I don’t know how it happened, but Skylar and I settled into a comfortable rhythm once we caught up to my brothers. The first five hours of the ride, she alternated between sitting back against the bitch bar with her hands on my shoulder, and leaning forward, so her body was pressed against my back.
When I felt like I was getting too closed in, having her body so close to mine, I would tap her leg, and she would instantly give me the space I needed to get my head together again.
Even then, I found that the more I felt her there, the longer I was able to go without feeling like I was being suffocated. I even started to maybe enjoy having her body pressed against mine, warming me, relying on me to get us to where we were going.
It almost felt fucking good to have her there.
We were a little over halfway through our trip when Optimus pulled off the side of the road and into the parking lot of some middle of nowhere truck stop diner that looked like it hadn’t been renovated since the sixties. The loud chorus of bikes changing down gears as we pulled in, drew the attention of every person in the place and surrounding as they all peered out the window. Some looked at us with wide, nervous eyes, while others took a glance and dismissed our presence.
The place was surprisingly busy, so I figured they might at least have some good food, my stomach aching for a damn burger or something to get us through the next few hours.
As I backed my bike in, I saw some of the brothers climb off, rolling their shoulders and stretching their necks. The girls who had come along all looked like they’d gone five rounds with a cock the size of my thigh as they walked bow legged toward the diner doors.
My body felt fine, though. I was used to the long distance type of riding. Though I hadn’t done it in a long time since I settled over the last six months in Athens. Before that, I’d been classed as a Nomad—traveling where and when I was needed. Sometimes for days on end.
It was my happy place you could say, not that I’d ever say that shit out loud.
I needed the freedom that riding free brought. I was like a caged animal who’d been set free. I never wanted to go back to that place where I felt trapped again like I had the day we lost our team. If I kept moving I couldn’t be caught, I couldn’t be held down.
Skylar used my shoulder to boost herself off the bike as I switched the engine off. Once she was down, I flipped out the kickstand and propped the bike up so I could do the same.
I watched her out of the corner of my eye as she stretched her limbs, shaking them out one at a time and pulling off her backpack. I could tell her shoulders were aching by the way she rolled them backward and dug her fingers into the muscle, her face tightening uncomfortably as she massaged the knot that had developed.
Frowning, I took two large steps toward her, holding out my hand. She looked down at my hand for a second before glancing up at my face with a raised eyebrow.
“Give me the damn bag,” I gruffed, clicking my fingers at her.
She stared at me in confusion for a few seconds before a smirk grew slowly on her luscious lips and she folded her arms across her chest, the backpack hanging from her fingertips. “I know you did not just click your fingers at me,” she said in amusement.
I didn’t reply, instead, clicked my fingers one more time for good measure as I held her eyes, refusing to stand down until she gave me the fucking bag. To her credit, she held her own, tilting her head curiously as though examining how far she could push me before this playful game turned into something completely different.
A few seconds later, she held out her hand, slipping the bag into mine. “I’m quite capable—” she started, but in a flash, I was on her, my free hand grasping her jaw.
She froze, her mouth falling open as I stared down at her.
The girl had balls, and the sass she threw back at me had me rock fucking hard inside my jeans. “Keep running that mouth, and Ipromiseyou… I’ll bend you over my bike right here, and spank that little round ass until it’s bright red, not giving a shit if everyone in that diner sees,” I growled enjoying the way her eyes lit up, almost as though she was excited by the idea. “That would make the next four hours, pretty fucking uncomfortable for you.”
She visibly cringed as she thought of the next few hours, sitting on my fucking bike with my hand prints across her ass, and I had to fight the triumphant smirk that was fighting to grow on my lips.
“Skins!” I called, our eyes still locked. Hearing the crunch of gravel from behind us, I held out the bag. “Put this in the truck with you.”
“Sure,” he answered casually, slipping it out of my palm and walking away.
Skylar pursed her lips, swallowing hard.“Sorry,” she whispered, but even I admired the way she did it with her chin held high. She was following the rules and keeping her mouth shut like a good little club girl, but she wasn’t afraid to let me know if she wasn’t in this position, she’d probably kick me in the nuts.
My grip on her face grew weaker, and I brushed my thumb across her cheek, sending a jolt of something strange and tingly through my body before I forced myself to take a step back. “You don’t need to carry that thing, it will still get there just fine,” I told her, my voice stern with a warning not to push me again.
She licked her lips, nodding. “I know, I just like to be prepared and have my stuff with me.”
“We are traveling together. Ain’t nothing gonna happen that I’m not already prepared for. Don’t stress that pretty little head of yours.”
She didn’t say anything for a long few seconds, I could see the cogs turning over in her head as she tried to make some sense out of the situation. I knew I could be hot and cold sometimes, but I guess what it came down to was the brotherhood mentality that I not only lived in now, but I’d also had while I was in the military.
Having a bunch of guys in close proximity and together for long periods of time, there were going to be arguments, differences of opinions, and people who said or did stupid shit and pissed others off.
I learned early on, you can punch your brother in the face for being a fucking asshole one night, but when it came to getting up in the morning, you just had to let that shit go. There was no use in letting some cheap words or some drunken disagreement about trivial shit, get in the way of family and friendship. You work it out, sometimes with words, sometimes with fists, and then it’s done.
She finally cleared her throat. “I’ll take your word for it,” she replied, her body loosening up a little now she realized I wasn’t fucking furious at her. Digging around in her pocket, she pulled out a cell phone and held it up for me to see. “It’s been going off for the last thirty minutes, I should really see what’s going on.”