dangerously, that kind of thing.” This was said in a way that was cutting but it seemed there was jealousy underlying his tone.
“What’s a Ducati?” Lily turned to Victor, still bemused but Laura answered her.
“A motorcycle, my dear, and he shouldn’t ride it. It’s dangerous. I keep telling him he’s going to kill himself, racing around on a motorcycle and in that blasted sports car but does he listen to his mother? No, he most certainly does not.”
Her eyes flew to Nate with delight.
A motorcycle!
Lily completely dismissed the idea of a man like Nate, a man who looked like Nate, a man who acted like Nate, a man who rode a motorcycle (like Nate), listening to his mother ever.
All she could think about was his motorcycle.
Her father had a motorcycle; he used to take her out on it all the time because she’d beg him to do it. She loved it, loved being out in the open air. She loved the speed, the danger (though there was no real danger, Will was always very careful and never took chances, but she could pretend).
Therefore she cried excitedly, “I love motorcycles!”
She had been telling herself all day to be cool, calm and collected. To act the sophisticate, as she was sure Nate was used to, not to let on she was just a small town girl which she was sure would bore Nate to death.
But, a motorcycle!
She had no idea that she looked exactly, enticingly, alluringly as excited as she sounded.
She turned shining eyes to Nate and asked, “Can we take your motorcycle?”
Nate, who she saw, and Jeff, who she did not see, were both staring at her, lost in her look of delight and abandoned desire.
Nate forced himself out of his daze first.
He walked towards her, a grin playing about his sensual lips.
“I’d say your skirt is not conducive to a ride on the bike.”
Without a hint of artifice or any idea of the reaction her words would cause, she waved her hand casually in front of her and said, “Don’t worry, I’ll pull it up.”
Victor cleared his throat.
Laura dropped her head and smiled at the floor.
Jeff’s (she did not see) mouth fell open and immediately (also Lily did not know) he decided silently that he hated Nate even more.
Nate’s eyes warmed in a way that made Lily’s belly do a funny flutter.
“Do you have an extra helmet?” she asked, doggedly pursuing her opportunity of a ride on his bike just as she doggedly ignored the strange flutter in her belly.
“I keep one here, yes,” his deep voice answered.
“That settles it,” she announced, clapped her hands in front of her and linked her fingers, staring up at him with glee.
“Lily.” His tone said he was going to refuse her and she leaned toward him.
“Nate, please? My Dad has a cycle,” she pronounced this “sickle” as many people in Indiana did the same, “he used to take me out all the time. I’m a good rider, you’ll see. I won’t be distracting at all. I promise.”
Her words were said in all innocence and amusement flickered in Nate’s eyes just as Jeff muttered, “That would be impossible.”
She turned to Jeff.
“No really,” she said on a huff, “I’m a very good passenger, Dad said so.” And she turned back to Nate.
He was watching her as if she was the most fascinating creature ever born.
Somehow at the same time, he also had an expression that clearly said he was going to say no.
“Please,” she begged on a whisper and Nate’s eyes flickered again and again her belly did a funny thing that felt just like a somersault.
“For God’s sake, Nathaniel, take her out on the bike,” Victor broke in, giving in in his usual manner as he’d been doing with his children since they were born.
“No!” Laura cut in. “Lily, you’re wearing a skirt,” she noted unnecessarily.
Lily just kept looking at Nate imploringly.
“You really want to ride, don’t you?” Nate asked softly.
She nodded her head happily, sensing rather than knowing she was going to get her way.
“We’ll ride,” Nate decided.
“Yay!” Lily shouted, clapping her hands in front of her, completely lost in her reaction and she would think later she likely looked like a childish fool, not realising how compelling her exuberance was.
“Fucking hell,” Jeff cursed not-so-under his breath.
“That’s enough, Jeffrey,” Victor clipped.
Lily ignored them, she wasn’t going to give Nate time to change his mind so she asked, “Where’s the helmet?”
“I’ll get it,” Laura, giving in with dignified but somewhat ill-grace, said.
“I’ll get my jacket,” Nate followed his mother and as she went toward the kitchen, he turned into the drawing room.
Victor extended his arm, a cheeky grin on his face. “And I’ll introduce you to the Ducati.”
“Okay,” Lily breathed, her eyes shining.
Victor took her to the bike which was a kind she’d never seen before (a lot nicer than the one her father owned), and she loved it the moment she clapped eyes on it.
Nate joined them moments later.
Jeff had disappeared.
“Wear this,” Nate said, shaking out a black, leather jacket.
“Oh no, you wear it,” Lily replied, finding herself shy at the thought of donning a piece of his clothing.
“Lily, something happens, the leather is at least a modicum of protection. Lord knows, the rest of you won’t be protected,” Nate explained, amusement and annoyance struggling for control of his voice.
“Are you going to crash?” she asked, tilting her head.
“No,” he replied, a grin twitching his beautiful lips. Amusement was winning, she was pleased to note.
“Have you ever crashed before?”
His dark eyes moved to his father and Victor chuckled.
“Just put the coat on, Lily,” Nate ordered in a tone not-to-be-disobeyed.
She ignored it. “You have crashed.”