Page 78 of Tangled

“Good thing my ass will be behind you then,” she says while reaching for the helmet I hand her. She pulls it down onto her head and my stomach does a little flip when I take her in. The long red locks of her hair hang down over her shoulders under the helmet, her cheeks are pressed together from the foam inside, and her eyes sparkle in the sunlight raining down from the sky. She looks so fucking sexy and cute, I don’t know whether I want to fuck her or kiss her senseless.

Both. I want to do both.

She throws one leg over the bike as she situates behind me and wraps her arms around my waist, holding on for dear life. This innate need to protect her comes over me, and it makes my chest tighten with purpose.

“Easy, babe. I still need to be able to breathe,” I tease her.

“I’m scared, Kane,” she whispers and my heart hurts at the fear I hear in her voice.

“I’ve got you, babe. It’s going to be great,” I console her by rubbing her hands with mine before giving her a pair of gloves to put on as I do the same. I turn to her and tell her to squeeze me twice if she needs to stop while we’re on the road. Any other squeezes I will deem her reaction out of excitement.

Once we’re settled in and ready, I fire up the bike, the sound so loud it makes it hard to hear her. I kick the stand up and show her where to put her feet before taking off slowly out of her apartment complex and onto the streets that lead to the highway.

Our town falls back behind us as we climb higher up the mountain, headed towards the lookout point I’ve been dying to take her to since I got this crazy idea in my head. Tall trees stretch towards the sky around us, blocking the sunlight and making the air colder than it was when the sun was beating down on us while patches of snow in the shade from the last storm spot the ground on the sides of the road.

Olivia continues to hold on tight, scratching my abs every now and again as we turn and glide along the road, the feel of her nails on my body causes my dick to strain against my jeans. Trying to drive my bike with a hard-on is definitely a challenge I’ve never faced.

We continue to cruise, taking each turn in stride, our bodies leaning together as I make the final ascent to the top of the cliff that overlooks the valley below us.

The feel of her behind me as I take the drive that leads us to our destination resonates in my chest. This is right. This is exactly where she belongs—with me, taking off on an adventure together, living life in the moment and holding on to one another through every twist and turn.

I slow the bike as we come to the area I targeted and as I bring us to a complete stop, I feel the warmth of Olivia’s body relinquish from mine. Removing her helmet, she swishes her hair around like any woman would before finding my eyes as I stand before her and she flashes me the biggest smile, full of excitement.

“That was incredible! I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was scared shitless the entire time. But the view, the feel of the wind, being able to hold on to you like that…” Her pearly whites continue to blind me as I soak up the euphoria on her face.

“I’m glad you liked it,” I say, leaning down and taking her cheeks in my hands before pressing my lips to hers. I slip her my tongue just enough to tease her and then pull away as she moans in disappointment.

Olivia narrows her eyes at me in annoyance before she stands from the bike and peruses the area around us. I parked in a little alcove off of the road so we have some privacy, but we’re close enough to the clearing so we can experience the entire view.

I open up the bag on the side of the bike, retrieving the muffins from Starbucks and some cheese, fruit, and crackers that I prepared for us and a light blanket to sit on. Olivia shakes her head at me, finding humor in my picnic provisions.

“What? You didn’t think I was going to bring you all the way up here and then not feed you, did you?” I mock while leading her to a flat spot on the ground where I set down the blanket and then arrange the food. Two blueberry muffins, cheeses, and crackers are spread out in a container, along with olives and peppers. I brought bottled water and a few squares of chocolate just in case since she always needs something sweet after she eats.

“Kane… this is so thoughtful,” she murmurs as we both settle down on the ground, stretching our legs from the ride.

“See? Aren’t you glad I woke you up?”

She bobs her head while gazing out over the cliff, soaking in the breathtaking view of Emerson Falls below us and a few other towns around ours.

“Definitely.”

“Well, eat up. I know if I don’t get some food in you, you’ll be hangry.”

Olivia reaches for the food. “You’re learning, Kane. I’m impressed,” she mocks me while popping a cheese and cracker in her mouth. I watch her chew and can’t help but feel so damn content with her by my side.

“So how did you find this place?” She asks once she swallows, twisting the lid off of the bottle of water and taking a swig.

“It was actually one of the first places I drove to when I got my bike. I just took off on the highway and headed up the mountain. By the time I decided to stop, I turned around and saw the view below and felt like I found a little slice of heaven on Earth.”

“It really is beautiful up here,” she whispers, as if speaking at full volume will ruin the sight in front of us.

“Not as beautiful as the woman beside me.”

Olivia turns to me, reaching for my hand and leaning into me. “That was cheesy, but I’ll let it slide since you went to all of this trouble,” she winks and the deep laugh that rips through me echoes around us.

“So, I have a few questions for you, if you’re interested,” I arch a brow at her as she nods with her mouth full.

“Yes! Oh my gosh, I feel like you’ve been holding out on me lately, Kane.”

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