was
Laura, and yet he found himself handing her his helmet.
“Put this on,” he said. “Come with
me.”
“You're kidding, right?" Laura
asked. “You expect me to just climb on the back of a motorcycle with a
stranger?”
“Well, I don’t know how much of a
stranger I really am,” Mack said. “But right now, yes. I want you to take my
helmet and tell me where to go.”
Laura just stood there.
“Take the helmet,” Mack said. He
gritted his teeth again. His patience was wearing thin, but he didn't move.
Laura took the helmet and the first
thing she did was smell it.
“Are you kidding me?” Mack asked.
“What? It smells bad.”
“It’s a helmet.”
“I have to put it on?”
“Yes,” Mack said. “No riding
without a helmet.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“You're willing to put your life at
risk for me? You don’t know anything about me.”
“Okay then,” Mack said, crossing
his arms. “Tell me something about you then. Like why you let your car run out
of gas and then just sat here instead of getting help."
“Fine. I had an opportunity to get
a promotion at work and sabotaged it on purpose because I’m afraid of moving
forward with my life. So I quit my job and went for a ride. I didn't realize I
was out of gas until I was out of gas. When I pulled to the side of the road, I
figured I would take a break. No sense in rushing back to a reality I’m not
okay with, right?”
Mack had not expected her to blurt
all that out.
Laura put the helmet on her head.
She titled her head back a little and before she could reach the clasp, Mack
put his hands out and took care of it. When his fingers grazed her chin, Mack
felt a quick sense of warmth in his body. It caught him off guard and he turned
his head. There was no attraction there... why would there be? Mack chalked the
passing thought up to her story of being lost and confused. It was her story
that he connected with, not her.
“Where does your sister live?” Mack
asked.
Laura rambled off an address and
Mack had an idea of where to go. His plans for his day off didn’t include this,
but it would be a hell of a lot better than cruising around, letting memories
tear more of his soul away.
Once on the motorcycle, Mack waited
for Laura to grab hold of him. She didn’t just clutch the side of his leather,
she slid her hands all the way around his body and interlocked her fingers. And
then her body pressed against his.
This is wrong …
The motorcycle started and Mack pulled
out onto the road again. He looked in his mirror and still couldn't make sense
of what happened to Kelly, or what was happening right now. Why had Laura ended
up in this spot, on this day? For whatever reason, Mack got the impression
that his life was about to change in ways he hadn't planned.
*
Laura kept her fingers locked
tight. Never the one to admit she desperately wanted to be saved, Laura turned
her head and rested it against Mack’s back. The world flew by as he drove her
to Steph’s house.
It was probably wrong to do, but
when Laura had tried to call Steph, she only let it ring twice before hanging
up. She was too intrigued by the sexy man on the motorcycle who came to her aid
twice.
The second she saw Mack
approaching, she sensed something about him. The way he stared at the other
side of the road and insisted she get help immediately revealed a vulnerability
that big, tough men don't usually show to strangers.
Laura thought about what Mack said.
He was a musician. He called himself a rockstar. Laura had no idea what that
actually meant. For all she knew he could be some burned out drummer who couldn't
get over being kicked out of his band in high school. But he did offer her a
ride. And as dangerous and stupid of a decision it might have been, Laura
needed to take a chance.
At a stop sign, Mack put his feet
down and turned his head.
“Tell me where to go!” he yelled.
“Okay,” Laura yelled back.
She directed
Laura, and yet he found himself handing her his helmet.
“Put this on,” he said. “Come with
me.”
“You're kidding, right?" Laura
asked. “You expect me to just climb on the back of a motorcycle with a
stranger?”
“Well, I don’t know how much of a
stranger I really am,” Mack said. “But right now, yes. I want you to take my
helmet and tell me where to go.”
Laura just stood there.
“Take the helmet,” Mack said. He
gritted his teeth again. His patience was wearing thin, but he didn't move.
Laura took the helmet and the first
thing she did was smell it.
“Are you kidding me?” Mack asked.
“What? It smells bad.”
“It’s a helmet.”
“I have to put it on?”
“Yes,” Mack said. “No riding
without a helmet.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll take my chances.”
“You're willing to put your life at
risk for me? You don’t know anything about me.”
“Okay then,” Mack said, crossing
his arms. “Tell me something about you then. Like why you let your car run out
of gas and then just sat here instead of getting help."
“Fine. I had an opportunity to get
a promotion at work and sabotaged it on purpose because I’m afraid of moving
forward with my life. So I quit my job and went for a ride. I didn't realize I
was out of gas until I was out of gas. When I pulled to the side of the road, I
figured I would take a break. No sense in rushing back to a reality I’m not
okay with, right?”
Mack had not expected her to blurt
all that out.
Laura put the helmet on her head.
She titled her head back a little and before she could reach the clasp, Mack
put his hands out and took care of it. When his fingers grazed her chin, Mack
felt a quick sense of warmth in his body. It caught him off guard and he turned
his head. There was no attraction there... why would there be? Mack chalked the
passing thought up to her story of being lost and confused. It was her story
that he connected with, not her.
“Where does your sister live?” Mack
asked.
Laura rambled off an address and
Mack had an idea of where to go. His plans for his day off didn’t include this,
but it would be a hell of a lot better than cruising around, letting memories
tear more of his soul away.
Once on the motorcycle, Mack waited
for Laura to grab hold of him. She didn’t just clutch the side of his leather,
she slid her hands all the way around his body and interlocked her fingers. And
then her body pressed against his.
This is wrong …
The motorcycle started and Mack pulled
out onto the road again. He looked in his mirror and still couldn't make sense
of what happened to Kelly, or what was happening right now. Why had Laura ended
up in this spot, on this day? For whatever reason, Mack got the impression
that his life was about to change in ways he hadn't planned.
*
Laura kept her fingers locked
tight. Never the one to admit she desperately wanted to be saved, Laura turned
her head and rested it against Mack’s back. The world flew by as he drove her
to Steph’s house.
It was probably wrong to do, but
when Laura had tried to call Steph, she only let it ring twice before hanging
up. She was too intrigued by the sexy man on the motorcycle who came to her aid
twice.
The second she saw Mack
approaching, she sensed something about him. The way he stared at the other
side of the road and insisted she get help immediately revealed a vulnerability
that big, tough men don't usually show to strangers.
Laura thought about what Mack said.
He was a musician. He called himself a rockstar. Laura had no idea what that
actually meant. For all she knew he could be some burned out drummer who couldn't
get over being kicked out of his band in high school. But he did offer her a
ride. And as dangerous and stupid of a decision it might have been, Laura
needed to take a chance.
At a stop sign, Mack put his feet
down and turned his head.
“Tell me where to go!” he yelled.
“Okay,” Laura yelled back.
She directed
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