Page 19 of Brother In Arms

I sighed. I couldn’t argue with my inner me’s logic on that one, as distasteful and selfish as it was. What is wrong with me! I screamed silently at myself.

When I went back out with the keys to my truck in hand, he was gone. I bowed my head and shook it, and jogged down the rest of the steps, taking the path that would lead to the low set of garages to the right and back of the house.

“Going to see Renaldo?”

I jerked my head up. He was standing by his motorcycle, tying a bandana around his head. Thankfully, he had a shirt back on, even if it was one of the white tees that hugged every muscle, his leather vest with the patches on over it.

Admit it, you’re jealous you aren’t one of those tee shirts.

Shut up, me.

No, you can’t make me either…

Fuck.

He raised an eyebrow and I realized I’d cursed out loud.

“You kiss your mother with that mouth?”

“Ha, ha, very funny; you’re one to talk.”

He quirked a one-sided smile and said, “Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

I rolled my eyes, “My mother would kill me.”

“What are you twelve?” he demanded. “Jesus Christ, maybe I was wrong about you.”

I jerked back my head and gave him a dirty look, “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah,” he said swinging a leg over the seat and dropping onto it. “Maybe you are some kind of damsel in distress, rich bitch spoiled princess.”

I scoffed, “What does that make you? A dirty beast of an asshole biker?”

“You judged first, baby; don’t you forget that.” He crossed his arms and leaned forward against the glossy black tank of his Harley, the paint job shot through with crackling electricity.

“What happens if I get on the back of your bike?” I asked, remembering what Draven had told me. That everything was steeped in some deep, esoteric, alternate meaning for these guys.

He grinned and said, “I take you for a different kind of ride of your life.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

I shoved my keys into my pocket and came forward. He held out a hand to help me up.

“Ever been on one of these things?” he asked.

“Really, does it look like I’ve ever been on one?”

“Alright, alright… I just hate repeating information somebody might not already know. First thing, hold onto me.” He put my hands around his waist and I swallowed nervously. “I mean it, hold onto me, don’t be shy, I just fucked you over a bale of straw in the damn barn, now get closer.” I froze.

“I thought we agreed that never happened,” I said softly, and I couldn’t see his face but he bowed his head letting it bounce a couple times on his neck.

“Right. Forgive me if I have a hard time immediately erasing something that hot and that satisfying out of my memory banks.”

“Right, what else?” I asked in an attempt to change the subject, but the damn seed was planted and growing. He’d enjoyed it too… couldn’t forget just like you can’t.

“Lean with the bike, not against it, when I take turns and try not to shift around too much, okay?”

---