The Heart - Kate Stewart Page 0,16

I knew Jack didn’t want to cross the line with me due to his concern over his relationship with my father, I felt a bit more at ease.

My ducks bitched their protest as they moved past me as I started swimming toward my house.

Band-Aid gone. I didn’t know whether or not to thank Jack or the Texas heat. Either way, it had been painless.

I walked out of the house when I heard the rumble of Jack’s motorcycle. I was nervous and dropped my keys twice while attempting to lock my door. I’d spent a few extra minutes knotting my hair on top of my head and a little longer than usual picking out my clothes, but for the most part, it was the fact that I would be close to a man I was so strongly attracted to that was the cause of my apprehension. And the last time that happened... well, it was the last time.

Jack was freshly dressed in dark blue jeans and a chalky white button-down rolled up to his tanned, toned forearms. His boots were shiny black, and he looked afuckingmazing still crouched on his bike, one hand on the throttle and the other resting on his thigh. When I approached, he pumped the handle, and I jumped at the sound.

His chuckle was deep as I narrowed my eyes. “Can we please stick to back roads? I’m not a fan of Texas highways.”

“Sure,” he offered along with a helmet. I took a deep breath as I fastened it under my chin, regretting wearing my short linen shorts the minute his eyes roamed over my legs. My halter blouse was no less revealing, yet it suddenly felt that way. When I’d looked at myself in the bathroom, the outfit had seemed feminine. Jack was staring at me like I was still in my underwear. I watched him take in my high-top Chucks that matched my soft linen shorts then give me a nod of approval.

He gathered one similar out of a saddlebag for himself.

“Hear me?” he asked over the loud rumble of the bike. I smiled as his voice cracked over the speaker inside my helmet.

“Yep,” I replied with a smile. I stood there, waiting as he stared at me expectantly.

“There’s no door to open for you, Rose. You actually have to climb on.” He chuckled as he scooted up a bit further in his seat.

“No highways?” At first, the ride seemed harmless, an easy way to give in and live a little, yet the man in front of me and the machine he straddled started to seem all too intimidating.

Jack’s grin broadened at my hesitance before he spoke. “I don’t want to scare you. I don’t get my kicks out of shit like that. In fact, I want you to like it, so I’ll be a good boy, I promise.” I gave him a smile. He closed his eyes then jerked his head toward the bike. “Come on, Rose, live a little.”

“You too? Geesh, that seems to be the collective advice from every damn body these days,” I muttered, lifting my leg over the backseat then placing my hands at his sides. He gripped them immediately and pulled them tightly around him. All too aware of the smell of his skin, what smelled like a mix of woods and crisp apples, I gripped the front of his t-shirt, twisting it in my hands.

“Wow, you really are nervous,” he said, untangling my hands and clasping them together around his waist.

“Let’s just do this.” I buried my helmet-covered head into his back, and as soon as he hit the throttle, I felt it.

It was instant. My body lurched forward, and I clung to his back like a fraidy-cat with its claws out.

“Whoa.” Jack slowed down just as we were passing the edge of the pond. “No, I’m fine. Just go,” I said breathlessly.

“I won’t do anything crazy, Rose. I promise.”

“Got it, Jack, go!”

He pulled at the throttle, and I jumped again, but this time I was able to keep it mostly to myself. Jack quickly became engrossed in the ride as Bob Seger’s “Night Moves” came through the speaker.

I shut my eyes tight and tried to ignore the sensation that was creeping through me. My shorts offered little to no buffer because it felt like I was riding the world’s largest vibrator. I was humiliated again after only minutes with him. As long as he didn’t find out why, I was safe. It had been so long, I’d