Eager to turn his attention away from her idiocy, she took the helmet from him and examined it before easing it over her head. She couldn’t believe she quoted Gilmore Girls to him. It was her favorite show, but thinking for a second that an Enforcer in a motorcycle club would know what she was talking about was ridiculous.
Who was she kidding? She hadn’t been thinking at all. She’d been flustered and blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. Next time she felt off balance, she was keeping her mouth firmly shut.
“Here, let me help with the straps,” Luke said, reaching out to grasp them.
He began fastening them and she sucked in a breath at the first touch of his skin against hers. So last night hadn’t been a fluke. The same sparks she felt then were arching between them, stealing her breath and every single thought in her head. She’d never experienced anything like it, and she thought maybe it should scare her, but it didn’t.
It felt like something she could quickly become addicted to, and that was what scared her.
He tightened the strap, his fingers lingering against the underside of her chin for what felt like an unending moment before he pulled away. The ring of gold around his pupils was evident as he flashed her a smile that was clearly forced, and he looked away, putting his own helmet on.
“Let me mount the bike and get it stable, and then you can climb on.”
She nodded, watching as he threw a powerful leg around the bike, straddling it as he started the engine with a loud growl. Once he was situated, he gave her a nod, and she placed her hand on his shoulder so she could keep her balance before climbing on behind him.
Once she was on, she stared at his back for a moment before wrapping her arms around his waist, making sure her grip was good as he revved the engine. He slowly pulled around the side of the clubhouse and then turned onto the highway, accelerating slowly.
At first, all she could concentrate on was the feel of her body pressed against his. The way, even through both of their leather jackets, she could feel her breasts pressed into his back. The way nothing had ever felt like that in her life. The way the only thought running through her mind was that she could stay just like that forever and never tire of it.
And then gradually, like the sun breaking through the clouds, or like fog slowly dissipating, the awareness of what she was doing broke through. The wind was rushing past them, the hair not trapped in her helmet streaming behind her, and the powerful hum of the motorcycle’s engine vibrated under her thighs.
She felt powerful. Invincible. Like she could take on the whole world and win.
She felt free.
Throwing her head back, she laughed, reveling in the feelings coursing through her, the exhilaration rushing through her veins.
Those sensations collided with the feelings of being pressed up against Luke, and she tightened her arms reflexively around his waist.
He was right—she’d been sheltered her whole life, never really getting the chance to truly live. But right then, on the back of Luke’s bike, pressed against his body, she felt like if her life were to end in that moment, she’d go out happy, with zero regrets.
Luke downshifted as he pulled up to the overlook he’d decided to take Tarun to. There was nothing like riding his motorcycle down a deserted highway, nothing but the open road in front of him, the wind rushing past him, and the hum of his powerful bike beneath him.
He’d always thought it was as close to heaven as he’d ever get on Earth.
That was, until he had Tarun sitting behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around him and her laughter in his ear.
That was fucking blissful, and no matter how many times he told himself it shouldn’t matter, that he shouldn’t enjoy it so much, it was no use. The feelings having her with him invoked were too strong to sweep under the rug and pretend they didn’t exist.
Didn’t mean he had to act on them, though.
Slowing to a stop, he parked the bike and turned the engine off. Tarun eased off the back and then he followed, pulling his helmet off and setting it on the seat. She fumbled with her strap, but he forced himself to wait and not jump to help her. Touching her soft, satiny skin earlier had been amazing, but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to control his reaction a second time.
But it looked like his restraint was for nothing. Because the smile she turned his way after she set her helmet down damn near knocked the breath from his body, and the urge to pull her against him and kiss her senseless was almost overwhelming.
Her hazel eyes were shining with excitement and there was a pink flush to her cheeks. Her lips were parted slightly, and as he watched, her tongue darted out and wet them, leaving them glistening. His eyes immediately zeroed in and heat coursed through his veins.
Pulling his eyes away took effort, but he finally managed it, his gaze landing on her hair. Lips quirking in a smile, he reached out and brushed a strand from her face, careful not to touch her skin. The hair that had been under her helmet was crushed flat to her head, and the rest was a tangled mess around her shoulders.
It was still beautiful, though. Such a unique shade, the strands almost black, with auburn highlights shot through, shining brighter than usual in the sun. He’d swear there was no way it was a natural color, except her brother had the exact same shades in his hair.
Luke didn’t think his was beautiful, though. Strange, that. They had the same colored hair, but it was so much more attractive on Tarun than Jameson.
But then, he wasn’t attracted to her brother the way he was to her.
He heard her breath catch and realized he was still touching her hair. Letting his hand drop slowly, he tried to find his voice, but once he looked at her again, there was no finding it in that moment. Fuck, she was gorgeous. Maybe the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
He knew he shouldn’t be thinking like that, but it seemed like he was powerless to help himself.