Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 63842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 319(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 213(@300wpm)
He pulled up directly in front of me, cutting the engine. For a moment, he just looked at me, his dark eyes taking in the tremor in my hands I couldn’t quite control. He didn’t smile.
“You ready?” he asked, his voice rough at the edges.
“No,” I admitted. “But we’re going anyway.”
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “That’s my girl.”
The casual claim hit me square in the chest. The words shouldn’t have affected me, but they did. I swallowed hard and stepped forward. “I know I should have asked for a car,” I said, gesturing at my dress. “But I need --”
“I know what you need,” he cut me off gently. “We’ll make it work.”
He swung his leg over the bike and held it steady. I hesitated, looking down at my dress, then back at him. Without a word, he reached into one of the saddlebags and pulled out a small elastic hair tie.
“Come here,” he said. “Get on the bike and I’ll fix your dress.” He helped me on and he showed me how to carefully gather the excess fabric of my dress to one side, securing it with the cord so it wouldn’t catch in the wheel or fly up indecently. “We all watch out for the old ladies when they ride,” he explained when I raised an eyebrow. “We’re a possessive bunch. No one likes anyone else seeing their woman’s ass.”
As he probably intended, I snorted a laugh. But his casual comment and how he fit us into those same dynamics really shouldn’t have warmed my insides the way it did. “Thanks, Rip.” I smiled up at him. Rip knew I didn’t mean about my dress.
“That should hold.” He grinned at me, then climbed on in front of me carefully.
I scooted closer to him. I knew the drill by now. He liked me as close as I could get. When I wrapped my arms around him, he placed one of his big hands over mine, his thumb brushing over my skin briefly before he started the engine.
The familiar vibration rolled through me, and I pressed my face between his shoulder blades, closing my eyes as we pulled away from Haven. The wind caught my ponytail, whipping it behind me. The roar of the motor drowned out my thoughts, making it impossible to dwell on what awaited us at the courthouse.
This was why I needed to ride, but only with Rip. It felt like being anchored and free all at the same time.
We merged onto the highway, and Rip opened up the throttle. I felt the tension begin to leak out of me as the city blurred around us. For these precious minutes, there was no Eric. No court date. No past to haunt me. Just the road, the wind, and Rip’s solid presence between me and the world.
The noise and vibration made conversation impossible, which suited me fine. Words wouldn’t help now anyway. All the words in the world couldn’t prepare me for facing Eric again. But the primal sensations of speed and wind and the closeness to a man who had become my obsession gave me something words could never express.
My grip around Rip’s waist loosened slightly as my body relaxed. I felt his hand briefly cover mine again. He knew what was happening. Knew that I needed this moment before I could face what came next.
All too soon, the downtown skyline loomed ahead, the glass-and-steel towers catching the morning light. Rip slowed as we approached the exit for the courthouse. The knots returned to my stomach, tightening with each block we covered.
When we finally pulled into the courthouse parking lot, I didn’t immediately let go. I kept my arms wrapped around him, my forehead pressed against his back, trying to absorb some of his strength for what lay ahead.
“You can do this,” he said quietly, his voice vibrating through his back into my chest. As if my ability to face this challenge was an established fact, not in question. “I’ve got your back. I’ll be with you the whole time.”
I took one more deep breath, drawing in the leather and soap scent of him before I nodded and released my grip. “Yes,” I said, more to myself than to him. “I can do this.”
* * *
Rip
I’d been in enough government buildings to know what they smelled like before I walked through the door. Floor wax and recycled air and the weight of decisions made about people’s lives by people who didn’t have to live with the consequences. Courthouses had their own version of it. Just with more marble and more echo. The columns out front were the kind meant to make you feel small before you ever stepped inside, and they did the job.
Jade clung to me the whole ride over and stayed that way when we parked. I didn’t push her. It felt good to know she took some small comfort in my presence. Besides, I loved the feel of her arms wrapped around me. No matter the reason.