“Hey,” she called out when she was halfway to him. “What are you doing?”
Turning to glance at her with a look she wasn’t sure she could define, he cocked an eyebrow at her, watching as she closed the distance between them. “I’m going for a ride.”
“What happened to sticking close to me while I was here? You can’t do that if you go riding off without me.”
“I think you’re safe with the other Enforcers in the clubhouse—wait, without you? You want to go?”
She scuffed the toe of her boot through the gravel with a shrug. “Yeah, why not? I’ve always wanted to go for a ride on a bike.”
Expression inscrutable, he studied her closely before shaking his head. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. Motorcycles aren’t the safest way to travel. Besides, your brother would kill me.”
Her eyes widened with disbelief. “Okay, two things. First, you know Jameson has always given me the freedom to make my own choices and do what I want. This is what I want. Second, is the big, bad biker dude actually telling me that motorcycles aren’t safe to ride? Really, Luke?”
The corner of his mouth quirked up, and she had to fight the urge to stare at his lips. His bottom was fuller than the top, and she had the sudden desire to nibble on it before rubbing the sting away with her tongue.
Holy crap. Where had that thought come from? She’d never felt the desire to do something like that before. Ever.
He shrugged, and she forced her attention back to the conversation, making sure to lock her eyes with his and keep her gaze away from his lips. No more looking at them again. Not if she wanted to actually hold a conversation with him and not act like a simpleton.
“It was worth a shot. Are you sure you want to go for a ride? It’s a lot different than riding in a car.”
She rolled her eyes. “Duh. I figured that out for myself. And yes, I want to go.”
Hesitating, he studied her for a little longer before finally nodding his head. “Okay. I’ll go get you a helmet. I don’t usually have passengers, so I don’t carry one. Be right back.”
Yes! He’d agreed. She hadn’t thought he would so easily. She’d thought for sure that it would take a lot more arguing than it had, but she wasn’t complaining. He walked quickly back toward the clubhouse and she turned her gaze to his bike, trying to keep from jumping with excitement. She felt like a kid getting exactly what she wanted for Christmas, but she didn’t have to let it show.
Moving closer, she studied his bike as she walked around it. It was a shiny maroon color, with a small skull emblem on the side. The same one that was on his jacket, she realized. Leaning down, her lips quirked up when she saw the grizzly wearing a helmet in
the middle of the emblem. In an arch around the bear, it read Blood & Bone Enforcers.
“Our logo,” Luke said from behind her.
Jumping, she slapped a hand to her racing heart. “I didn’t hear you walking up. Why the grizzly?”
“Blake’s a grizzly, and he’s the leader. When we designed it, we thought it was fitting to put his animal in there.”
He held out a leather jacket and she hesitated before taking it. “What’s this for?”
“Just in case. Leather is the best defense against road rash if we were to crash. That’s one of Damara’s, so it should fit better than one of mine.”
Raising an eyebrow, she ran her fingers over the logo on the back before pulling it on. “And do you crash often? If you do, you might be in the wrong profession.”
He chuckled, sending warmth crashing over her. “Never have before, but there’s a first time for everything. Still sure about this? You know, people think being in an MC makes us bad boys. You up for riding with a bad boy? Some would say you’re throwing your life away the second you hop on a bike.”
His smile was full, eyes twinkling as he joked with her. Hesitating for a moment, she made sure her voice would come out normally before speaking. The sound of his laughter had done a number on her, which she thought was strange. It was just laughter. It shouldn’t affect her like that.
Still reeling internally, she said the first thing that popped into her head. “If you’re gonna throw your life away, he better have a motorcycle.”
Cocking an eyebrow, his look turned puzzled. “What?”
She could feel the heat rushing to her cheeks, but she tried to fight it. She couldn’t believe she said that. “It’s a Lorelai Gilmore quote.”
His look only turned more confused at her reply. “Who?”
Quickly shaking her head, she waved it off. “Never mind. We ready to do this?”
Still looking at her with puzzlement, he held up his hand, showing her the helmet. “This first.”