Page 46 of Rear View
Slowly, his arms came around me, his chest pressing into my back as he indicated the throttle and brake. His voice was low at my ear when he asked, “Know which is which?”
I’d watched him enough on the ride in to figure it out. Glancing back, my gaze met his as I nodded.
His elbows lowered to his knees, but he didn’t move back.
Inhaling long and slow, I took the handlebars, sighing as I gripped them tight. I smiled, my hips wiggling. Offering him a wink, I threw his own words back at him. “Hold on, rally driver. Don’t want you fallin’ off on me.”
He barked a laugh, throwing his head back as his shoulders shook. As he righted himself, he skimmed hishand over my hair, slowly drawing it back. A warm shiver tracked down my spine before he slid my helmet on. He skimmed his touch along my waist, gliding it forward until it locked around me. “Show me whatcha got, now.”
My heart beat wildly, and my breath quickened as I faced forward, fighting not to lean into him. I touched the gas. The snowmobile crept over the snow like a sloth. Or a snail. Or a glacier.
Again, his laugh rang out. Rich and deep, it rumbled through me. My mouth ran dry.
We crawled around the valley floor at a decidedly turtle-like pace. And I smiled so wide my cheeks hurt. It was so good to be living—I peered over my shoulder at Xavier—and wanting…more.
He leaned into me, then brushed my elbow and taunted, “That all you got?”
Biting my lip, I shook my head.
“Then do it, woman!”
I steadied myself on a breath before every head turned our way as I squealed and hit the throttle.
* * *
The sun died on the horizon as we left, staining the sky an electric shade of cerulean. I adjusted myself behind Xavier while the snowmobile’s headlight mesmerized, bouncing over the path as it painted the snow and bows. Fresh, cool air opened my lungs and bit at my skin, but compared to the stagnancy of school or my apartment, I welcomed it. Never wanted to leave.
Driving the machine had been an adrenaline rush and my face was sore from laughing so hard. Regardless, I’d gladly handed the reins back.
My gaze skimmed Xavier’s broad shoulders, his confident posture. His command and control. He set me atease. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had so much fun. My chest was light, the pressure that usually weighed it down freeingly absent.
We hit a bump that lifted me from the seat. Xavier snapped his hand back and clamped on to my coat while my arms locked tighter around him. He half-turned, but his tinted visor hid his expression. My body warmed while the ridiculous blush that wouldn’t leave me in his presence flamed my cheeks.
Before long, we reached the parking lot. He pulled us to a stop and swung his leg over the snowmobile, rising as he stripped off his helmet and set it on the seat. I did the same. His hair stood on end, sexy and tousled, and my fingers itched to run through those strands, see if they were soft, or rough around the edges in that wholly enticing way. Like him.
“Tell me something else, yeah,” he said.
I bit my lip.
“You and Christian”—his knuckle rapped the machine’s windshield before he finished—“you two together?”
My mouth ran dry. There was only one place that conversation could lead. Question was, did I want to go there? And I did. God, I did, so badly. My answer came easy. “No. We’re not.”
He gave a slow nod. “Good to know.” Edging closer, he forced my gaze higher as he towered over me. “I got a busy few days ahead and that race outta town next weekend. Gonna be gone for a bit. But I was thinking, I should probably give you a drivin’ lesson sometime soon.”
My heart beat wildly. “You should, should you?”
“Yeah, darlin’. I should.” He squared himself to me, his expression turning serious while his tone deepened tomatch. “I don’t want you in a situation you can’t get out of ’cause you’re stuck relyin’ on someone else.”
Soothing tingles spread down my arms to the tips of my fingers. Yes, it was an excuse to see me, but the creases around his eyes and rigid set of his shoulders told me he’d meant it. As if he was speaking from experience.
I loved that it mattered to him. ThatIdid. “Guess I should probably learn, then.”
“Yeah?”
I smiled. “Yeah.”
He tucked an errant strand of my hair over my shoulder as the others dismounted their machines, then started readying the trailers to load everything up.
