Page 5 of Riding Home

I gingerly placed my hands on his sides.

“Tighter than that.Don’t want you falling off.”

Reluctantly, I slid my arms under his jacket, around his firm waist.The warmth of his body seeped through the leather, and I tried to ignore the way my pulse quickened.

The engine roared to life, and we sped out of the parking lot.Despite my initial reservations, a small part of me couldn’t help but enjoy the thrill.

All too soon, we arrived at the airport rental car terminal.He eased the bike to a stop, and I released my grip, stepping off carefully.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said, removing the helmet and shaking out my dark chestnut hair.

“Anytime,” he replied, taking the helmet from me, but not taking his eyes off me.

I hesitated.“And...sorry about earlier.I might have jumped to conclusions.”

He offered a half-smile.“No worries.I get it.Not everyone trusts a biker.”

“Well, maybe some people should be more open-minded,” I admitted.

“Perhaps you should,” he concurred, our gazes locking.

“Well, I should go,” I said finally.

“Safe travels,” he said, inclining his head.“I might run into you in Brevard.”

“Maybe you will,” I replied softly.

He swung back onto his Harley, revving the engine.With a final nod, he took off.I watched until he disappeared from sight.

Damn.Clark was hotter than I could even dream.Shaking my head, I turned and headed inside to sort out my car situation.

Chapter 3

I loved the fruity pebbled hills that filled the short drive to Brevard, but my mind wandered elsewhere.The dream from last night kept coming back to me.To make it worse, the reality played out again—Clark’s eyes, intense and smoldering, his hand on my cheek last night as he came in for a kiss.

Get a grip, Aurora, I scolded myself.

Dreaming about a man I’d just met—one associated with a notorious biker gang, no less—was silly.

I pulled into my mom’s driveway just as the sky clouded over, a chill settling in the air.Grabbing my purse, I got out of the car, only to hear the distant rumble of a motorcycle approaching.My heart sank.

No fucking way.

Sure enough, Clark’s Harley roared up behind me, parking at the curb.He swung off the bike with casual ease.

“What the hell are you doing here?”I hissed, trying to keep my voice low as I moved toward him.

There was that smirk.“Nice to see you too, Aurora.”

“You followed me?”I accused, my eyes darting toward the house where my mom was now descending the front steps.

He arched an eyebrow.“I didn’t follow you.”

“Aurora, sweetheart!”my mom called out, her eyes lighting up as she noticed Clark.“And who might this be?”

Before I could formulate a response, Clark stepped forward, extending a hand.“Clark, ma’am.From Nashville.”

My mom’s gaze flickered between us.“Clark?As in, the Clark?I thought he was just a figment of your imagination.”

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