Page 33 of Break Away
“Everyone does something dumb when they’reyoung.”
“Getting the tattoo was dumb? Does it have anex’s name or something?”
“God no. Not that dumb. The tattoo is okay,but I guess I’ve outgrown it. I’m glad I stopped at one.”
“You going to let me see the entiredesign?”
She pulled the jacket more securely over herhips and turned to face him. “Is this the modern version of I’llshow you mine if you show me yours?”
His grin was quick. “Could be.”
“I don’t think so, handsome. At least notright now. Besides, the sun’s going down and we’re going to missthe window for our ride.”
“Right.” He handed her a helmet. “Put thison.”
He put on his helmet, then pulled on thickblack gloves. “Ever been on a motorcycle before?”
“Does a moped count?”
He snorted. “No, it does not. Motorcycles arein an entirely different class. A couple of pointers: Don’t be shyabout wrapping your arms around me, that’s how you’ll stay on thebike. Lean into the turns. If I lean, you lean. Keep the faceshield down unless you want a bug or rock in the face. Last thing,my helmet is Bluetooth enabled, yours is not, so if there’s anemergency, get my attention by tapping my shoulder. We won’t beable to talk once we’re moving.”
“Got it.”
They settled onto the seat and in seconds therumble of the bike filled the air as they rolled down the drivewayand onto the road. With her heart in her throat, Zoey rested hercheek against Levi’s leather jacket and wrapped her arms around hiswaist. She hadn’t anticipated the rush of acceleration. She didn’tthink they were going any faster than they would have in a car,perhaps slower, but the sensation was wicked fast movement.
They zipped down the winding road towardHangman’s Loss. Levi pulled to a stop at the highway that turnedinto Main Street once in town. He raised his visor and shouted,“Loosen up. You’re stiff.”
He flipped down the visor and took off. Zoeyneeded to stop worrying they were going to end up smeared on theroad and embrace the adventure. Hugging Levi felt natural, and whenshe did as he’d told her and leaned with him into the curves, themovement of the bike felt less scary.
Hangman’s Loss whizzed by in a blur. Onceoutside town, he flexed his hands on the grips and they zoomed ontothe road with the wind whistling by.
Once past Hangman’s Lake, Levi took the forkthat brought them up and over a rise, and then down into the valleywhere they zipped past meadows bordered by dark pines, dotted bygrazing cattle.
The day had turned to dusk and the skydarkened to deep purple. The bridge over the creek rumbled as theycrossed, and they sped past the campground at the end of thevalley. The highway snaked into the mountains, and she’d learned toanticipate the movement of the bike so she and Levi were respondingas a unit.
Wrapped around him, she could feel his sinewystrength as he controlled the big bike. She tried to ignore thepull of attraction and reminded herself this wasn’t a date, andthey were notgoing there.
She loved the freedom of riding and being soclose to nature. The bike slowed as they neared the top, then Levipulled into a turnout.
The single headlight sliced through the vastsemidarkness as he rolled to the guardrail of a lookout. He set thekickstand and she loosened her hold, and following Levi’s motion,she swung her leg over the seat, then took off the helmet and shookout her hair.
Levi secured the helmets to the bike, thenheld his hand out. “Come.”
Entwining her fingers with his seemed likehabit, and it took a moment before she considered what they weredoing. She tried to free her hand. “We can’t hold hands. That wouldmake this a date.”
“A date involves dinner.”
“We ate together at your mom’s place.”
“Being at Mom’s place in the company of myentire family makes this most definitely a non-date. Holding handscan’t change that reality. Besides, you like holding my hand.”
“Oh, really.”
“Really. Because I’m a hot guy and you kindof dig me. That’s okay. I’m digging you too.” Despite his teasing,she detected undercurrents she couldn’t identify.
“Were you born cocky?”
He chuckled. “Seems like.” He led her along astone walkway, and when they rounded the curve of the hillside,quiet enfolded them. Gone was the occasional sound of a passingvehicle, now all she heard was the wind through the pines and thetwitters of birds settling for the night.
