Page 77 of Tangled

Kane

“I told you to let me sleep in this morning,” a groggy Olivia answers the phone while I smile on my end.

“I know, but the high today is sixty, which is unheard of this time of year.”

“You called to wake me up to talk about the weather? Kane, you’re about to learn a valuable lesson from me about how much I like sleep…”

“Calm down, woman. I want to take you somewhere,” I state, knowing it’s one of our days off the week of Thanksgiving, but I can’t waste this opportunity.

“Where could you take me on a Tuesday that is so important that you had to wake me up?”

I sigh in frustration, pinching the bridge of my nose. “Just dress warmly and be ready in thirty minutes. I’m picking you up,” I demand and end the call before she can argue with me more. The woman is burrowing herself deep in my heart, but that doesn’t stop her need to fight me still. Once I get some coffee in her and she sees my surprise, I think she’ll turn around.

At least I hope. A grumpy Olivia is not a fun Olivia.

I step into my garage and pull the cover off of my bike—the motorcycle I haven’t been on in almost three years. The last woman who rode with me was Natasha, and when that ended, I couldn’t bring myself to get back on the horse, so to speak.

I wasn’t in the right head space to ride, I didn’t trust myself not to speed and careen uncontrollably down a windy road and lose myself off the side of a mountain—metaphorically speaking, of course.

I just knew that when I decided to get back on my Harley, I wanted it to be because something—or someone—told me it was time.

And now, since Olivia came into my life, I can’t seem to get the image of her on the bike with me out of my head. And when I saw the forecast today, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to make that daydream become a reality.

After meeting her friends Saturday night, I knew that taking her for a ride was in our future, so I spent time on Sunday tuning up my bike, checking the engine and tires and giving her some TLC. Meeting the infamous Perry, Amy, and Clara definitely solidified our relationship. We haven’t exactly put a title on things yet, but if our time spent together is any indication, I’d say we’re committed. Hell, I’m spending Thanksgiving with her family. I’d say that’s boyfriend territory I’m venturing into.

Once I put a few supplies in my side bag and grab my extra helmet, I fire up my Harley and listen to the thrum of the engine as I bring her back to life. When I re-enlisted, I used part of my signing bonus to put a down payment on this bike. Usually men wait until a mid-life crisis hits to make such a purchase, but I had spent years in the desert watching my friends and fellow soldiers lose limbs and their lives. So when I came home, I didn’t hesitate to do something for me to remind me that I was still living—that I had a life and needed adventure and sometimes wanted to get lost with nothing but the road and wind guiding me. Natasha didn’t understand, but she relented and let me take her out on a ride a few times. Ultimately it wasn’t her cup of tea. But she was the only woman who’s ever ridden with me—until today.

Securing my helmet on my head, I gas the throttle, the roar of the engine filling up my garage before I pull out and take off for the highway. The feel of the breeze hitting me makes my body come alive again as I weave along the asphalt, in and out of the thick forest headed back into town. It also reminds me that though the temperature is higher than it has been in weeks, the breeze is still cold as I fly along the road on the bike. I hope Olivia will endure the chill for our ride because I really want to spend the day with her and show her one of my favorite spots just outside of Emerson Falls.

As I close in on our town, I make a pit stop at Starbucks and secure us two coffees and muffins so I don’t arrive at her place emptyhanded. The sputter of the engine quiets down as I pull into her apartment complex and shut it off, pulling off my helmet as I look up at her door and see her standing there, mouth open in shock.

“You’ve lost your marbles, haven’t you?” She says as she makes her way down the handful of steps outside her door and across the sidewalk, stopping right in front of me while I still straddle the bike. Her pajama pants covered in math equations and the black camisole clinging to her torso do weird things to my mind, and my dick. She pulls her long sweater closer around her body while she looks at me like I’ve gone crazy.

“Nope. I’ve found a few more, actually,” I grin up at her as she shakes her head. I extend my hand to hers and offer her the coffee that probably got cold on the way here.

Taking a sip, she closes her eyes in appreciation. “At least you had the good sense to provide caffeine after waking me up.”

“I knew better than to come here without some sort of gift,” I wink at her as she smiles. “So, wanna go for a ride?” I throw my head in the direction of my bike and deepen my voice to entice her.

Olivia laughs at me while clutching her arms around her waist. “It’s still pretty cold out, Kane.”

“Wear some thick pants and a jacket. Come on. I haven’t been out on this bike in a long time, Liv. And all I could think about was getting back on it with your arms wrapped around my waist,” I pout while searching for her reaction.

“Man, you’re really laying it on thick, huh?” The corner of her mouth tips up and lets me know I’ve got her right where I want her, until it falls just as fast. “I’ve uh, never been on a motorcycle before, Kane. The thought kind of scares me.”

I reach for her hand and pull her close to me so I can encase her in my arms. “I’ll do everything in my power to keep you safe, babe. But I’m telling you, it’s one of the most exhilarating experiences you’ll ever have.”

Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine while she contemplates her answer. On a deep inhale, she gives in. “Okay, but don’t do anything on purpose to scare me, or I will jump off.”

Her threat makes me laugh and then pull her in for a kiss. “I wouldn’t recommend that Liv, but okay. I promise.”

Once Olivia retreats inside and changes, I can’t help but soak her up as I watch her return to me in dark leggings and a thick jacket with a beanie in her hands.

“I said to dress warm and you come out wearing leggings,” I scoff.

“I’ll have you know, these are fleece-lined, so they’re incredibly warm. And in case you haven’t noticed, I live in leggings when I’m not at work. If you don’t watch your tone, I will march right back inside and go back to bed.”

Pulling her into me again, her eyes narrow at me while she waits for my response. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to be cold. And your ass in leggings is quite the distraction,” I wiggle my eyebrows at her.

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