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me, I couldn’t see her face, but Crimson’s twin sister was watching us as we all left the building.
    The sun was sinking below the horizon, casting pink and orange hues on the clouds that dotted the sky. Jess climbed on back of my bike and wrapped her slender arms around my waist. She had ridden with me numerous times, and she loved motorcycles almost as much as I did. I rode my bike through the parking lot and waited at the edge of the road for Mike and Crimson to pull up behind me. When I spotted Mike’s bike in my mirror, I hit the road, eager to put some distance between Dara and me. That girl was beginning to consume my thoughts.

    ***

    The next morning, I didn’t arrive at the bookstore until almost eleven. I had stayed out late with Jess, Mike, and Crimson the night before, hoping that if I busied myself with their company, I would forget about Dara. I even tried smoking a little weed after I got home, but unfortunately, it didn’t work. I had wondered if Chance was trying to get back together with her. Thankfully, Crimson was quite talkative, and she volunteered the information without anyone having to ask. Chance hadn’t said anything about getting together with Dara when he was standing at their booth last night, but who knows what he might have said to her later after we had left? Hell, why did I even waste my time thinking about them?
    I needed a cigarette.
    I walked through the store, grabbing a loose cigarette from my front pocket. When I pushed the back door open, I was shocked by what I saw. Smoking was no longer on my mind, and I shoved the cigarette back into my front pocket.

Chapter 3

    Stone

    I wasn’t sure which of us was the most surprised, but Dara’s sweet, pink lips formed a perfect “O” as she gaped at me like a frightened rabbit.
    “Oh, I…I…I’m so sorry,” she sputtered.
    I had visions of Dara on my motorcycle, but I had never expected to catch her sitting on it, her delicate hands wrapped around the grips on the handlebar, her tiny, sandaled feet resting on the pegs. She stared at me with wide, green eyes, her blond hair gently blowing in the balmy breeze. Damn, she was beautiful. The only thing wrong with this picture was that I wasn’t sitting on it in front of her, her hands clutching me. Not yet, anyway.
    She finally spoke again. “Please don’t be mad. It’ll never happen again. I’ve just never seen a motorcycle up close before.”
    Several emotions coursed through my body. Anger wasn’t one of them. She was still staring at me as if she were afraid to move until she had gotten a response from me. I should put the poor girl out of her misery.
    “You want to go for a ride?” I asked her, amused at her present predicament.
    “With you?”
    It was so sexy the way she looked totally bewildered. “Well, unless you have a motorcycle’s license, then yeah, I guess it’d have to be with me.” How else would I get her to wrap those arms around me?
    She swallowed hard and looked down at the bike, then back to my face again. I could see the indecision reflected in her features.
    “It’s dangerous,” she whispered, so softly that I would almost think she was talking to herself.
    “I have an extra helmet, and I won’t speed or pop wheelies,” I promised, trying to alleviate her fears.
    “I wasn’t talking about the motorcycle,” she said softly. “I was talking about being with you.”
    Unable to argue that point with her, I stood quietly, my expression never changing. Slowly, I approached her and ran my fingertips along the curve of her cheek, tracing her jawline to her chin, and then I rubbed my thumb across her plump, bottom lip. She looked so enticing perched on my motorcycle.
    I leaned down toward her and watched as her lips parted, awaiting my kiss. Instead, I whispered in her ear, “Without a little danger to get your heart pounding every now and then, life would be incredibly dull.”
    I stood up but didn’t move my hand from her face. “Don’t