Returning Pride (11 page)

“I’m sorry,” she said and pulled her phone out of her purse. “My phone.” She held it up so he could see that it was ringing.

When she answered it, her whole attitude changed.

He read her lips. “What! She’s at your store naked?”

Less than ten minutes later, Allison walked her mother into their house wrapped in one of Patty O’Neil’s extra blankets from the store. Her mother had apparently showed up there at half past eight that evening. Her purse in hand, she had grabbed a shopping cart, and proceeded to do her shopping, stark naked.

Allison thought that if the situation wasn’t so dire, she would have had a good laugh.

A
few days later, it was one of those evenings where she was glad she was home. Teaching younger kids art sure had its ups and downs, but for the most part, she was enjoying her new job.

Her mom was just finishing the dishes in the kitchen, something she said she didn’t want help with tonight. Allison had taken a glass of wine out to the front porch and was sitting in a small rocker watching the sun start to slide down over the water. It was cool out; she had her light blue jacket on to keep the warmth in. Her feet were tucked up underneath her and she was enjoying the quiet.

Her mother hadn’t had any more “episodes” since the other evening. How was she supposed to watch her all the time? Mrs. Evans was keeping an eye out and several of the church women stopped by the house regularly during the day. The fact was, no one could watch her every moment of every day.

Allison had actually completed one of her new pieces for a charity she’d been thinking of donating to. She was excited about the few pieces she was doing for them and felt an inner peace about the project.

She heard a loud rumble and turned to watch a figure on a motorcycle coming from down the street. She knew it was Iian before he was close enough to see. He was driving slow and she could see he was wearing light-colored jeans with a dark gray zip-up jacket. His sunglasses shaded his eyes from her and she realized he hadn’t seen her at first. He passed her house, but then slowed down and did a big loop in her neighbor’s driveway and returned to stop in front of her yard. He sat there a while, letting the machine run for a minute.

Smiling to her, he signed, “Want to go for a ride?”

It was either the smile or the casual way he sat on the large machine that made him look irresistible. Deciding to take a chance, she signed back, “Sure, hang on and let me tell my mom,” which made her feel like a teenager.

Sitting out front of her place, he was glad he had decided to ride the bike today. Not only did he enjoy riding it, but it gave him a chance to be with her. Smiling as she came bouncing down her walk, he thought of how she would feel behind him, pressed up against his back.

He watched her stop a foot from his bike and stare at it. It was an old Harley he’d bought on his twenty-first birthday. It had taken him eleven months and almost a year’s salary to get it purring underneath him like it was currently doing. The matte black finish had cost him, but it accented the seat and pipes so well. The seat had been a special present from his sister; the ostrich leather had been exactly what he’d wanted. No doubt his sister had snuck onto his computer and noticed he’d been eying it.

Now Allison just stood and looked at it and he didn’t think she was taking in the seat or the paint job.

She was looking as if she was trying to figure out how to get on it.

Bending down, he flipped the back foot pegs and motioned for her to get on.

Placing her hand lightly on his shoulder, she tried as smoothly as she could to hoist her leg over the back and sit down. It took some doing, but finally she sat squarely on the seat and had each foot on the pegs.

“You’ll want to lean forward and hold onto me,” he said over his shoulder. “When I turn, lean with me.”

When she leaned forward and lightly took hold of his jacket sides, he chuckled to himself. He could fix that.

Pushing up, he kicked up his kick-stand. He would just have to get her to hold onto him tighter. Smiling to himself, he took off. By the end of the street, she was right where he’d wanted her to be. Her front was tight against his back, her arms had reached around and were holding on tightly around his waist. He could feel her excitement as he hit the outskirts of town.

She had never ridden on a motorcycle before. It was louder than she imagined and the vibrations under her were soothing. As Iian drove fast, she enjoyed the wind and speed. But what she really enjoyed was holding onto him. His shoulders were wide, protecting her from the strongest winds of the speed. Her arms had skirted around his waist after the first few blocks when she realized she would need a better hold on him if she wanted to stay on the bike. She could feel his muscles in his stomach and wondered how he had gotten such a nice six pack. Then she wondered what the rest of him looked like.

Resting her head on his shoulder, she enjoyed the beautiful drive. He had taken one of the best scenic routes, one that she knew would end up at an overlook close to the state park. where a lot of teenagers liked to go to make out. She had even gone there a few times in high school. Smiling into his back, she vibrated with anticipation.

Pulling the bike to a stop in a small but secluded area of the park, he looked out over the water and remembered why he lived in the Northwest. Not only was tonight a great night to be on a ride, but he had timed it just right. The sun was in the process of setting and the whole sky was a rainbow of colors, which reflected off the low layer of clouds that hung just over the water.

Switching off the bike, he pushed down the kick-stand. Turning to Allison he saw the wonder in her eyes.

“
Did you miss this in the city?” he asked.

Never taking her eyes off the horizon, she just nodded.

Taking her hand, he waited until she dismounted from the bike. Then he swung his leg and easily dismounted as well. She had watched him, but when he noticed, she blushed slightly and walked towards the rock fence that lined the edge of the walkway.

Coming to stand behind her, he pulled her back into him. Holding her tight as the sun slid slowly beyond their sight.

She let out a sigh and turned to him. “That was the most beautiful sunset I’ve seen in years. Thank you.”

He smiled and then leaned down to claim her mouth. It seemed like all he had thought about since kissing her last was reclaiming her lips. Her arms reached up and around his shoulders. One of her hands went into his hair, holding him close.

He enjoyed holding her. She was taller than most women and she seemed to fit his tall frame perfectly. Her head was just half a foot lower, which made it perfect for him to kiss her and run his mouth down that hot neck of hers. Her taste was sweet and hinted at something forbidden. Her hands were holding him to her and he didn’t mind how tight she was gripping onto his hair.

When he slowly pushed her jacket open, he thought he would burst into flames seeing the tight white tee-shirt that was all but see through. Pulling it up and away, he enjoyed exploring the soft skin that he had exposed. Allison had always been athletic, but seeing the softness of her hip and stomach did something to him. He was sure he was moaning like a teenager when he pulled her top up to expose the simple white lace that held two of the most perfect mounds he’d ever had the pleasure of seeing.

Looking up into her face he could see the pleasure there. Her eyes were slits as she watched him through her lashes. A small smile formed on her lips and her tongue darted out to lick her bottom lip, swollen from his kisses.

Bending his head, he ran his lips gently over the lace, wetting it until he felt her nipples peak against his tongue. Then he pushed it aside until he could enjoy the silky pink nub. Her back arched, exposing more of her skin to his torture. His eyes darted to her face again. He could see that her head had fallen back and her hands were gripping the rock wall behind her. He wanted to see her face, he wanted to see her eyes, so he could know what she was feeling, what he was doing to her.

Would she moan or scream when he pushed her to the breaking point? Running his hands down her side, he continued on the path to the snap of her jeans. As he ran his tongue around her taunt peaks, he used his hands to lightly pulled at the material until he had exposed another barrier of simple white lace. The snap of her jeans was easy to pull open as she shifted her feet wider. Watching her face, he ran his fingers lightly under the lace. Her eyes were dark, and she nibbled on her bottom lip in anticipation.

“What do you want Ally?” he teased as his fingers started to run lightly below the material. He saw her take in a breath, then her head rolled back again and he turned his attention to the softness he had just exposed.

Her skin was hot and felt so good. Her pant legs tied her up, but he knew that if she could she would have flung her legs wider. Her hands had come to his hair once more, holding him to her breast as he played his fingers over her, then slipped inside slowly and he was sure he moaned out-loud. He lapped her up until he felt her core vibrating in his hands, then enjoyed feeling her convulsing around him. Had he thought she’d tasted sweet before? He was sure there had been nothing more perfect than having her, but now everything changed after she had come for him.

Still kissing her he started to pull her pants back in place, when he felt her tense. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the lights of a car coming up the long secluded drive. He turned to protect her from the high beams.