Jillian grabbed her leather jacket, shrugged it on, and reached for her keys.Barbs’s voice reached her before she stepped down from the trailer.
“That was great, Keith.I know it couldn’t have been easy, but you pulled it off.One more scene today and we’re done.”She patted him on the back and added, “Eat your lunch and rest.”She waved Jillian over.“Come here, hun!”
Jillian looked longingly at her bike.She really needed to leave.
“Wasn’t she great, Chris?”she directed the question at the stunt coordinator, but didn’t wait for a response.“You were awesome.”She gave Jillian a warm hug.
“Thank you, Barbs.”They had been filming for a couple of months now, and in that short time, Jillian had come to admire the director.Barbs treated everyone cordially, from the highly paid casts to the extras.But when she lost her temper, everyone tried to stay out of her way.
“Take it easy for the rest of the week,” Barbs said, firmly.“We have a full schedule next week.I want you fresh and ready on Monday.Oh, I almost forgot.Our backers expect everyone involved in the production to be at the Saturday night party.Everyone, so I expect you there with your plus-one.”She turned and hopped onto the golf cart.With a wave, she took off toward the tent.
Something had put Barbs in a good mood.Earlier, she’d seemed tense.
“Take it easy tonight, kiddo,” Chris said, walking toward her.He tossed her a bottle of water.“Do not add more bruises in the next two nights or you’ll be dressed like a nun come Saturday.If you call me before the party, I’ll pay your father a visit,” he threatened.
“I can take care of a few bruises on my own.”
He shuddered.“I’ve seen your attempts.Come here.”With a quick hug he added, “Now get out of here.”
Jillian put on her sunglasses and headed for her bike while guzzling water.As a stunt artist, taking care of her body was her first priority, and that meant keeping it hydrated.Water and a regimented workout.When she was on the road, it was hard to keep to a routine because her trailer wasn’t equipped with a gym.But she’d learned to make do.No use whining about things she couldn’t have.But that would soon change when she rejoined her family.Her father had just bought a new rig with travel weights and gadgets.
Jillian zipped up her jacket, swept her hair out of the way, and put on her Bluetooth enabled helmet with built-in speakers.She adjusted the volume on the handlebar-mounted controls.Now she could hear the traffic along with Beethoven’s Symphony.Within seconds, she was leaving the skydiving school behind.
Cool breezes floated past her, teasing her warm skin.Late spring was her favorite time of year.It was neither too hot nor too cold.Instead of heading north towards I-215, she took a side road and headed for Ortega Highway.It was less scenic, but had less traffic.
She was still wired up from her jump.Classical music or yoga usually relaxed her after a stunt.When those didn’t work, mind-blowing sex took care of the excess adrenaline.She hadn’t used that technique in a while.
Technique.What a way to describe sex.Sex was anything but a technique.
Out of nowhere, the image of the man with the RK flashed in her mind.She shook her head, but couldn’t dislodge his handsome features.The man was unforgettable; although everything about him yelled danger.He was the kind of man who would make a woman break all her rules.
As though her mind had conjured him, she saw him ahead.She’d recognize those broad shoulders anywhere.Her stomach did that annoying flip-flop again.She was going to pass him and keep going.
A truck was coming in the other lane, but it was still too far to worry about.The speed limit on Ortega Highway was forty-five.If she stepped on the gas, she could reach sixty easily.
She accelerated, moving to the other lane as she inched closer.She was close to overtaking him when he glanced at her, grinned, and picked up speed.What the heck?When she slowed down, he did too.
What was he doing?She stepped on the gas, tried overtaking him again, but the truck was too close.The driver flashed his headlights in warning.Luckily, there was a gravel shoulder on the road.Jillian swerved, loose pebbles flying behind her.The truck driver honked as he passed.He probably thought she was a nutcase.She careened right, flew over the edge of the road, and shot ahead of the biker.
In your face, baby.Jillian laughed.
Seconds later, her laughter disappeared as he picked up speed.This guy had a serious competitive streak.Just like her.He drew closer and closer.He was gaining on her.Of course, it could be a question of which one of their bikes handled acceleration better, but that was neither here nor there.Biking was her thing, and there was no way he was winning.
She tightened her body and sunk low, then gave her baby the final boost.She left him behind.Yes!She’d won.
Jillian did victorywheelies, which she’d perfected in her teens.Leaning back, she lifted the front wheel of her bike.Down the road she did the reverse, going for a nose wheelie.If the road was wider, she would have done a circle, but she was going too fast.Two guys in a jeep honked in appreciation as they rode past.She laughed.
The biker either didn’t like her performance or was a buzz kill.He passed her and became a road hog, swerving left then right, blocking her from overtaking him.His light blinked furiously, indicating he planned to pull over.
Did he really think she’d pull over, too?She loved danger, probably more than most girls, but there was no freaking way she was pulling up on the shoulder of some road with a stranger just because he was gorgeous.When he slowed down, she shot past him and kept going.
See yah!
~*~
Jillian pulled up to a Shell Gas Station in San Juan Capistrano to refuel.She was just finishing when the biker eased in behind her.She turned to face him, her stomach doing that stupid dance again as she watched him dismount his bike.
“What took you so long?”she teased.
