“On your motorcycle?” she clarified as her eyes widened to the size of half-dollars.
“Yeah.”
“I don’t have a helmet.”
He could lie to himself that this was a spur-of-the-moment invitation, but the truth was he’d bought another helmet almost two years ago. And he never had any intention of anyone other than Audrey wearing it. “I’ve got an extra.”
Confusion clouded her golden eyes and then she shook her head. “Oh, I thought you said that no one ever—"
“No one has ever used it before.”
A flush covered her cheeks as the corners of her mouth curled up at the edges. She licked her lips nervously and he suppressed a groan of male appreciation. He wanted so badly to lean down and press his lips to hers and run his own tongue along the seam of her mouth.
Unaware of his innermost desires, she blinked up at him with total trust. “Oh, um okay. Yes. I’d love to.”
His chest bloomed with warmth as they walked in silence out of the community center. He held the door open for her and as she walked past him the faint floral scent of her shampoo drifted up as he inhaled. All night he’d been catching whiffs of the intoxicating aroma. Just like Audrey it was delicate and gentle. And every time he smelled it, it was just enough to tease his senses and he wanted more, which was the same way he felt about Audrey herself. He wanted more.
As they stepped outside the inky sky above them was dotted with bright stars. If there was one thing he’d always appreciated about Hope Falls it was the sky at night. During his time in the Army, he’d traveled to and visited a lot of different places, he’d seen the sky from a variety of locations, but there was nothing like the sky at home. Its magnitude was rivaled only by its majesty.
His heart was racing as they approached his bike. He’d fantasized about taking her out on his bike, but he’d never allowed himself to do it before. For years he’d worked diligently to keep Audrey at a safe distance. But these past couple of weeks had made that impossible. They’d shared too much together and now he wanted more. He just wasn’t sure how much more he would allow himself to take.
When they reached his bike, he took off his leather jacket. “Put this on.”
She was wearing her puffy jacket, which was adorable on her, but he knew that the cold air would cut right through it.
“No.” She shook her head. “I have a jacket.”
“That jacket’s not enough.” He started to put his jacket around her shoulders, but she moved away in protest.
“But then you won’t have a jacket.”
“I’ll be fine. Put the jacket on.”
He could see a battle going on behind her hazel eyes as she decided whether or not she was going to continue arguing with him. He knew that she could be stubborn, but so could he. All anyone had to do was meet Nonna and they would know he came by it honestly.
Finally, she sighed, lifted her arms and threaded them through his coat. Once she had it on and zipped up, he pulled out the extra helmet from his storage compartment and put it on Audrey’s head. He clasped it beneath her chin and made sure that it fit securely. He could feel her wide eyes watching him and it took every bit of self-control he had not to lean down and kiss her perfect lips.
“Does that feel good? Is it too tight?” he asked.
She lifted her hand to her head and patted it. “It’s good.”
He put his own helmet on, threw his leg over his bike and then instructed her how to get on behind him. Her arms wrapped around his waist and her chest pressed against his back. He wondered if she could feel his heart pounding through his back.
The motorcycle roared to life, and he felt Audrey’s arms tighten around his waist. He turned his head and asked, “Are you ready?”
“Yes!” she shouted to be heard over the engine as she nodded her head vigorously.
He pulled out of the parking lot and an overwhelming sense of rightness, of calm, of everything in his world being exactly what it should be washed over him. Every time he got on his bike, he felt hints of those things which was why he’d protected his sacred riding time. But this was more than a hint, this was all consuming peace.
Josh wasn’t going to worry about the next time he got on the bike and Audrey wasn’t behind him. One of the quotes Dr. Lowe had told him that had really resonated with him was from Lao Tzu, it said that if you are depressed, you’re living in the past. If you are anxious, you’re living in the future. If you are at peace, you’re living in the present.
Tonight, he wasn’t going to allow his brain to think about the past or the future. He was just going to be in the present because for the first time in his life, his present was perfect.
* * *
As they rodethrough the mountain roads, Audrey was sure that she must be dreaming. First, she’d got to dance with Josh and now she was on the back of his motorcycle. And that’s not all they’d done, in the past couple of weeks, she’d dined in the dark with him, taken a yoga class and gone to the animal shelter where she’d been impressed, once again, by just how amazing Josh was.
Over the past few days, she’d caught glimpses of Josh and Thor in the garage. She noticed that Josh talked to Thor a lot, which she thought was adorable. Audrey didn’t understand people who had pets and didn’t talk to them.