Bikers Don't Use Brakes (Hellbirds Motorcycle Club) (2 page)

Sonya could feel heat in her face from the off-hand compliment and wondered if she had ever been described as a ‘looker’ before. She was comfortable with her looks, but she was no curvy Beyoncé or anything. She always considered her long thick hair her best feature, and it was currently tied back and secured in a bun.

“You’ve got quite a bit of snow on your roof, Chuck, so maybe you’re drawn to females closer to your own age,” Derek said.

The big man mimed throwing a wrench at Derek’s head, but then spoiled the gesture with a loud guffaw. He shook his head, reclined on the wheeled board again, and slid back under the car.

Derek looked at the car and then back at Sonya. He studied her face closely and then said, “That’s the color of your eyes, Sonya. Racing green.”

Her eyes, behind her dark-framed glasses, widened, and she spoke without thinking. “Yours are the color of chestnuts.”  She could feel herself blush, but he just nodded and headed through the garage into the office area.

She followed him and accepted another beer from the fridge. She eyed a pot of coffee on the counter, but had a feeling it wouldn`t be fresh. He told her to make herself comfortable as he would have a closer look at her car and figure out what it needed and how long it would be until it was ready.

When he left the cluttered room, she collapsed into a chair and held the cold can to her forehead. She opened the beer, took a big swallow, and tried to regain her equilibrium. But then she glimpsed Derek through a grease-spattered window into the shop and just lost herself watching him work. She marveled at his assured movements as he examined her car. He seemed so capable and comfortable in his own skin. He was not at all what she expected a motorcycle gang member to be like.  Maybe she could write something about him and the Hellbirds, though she imagined there was a darker side to him that she wasn’t sure she wanted to explore. Was she just looking for a reason to stay near him?  Probably, but it wasn’t a bad idea either. For now she was content to watch the man in motion, and she would not follow the strong urge to go out into the shop to be closer to him.

“Just a sensor not working,” Derek announced when he came into the office wiping his hands on a rag.

His crooked grin tickled her, and Sonya found herself responding with a delighted smile of her own, though she had no idea if this was good news or not. She widened her eyes as she waited for more information.

He rubbed his forehead and tousled his hair, without realizing what it did to her. She itched to smooth it back into uniform waves. Okay, maybe she just wanted to run her hands through it.

“If I order it online now,” he said, and looked up at a Hellbird clock on the wall, “I should get it tomorrow afternoon or early the next day. It’ll only take about an hour to replace it.” He used the computer as confidently as he had hooked up her car, though he did type with only two fingers. “Crank shaft sensor is on order,” he said and turned back to her.

Sonya nodded and felt suddenly bereft that their delightful interlude was coming to an end. All business now, she wiped her palms on the thighs of her capris, stood up, and picked up a business card from a box on the counter. “Thank you so much, Derek Neal. For, uh, for everything. I’ll give you a call tomorrow afternoon.” She reached out to shake his hand.

He clasped her hand in both of his and pulled her towards him. She looked up into those chestnut eyes that shone straight into her heart.

“Listen, Sonya,” he said, close enough that she could feel his breath on her forehead. “One of the guys and his old lady has a nice motel and decent restaurant nearby. I’ll run you over if you want, and I can get you a good deal if you want to stay there. I can pick you up when your car’s ready for the road again.”

Without taking time to consider the offer, she nodded eagerly and then hoped she didn’t look as relieved as she felt. It wasn’t like she was desperate, but she was happy that they wouldn’t be separated yet. A slow smile brightened her expression.

He tugged her hand and led her back through the shop. He stopped and pulled two black helmets off hooks on the wall and handed her one. Her smile slipped, and she swayed on her feet. His grip on her hand steadied her.

Derek tilted his head and looked at her quizzically. “Never been on a Harley?”

Her eyes were solemn as she shook her head and mumbled, “Uh uh.”

“Bike virgin!” boomed out Chuck’s voice from under the car. “You’re in for the thrill of your life, lady. And Derek’s just the man to give it to you.”

Sonya jumped at the sound of his voice and turned a pleading look towards Derek. He rubbed her back and said huskily, “I’ll take good care of you, darlin’.”

Warmed by the tone of his voice, Sonya nodded forlornly and gripped his hand hard as they walked out to the bike. When she tried to put the helmet on, she found that her bun wouldn’t fit under the rigid headgear. She reached up to deconstruct her warm day do and let her hair down.

Derek gave a low whistle before he said, “Lovely!” He brushed sable strands back off her face, placed the helmet firmly on her head, and adjusted the strap. He arranged her long tresses evenly across her back, causing ripples of pleasure to course over the back of her neck and scalp.

He climbed on the metal monster and indicated where she should sit. Sonya took a deep breath, used her wobbly legs to straddle the leather seat behind him, and knew enough to lift her feet to the pegs. Then she did something she had desired all day. She wrapped her arms around Derek and held on for dear life when the thundering motor engaged.

She felt a sense of vertigo when he turned the motorcycle and drove out of the lot. The only thing she had to compare it to was riding a bicycle, and it didn’t feel the same at all. She felt exposed, vulnerable, and though she had a stranglehold on his solid body in front of her, it didn’t feel as safe as she had hoped. It felt almost like flying with no barriers between them and the world rushing by.

They had turned down a couple of streets when Derek pulled over and stopped the bike. He climbed off and turned around so that he sat facing her. He pulled off his helmet and then tilted her chin up with one finger and said, “Sonya, sweetheart. You are strung so tight I fear you’ll snap. You’re missing out on the freedom of the ride. Relax and find your rhythm. Think of it as a dance. Mold your body to mine and move when I do. Let’s tango, baby. ”

White-faced, Sonya bobbed her head in agreement.

Derek lifted her visor, leaned his fetching face in, and kissed her. Then he tilted his head and engaged her mouth more deeply. A warm sweetness flooded her body, and she felt her limbs relax their rigidity. Eyelids heavy, she initiated a kiss of her own before saying, “I think I can now.”

“Good girl,” he whispered before turning around and setting them in motion again.

This time when she wrapped her arms around him, it was to embrace his body, rather than to secure an anchor. Though it was awkward with a helmet on, she found a way to lean her head between his shoulder blades and replayed their kisses in her mind. Who could have guessed that when her car malfunctioned she would reap such scrumptious benefits?

Soon, Sonya felt more in tune with his movements. She mirrored the motion when he leaned to one side or the other and after a distance did feel like they were partners in a dance. Less tense, she peeked out at the scenery once in a while and became almost accustomed to the rumble of the motor.

Its rhythmic beat entered her bloodstream and pulsed along her veins. Her whole body throbbed in rhythm with the engine. Her breasts swelled and became sensitive. She pressed them against Derek’s denim-clad back and savoured the sweet pressure.
Now this was the way to travel,
she thought.  An unruly part of her mind, or her libido, or something, wanted to wrap her legs around his hips. She managed to resist.

But she did scrunch ahead and press her pelvis against his tight buttocks. Sonya moaned with pleasure at the heated sensation, but she was sure the sound flew backwards in the wind. Away from delicious Derek’s ears. On their own accord, her hands kneaded his middle. A stray warning flashed in her mind. What if he was ticklish? She couldn’t feel his chest rumbling with laughter, so she guessed they were safe.

Then she turned off her mind and immersed herself in the pulsating pleasure of the ride. Closing her eyes, she pressed herself against his rock-hard maleness and replayed a mind video of his chestnut eyes and hair. She thought about his sculpted biceps and the tanned six-pack beneath his vest. His lopsided smile. The feel of his lips caressing hers.

Sonya held him tightly, and a throaty moan escaped her lips. She replayed the scenes in her head and groaned again. She felt like a flame riding a throbbing wave. Like the wings of a Hellbird. She gripped Derek hard with both hands. He pushed one down to his groin and held onto the other. His blatant arousal sent her over the top.

Her whole body convulsed. Again and again. Every nerve sang. She tipped her head back and screamed with joy. She was alive as she had never been before.

And then slowly reality replaced her euphoria. She realized that they weren’t moving very fast. Coasting really.  It seemed like a rural road. Derek pulled the motorcycle into a gravel parking lot and parked it under a tree. He dismounted and pulled off his helmet.

The sight of him rekindled her longing, but Sonya was suddenly shy of facing him. She bent her head down and fiddled with the strap of the helmet.  His capable hands were there, removed it, and smoothed back her long hair. She could feel ferocious heat in her face as she peeked up at him through her eyelashes.

“I don’t need to ask how you enjoyed your first ride,” Derek said and then punctuated the remark with his lopsided grin.

“I … I didn’t know …I’ve never…It was …” She lifted her head and looked pleadingly into his shining eyes.

“Satisfying,” he offered.

Sonya nodded without meeting his gaze. “Is it always like that?” she asked in a small voice.

“Takes some people that way. And, before you ask, no, the members of the club don’t drive around with hard-ons. Not that I’ve heard of anyway.”

“You?” She asked.

“I take pleasure in the ride, but not usually sexual. Would make it tricky to drive.”

“Sorry,” she whispered, hanging her head again when she realized that she may have selfishly endangered them both.

“Woman, don’t apologize for your passion. Glory in it.” Derek chastised her. He tilted her chin up and looked into her eyes.  “You heated my blood too.”

A slow smile lit Sonya’s face. She fought the urge to examine the front of his jeans to see if he was still aroused.

“What say we grab some grub here,” he said pointing to a dusty rose-colored Spanish-style building she hadn’t even noticed, “and then see about getting you a room? They have a patio that overlooks the river.” He took her hand.

She nodded before sheepishly admitting, “I’m not sure I can walk.” Heat crept into her face again.

Derek let loose a joyful yelp of laughter before scooping her up in his arms. He carried her easily around the building to the patio, while she hid her face in his shoulder and inhaled his scent. Sonya felt like she had died and gone to heaven.

Derek climbed over a thigh-high stone wall and deposited Sonya on a comfortable chair on a stone-floored patio. A permanent overhang jutted out from the roof and shielded them from the sun. No one else was out there. Overhead, large fans swirled lazily. An abundance of greenery and potted yellow and blue flowers made the spot feel like a secret garden. Sonya looked down at the river flowing by and could see the rose-colored desert in the distance. She sighed in contentment as she took in the idyllic oasis.

The spell was broken when a tall woman in black pants and a white shirt entered the patio through French doors. She shook her head topped with spiky red hair and said, “Who have you brought us today, Derek? And what have you done to her that she couldn’t get here on her own two feet?” She raised one eyebrow over her dramatically made-up eyes.

“Sam,” Derek said. “This is Sonya, and she just rode for the first time.”