Page 75 of All We Want for Christmas
He grinned and, for the first time in ages, she glimpsed the old Flynn. ‘But not as much fun. Go on, I dare you.’
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
‘What are you staring at?’ Lara felt like a kinky Tellytubby in the leathers, which were actually Kevlar textiles. The helmet was surprisingly heavy too and she hadn’t even put it on.
‘Nothing. You just look …’ he said, obviously too wary to finish the sentence.
‘Like the Michelin man?’
He was obviously struggling not to laugh. ‘No. You look like a biker.’
She curled her lip. ‘Funny that, when I’m dressed like a biker … youhavetaken a passenger before?’
His confidence seemed to waver. ‘I’ll let you in on a secret. You’re the first one.’
Lara squeaked in horror. ‘You are joking!’
‘Yeah, of course I am. I’m not crazy. I’ve taken hundreds of passengers. I promise, I know what I’m doing.’
‘Hmm.’ Lara had no doubt he was as experienced as he said, yet it was difficult to overcome her nervousness. Then again, if she was going to get on the back of a powerful machine for the first time, she couldn’t think of anyone she’d rather do it with than Flynn.
That image, with all its erotic associations, made her burst out laughing,
‘What’s so funny?’ he asked.
‘Nothing. Nervous laughter.’
‘No need to be nervous,’ he insisted. ‘All you need to do is trust the rider. It’s 100 per centmyjob to ride the bike. You don’t need to do anything. You don’t have to lean or move. You just brace against the top case, hold the sissy bars …’
Lara was sure she’d misheard him. Nobody used a word like that these days. ‘Thewhatbars?’
‘The sissy bars,’ he said sternly. ‘The grab bars if we’re being technical. I’m sorry but that’s what everyone calls them – they originated in the sixties in America, but we won’t go into that now.’
‘I don’t think you should,’ she said tartly.
Flynn went on. ‘All you need to know is that you hold on to them, and don’t make any erratic movements. But I know you’re cool in a crisis, so that will be fine. Got that?’
‘Oh yeah. Easy. There won’t be a crisis, will there?’ she added, feeling the need to clear her dry throat.
‘No. I’ll show you how to get on and off, and what to do when I need to slow down or speed up at traffic lights or park up.’ He smirked. ‘If you do what I say, I promise everything will be OK.’
‘This is all very autocratic,’ Lara muttered, using sarcasm to hide her nerves.
‘Yeah, I guess it is, but I’m responsible for everything that happens to us both. Don’t look so worried. I promise that, when you get used to it, you’re going to wonder why you’ve never done it before.’
Don’t move, don’t bounce, don’t – as if! – take her feet offthe pegs and above all, hold on – like she was planning to start waving her arms around and screaming as if she was at a nightclub, Lara thought, as he issued a stream of further instructions.
Even getting on the bike had a special technique. Lara leaned back against the top box and found the sissy bars.
‘When we slow down, I’m afraid you will have to hold on to me or brace on the fuel tank. I’ll show you your options.’
‘I have options?’ she asked, with an eyebrow raise. ‘I thought this was a not-so-benign dictatorship.’
He rolled his eyes.
‘You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?’
He grinned then turned serious again. ‘I only want you to be safe. Now, shall I show you how to get on and off and we can take some drills round the car park so you know what to expect? If you really hate it, we don’t have to go.’
