Inevitable - Kristen Granata Page 0,20
of obligation? Graham’s getting paid to be my bodyguard, but he’s not getting paid to bring me lattes and burritos.
This is different.
My heart hammers inside my chest.
Go after what you want.
“Wanna take a ride with me?”
“Aren’t you tired?” he asks. “You worked your ass off today.”
“I’ll sleep when I’m dead. Come on. I know the perfect place.”
I bite my bottom lip to keep the laughter from bubbling out.
“If you laugh, I’m not doing this.” Graham glares down at me, which at the moment instills about as much fear as a kitten.
He’s wearing my spare motorcycle helmet, the one I bought for Deanna to wear whenever she rides with me.
It’s hot pink with purple Hibiscus decals on each side.
“I think pink really brings out the color of your eyes,” I say.
“Just get on the damn bike and let’s go.”
I swing my leg over the bike. “You ever ride as a passenger before?”
“Have you ever ridden with a passenger as heavy as me before?”
“Don’t worry. I know how to handle a big guy like you.” I wink as I pat the seat behind me.
It’s all fun and flirty until he straddles the seat behind me, pushing himself flush to my back, his bulge against my ass.
“You sure about that, princess?”
The low rumble of his voice in my ear sends goosebumps flying across my skin. His huge hands wrap around my midsection, and I battle to keep my breathing even, praying he can’t feel my racing pulse. His massive presence surrounds me, and I can’t hide my body’s reaction to the way it feels to be this close to him.
I turn the key and fire up the engine. When the coast is clear, I pull out into traffic and weave through the busy streets. We fly through the tunnel leading out of the city and once we’re on the other side of it, I punch it.
There’s something calming about slicing through the air at lightning speed, leaving the world behind you in a blur.
Sometimes I think about taking off and never coming back.
Manhattan is the only place I’ve ever lived. I don’t know where else I’d go, or what I’d do when I got there. But I’d figure it out. It’s a tempting thought.
When I reach the destination, I slow down and pull off the road to park. We stand and stretch, hanging our helmets off each handle.
Graham scans the area. “So, where are we?”
“Nowhere.” I grab the burrito bag and step into the overgrown grass. “Follow me.”
We disappear into the heavy woods. I know I’m getting close when I hear the sound of running water. The trees clear up ahead, and the riverbank comes into view.
“Never would’ve taken you for a nature girl.”
“Told you, I’m full of surprises.” I lower myself in front of the river until my ass hits the ground.
Graham takes the space beside me, resting his elbows on his knees. “How’d you find this place?”
“After Eric died, my mom moved out. It was so abrupt. She just packed up and left. One second, I had a family, and the next ... I lost everything. It was all too much. I couldn’t deal. So, I’d drive out of the city and keep going, pretending I could leave this life behind and start a new one.
“One night, I caught glimpses of the river through the trees. It looked so quiet, so different from the concrete jungle we live in.” I shrug. “It’s pretty damn peaceful.”
“Where did your mom go?”
“Don’t know, don’t care.”
“Shit,” he mutters. “That sucks.”
“Sometimes, I envy her. She got out. Goes wherever she pleases.”
“Doesn’t mean she’s happy.”
He’s right.
Never thought of it that way. I’ve pictured her content and carefree, living a better life without us. It hasn’t dawn on me until now that her demons could’ve followed her there.
I huff out a laugh. “Dead brother, abandoned by my mom. I’ve got a lot of baggage, huh?”
“I’ve got baggage too. Everyone does.” He lays back on the grass, folding his arms behind his head, eyes searching the sky. “Don’t be ashamed to unpack it in front of someone.”
I lay on my side, facing him, enjoying the unobstructed view of his beautiful face. “If you could do anything, be anything, what would you choose?”
Graham is quiet. I give him time to think, glad he didn’t spit out a generic answer.
“I always thought I’d be a fighter.”
My eyebrows lift. “Like a boxer?”
“An MMA fighter. I had sponsors lined up and everything.”
“What happened?”
“My mom found out she had a brain tumor. It didn’t