“I don’t need diamonds, and I can pick flowers anytime.” Trixie looked at Nick, looking handsome holding Annabelle’s lead, and thought, You’re all I need. The equipment and everything else are just icing on the cake.
She was delighted that Annabelle and Alfie did so well and knew either one would do great at the soft visit. But this afternoon had done more for Trixie than just reassure her about the horses. She didn’t often see Nick with friends other than his or her family, and the better she got to know Dixie and Jace, the more she liked them. Nick laughed a lot around them, and even though they were primarily focused on the horses, he touched her when he walked by, whispered sweet and sexy things in her ear, and even stole several kisses. She loved how they were becoming a real couple a little more each day. She even let herself fantasize, briefly, about what it would be like to spend more than a month in Nick’s world.
Maybe one day…
TRIXIE RAVED ABOUT Jace and Dixie as they brought the horses home and got them settled. Before they climbed onto his motorcycle, he started to give Trixie a safety lesson about riding on the back of it. In true Trixie fashion, she rolled her eyes, planted a hand on her hip, and said, “I’ve ridden on a motorcycle before.”
“Oh. Okay, cool.” He handed her a helmet, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy that knowledge brought.
She cocked her head, and her hair tumbled sexily over her shoulder. “I’m curious. Why haven’t you taken me out on your bike before?”
“Because riding on the back of a man’s bike signifies to other bikers that you’re that guy’s woman, and you weren’t mine.”
She wound her arms around his neck and said, “You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to straddle your hog.”
“You keep talking like that, and we’re not going anywhere.” He lowered his lips to hers, taking her in a lustful kiss, but it still didn’t untangle the knot of jealousy in his chest. “Whose bike did you ride on?”
“You’re cute when you’re jealous. You get all tense and try to hold it back.”
He tightened his hold on her. “I hate feeling jealous, but apparently I have no choice in the matter with you, because I can’t stand the thought of you on the back of some other guy’s bike.”
She giggled softly and kissed his chin. “I’ve ridden on two guys’ bikes. Dusty Kincaid’s and Austin Andrews’s.”
“Kincaid? Have I met him?”
“I doubt it. He’s a model and spends a lot of time in New York and LA these days.”
Nick scoffed. “Pansy ass.”
“Hey, that’s mean. He’s not a pansy. Want to see him on Instagram?” She whipped her phone out of her back pocket.
“No, I don’t want to see him. I can’t see you going out with a fucking model.”
“We didn’t go out. He’s not a real biker, and neither is Austin Andrews. Maybe they don’t know what it means to bikers. Either way, they didn’t mind having me on the back of their bikes. And I didn’t date Austin, either, although I did give him my virginity.”
“Christ, Trixie. Are you trying to kill me?” He kissed her hard. “As far as I’m concerned, nobody’s touched you before me.”
“Seriously? Girls have touched you, and I’m not getting upset about it.”
“Don’t fool yourself. You got plenty pissed when Shayna texted me.”
“Ugh. That’s right. One of your buckle bitches.”
“Can we not torture each other and get on the bike?”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
He helped her onto the motorcycle and climbed on in front of her. Before putting on her helmet, she wrapped her arms around him and said, “For the record, you’re the only man I want touching me.”
“For the record, darlin’, you’re the only woman who’s ever been on the back of my bike. That should tell you everything you want to know.”
They put on their helmets and headed out to meet Jace and Dixie. The bullshit of who had come before they became a couple fell away with the rumble of the engine, the warm wind kissing his skin, and the heat and softness of his girl wrapped around him.
A long while later they pulled off the highway and drove over the causeway toward Capshaw Island. Long grasses sprouted up through the water below, whooshing in the wind. Paddleboarders made their way across the water in the distance, and kites flapped high in the sky.
They drove through the small, rustic fishing town, passing painted brick and wood-sided storefronts with faded scalloped awnings shading wooden benches and planters overflowing with colorful flowers. Nick had gone to the island every few weeks after Beau and Zev had taken off all those years ago, when he’d needed to escape the realities of home, but he hadn’t been there in years.
As they made their way toward the main parking lot by the beach, he thought about the simplicity of the island. With only two blocks of storefronts and a bigger farmers market than grocery store, it had always appealed to him. It kind of bugged him that he hadn’t thought to bring Trixie there before Jace had suggested it. But then again, when Trixie was with him, leaving home was the last thing on his mind.
They parked the bikes and locked up their helmets. The scents of the sea hung in the air, and as Jace and Dixie climbed off his bike, Nick reached for Trixie. “What do you think?”
“That I loved that motorcycle ride as much as I love riding horses with you.” She rose onto her toes, and he lowered his lips to hers. “And I like knowing I’m the only woman who has been on the back of your bike.”
He’d meant about the town, but he liked her answer even better. “At my age, I didn’t think I had many firsts left, but you, darlin’, are showing me how wrong I was.”
“You want to whisper sweet nothings to each other, or head over the dunes?” Dixie called over to them with a big-ass smile.
“I want to carry her off and rent a room,” Nick retorted. “But that’d be rude, so the beach it is.”
They made their way to the edge of the dunes, stopping to take off their boots and socks. They left them tucked beside the dune grass and followed the sandy trail up the dune. The sand was warm beneath Nick’s feet. A gust of sea air and the sounds of waves breaking and seagulls screeching greeted them as they crested the dune. The beaches weren’t frequented or pristine because of the wild horses. They were rough, a bit rocky, strewn with seaweed, and for the most part, untouched by anything but the creatures that inhabited them.
Trixie shaded her eyes, looking out at the water. “It’s so pretty here.”
“Yeah. I used to come here a lot after my brothers took off. There’s an overlook a mile down the beach. That’s where most people go.” He drew her closer and kissed her temple.
“Should we go there?”
“Nope. We’re not most people.”
They went down to the beach, and Trixie sat between Nick’s legs in the sand with her back against his chest, while Dixie and Jace sat side by side. They talked, joked around, and sat in silence, listening to the peaceful sounds of the sea. The girls talked about Jillian and Whiskey Bro’s, where Trixie said they should go on a double date one night.