Page 85 of Craving Francesca

“He’s into you,” she whispered in my ear.

“Maybe.”

“No,” she shook her head, making it brush against mine. “No, he’s really into you. I thought so before, but I’m sure now.”

“We’ll see,” I said, pulling away.

“Love you,” she said, following me toward the door.

“Love you, too,” I replied. “You planning on waving goodbye?”

“I’m going back to the party.” She picked up her purse and grinned. “My work here is done.”

“You’re the best.”

“I know,” she called as I left the house.

Gray was standing next to his bike holding my backpack. He’d parked behind Lou’s car and was waiting patiently. As I got closer, he opened up one of the saddlebags so I could drop my socks inside.

“There’s tons of room in there,” I accused jokingly.

“Hand me your coat,” he ordered. He folded it up tightly and stuffed it in with the socks. “It’s too warm to wear that shit right now.”

“It feels a little too warm for this sweatshirt, too,” I said, pulling my fanny pack over my head and threading one arm through it.

“You’ll cool off once we’re on the road.” He helped me slide my arms into the straps of the backpack and then reached for one of the helmets he’d brought. Carefully, he pulled it onto my head and buckled the strap beneath my chin.

I’d been on the back of different men’s motorcycles—the boys had driven us home from the bars more times than I could count—but there was something very different about being on the back of Gray’s. I’d been too distracted when he’d brought me home from the clinic, but there wasn’t anything to distract me now. My skin flushed as I climbed on behind him, wrapping my arms around his waist.

I didn’t ask where we were going. It didn’t matter.

“Scoot closer,” he ordered, one hand on my thigh.

He didn’t turn the engine on until I was plastered against his back, his ass nestled into the V of my legs.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Lou called out jokingly as she waved goodbye.

I left the visor on Harper’s helmet up as we cruised through town, enjoying the wind against my face. The further we got from the house, the more my body relaxed, my shoulders falling, the tight muscles in my back easing. It was incredible how little it took—just leaving everything behind for a week—to be able to inhale again without feeling like I was choking.

As we got onto the highway, Gray’s hand dropped back to my thigh, his thumb rubbing in small circles. I lifted my hand to his chest, feeling his heartbeat against my fingers.

It was pure magic. The closest to euphoria I’d ever felt.

Eventually, I pulled the visor down and lay my head against Gray’s back, watching the view pass almost dreamily. I wasn’t tired, but I fell into a trance, nothing in my mind but the wind and the feel of the road and the view passing by us.

It grew dark, and I turned my head so I could watch the car lights pass on the opposite side of the divider.

Eventually, Gray pulled off the highway and onto a two-lane road. I perked up and watched over his shoulder as he took turn after turn, eventually pulling into a deserted gravel parking lot.

I lifted the visor as he parked and turned the bike off. “If I didn’t know better, I’d be very nervous right now.”

Gray’s stomach tightened under my hands as he chuckled.

My legs were like jelly, but I tried to hide it as I climbed down and reached for my helmet. “Where are we?”

“Feel like hittin’ a hot spring?” he asked, pulling off his own helmet before reaching to help with mine.

“Seriously?”

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