Loving Jared - Nikita Slater Page 0,16
for. Amy said something, but it was too muffled to hear. Jared twisted around and flipped up her visor.
Her adorably squished face gazed back at him, her lovely eyes uncertain. "Where do I put my hands?"
"You can reach behind you and grab the bar back there, or you can put your arms around my waist and press yourself against my back." He gave her a wolfish smile. "The second option is better, safer."
He flipped her visor back down, did the same to his own and turned on the bike. He gave her time to settle in against his back, wrapping her arms around his waist and clinging to him. He reached down, picked up each one of her booted feet and placed them on the foot pegs meant for a passenger. Then he revved the bike, lifted his own feet and they took off down the road. She gripped him so hard that she was actually able to push the breath out of his stomach.
That first ride with Amy was one of the best of his life. He'd always been a loner and his bike was a symbol of his independence. No one rode with him, which is why the helmet had been in storage for so long. He only bought it because at the time he got the bike he’d had a girlfriend of about six weeks and contemplated allowing her to ride on his bike. Luckily, they broke up before that happened. He hadn't really been into her, but he thought he should give the whole boyfriend thing a try.
Now that Amy was in his life, he was realizing why the girlfriend/boyfriend thing hadn’t worked for him in the past. He'd been waiting for her and no one else would do. Somehow, subconsciously, he'd known. He’d been waiting for the girl next door to grow up.
They arrived at the factory far sooner than Jared would've liked. He would have been a happy guy if their ride could’ve lasted forever. Amy climbed off the bike, just as awkwardly as she’d climbed on it, but her face was a smiling ray of sunshine when he pulled the helmet off her head.
"I loved it!" she gushed, sending his heart soaring. "I want to do it again. Anytime, anywhere, just take me with you!"
Jared laughed, sheer pleasure sizzling through his veins. If Amy liked riding as much as he did, they were a match made in heaven. He couldn't help himself. He reached out, gripped her by the waist and dragged her against his leg. She tripped and fell towards him. He easily caught her and held her against his chest, one arm wrapped over top of her and one underneath, securing her against his body.
As she lifted her face, he dropped his head to hers and took her lips in a kiss. The moment was both passionate and sweet, a meeting of their souls. Amy's breath hitched against his lips and he savoured her taste. He wanted the moment to go on forever, but it was 4:55. She would have to start work in five minutes.
He set her back on her feet and helped her straighten her coat. Then he handed over her bag.
"Have dinner with me tonight –" Jared started to say, but the words weren’t even out of his mouth before she was agreeing with him.
She nodded her head eagerly. "Yes please."
Jared bit back a laugh. "Good, it's settled. Bring the girls over at seven. I'll make something for all of us. Teagan can come too, if he's around."
Some of the pleasure drained from her face and she chewed on her lip hesitantly. "You want me to bring the kids over?"
Jared reached out to grab her hand and give it a light squeeze. "We both know something is happening between us, and I'd like to keep exploring it. Those kids are a major part of your life, which means, if things continue this way, they’ll be a major part of mine too. I want to get to know them, allow them to get to know me."
A shy, sort of hopeful, expression lit her face.
Still, she hesitated. "I don't usually let guys meet my siblings, especially the girls. They've had too much upheaval in their lives. I can't have them getting attached to someone and then have that person disappear. It would be too heartbreaking for them."
Jared nodded thoughtfully. Every part of him screamed to reach out and take the woman. She belonged to him and he wanted her to