Page 65 of Tess, Property of Blaze

Tess

Istraddle the back of Blaze’s bike and wrap my arms around him. This feels so right. There’s no better feeling than being on a bike with a man who sure knows how to ride the hell out of the thing.

Blaze’s hand moves down to my linked ones and taps them. “You ready?” I smile beneath the helmet and nod. He turns and looks over his shoulder, smiling at me. “Let’s do it.”

His right hand comes out strokes down the back of my calf, tugging on it and bringing me in closer to him. It’s most likely to prove to any other biker I’m his woman. God, I love it when he does that.

He takes off down the street, and I hang on even tighter as he speeds up. We travel down the highway for about twenty minutes, until we reach one of our favorite spots and he pulls over and parks. There’s an ice cream truck and other food vans set up next to a beautiful park that overlooks a lake. Swans swim there regularly, and kids are playing while their parents watch on. It’s a beautiful spot, one that always makes me feel happy.

Blaze lifts himself off the bike and then undoes my helmet. He then helps me off the bike, and I take his hand as he leads me to the ice cream truck. “Peppermint?” Blaze asks with a smile, because he knows that’s my favorite.

“You know me so well.”

He smirks and walks up to the van and orders our ice creams. He walks back with them, peppermint for me and chocolate for him—he can never say no to anything chocolate. He takes my hand as we walk to a nearby bench and take a seat. We sit there for a while in silence as we enjoy our cones, and now and then his hand moves over to stroke down my thigh. I feel goose bumps every time he does it.

“How was your morning with Jasmine?”

“It was actually good,” I reply.

He turns to me, a smile on his lips. His tongue comes out to lick at the ice cream on his lip ring, and he seems oblivious to the fact that I can’t stop myself from watching him devour his treat. But then I see him looking at me as well now and then and feel my cheeks heat up. It’s just plain sexy watching him.

“I could tell it was good by the vodka left on the bench.”

I laugh. “Yeah, well, things got a bit serious when she asked me about… that night, so we decided to have some vodka to brighten up our conversation.”

“Did it work?” he asks, his gaze not moving from mine.

“Yeah, I guess it did. We’re going out tonight,” I add, taking another lick of my ice cream.

His eyebrow raises and he smirks. “You are, huh? You’re going out?”

“Okay, okay, you can wipe that smile off your face.”

If anything, his smirks gets wider. “What, me? I’m not smiling,” he says from behind his ice cream.

I roll my eyes at him. “Relax, it’s just out to dinner, and then to Mike’s bar for a drink.”

“Just you and Jazz?”

“Nope, all the girls.”

This time, both his eyebrows shoot up. “Really?”

“Yes, really. Why are you so surprised?”

“It’s just… I know you were hesitant about talking to Jazz this morning, and I’m just surprised you’re going out with the girls. That’s all. Listen, baby, I’m happy you’re doing it. It will do you good.”

He leans in and wipes away some ice cream from the corner of my mouth with his thumb. His touch burns my skin, and I can still feel his touch when he moves away.

“You are?”

He places his arm around me and moves in closer as he finishes off the last of his ice cream. “Yeah, baby, I am. It’s good for you to get out and have some fun with the girls.”

I look down at my lap, rubbing my hand down my thigh. “Yeah, I know. Plus, Jasmine wouldn’t exactly take no for an answer.”

He laughs then. “I told you she’s stubborn.”

“That she is. Blaze,” I say, feeling a little hesitant.

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