Vista’s lips part on a gasp, and it takes every ounce of control I possess to keep from leaning up that last inch and covering her mouth with mine.
“Come on,” I say, rolling over and climbing off the bed. “Let’s go do something fun.”
Grabbing a discarded t-shirt from the back of the desk chair, I pull it over my head. When I turn around, Vista’s still sitting there on my bed, looking a little dazed, and just the sight of her there in her little t-shirt and shorts so short they should be outlawed, makes me want to throw her down on my sheets and touch her ‘til she screams my name.
I never should have told her I want to fuck her. Once words like that are shared, they can’t be taken back and now it’s all I can think about, and I’m betting the same is true for her. Something tells me she’s not even close to ready to go there though. That’s why I have to get out of here. I need a distraction, but the thought of spending any amount of time without her is unthinkable.
“Where are we going?”
Vista’s sweet voice in my ears threatens to send me over the edge. I back out of the room slowly, hoping she’ll follow, and she does. Thank God.
I grin at her. “It’s a surprise.”
At least she’s smiling now, instead of looking like a deer in the headlights. “I guess that means I should get dressed.”
“Or don’t,” I say with a shrug. “In fact, wear nothing. I got all the body heat you need.” God, just stop talking, man.
With a coy look, she runs off to her room to get ready while I head downstairs to put on my boots. I haven’t been riding in...too long. I love my car, but my bike is my first love. It’s the first thing I bought for myself when I got signed to MLS, but touring the country for games hasn’t left me with a lot of time lately to enjoy her.
My phone goes off as I’m slipping my arms into my riding jacket and I take it from my back pocket. It’s Vincent and I don’t even have to answer it to know what he’s calling for.
“Hey, man, what’s up?”
There’s a lot of noise going on in the background, so I guess he’s at a party, or a club. There’s no telling with Vincent. Wherever the fun is, he’s always there, no matter the hour.
“I got two words for you. Booze and pussy.”
“That’s three words, dumbass.”
“I got a couple more for you. Fuck you.” He belts out a laugh. “Anyway, I got this girl here who’s dying to meet you. You want me to bring her to you, or are you coming to us?”
My eyes lift to see Vista coming down the stairs. My dicks stirs as I take in the pair of skintight black jeans and multicolored tank top with ruffles that shows off just a hint of cleavage. Damn, just a hint, and I’m hard as a rock. I must be crazy.
“Naw, man. I’ve already got plans. Rain check, okay?”
“Dude, seriously? These women are fine as fuck. You can’t say no—”
I end the call while he’s still speaking because I honestly don’t give a shit about other women right now. “You look—damn.” I scratch my fingers through my beard, taking her in.
“Damn is good,” Vista says with a soft, flirty smile.
“You ready to go?”
She draws in a deep breath, and nods. “As I’ll ever be. Where are we going again?” She asks, eying my leather jacket and boots.
Scooping up my keys, I push her out the door and into the waiting elevator. “You know I’m not going to tell you.”
“Oh, I’m sure I can draw it out of you somehow,” she says, her eyes traveling down my body. I know that look, but I doubt she even realizes what she’s doing.
“You think you’re the only woman to try to seduce me, princess?” The elevator lets us out on the ground floor, and I lead her toward a back exit that lets out onto the building’s parking lot. The instant she sees what we’re heading for, Vista’s eyes practically shoot out of her skull.
“You own a motorcycle? We’re going to ride on that?”
I grin as I remove two helmets from the saddlebags. “That’s right, princess. Just something to add to the list of things you didn’t know about me. And here’s something else,” I say, passing one of the helmets off to her. “When it comes to keeping secrets, I’m a steel vault.”
She rolls her eyes as she turns the shining black helmet in her hands. I can’t even begin to restrain my smile. I had it specially made for her last week, and when she sees—
“You’re such a bastard,” she laughs, shaking her head.
“You like it?”
With a manufactured look of annoyance, she turns the helmet toward me so I can see the laser work I had done on it. In bright yellow script is the word Dummy.
“I think this one is yours.”
Taking it from her hands, I shake my head as I place it on top of hers. “Nope, mine is the one that says Pussy Magnet.”
“No way!”
Finished clipping her helmet on and making sure it’s snug, I wink at her and then turn away, tossing my leg over the seat. “Climb on, princess.”
Coming up behind me, I hear her whispered “Oh, my God,” when she catches sight of the back of my helmet. What can I say? She was warned.
Grabbing onto my shoulders, she climbs up and adjusts herself so that there’s a little gap between us.
Nope. That’s not going to happen. “You’re gonna have to get a lot closer than that if you don’t want to fall off, princess.”
A moment passes, and then Vista leans forward, wrapping her arms around my middle. Still not close enough for my taste, though. Reaching back with both hands, I grasp the back of her knees and drag her ass forward so she fits right up against me nice and snug.
“Much better, don’t you think?” Like this, I can feel the heat between her legs against my lower back. My jeans are instantly too tight, and I have to reach down to shift myself.
Damn, but this is going to be one hell of a ride.
Firing up the engine, I instruct Vista to hold on tight and relax, then we take off.
I’ve only had a person on my bike one other time when I was already out cruising and Vincent’s truck broke down and he needed an emergency pickup. Otherwise, no one rides with me. Riding is the one time when I can break free from everything and clear my head.
Having Vista with me isn’t a distraction though. With her at my back, leaning into the turns with me, her hands pressed flat against my stomach, I feel more at peace than I ever have riding alone. It’s strange, but there’s something calming about having her here. Almost like by sharing this experience with her I’m letting her see a piece of me that no one else is allowed to see.
That should scare me, but weirdly enough, it doesn’t. I kind of like it, actually.
When we cross over the city line, I take a detour onto an old country road that’s low on traffic and I open the engine, sending us flying down the deserted street at a pace that’s probably not safe but is definitely exhilarating.
Vista’s arms wrap around me tighter and her helmet touches mine as she brings her chin up to rest on my shoulder. I don’t even know if it’s possible, but I swear I can feel her heart beating against my back, keeping time with mine.
Together, we speed down the barren road, snaking in and out of the curves. The landscape is a blur, but that’s not what I brought her out here for anyway. In the distance, hidden between some trees, is a path. It’s old, rocky, and forgotten, and the only sign that anyone has been down it is the single groove running down the middle created by my tires.
As our turn comes up, I throttle down. When I see it, I take us off-road. The ride is teeth-rattling bumpy, but I love it. I love everything about this place—the trees, the weeds, the dirt that kicks up under the tires, and the clouds of gnats that scatter as we barrel through them. It’s a rustic paradise.
A few minutes in, when my ass is starting to grow numb from all the vibration, we’re there. A rotted out cabin with a sloped porch and collapsed roof stands like a haunted sentinel warning us away, but this is my place now and I never scared easily.
Rolling to a stop, I cut the engine and wait for Vista to climb off first. I follow, removing my helmet and hanging it on the handlebars before turning to help her with hers. I watch her face carefully the whole time, eager to know what she’s thinking, but she’s not giving anything away.
Hanging her helmet with mine, I turn and walk away, leaving her to decide if she wants to follow or not.
“I know you don’t think I’m going in there.”
I look behind me to see Vista staring up at the hollowed out shack in horror. For a moment, I keep my mouth closed, letting her mind run wild.
“You’re kidding, right?” she screeches. “It’s a wreck! It looks like a swift breeze could knock it down.”
In truth, it probably could. It was probably a nice place at one time though. Sometimes I imagine that it used to belong to a family—maybe one with kids—and they used to spend their summers here.
“I don’t know,” I drawl, giving it a once-over. “I think it’s pretty charming. A little paint, a couple new boards...”
“Windows, siding, a roof,” she adds. “Come on, Levi, I know you’re not that crazy.”
“How sure are you?” I challenge, taking a step toward her. A thread of satisfaction winds through me when she stands her ground. I already know she wants me, but now I know she trusts me, too. “Come on,” I say, holding my hand out. “The big surprise is out back.”
Reluctantly, she slips her hand into mine. I give it a reassuring squeeze, and then I guide us through the tall grass and thicket of weeds, careful to point out rocks and divots in the earth so she doesn’t trip or fall.
And then we’re right where I want to be.
“Oh...wow,” Vista breathes, and I know how she feels.
When I first found this place, it was completely by chance. I’d been out hiking, looking to get lost, and then this place appeared like something out of a dream, and I’ve been coming here ever since.
“You like it?” I ask her as I lead us down to the bank of the pond and pull her down to sit with me. “It’s my version of a mini vacation.”
“It’s gorgeous and unexpected,” she says, looking out over the water with awe. “How did you find this place?”
“I just kind of stumbled across it. I come here whenever I need to clear my head.”
I feel her eyes on the side of my head and I hear the question before she asks it. “Why did you bring me here then? If this is your private place, why would you want to share it with me?”
Drawing my knees up, I drape my arms over them as I consider how to answer her. “I don’t know. I guess because when I come here, everything just seems easier somehow.”
Mirroring my pose, Vista hugs her knees to her chest and rests her cheek on top of them, her face turned toward me. “How do you mean?”
“Well, like, when we were younger, for example. Everything just felt...complicated, I guess. Like, here you are, trying to figure out where you fit in the world and you have all these people barking in your ear telling you what you have to do and where you have to go and all you want to do is scream that it’s your fucking life, you know?”
I take a breath. I’m getting worked up and that’s not what this place is for. I don’t want to taint it with bad energy or whatever. “Anyway, I thought you might like it...and I thought that maybe if you came here with me you might see that I’m not my father.”
Finally, I look at her, though it’s a struggle. Vista’s brown eyes are steady on mine and I don’t see the judgment in them I was expecting.
“I don’t think you’re like your dad, Levi. Actually, I think considering the way you grew up, you’re probably a lot better than that. Even though you are a total man whore.” She wears a teasing smile as she says this, and I can’t help returning it.
“Well, I am single. Gotta sow those wild oats.”
She looks away, growing quiet all of a sudden, and I realize how that must have sounded. I’m a total jackass.
Reaching out, I skim my finger down her arm to gain back her attention. “I’m sorry I said that. I didn’t mean it.”
Her nose scrunches. “Yeah, you did, but it’s okay. It’s the truth. Playing the field is what we’re supposed to be doing at this age, right?”
I’m surprised at the instant jealousy burning inside my chest. I’m not the jealous type, but the thought of her playing any kind of field pisses me the hell off. I don’t want any man looking at her like I do, and the thought of some asshole putting his hands on her makes me want to hunt him down and rip them off.
“You know…” Vista says thoughtfully. Standing up, my eyes track her every move as she brushes her hands down the backs of her legs and stares out over the water. “It was a good idea that you brought me here.”
“Is that right?”
Focusing straight ahead, she purses her lips and nods once. “Yep. I’m inspired.”
That makes two of us. Sitting here gives me the perfect view of those long legs that would fit perfectly around my waist and that plump ass that I wouldn’t mind squeezing. She’s completely fuckable, and I’m completely gone for this girl.
“Take off your clothes, Levi.”
I blink a few times, unable to believe my ears. I must be dreaming, because she did not just say that. I stare at her, my eyes wide, as Vista starts stripping out of her clothes, revealing a neon pink lace bra and...white cotton panties...that have Wednesday stamped across the ass.
Laughter shakes my chest and, right hand to God, I try to hold it back, but... “Uh, princess. You do know today is Friday, right?”
Giving me a questioning look, I point at her butt and she follows with her eyes. “Like anyone really pays attention to what day of the week it is?”
“I think I’m more concerned with the fact that you’re wearing days of the week underwear. I thought they only made those for ages six and under.”
“Well, since you’re apparently the authority on underwear, why don’t you show me yours?” she retorts.
Shrugging, I stand up and pop the button on my jeans and shove them down my legs. I’ve taken off my clothes for magazine covers that millions of eyes have seen. Doing it for her is a walk in the park compared to that.
Standing there in only my boxers, I watch as her eyes slide from my chest down to my package. Her throat moves as she swallows and hell, yeah! She’s dead wrong if she thinks I’m just going to continue ignoring this little game we’re playing.
“See something you like, princess?”
Ripping her gaze away from me, she covers her face with her hands and takes a deep breath. When she finally summons the courage to speak to me, I’m impressed by how calm and collected she is. “We’ve made a lot of progress with your flexibility so I was already planning to start you on the rehabilitation process—”
“What’s the difference?”
“The difference is in how we treat your leg. Instead of flexing the muscles, we’re going to start building them back up. There’s a number of ways we can do that.” She dips her toes in the water, testing the temperature I’m guessing.
“I was going to suggest using the pool at the gym, but now we’re here.” A small sigh leaves her lips and I find myself moving closer, wanting to capture it with my tongue. “This is so much better, don’t you think?”
Before I have a chance to respond, she turns away and runs into the water. When it reaches her shins, she dives under the surface. A moment later, I see the water ripple further out and Vista’s head breaches the surface. She’s laughing as she pushes wet strands of hair back from her face and wipes the water from her eyes. “Come on! Get in!”
This girl is crazy. The water is so dark and murky, you can’t see a thing. The idea of fish swimming around me and not being able to see them gives me the creeps, but...
But.
“Don’t tell me the big bad adrenalin junkie is scared of a little water?”
I feel the answering smile stretch across my face. She’s baiting me, and I love it. Plus, she’s right. If word got out that I was scared to swim in dirty water, it’d ruin my rep.
Before I can talk myself out of it, I dive in after her.