Page 13 of Ripper
“Well, what can I say? I’m a born natural.”
“No, kidding. The last person that I saw learn to ride a damn bike that fast was me.”
“Oh, really?”
I caught sight of those flushed cheeks and that smile that could make any strong motherfucker weak in the knees.
“Yeah, maybe we should go take a ride sometime. I’d like to see just how well you can manage riding alongside arealbiker.”
“Just another chance for me to outshine you, Ripper,” she said with a wink.
“How about I take you out for a real race, Ronnie? I’m dying to see what you can really do.”
“Fine. You’re on. Don’t come crying to me when I kick your ass,” she teased.
“Oh we’ll see about that. Tomorrow afternoon at two o’clock. Meet me at the Ironhead Tavern.”
She pulled out her cell phone for me to put in my number and I did. I pulled out my own with its shattered screen and volume buttons that didn’t work too well for her to do the same.
“You’re going down, Ripper. Can’t wait.”
I chuckled, watching as she made her way inside to go help Axle. I was frozen in place in the garage doorway with my gaze fixated on her. Every small, sudden movement she made held my attention. I watched her long, dark ponytail whip around as she helped him. She gripped the torque wrench in her hand firmly, her eyes glued to the car body, and I watched as she bent down. Her jeans hugged her curves perfectly, that black T-shirt pulled tight against her breasts. She was fucking beautiful. Whenever I was around her I felt something strong well up inside of me.You hit me like a goddamn tidal wave, Ronnie.
I unloaded the bikes, parking them in front of the open garage door before getting back into the truck and taking off. As much shit as I had on my mind, I couldn’t stop thinking about Ronnie. I thought about that smile, how fucking stunning she was, and how she definitely was the kind of woman I wouldn’t be forgetting about anytime soon.
Until next time, sweet pea.
***
I felt the evening wind on my back, riding through the city as the streetlights came on, and the skies turned a dark blue. I was on my way back to the clubhouse when I spotted the right exit off the highway that led straight to Axle’s shop near the canal. I didn’t think twice about it, making the turn before I could convince myself otherwise, knowing I had plenty of time before the club meeting.
I rolled up to the metal fence surrounding the building, the neon sign with its “A”blown out and the smell of exhaust in the air. The place was quieter than I expected, not as much traffic as there usually was, but I didn’t mind. I was half-expecting Axle to meet me out front himself, giving me the look that told me to stay far away from his niece.
I heard footsteps approaching, and I removed my dome, setting it down beside me to see Ronnie there with her hair pulled back into a bouncy ponytail. The blonde ends of her dark hair catching the warm lighting spilling out of the garage door. When her eyes met mine, they lit up instantly. She had a little grease on the apple of her cheek, her hair sticking to her face like she’d been sweating up a storm, and all I wanted to do was take her into my arms. I shook it off, smirking at her, while she nervously tucked the loose strands of her hair behind her ear.
“Please tell me you don’t expect your bikes to be done already. You were just here yesterday,” she teased.
“Oh, I’m not here to see the bikes. I’m here to see you.”
“Oh, really?”
She folded her arms across her chest, tucking the washcloth into her belt, before shooting me one hell of a smile.
“You did say you were ready to outshine me, so I’m here to see if you’d like to go for a ride,” I said.
“If I remember correctly, you wanted to see what I could do when up against arealbiker. You see any around?” she asked, with a chuckle, pretending to look off into the distance.
“Ha, ha.”
“I actually brought my bike in for a tune up. I’m down for a ride if you are. Unless, you’re scared,” Ronnie teased.
She ran her fingertips along my chest, and I could feel her warmth through my T-shirt. She glanced up at me with a bright smile, raising her eyebrows playfully.
“You got a lotta fire, sweet pea.”
“Oh, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
She bit her lower lip, and I inched closer to her, watching as that confident front she was putting on began to melt away.
