Page 20 of Dare You to Run
“Yeah. Bluetooth,” he explains.
“Oh. Yeah. I’m good.” I shout into my confined space.
“Then hold on tight,” is the warning he gives me before switching gears and rushing past the guys to lead the trio.
I let out a yelp and this time, I do lean forward and circle my arms around him, my hands splaying across his chest. My helmeted head rests on his back and I close my eyes, breathing deep. When I feel my heart settle back into my chest instead of my throat, I push back slightly, returning to where I was seated before and tighten my grip.
Hendrix’s gloved hands move and I can feel his leg tense as he switches gears. Everything from my eyelash to my toenail polish begins to quake, knowing that once he opens the throttle we’re going to fly at lightning speed. It only takes a quick moment when his hand grips the handles again and the scream that comes from my mouth is pulled out from my lungs.
I don’t even care anymore. I feel like I may fall off and the last thing I want is for my dad to yell at me as my body gets scraped off the pavement. Especially since I have first hand knowledge of what a motorcycle accident looks like. Clinging to Hendrix, I let my arms snake around his waist and slide closer. The cars come fewer between and I start to grow more comfortable with less vehicles around to slam into. The bike moves around a few, weaving left and right, and I let my body follow Hendrix’s lead. My chest to his back and my legs bracketing his, we look like one person zipping down the highway.
“Don’t let go. I’m going to do something and I need you to stay calm and keep your hold on me. Okay?” His amplified voice asks.
“Okay. Just be careful, please. I’d like to make it home in one piece.” His hand reaches back and pats my thigh, reassuring me he won’t let anything happen.
Hendrix squeezes the break, abruptly slowing us down, and I feel the back tire lift. We ride for just a short distance on the front wheel then we’re back on two. Just when I think the tricks are done with, he lets off the clutch and we rise up on the back tire.
“Oh my gah,” I yell, but it’s filled with excitement.
My heart races and my adrenaline pumps through my veins. A smile stays plastered to my face as we continue to ride through the night until we make it back to his house, luckily in one piece.
All three bikes slow as we crawl up Hendrix’s driveway and come to stop in front of his garage. My body is shaking from the thrill of the ride and it’s difficult for me to flip my leg over and climb off. Hendrix sees my struggle and grabs hold of me like I’m a two pound doll and lifts me off the bike and sets me down on solid ground.
He unbuckles my helmet and carefully pulls it off. My hair falls in a staticky mess and I just know my face is flushed red.
“That was fucking amazing,” I tell him, out of breath.
He gives me a crooked grin and the arch of one eyebrow and it’s the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever seen a man do. I let my eyes greedily take him in, cataloging every inch. Tattoos down his throat that disappear under his jacket and that I know stain his fingers that are covered by his gloves. His close cropped hair and the gleam in his blue eyes. Full pink lips that he likes to lick right before he speaks. And these are just things I’ve observed in the few hours since I met him.
“Wooowee! That was one helluva ride. Wouldn’t you say, Dagen?” Malik pushes back his short, ebony strands and wipes the sweat that beads at his forehead.
Danté swaggers towards us, peeling out of his gear like the devil coming to snatch my soul, a devilish gleam in his eyes. Most would assume this is a persona that he turns on for certain people, but I have a feeling this is just him. No act to put on.
“So. What’dya think? Have fun?” Kinsley bumps my hip with hers, her helmet still in place and just her face shows with squished cheeks and a wide smile.
“Um, amazing. I was a little scared at first when he was weaving in and out of traffic, but the tricks,” I shake my head with wide eyes and a flutter swirls in my belly. “I loved it. It was a definite adrenaline rush.”
Malik throws his arm over my shoulders and looks down at me. “I think we got ourselves a crotch convert.”
“What?” My head jerks back and my eyes scan the faces of everyone around us.
“Fuck, Mal. Don’t say that. It’s fucking creepy.” Hendrix walks over and takes it upon himself to start unzipping me from my jacket.
My eyes follow his fingers, trying to make out the tattoos that cover them, until he reaches the bottom.
“Crotch rocket,” Malik interrupts. “You know. It’s what people call our bikes.”
I chuckle and Hendrix continues to help me pull my arms free until he holds the black jacket in his hands. Our eyes lock and my chest feels tight, like one of those crotch rockets is parked on it and making it difficult to breathe.
A throat clears and I turn my head to see Malik, Kinsley and Danté watching us, each with a different look of curiosity on their faces. Kinsley looks like she’s admiring fireworks burst in the sky while Malik resembles someone holding in a juicy secret. The most threatening of them is Danté. A dark cloud swirls in his black eyes and I can’t tell if I should be afraid or turned on. My body seems to think it’s the latter.
I squeeze my thighs when images of these three men looming over me, ready to consume every last morsel of their captured prey, flash behind my eyes.
A stuttered breath fills my lungs and I curl my toes in my sneakers. “Thank you for the ride. I really enjoyed it,” I tell him and draw snickers from Malik.
Rolling my eyes, I smile and grab Kinsley’s hand now that she’s peeled herself from her gear. “Yeah. Shereallyenjoyed herself, Henny. Now be a gracious host and grab us some snacks. We forgot to pick some up at the store and we’ve got a movie to watch.”
“Sweet. What’re we watching?” Malik bounces on his toes and rubs his hands together.
