And that was all the encouragement I needed.
After smoothing my hair away from my face, I lifted my leg. Max scooted up on his bike and I pushed my way into the back of it, grunting as I centered myself and gripped his jacket tightly. I felt myself sliding tighter against him before he leaned back. And when my chest sat against his strong back, warmth poured over me, wrapping me up in its tight grip and refusing to let go.
“Ready to live a little, Daddy’s girl?”
I didn’t even care that he called me that name again.
“Ready when you are, Max.”
With a snicker on his lips, he cranked up the engine. It revved, vibrating beneath my thighs as I gripped the bike tight, an automatic reaction that I figured was probably right. I fisted his leather jacket tighter, wondering how in the world I was going to balance on a bike like this. I mean, the second he took a turn too tightly, wouldn't I go flying off? Wasn’t that what seatbelts were for?
“Can you hear me?”
I nodded as his booming voice overpowered the roaring engine.
“All right. Squeeze with your thighs to keep a grip on the bike.”
“Got that down. Thanks.”
He tapped my knee. “Tighter. As tight as you can.”
My eyes fell to where he tapped me and I wanted him to do it again.
“Like this?”
He peered down at my legs and nodded.
“That looks good for now.”
I paused. “For now?”
He laughed. “Now wrap your arms around me and hold on.”
“I am holding on to you.”
He shook his head before steadying the bike underneath his legs. His hands pried my own from his jacket before he wrapped them around his waist. Like, completely around his waist. I felt myself blush from my cheeks to my chest. My hands splayed out across his abdomen, and even through his shirt I felt the rippling of his muscles. The rings of his abs. My mouth went dry as he shifted back against me. His butt moving tighter between my legs. Spreading my thighs and making me softly pant.
He smelled like leather and cigarette smoke.
And it was a smell I wanted to hold within my body for as long as I could.
“All right, hang on.”
The bike took off with a roar and my head fell back. I had to clench all my muscles in order to get myself upright again. And when I did, I clung to Max as much as I could. My arms tightened around him. My thighs clenched the bike beneath me. I scooted closer to him, laying my covered cheek against his back. I felt his muscles rolling beneath his skin. With every movement he made and with every shift of the engine, he twitched against me. It felt like heaven, being so close to him. Holding him like this.
Knowing he wanted me there with him.
“All right, hold on tight, Bambi.”
I looked up just in time to see a tight curve coming up. And when the bike leaned toward the ground, I let out a shriek. I looked behind me and saw campus quickly fading away into nothing, the darkness of the night swallowing it up as the horizon met the stars.
“You okay back there?”
Max took another turn and my yelps quickly devolved into laughter. Guttural guffaws of happiness as the adrenaline rushing through my veins excited me. I felt free. Invigorated. Filled with an independence I’d never felt before. I tilted my head back and let out a howl. Like some idiotic wolf off in the distance who was just learning to howl for the first time. It was the only thing I could think of, though. You know, to put this nervous energy to good use.
And as I kept laughing and howling, even Max started laughing again.
Giving me a chance to catch his smile in the rearview mirrors mounted on his handlebars.