Page 51 of Revved up & Ready

“I’m so sorry that happened to you,” I whisper, gently taking the coffee from her hands and setting it aside so I can wrap my arms fully around her.

Of course she’s scared of motorcycles.Of course she’s scared of racing. Fuck, of course she’s scared of her boyfriend—even a pretend one—racing motorcycles.

I want to tell her that what happened to her is different from what I’m doing.I’m racing in protective gear. I’d never race two-up. I’m a professional.But none of that matters to her right now.

My hand rubs slow circles on her back as she stays pressed against me, and I feel a sense of relief that she trusted me enough to share this. When I no longer feel the thudding of her heart in her chest, I ask, “I take it that was the last time you were on a motorcycle?”

She pulls back, looking up at me. “That was the last time Itouchedone.”

No wonder she always looks at my bikes like they might explode and hurt her.

Hoping to lighten the mood, I suggest, “You want to try touching one now?”

“Promise it won’t bite me?” she asks, a faint smile playing on her lips.

“Promise.”

“Okay,” she giggles, reaching a finger toward the closest bike, tapping the seat. “I did it.” She whispers, her dimples appearing as she smiles wide.

“You sure did,” I say, a proud smile tugging at my lips.

“It’s interesting,” she muses, still relaxed. “But the crash didn’t bother me as much for the first couple of years. I went to therapy and that helped a lot. And then in college, I actually—” She glances away, a groan escaping her lips. “This is so embarrassing, but I thought yourRace Nakedvideo was hilarious.”

That’s the last thing I thought she’d say,but I love it. “You’ve seen that?”

“So many times.Not the Fuzz,” she quotes, laughing and hiding her face against my chest. “I can’t believe I just told you that.Soembarrassing.”

Grateful she’s laughing again, I tease, “You’re not the one who had their dick out in a viral video.”

“Are you embarrassed about that?” she asks.

“Not at all,” I admit with a chuckle.

“You shouldn’t be. It’s iconic.”She was watching my video ten years ago, and nowshe thinks it’s iconic.“I think I liked it because there were no corners—no turns like the one I crashed on—andno one crashed. So I could watch it and enjoy the racing, knowing the outcome. Other than that one exception, my throat tightens every time I see a motorcycle. And then you—” She cuts herself off. “Well, being around all this again has brought a lot of it back up.”

“It makes a lot of sense,” I say, still holding her close and thanking her again for sharing with me.

“It only seemed fair after everything I said last night.” Before I can tell her how little I care about that, she adds, “I crossed it off my list last night—block Jared. Thought youshould know. I’m sorry about that too. I hate that he’s saying those things to you. You don’t deserve—”

“Do not ever apologize for him.” I rub my thumb across her palm, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

She swallows thickly. “Okay, but I’m sorry for what I said. You defended me, and I—I just want to say thank you. It meant a lot to me.”

“I’ll always defend you,” I promise, releasing her hand.

Her lashes flutter, and she looks down, voice soft. “Well, have fun today. Rubber side down and wear your SPF.” She giggles at herself. “You don’t really need sunscreen, do you?”

“I’m covered head to toe no matter what,” I smile.

“Okay, then,” she says, starting to turn away.

“I won’t be out there alone today,” I tell her, hoping to reassure her. “Shane, Ludlow, and I are practicing together. If the conditions get too dangerous, we’ll call it. I promise.”

Her mouth curves into a soft smile. “That’s good.”

“We have to go slower in the rain,” I add, leaving out the part where I’m still riding well over one hundred miles an hour.

“I like that,” she says.

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