Miri handed me her helmet and hopped off the Ducati. I swung my leg over the bike and placed the helmet on the seat and put my own next to it. I didn’t come down to the lake on the Ducati very often. Maybe twice in the last year. Maneuvering the powerful bike across the sixty yards of treacherous, unpaved, rocky ground leading from the road to the edge of the lake meant fighting to keep the heavy machine balanced. Plus, with Miri on the back, even as small as she was, the entire process was a million times more difficult. Somehow, we made it without me dropping the bike.
“This is beautiful.”
Miri faced the lake, her back to me, but I could see her excitement in the way she held herself—shoulders relaxed, one hand at her side, the other shading her eyes from the bright midday sun reflecting off the lake. Pieces of her windblown hair escaped from their tie and fluttered in the breeze.
God, she is fucking gorgeous.
I wanted her by my side every minute of every day. I stepped up behind Miri and slid my hands around her tiny waist, pulling her flush against my chest. Miri was so petite I could rest my chin on the top of her head.
“I come here sometimes when I need to forget,” I said, ducking my head to inhale the sweet scent of her hair.
Miri tilted her head back to look up at me. “Forget?”
I pointed to a flat area next to the shore. “Head over to that spot, doll. I’ll be there in a sec.”
Miri’s eyes narrowed, those emerald green irises sparkling with curiosity, but she stepped out of my embrace and walked toward the small grassy square, somewhat brown from drought, without asking a single question. I unstrapped the tailpack and slung it over my shoulder. Miri was pissed at me over something, I just had to figure out what. I’d gone over the events of last night a million times and couldn’t think of a single thing I could have done to make her as furious as she was this morning when I found her in the gazebo. Hell, if looks could kill, I’d ‘ave keeled over on the spot.
Jase was scared shitless to inform me that Miri refused her morning dose of heroin. I just about laughed in his face. He didn’t know I had been waiting for this day to come, the day she decided on her own that it was time to get clean. It had to be Miri’s decision, not mine. She needed to be in a place mentally where she felt strong enough to not need the drugs anymore, even though technically I’d already weaned her off.
Right now, I was damn lucky Miri wasn’t pissed about being tricked with the injections. In fact, she seemed downright pleased to be drug free. Going by her hostile facial expression right before I told her, I’d half expected a kick to the balls.
Miri’s boots were discarded on the tiny beach and her jeans were rolled up as she dipped her toes in the lake. Smiling, I opened the pack and spread out a thin blanket. I put her boots on two of the corners and mine on the other two to keep the blanket from curling up in the light breeze. Miri must have heard me approaching, because she spoke without turning away from the view.
“This is something else, Jag. I can see why you like to come here.”
I slid my arms around her and followed her line of sight. Lake Travis sprawled out in every direction. Deep blue water gently lapped at the small strip of sand between the edge of the lake and the beginning of the tree line. It was the perfect temperature—cool enough to be refreshing but not cold.
“People camp here durin’ the high season, but it’s pretty much empty the rest of the year.” Miri giggled and the sweet sound made my stomach do flips. “What?” I asked, grinning at her amusement. She definitely didn’t laugh enough. I would have to change that.
“You.” She turned in my arms, putting her hands on my shoulders. I moved my hands to her hips, basking in the radiance of her smile. “When you’re excited, your Texas accent comes out.”
I let out an indignant huff. “I do not have a Texas accent.”
“You do. It’s adorable.” I was about to argue when Miri stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss on my lips. “And sexy,” she whispered against my mouth.
Groaning, I clutched at her waist and tugged her forward, holding her against my body. I deepened the kiss, desperate to taste her again—I had been since the minute I left her room last night. Miri opened beautifully, giving me free rein to greedily devour her mouth. I licked every surface of the hot, wet cavern, twisting my tongue around hers. Consuming. Claiming. Owning. Only when breathing became a necessity did I pull back. My gaze dropped to her swollen lips and up to her dilated pupils. I ran the pad of my thumb across her slick lower lip.
“So fucking perfect.” She nipped at my thumb and sucked it into her mouth, occasionally sinking her teeth into my flesh. “Jesus, doll.” I hissed when her tongue swirled around the end of my thumb and she increased the suction. “Shit!” My cock jerked and I pulled my hand away. Miri moped like a kid who had her lollipop snatched right out of her hands.
Chest heaving, I stepped back and ran my fingers through my hair, struggling to regain my composure.
Talk first. Fuck later.
“Come on, doll. Let’s sit.”
I walked to the blanket and sat. Miri took a moment to pout, but eventually followed, sporting an adorable, petulant look as she dropped next to me. I pulled a bottle of water out of the pack and offered her some. She shook her head so I put it away. With a sigh, I leaned back, my upper body propped on my elbows.
“Are you mad at me, doll?” With the sun shining in the sky behind her, I had to squint to see Miri’s face. Her brilliant red hair literally shone in the sunlight, forming a fiery halo around her head. A light breeze blew loose strands across her face, a few sticking to her lips.
Miri shrugged and fiddled with a length of that stunning red hair. “I’m not sure.”
She was going to make me drag it out of her.
“Explain.” Miri huffed at my demand and rolled her eyes. It was so fucking cute I had to concentrate on not smiling. “Is it because I weaned the heroin?” I asked, knowing that wasn’t the issue.
“No. It’s…” Miri shifted and lay down on her back next to me, folding her hands over her stomach to stare up at the cloudless blue sky. “You left.”
I lowered all the way to the ground, angling my head to watch her carefully. “Left? I don’t understand.”