Page 74 of Sinful Temptations

He jumped and spun around. His jaw dropped. His cheeky grin confirmed he’d never expected me to do that.

I’dnever expected me to do that. But damn, it felt good. “You ready?” My pulse was racing a million miles an hour.

He rubbed his hands together in a move I’d come to recognize as his symbol of his excitement. “Sure am.”

Our bikes were outside. They were nothing fancy. Amsterdam was about as flat as any city could be, so gears were not necessary for a leisurely ride through the canal streets.

While I fiddled around, putting my bag into the basket and psyching myself into actually throwing my leg over the seat, Roman was already riding rings around me.

I managed to get onto the seat and my left foot onto the pedal, but I couldn’t convince my right foot to leave the ground. Visions of me toppling sideways made it impossible.

“Come on, Dais. Pedal, pedal—you can do it.”

With a squeal, I pushed off the ground, the handlebars wobbled, and just when I thought I was going to go nose-first into a tulip garden, I was free.

Grinning like a crazy woman, I rode alongside Roman on the footpath, dodging tourists and locals alike. We crossed a few roads and soon we’d made it to Vondelpark. The park was the biggest in Amsterdam and attracted over ten million visitors each year. I’d walked through it many times, but this was the first time on a bike.

With the wind in my hair and the sun on my skin, I couldn’t help but smile. But at the same time, I cursed myself for not doing this sooner.

A dedicated bike path circumnavigated the entire forty-seven hectares, and the two of us ambled along it like we had all the time in the world.

The grass was a luscious shade of green, the abundant trees swayed in the breeze, ducks swam in the numerous ponds, and people strolled along, laughing and smiling. It was peaceful and fun and sharing it with Roman made it all the more special.

He brings out the best in me.

It was such a surprise to admit that. I’d been living independently for years, but Roman made me a better person. He made me feel content. I guessed that was the whole point of a friend. A real friend.

“Race you to that bench seat.” He leaned into the handlebars. “Go.”

He took off, but I remained Driving Miss Daisy. I sang, “La de da, de, dar,” cruising side to side as I moseyed up the tree-lined avenue. Roman was halfway there before he turned around and came back. “What happened?”

“Nothing. I’m just enjoying this.”

“It’s pretty cool, huh?”

I nodded. “Yeah.” It was way better than cool. This was living. It was such a corny statement, yet it meant so much. I’d spent over two and a half years traveling around Europe and yet I hadn’t really explored. It was like people who live in the same town their whole lives but never go to the local beach.

I wished I could turn back time, do it all again.

When Roman started to ride his bike around me, over and over, I wished he’d been my driver right from the start.

“Fancy a little more fun?” He wiggled his brows.

I squinted at him, curious. “Like what?”

“I’ll show you. Come on. Follow me.”

Continuing along the bike path, we exited the park and cruised up the sidewalk along the main street, dodging pedestrians and tram cars. He was ahead of me, and I was just as distracted by his sexy butt as I was trying not to get my front tire stuck in the tracks in the road. “Do you even know where you’re going?” I yelled out to him.

“Sort of. Me and a few guys went there last month.”

At a bridge that crossed over one of the bigger canals, he turned right, and we passed hundreds of push-bikes tied up to the wrought-iron railings. This mode of transport was one of the main attractions in Amsterdam.

Everybody seemed to be having a nice relaxing time, even if they were on their way to work. No matter what the weather, I’d rather ride a bike to work than travel the London tube any day.

Half a mile from the bridge, we stopped outside a tiny shop with a few high-top tables outside. Groups of young people were seated around them. All were smoking.

Oh shit!When I saw where Roman was taking me, I just about crashed my bike into a street lantern.

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