Page 48 of Connected By Love
I pocket my phone and can’t help the grin on my face. Tomorrow night, I’ll show her a little more of me, and eventually, when the time is right, I’ll be able to let her all the way into Max’s and my life. I just have to find a way to trust that she stays in it.
Chapter Nineteen
Sophia
I applymy lipgloss and run my hands through my hair one last time. I have no idea why I’m so nervous to see him again. He was right when he thought I was pulling back. After the girls’ brunch and finding out he had this whole other life that I didn’t know about really showed me just how little I know him. He still has this wall up, making me want to step back and protect my heart.
The last two weeks of having dinners together and then watching him get Max ready for bed have put thoughts in my head of us becoming a family in the future. It’s daring me to let myself dream, and it scares the hell out of me that it could be taken away.
There is no doubt we are compatible in the sex department. It took a lot for me not to stay this past week, but I need more from him. I need him to trust me enough to break down the walls. He said tonight he was going to show me another part of his life, and I really hope this is the beginning of him letting me in more.
I put on my black heel boots and step back to look at myreflection. I went with thigh-high boots and a fitted taupe tank top dress. He’s bringing his bike, and I should be wearing pants, but the thought of riding on his bike with next to nothing on between the powerful machine and him made me rethink my decision. I throw on a crop black leather jacket and smile at the results. My nerves quickly become anticipation as I hear a knock on the door.
Grabbing my purse, I walk out into the living room and open the door. Grey eyes pierce mine before slowly raking them down my body. The look in his eyes tells me I made the right choice with my outfit. I greedily take in his dark jeans and black boots before trailing up his nicely fitted grey t-shirt. With his tattoos and dark hair messed up from the ride over here, he looks every bit sexy, mixed with a hint of danger. When our eyes meet again, I suck in a breath as the greys darken with desire.
“You look beautiful tonight,” his deep voice fills the air, wrapping me like a warm blanket.
“Thank you. So do you.” I open the door wider. “Do you want to come in?”
He shakes his head and smiles. “If I come in, we aren’t leaving anytime soon. That outfit and those boots are a deadly combination with that body of yours, and I won’t be able to resist if I step a foot inside. I want to take you somewhere special that I found, and I don’t want to miss the sunset.”
“I’m all ready,” I smile. I grab my keys from the bowl by the front door and make a move to walk past him. His arm shoots out, stopping me against the door frame. I turn to look at him, and he backs me up until my back hits the frame. His arm rests above my head, caging me in as he leans forward against my body. I can feel the heat radiating off him.
“It’s been too damn long since I’ve tasted those lips. Six fucking days to be exact, because I’ve counted every singleminute.” His free hand skims down my neck before sliding down my dress and running his finger along the top of my boots. I suck in a breath and close my eyes at the sensation of feeling his touch again. I feel his lips on my collarbone before working their way up my neck. “Open your eyes, Sophia,” he says, inches from my face, his breath caressing my skin.
I blink them open and look into the one place I can get lost in. His eyes search mine as if he’s trying to peer into my soul and search for answers to questions he’s too afraid to ask. “I’m here, Travis. I’m not going anywhere.” I whisper the words without thinking like my soul knows exactly what he needs to hear in this moment. He closes his eyes briefly at my words before closing the space between us and pressing his lips to mine.
His tongue eagerly dives in as we tangle together, seeking and searching. My hands come up and weave into his silky hair, pulling him closer to me. Growling, his hands slide over my ass before squeezing it tightly and bringing me flush with his hard arousal.
I moan when I feel how turned on he is and grip him tighter. “Jesus, Soph, I lose myself in you,” he pants against my lips, trying to catch his breath. All I want to do is drag him inside and get lost in him for hours, but I know he has a whole date planned, and I don’t want to ruin it.
“This better be the best damn sunset I’ve ever seen,” I laugh softly, releasing my grip on him.
“It will be,” he says, grinning. He takes a step back so I can close my door and lock it. Taking my hand, we walk to his bike, and excitement hits me once again. It must show on my face because he chuckles next to me. “You don’t know how much it turns me on that you like my bike as much as I do. Maybe more, judging from the look on your face and the way your body is reacting.”
I loosen the hard grip on his hand that I wasn’t aware I had until now. He grabs the helmet and lowers it onto my head, his eyes never leaving mine. When it’s secure, he gets on the bike and puts his on before looking back at me and grinning.
“I can’t wait to see you on this bike in that dress. Think you can handle it?”
“Oh, I can handle it.” I swing my leg over, and my dress hikes up, baring my upper thighs. I adjust the length and scoot closer to him, pressing myself against him to cover me more. He stills when I wrap my arms around him tightly.
“Fuck,” he mutters under his breath as his hand skims up my boot meeting bare skin. “You’re practically bare on my bike. Does that turn you on?” His hand continues to caress my thigh.
“Yes,” I practically moan when he goes higher.
“Just wait, wildcat. You really didn’t think this one through,” he laughs softly and starts the engine. It roars to life, and the combination of leather against my naked skin and the vibration of the bike has me biting my lip to stop me from whimpering. He kicks the kickstand and backs us out of the parking space before shooting off down the road.
My hands find the hem of his t-shirt as I seek bare skin and grip his hard stomach tightly, running my hands over the hard ridges. I feel him tense and smile against his back. He’s just as turned on by this ride as I am. I watch the ocean scenery fly by as we take the road by the coast. The sun is low in the sky, giving the water a warm glow.
He takes us further down the coast out of town until we reach a park overlooking the intercoastal from the opposite side. The sun is over the water now, giving us a perfect sunset view.
I’ve been here a few times when I was younger, but it was to visit the playground with my parents. I don’t remember being on this side of the park. We veer off on one of the side dirt roads and slowly follow the path to the water’s edge. He stopswhen we get to a small opening by the water. We’re surrounded by trees, and the world goes silent when he turns the engine off.
Neither of us says a word as we sit here. My hands are still firmly grasping his stomach, and I can feel his breaths coming out hard and fast. Between the beautiful machine beneath me and the beautiful man I’m pressed against, my body is vibrating with adrenaline and need.
“Come here,” he says roughly, not getting off the bike. He removes his helmet and runs his hand through his hair as I get off the bike and remove mine. I secure it to the back before taking his and doing the same. He scoots back a bit, and I know exactly where he wants me. Heat courses through me as I sit back down on the bike, facing him.
I swallow when I’m met with his greys. They are darker now and the intensity in his gaze has me unable to look away or even blink.
