Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
I nodded, then slipped on the helmet. Once I had it adjusted, I climbed behind him and placed my hands on his hips. “Now, what?”
“Put your feet on the pegs, hands on my waist, and lean into the curves. Leave the rest to me.”
“Easy enough.”
I held onto his waist as we pulled through the front gate and out onto the road. I’d lived in Port Angeles for months. I’d driven down the same roads we were riding on more times than I could count, but being on the back of Q’s bike made everything seem so different.
The air seemed fresher, the trees greener, and the roads curvier. I wasn’t just watching the world go by. On the back of that bike, I was a part of it, and it felt both exhilarating and liberating. The cool wind whipped around me as we continued down one of the old backroads. I’d never felt such a rush as I did nestled up behind him, leaning into each and every curve.
It took me a minute, but when I spotted the coastline in the distance, I knew exactly where we were going. It was such a sweet, thoughtful gesture. I should’ve been excited or thankful that he’d brought me to such a beautiful place, but for reasons I couldn’t begin to explain, I wasn’t. I was bothered, irritated by his kindness, and by the time we’d pulled into the parking area, that irritation had turned into anger.
I knew I was being crazy, and I tried to reason it out in my head, but I just couldn’t help myself. Q got off and removed his helmet, then looked at me with a smile. “Well, what did you think?”
“The ride was great,” I answered with little to no emotion. “And it’s really pretty here.”
“Pretty, huh?”
I removed my helmet as I muttered, “Um-hmm.”
“So, you like it?”
“Yeah, it’s ah... It’s great.”
“So, you keep saying, but somehow, I’m not buying it.” He crossed his arms and cocked his brow. “You wanna tell me what’s bugging you?”
“You shouldn’t have done this.”
“Shouldn’t have done what?”
“This!” I threw my hands in the air. “The whole taking care of me when I was sick thing. The waffles. The ride. The beach. It’s too much. I don’t know what to do with it.”
“Sorry, babe. I’m not following.”
“I’m not used to people being nice to me, especially where men are concerned, so I’ve stayed away and just did my own thing. I didn’t expect anything from anyone. I didn’t want anything. I just tried to survive on my own, and I was good with that. I was okay, and then you came along. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with this. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with you. Everything in me tells me to run, and yet, here I stand.”
“You’ve got no reason to run, Jules.” He placed his hands on my hips and pulled me close. “I’m not going to hurt you.
Before I had time to think, he lowered his mouth to mine and kissed me with an intensity like I’d never known. His lips were soft and warm, and suddenly, my inhibitions faded away.
His arms wound tight around me, inching me even closer as his tongue found its way into my mouth. I was holding on by a thread, and just as I was becoming completely lost in his touch, he pulled back, quickly breaking our embrace.
He lifted his hand up to my mouth, gently brushing the pad of his thumb across my bottom lip, and whispered, “You can trust me. I just need you to give me a chance to prove it.”
I wasn’t sure I could completely trust him, but his kiss definitely had me wanting more.
Q
There was no doubt that Jules had been through hell. The people she cared about most had hurt her time and time again. She had every reason to question my motives. For that matter, she had every reason to run, but she hadn’t yet. I wanted to believe that was a good sign, but I had to be sure.
She was looking up at me with doe eyes when I pushed, “Can you do that for me? Can you take a chance?”
“I can try.”
“That’s all I’m asking.” I leaned down and kissed her on the forehead. “Now, do you want to go down to the water, or do you want to keep riding?”
“Can we go down to the water and then take a ride?”
“Absolutely.”
I reached down and took her hand in mine, then led her down the walking trail. As I knew it would be, it was quite the sight. The sun was dancing along the water’s edge, and the rocks were glistening as the waves broke along the coast. It was beautiful.
The trail was worn and uneven, but we managed to make it down to the beach without any mishaps. When we reached the ocean, I released Jules’s hand and watched as she knelt and put the tip of her fingers in the water. “Oh my! It’s freezing!”