Page 97 of Burning for You

“You’re everything to me. I can’t let a silly bike ride take you away.”

I catch her trembling fingers and kiss them. “Do you trust me?” I ask.

“I do.”

“Come on, I want to see the cool side of you.”

“So all this time, I’ve been not cool?” Under the streetlamp I can see her little glare. “Because you think…”

I’m almost sure she’s about to comment on the ‘mother’ thing that Jesse brought up when she was still our captive.

“You’ve been scary.” I touch the tip of her nose.

Carolyn sighs. Shaking her head once again, she turns her back to me and disappears into the house.

“Carolyn,” I call, following her. “I’m sorry.”

She turns around. “Well, I have to wear the right gear, don’t I?” she says, winking at me.

I huff a chuckle of relief.

My Wing Girl comes out of her room with a leather suit in her hand. “I hope this still fits.”

Over the clothes she’s already wearing, Carolyn effortlessly slips her legs into it, and then jiggles her butt to pull it up.

“Am I cool now?” she says, fastening the zipper.

“You’re hot!” I feel every curve behind the skin-tight black suit. “Why didn’t they put a zipper on the crotch? What if you need to pee?”

“That’s the wrong question.”

He raises a brow. “I’ll rephrase. What if you need to fuck?”

“That’s your problem,” she says, slapping my backside.

We return to the alley quickly. She stares at the bike, hand on chest.

I guide her gloved hands to the handlebars, squeezing them, urging her not to change her mind. She nods to herself, and then swings her long legs over the machine. The curves on her butt lift up as she takes a seat.

Sam comes to us, asking, “Would you like me to follow you, Caro?”

She looks at me.

“Up to you,” I say.

“I’ll be fine, Sam,” she says, starting the engine.

I sit behind her, holding her tiny waist. She taps my hands a couple of times, I’m sure signaling them to stay there.

We leave the alley at a slow speed, and we stay at that pace for a few miles. Then, just like that, we glide down the road like every other rider. All the while, I never stop holding her.

Barely months ago, at least in my universe, a love life simply meant dating girls who waited tables or mixed drinks. Hangovers and cheap pizzas were the norm. This bike ride with Carolyn is the epitome of how I want our relationship to be—we take our time until we feel it’s right to accelerate.

Reality has taken us a lot further, too fast, but at this moment, I’m absorbing every breeze of closeness I have with my girl—we’re in each other, we’re burdenless.

Until the Meyer mansion looms in front of us. The white building is lit up like a monument against the dark sky. Just before we enter the gate, Carolyn stops. She takes off her helmet and then mine.

She kisses me hard.

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