Page 25 of Attraction & Repulsion

“Won’t start,” Carson shouted back. Using her feet, she rolled her machine forward and backward, then tried kicking it to life again. This time, the engine didn’t even wheeze at her.

Jax turned his bike off and came to stand next to her. “Try it again,” he said, his voice muffled by his helmet.

Nothing.

Frustrated, Carson removed her goggles. “I think my battery is officially dead.”

“That’s what I was thinking,” Jax said.

After Carson dismounted, Jax gripped the seat to reveal the battery. An initial exploration didn’t reveal anything to be wrong, like major corrosion or disintegrating wires.

“It’s an old battery that hasn’t been used in . . . a long time,” she explained. Five years, to be specific.

For a second, Jax poked around inside the dirt bike’s opening before saying, “We can go get the truck and come pick it up.”

“I can wait here with my bike.”

Even through his goggles, Carson could see him look pointedly at her. “I’m not leaving you here by yourself in the desert.”

Snapping the seat back in place, Jax pulled the key out of the ignition and handed it to her. After shoving it deep into her pocket, Carson stepped out of the way so he could roll her bike under the shade of a nearby tree.

Once back on his machine, Jax kicked it on and scooted closer to the handlebars, gesturing for her to hop on behind him. She wavered before slipping her goggles back on and placing her hand on his shoulder for support. Swinging her leg up and over the bike, she adjusted herself until she was balanced behind him. When he took her gloved hands from his shoulders and guided them down to his waist, Carson stiffened. His hard muscles now rested under her hands, tempting her. If she raised his jersey she could feel them directly—

“Ready?” Jax called over his shoulder, snapping Carson out of her fantasy.

She gave him a thumbs up as she chided herself. It was totally normal to wrap arms around the rider in front for better balance and safety. And why were these daydreams even happening? If only she could smack herself.

Even still, during the ride back to the truck, with Jax literally in her arms, Carson thought about him and their almost-kiss. She felt stupid. He was obviously starting to like her, and she was a complete fool, possibly ruining a friendship with him.

A kiss, though? It was crazy to think about. After Luke’s death she’d sworn off anything of the sort, never wanting to have her heart ripped to shreds again. Yet less than an hour ago, she’d been face-to-face with a man, centimeters from his lips.

Carson knew she owed Jax more explanation of why she’d rejected him. It was important that he knew their relationship could not go any further. She wasn’t ready.

Was she?

The only reason she’d stopped him from kissing her was because she couldn’t comprehend how comfortable she felt. In fact, her heart was still shriveled from when he pulled away. She shouldn’t be feeling like this. How could she move on so quickly from Luke? The ambivalence of it all made her exasperated.

It didn’t help that his body was pressed against hers. The touch only befuddled Carson’s thoughts even more. Her brain, heart, and body were sending mixed signals to each other. Forget mixed signals—it was more like an all-out war underneath her skin, and she was the collateral damage.

When they reached the truck, Carson was happy to get off yet sad she had to let go. Yep, she definitely needed to slap herself.

In the truck, Jax blasted the air conditioner, angling the vents to point at himself and Carson, the air smelling like its signature dusty scent.

Tilting the visor down, Carson looked at herself in the little mirror. “Oh, geez. That’s embarrassing.”

There was dirt caked on her forehead and nose. She tried to wipe it off with her hands.

“I like my girls dirty.” Jax laughed, then caught himself. “That was inappropriate. Please don’t tell my ma I said that . . . Here.” Reaching across her, he opened the glove box and pulled out a napkin, using a water bottle to wet it and handing it to her. Happily, she took it and attempted to remove the dirt.

“There,” she said, slapping the visor closed and turning to him for his approval. “How’s that?”

Jax inspected her. Carson became self-conscious; she probably resembled a train wreck. Reflexively, she smoothed her hands over her braided hair.

“I’d go out in public with you,” Jax teased, then wetted his own napkin,trying to wipe off as much of the grime as he could. “Now, what about me?” There remained a smudge above his left eyebrow.

“You missed a spot,” Carson said, sliding over and grabbing the damp napkin out of his hand. She bit her tongue as it took a couple of swipes to get it completely off.

It wasn’t until Carson glanced down from Jax’s forehead and met his gaze did she realize how close she was to him. Once again, his eyes were burning. By his expression, she knew exactly what he was thinking and wanting to do. It was the same expression he’d had right before he’d tried to kiss her by the river. But this time, he didn’t make a move. The air around them thickened, the air conditioner not making any difference.

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