He reached back, unlatched the box and pulled the helmet out, handing it to her. She took it from him and looked down at it then tentatively lifted it to her head and tried to pull it down. A good helmet needed to fit tightly, encasing the wearer’s head in a combination of hard plastic, Kevlar and polystyrene foam.
Jared twisted on the bike, gripped the helmet on both sides and pulled it down over her ears, gently running his fingers over the shells to push them inside the helmet without hurting her.
"Comfortable?" he asked.
She shook her helmeted head. "No, it's pretty squishy in here." Her words came out muffled and Jared laughed.
So fucking cute.
"It's supposed to be that way. It'll keep you safe." He gave the helmet a tap then took her hand and pulled her toward the bike. "Lift your leg over and tuck yourself in behind me."
She obediently did as he asked, awkwardly hopping on the bike behind him and then wiggling her hips to settle against his ass. That was the moment Jared realized this was probably a mistake. Riding a bike with a hard-on was not a comfortable thing to do, but it looked like that's exactly what he had just signed up for. Amy said something, but it was too muffled to hear. Jared twisted around and flipped up her visor.
Her adorably squished face gazed back at him, her lovely eyes uncertain. "Where do I put my hands?"
"You can reach behind you and grab the bar back there, or you can put your arms around my waist and press yourself against my back." He gave her a wolfish smile. "The second option is better, safer."
He flipped her visor back down, did the same to his own and turned on the bike. He gave her time to settle in against his back, wrapping her arms around his waist and clinging to him. He reached down, picked up each one of her booted feet and placed them on the foot pegs meant for a passenger. Then he revved the bike, lifted his own feet and they took off down the road. She gripped him so hard that she was actually able to push the breath out of his stomach.
That first ride with Amy was one of the best of his life. He'd always been a loner and his bike was a symbol of his independence. No one rode with him, which is why the helmet had been in storage for so long. He only bought it because at the time he got the bike he’d had a girlfriend of about six weeks and contemplated allowing her to ride on his bike. Luckily, they broke up before that happened. He hadn't really been into her, but he thought he should give the whole boyfriend thing a try.
Now that Amy was in his life, he was realizing why the girlfriend/boyfriend thing hadn’t worked for him in the past. He'd been waiting for her and no one else would do. Somehow, subconsciously, he'd known. He’d been waiting for the girl next door to grow up.
They arrived at the factory far sooner than Jared would've liked. He would have been a happy guy if their ride could’ve lasted forever. Amy climbed off the bike, just as awkwardly as she’d climbed on it, but her face was a smiling ray of sunshine when he pulled the helmet off her head.
"I loved it!" she gushed, sending his heart soaring. "I want to do it again. Anytime, anywhere, just take me with you!"
Jared laughed, sheer pleasure sizzling through his veins. If Amy liked riding as much as he did, they were a match made in heaven. He couldn't help himself. He reached out, gripped her by the waist and dragged her against his leg. She tripped and fell towards him. He easily caught her and held her against his chest, one arm wrapped over top of her and one underneath, securing her against his body.
As she lifted her face, he dropped his head to hers and took her lips in a kiss. The moment was both passionate and sweet, a meeting of their souls. Amy's breath hitched against his lips and he savoured her taste. He wanted the moment to go on forever, but it was 4:55. She would have to start work in five minutes.
He set her back on her feet and helped her straighten her coat. Then he handed over her bag.
"Have dinner with me tonight –" Jared started to say, but the words weren’t even out of his mouth before she was agreeing with him.
She nodded her head eagerly. "Yes please."
Jared bit back a laugh. "Good, it's settled. Bring the girls over at seven. I'll make something for all of us. Teagan can come too, if he's around."
Some of the pleasure drained from her face and she chewed on her lip hesitantly. "You want me to bring the kids over?"
Jared reached out to grab her hand and give it a light squeeze. "We both know something is happening between us, and I'd like to keep exploring it. Those kids are a major part of your life, which means, if things continue this way, they’ll be a major part of mine too. I want to get to know them, allow them to get to know me."
A shy, sort of hopeful, expression lit her face.
Still, she hesitated. "I don't usually let guys meet my siblings, especially the girls. They've had too much upheaval in their lives. I can't have them getting attached to someone and then have that person disappear. It would be too heartbreaking for them."
Jared nodded thoughtfully. Every part of him screamed to reach out and take the woman. She belonged to him and he wanted her to figure it out. If being with her meant having her family around too, then he was all in. One hundred percent.
But Jared could also understand her point of view. Her entire family had experienced some pretty major trauma, which would leave lasting scars. Even with a normal break up where kids were involved, it could be difficult to introduce them to a potential partner. In Amy's case, it was like navigating a minefield.
"How about we introduce me as a friend? That way, if things either don't happen between us, or go bad…" Jared didn't bother telling her that neither of those things would happen, because he wouldn't let it. "Then the girls will still have a friend in me." Jared gripped her chin and tilted it until she was forced to look at his face, to see the truth written there. "I promise you, Amy, I won’t do anything to hurt you or your siblings. Not even unintentionally. I will make them my priority, if that's what you want."
She gave him a slow nod, and, even though she was no longer as enthusiastic about dinner, he was happy that she was thinking about it. Finally, she said, "Okay, we'll see you at seven."
Jared turned the ignition on the bike, savouring the roar as it came to life. "Don't be late. I’m making hot dogs, and those don't keep."
The last thing he heard as he rode away from her was the sound of her sweet laughter following. Life was pretty damn perfect.
Nine
Life stopped being perfect when Jared arrived early at the jobsite office. Enrico was already in the trailer waiting for Jared and Vincent. Enrico worked with Jared, helping him with security.
While Vincent ran the entire operation, Jared's job was security and managing the work crews. The legitimate side of their business. Jared also did the occasional odd job that could be considered illegal, sometimes running point when Vincent wasn't available. Which had been happening more and more lately, since Vince was settling down with Jenna and the kids.
Jared raised a brow at Enrico as he pushed the door open to the trailer. He'd been expecting to have a few minutes to himself. Grab a coffee and settle into the boss's seat to go over the security details before Vince came in. Instead he was met with a grouchy, tattooed ex-biker.