Page 27 of Falling for Her
I’ve never been on one before, and honestly, as fun as they seem, I kind of value my life…
I bite my bottom lip and look around, feeling eyes on me. I clear my throat, seeing several girls openly staring at Damian and looking at me up and down, which makes me uneasy.
“Come for a ride with me, Essy,” Damian says again, and I look at him with my heart in my throat.
This man is not playing around, he’s proved that by showing up here.
“I’ve never been on a bike before,” I admit, then look down at my outfit, wondering if it’s appropriate.
Sneakers, jeans, and a strappy flowy top.
Hmmm, won’t I be too cold?
“You are perfect, now, come climb on,” he says and I look at him again and watch as he removes his leather jacket and holds it out for me.
Oh wow.
He smirks and raises a brow, and I swallow hard as I step forward and turn, dropping my bag to the floor before allowing him to help me put his jacket on.
I shrug it on my shoulders and tilt my head down a little. I inhale, and a sense of home fills me, making me ease a little.
“Come on, angel,” he says, and I blink before bending down and picking my bag up, putting the strap back on my shoulder, and turning towards Damian. He holds his hand out to me, and I take a deep breath and slowly take hold of his large palm. His warmth instantly soothes me before he pulls me into him, making me gasp as the upper half of my body falls against his.
Without missing a beat, Damian leans down and gently caresses my lips and like last night, after he dropped me off at the bakery where my car was, I feel contentment again.
He was such a gentleman. He walked me to my car, kissed me goodnight, then waited until I drove off to leave. We spent the evening talking and laughing over spaghetti and meatballs.
It was perfect, and I didn’t want it to end, something I’d never felt before.
“Hey,” he mumbles, and I smile against his lips and reply, “Hey,” making him smirk as he pulls back.
Smiling, I look around him and at his bike, and my smile slowly fades before I bite my bottom lip, fear seeping in.
“You’ve got this, angel,” he says, and I look at him, “I’ll help you on, and once I’m on, hold me around my waist, keep your feet on the pegs, and don’t touch the pipes.”
Fear hits me, but I nod, allowing him to guide me closer to his bike and suddenly I can feel my body begin to tremble. He squeezes my hand tighter and helps me on, I take a deep breath as I look over the machine I’m straddling.
It’s intimidating, that is for sure.
“Pass me your bag,” Damian says. I allow him to take it from my shoulder and watch as he puts it in his side saddle before he climbs on the bike in front of me. I gasp as the bike wobbles a little, then quickly scoot forward and grip his hips, making him chuckle.
He wraps my hands around his waist, and I gasp, “I don’t have a helmet!”
“You don’t need one. I promise you’ll be safe,” he replies and starts his bike. The vibrations shoot through my body, shocking me.
I hear a chuckle and I look to my right, and make eye contact with Cody.
His girlfriend stands beside him, jumping on the balls of her feet, while Cody gives me an encouraging smile. I take a deep breath, put my head on Damian's back, and close my eyes.
I know a lot of people are watching, but I ignore them as Damian revs his bike and pulls away from the curb, making me gasp and grip him tighter, trying my hardest not to cause an accident.
As we get halfway down the road, I feel Damian gently rub my hands and I swallow hard before slowly opening my eyes but not loosening my grip. Shops and people are a blur, and the wind whips around me. Suddenly, peace washes over me. There are no worries, pain, or stress, only peace as the storefronts blur into trees, and I understand the need to ride.
Damian rides for about half an hour before turning down a dirt path and shouts, “Hold on tighter!”
I listen as we hit the first bump and gasp, praying I don’t fall off.
Okay, so I did loosen a little during the ride, forgetting the no helmet thing, but now, I think my whole body has locked up again…
