"You're still up?" I asked.
A pause, then a chuckle. "It's nine o'clock."
"Right." It certainly felt later. "Is it still okay if I come over? Or are you busy?"
"Even if I was busy, it would be absolutely okay if you came over. I was just getting a head start on my readings."
"I'll be there in about an hour. I need to grab a taxi first and get my car from the office."
"Taxi? Can't Gabriel drive you . . . ?" He trailed off. "
What'd he do now?"
I managed a laugh. "Not even going to suggest I might have done something?"
"Nope. But I won't pry. Where are you?"
"Just north of the Loop. I'll be there--"
"Give me an address and twenty minutes."
I did.
--
I lay under Ricky, the night-chilled earth against my back, the heat of his bare chest against mine, both of us catching our breath. We'd gone for a ride outside the city and, as usual, ended up like this, in some quiet spot that I only vaguely remembered him pulling into.
"Damn, that never gets old," he said.
"I hope not."
I shifted under him, my fingers tickling down his back. Goose bumps rose in their wake as he shivered, eyes half closed, smile playing on his lips.
"Thank you for the distraction," I said.
His eyes opened. "That wasn't the distraction. I had something special in mind."
"Oh, that's plenty special."
"Something a little more unusual, then." He eased off me and flipped me onto him instead as he settled onto his back. "I thought I'd teach you how to ride."
"Shit. Am I doing it wrong?"
A laugh. "No, you are absolutely not doing it wrong, and you know that's not what I mean. My bike. I'm going to teach you how to drive it."
"I'm pretty sure there's got to be a rule against letting your girlfriend drive."
"Yeah. Which is bullshit, and I'm ignoring it. At least between us."
"So I can learn to ride it. Just not tell anyone."
"Yeah. Sorry."
"Don't apologize. You don't agree with the philosophy, so I am fine with it. In public, I will stay on the bitch seat, keep my gaze downcast, and follow behind at five paces."
"Right. I can't even get you to follow behind when we're scouting an abandoned psych hospital."
"That's because I had the gun. Unless you can throw your switchblade, it's not going to stop someone coming at us."