"Put your arms around me," he said over his shoulder. "Hold on real tight."
Scowling, Connor climbed onto the other quad bike and started the engine, pulling out around the house and leaving us to follow.
I wrapped my arms around Riley's firm body. His muscles bunched under my arms as he got settled, sitting forward to give me more space to be comfortable.
He revved the engine before starting after Connor, driving carefully off the block and onto the road.
After a kilometre or two, we pulled onto a dirt track that led deeper into the forest and higher up the mountain. The roar of the engine, the wind whipping my hair and the bike between my legs drew a smile from me, then a laugh.
"Having fun, sweetheart?" Riley called back over his shoulder. "Ready to go faster?"
"Just a little bit," I called back.
He pushed the quad bike a little faster, trying to catch up to the speed Connor set. He disappeared out of sight around a bend for a few moments before we swung around, dust flying out behind us.
The trees went past in a blur of green and brown, with the occasional burst of red and gold. Birds startled, flying out of the bushes as we roared past.
Riley let out a whoop of excitement and accelerated a little harder, until we were almost on Connor's heels.
Connor glanced back over his shoulder, grinned and drew away.
"He thinks he can beat us!" Riley shouted. "Are we going to prove him wrong?"
Did I want to go any faster than we already were? Apparently I had a reckless streak I didn't know about before, because yes, I did. If we were in a race, I wanted to win.
"We can catch him," I called out.
"Hell, yeah, we can." Just like that, the quad went even faster. Fast enough to take away each breath as I exhaled. The trees were nothing but a wash of green, the ground nothing but dust. My heart raced like crazy, but I couldn't stop grinning.
Someone let out a shout of excitement. It took a moment to realise it was me. I felt like I was flying. Adrenaline pumped through my veins, racing through my blood faster than we were going. If that was even possible.
The track widened and Riley steered us over until we were side by side with Connor and his vehicle.
"Assholes!" Connor shouted.
Riley laughed, the wind whipping the sound back to me. "First one to the lookout gets to taste Leah first."
I was ready to come undone on the back of this bike as it was. His words left me panting, wanting more. Needing more.
Connor shot us both a look before leaning over the front of his bike and putting his foot down harder. He pulled away from us, leaving dust in his wake.
Riley's body shook with laughter, but he gave chase until we reached an open area in the trees. Finally, both guys slowed their bikes and drew them to a stop.
"Wow." I sat and stared at the view laid out in front of us. The mountain dropped off, revealing land that went on for days. Somewhere down there were houses and towns. People going about their daily lives.
All I saw was an endless green and cloudless sky.
"Do you trust me now?" Riley slid off the quad bike and offered me his hand to help me off.
"Because you brought me somewhere pretty?" I asked. "The jury is still out." I did accept his hand and walked with him over to the edge of the lookout.
"You're a hard woman, sweetheart." He didn't stop smiling. "If I could, I'd build a house right here. With huge windows that look out over that view. And a massive fireplace with a big rug in front of it for fucking."
"It would be a beautiful place to live," I said. "It'd be a shame to ruin it with a house though." Not to mention that no vehicle bigger than a quad would manage the track up. It would be an isolated place to live.
"I'd make one that fits into the landscape," Riley said. "Lots of timber and glass." He sighed softly.
"Where's the creek from here?" I asked. Was this near the lodge Josiah worked at?
