Beyond Control (10 page)

I floated to the side and snatched the bottoms from his fingers and smiled.

“Thank you,” I told him, but my body betrayed me once more as my belly muscles clenched with this close proximity.

“No sweat. I’ll be back with a towel.” His sultry voice and sexy grin vibrated something deep within me—to my core—and I blushed immediately. “Where are they at?” he asked.

“They’re in the right down the closet to the hall.”

He stopped and turned to face me. “Wanna try that again?” he asked, giving me a devilish grin.

“They’re down the hall to the right in the closet,” I mumbled, my cheeks igniting.

He winked at me, and I wanted to dunk in the water and stay there until possibly Christmas.

I quickly tied my bikini bottom back on and took a deep breath as I watched him approach with a fluffy, sage green towel. What I would’ve given to have had that by the hot tub earlier… Brandy’s definitely on my shit list.

“Thank you,” I told him, floating to the side.

“Anytime,” he replied, grinning, slipping his hand deep into his pocket as he held the towel up with the other.

I stood up and grabbed the towel, feeling a thrilling sensation run through me as I glanced at him. Jason stood there, his lip curving at the corner, as he watched me try to crawl, ever so gracefully, over the side of the hot tub once more. At least this time, I was covered up. I wrapped the towel around me, securing it with a twist, and watched as he leaned over the railing.

“I love the view here. That’s what sold me on this unit,” I said, noticing his lean arms as he stretched them along the rail. I had to knock this off.

“The view’s been sensational so far.”

“Very funny.” I crossed my arms in front of me.

“What? It’s a great view. I completely agree with you,” he replied, turning around grinning.

“I’m gonna go change. I can’t wait to see my bike,” I said, dismissing his boyish grin and what it did to me.

“I don’t think I can ever win with you,” he replied, beaming. “But I’m definitely up for the challenge.”

“Who said I was,” I replied, glancing behind me.

He had turned around and was leaning up against the balcony railing, his arms crossed as he watched me. The sunlight was catching his eyes in such a way that they almost looked golden. They were quite beautiful. He was quite beautiful. I added a little more sway to my hips as I walked off the balcony, but I wasn’t sure if he’d be able to catch it through the bulk of the towel. But it was worth the effort.

“Maybe we can go for a ride tonight,” he offered.

I didn’t respond, fearing my excitement level would be too evident. I had to maintain control. Not wanting any other mishaps, I skipped the shower and went into my bedroom, closing the door. I leaned against it, and my mind flashed to his fingers working their way up my thighs.

Enough!

Okay. Time to get a hold of myself. He wasn’t looking to date anyone, possibly because he was already with someone, but regardless I wasn’t either. That was only harmless flirting. I quickly pulled on a pair of lavender camo cargo pants and an oversized sweatshirt. If I did happen to go on a quick ride, I wasn’t going to be in shorts. I ran my fingers through my wet, tangled hair and grabbed an elastic to plop my hair into a quick bun.

I heard the slider door close and his footsteps in the family room. I slipped my Converse on and opened the door, letting out a slow breath.

“I know we’re kind of doing things in reverse, but can I offer you a drink?” I asked as I made my way down the hall. “I’ve got some Redhook Mudslinger in the fridge.”

“Nah. I’m good. Maybe water,” he replied. He was sitting on the main couch, his elbows propped on his knees as he watched me move to the kitchen. There was something going on behind those eyes of his, and I wanted to find out what it was.

“You look great, even with clothes on,” he replied, catching me off-guard. There was some sort of current running between us. Or at least I felt like there was. Something like that couldn’t be one-sided, could it?

“Thanks. I actually prefer being fully dressed in front of strangers. Believe it or not.”

“Your dad said your favorite color was lavender. It looks nice on you. I hope I incorporated enough into the bike for you,” he said, his voice softening. “I can make any changes you’d like to the bike.”

“It looked absolutely beautiful from what I saw.” I reached into the cupboard and pulled out a glass, filling it with water. I didn’t get to see the bike up close, but the fenders and gas tank were black metallic. I had noticed a lighter color edging several of the pieces. I’m guessing it was the lavender.

“I have to be honest. You don’t strike me as a typical biker chick,” he said, smiling. I handed him the glass and sat across from him in the chair.

“Is that so?” I asked, arching my brow. “I don’t see you as a bike builder.”

He nodded and leaned back and was silent for a moment, sipping the water.

“I parked down the street with the trailer, if you’d like to see it.”

“I was afraid you’d never ask,” I said, hopping up.

I grabbed my phone and the house keys and slipped my license in my pocket as he set the water glass on the counter. As I locked the door behind me, he went to the elevator and pressed the call button. I noticed the definition of his back as he folded his arms in front of him. His worn Levis sat nicely around his waist, and his biceps were cut, every movement defining the bulk that peeked out from under his sleeve. When I came up behind him, I felt the heat rise up my body. Thankfully, the elevator opened up, and he gestured for me to step inside first. I gave him a quick nod and faint smile as I walked to the far corner of the elevator and leaned against the metal bar.

“I don’t bite,” he said, delighting in my reaction.

“That’s a shame,” I replied coolly, not looking at him.

His breath hitched, and I felt his amusement fill up the entire elevator.

Feeling especially brave, I glided my hand along the railing. “Does that disappoint your girlfriend?” I asked, looking up through my lashes. I’d get my answer one way or the other.

A quizzical expression appeared in his eyes before a smile lined his lips. He shook his head and relief looked to spread through him.

“What?” I asked.

“Is that why you’ve been so standoffish?” he asked, completely bewildered. “You think I have a girlfriend?”

Shit!

“You don’t?” I asked surprised.

He shrugged. “Not currently.”

“I thought your girlfriend was with you at the party and then when I saw her last night at a club…” I stopped myself, not actually sure what their relationship constituted. For all I knew they could’ve recently broken up.

“She’s not nor has she ever been my girlfriend,” he revealed, as the doors spilled us out into the lobby.

I found myself completely unable to trust my feelings. Rather than pure jubilation and excitement filling me to the brim, disappointment, fear, and an impending doom started pulsing through me.

Jason touched the small of my back as we walked through the lobby doors to the sidewalk. The tenderness of his touch surprised me as he steered me toward his Jeep and the trailer down the street. He’d parked under one of the large maples, which provided a nice canopy of shade.

“Jeep, huh?” I asked.

“Only way to travel.”

We stopped in front of the trailer, and he began unlatching the door and maneuvering the ramp. Once the doors were open, I saw two bikes inside, but I knew immediately which one was mine. The lavender was a dead giveaway.

He hopped onto the ramp and released the straps that had been holding my bike in place. Maneuvering it off the ramp, I was awestruck while he wheeled the bike in front of me.

The detail was impeccable. As I had seen that night at the auction, the gas tank, oil tank, and fenders were a metallic black, but in the light the color shimmered to a pearlized charcoal.

“Did you hand paint this?” I asked in awe, pointing at tiny, lavender angel wings at the base of the gas tank. “And all the striping is hand tipped?”

He nodded, pride filling his eyes as I recognized the craftsmanship that went into this one-of-a-kind bike. “I like to airbrush and….” his voice trailed off.

“It’s insanely gorgeous,” I said, smiling. “I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to ride this,” I whispered as my hand trailed along the leather of the seat.

I circled around the bike and looked over at Jason. “This is beyond…”

“Does it make up for earlier?” he asked, his eyes smoldering.

I waved the question away because I was, in all honesty, too taken aback to answer. I couldn’t even imagine the work that went into this build. All of the times I thought my father wasn’t listening to me babble about my dream bike, he apparently was. Unfortunately for him, it wasn’t going to make up for the recent cover-up job surrounding Aaron, but it was a sweet gesture.

“Do you have to drop off the other bike in the trailer?” I asked, hoping he wasn’t going to rush off.

His smile widened, and he ran his fingers through his hair, looking playful.

“No. I actually brought it in case I could convince you to go for a quick ride with me,” he said, his voice warm. “You know test it out. Make sure everything runs the way you want.”

Being around him had a strange effect on me, and I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what it was specifically that did it to me. I mean yes he was a beautiful specimen, but I had been around attractive men before. It’s not like I lived in a cave. But I really couldn’t put my finger on what it was about him that was beyond appealing.

“Where were you thinking?” I asked, knowing my answer was going to be yes no matter what the destination.

“Madison Park?”

Madison Park was one of my favorite parks in Seattle. There was beach access, and plenty of places to spread out on a sunny day. It was also a highly populated beach, which was in its favor.

Taking my silence as a no, he shook his head. “You’re a hard nut to crack.”

I froze. His words hit me like a slap to the face. My brother always told me that growing up. Without thinking, I had to ask. I had to know.

“How well do you know Aaron?” I asked, bracing myself for an answer I didn’t want to hear.

He crossed his arms, the playfulness falling from his face. He took a step back and leaned against the trailer, the silence between us building.

Jason let out an unsteady breath and looked toward the brick building before connecting his gaze with mine. The crushing weight of his silence buried me with every passing second.

“No matter how much I want to spend time with you, I’m not gonna lie to you…”

I raised a brow.

“I’ve known your brother for years. He’s a really close friend of mine.”

I looked away, forcing back the unexpected tears, as I pretended to focus on the bike. His admission was innocent enough, but the realization that my brother lived an entirely full life, apart from me, wasn’t something I’d ever let my mind think about. I never once allowed myself to go there. In my mind, no matter how unreasonable, he was friendless, moneyless, and loveless.

“He’s not a bad guy,” Jason muttered. “You should give him a chance.”

The fury ignited once I realized what was really going on here. It wasn’t that Jason wanted to take me out or go on a ride. Aaron sent him on a mission, and my feelings, once again, were an unfortunate byproduct of my brother’s plan.

“I think I’ll take a rain check on that,” I told him, feeling the control slowly seep back into my grasp.

Jason nodded, shoving his hand into his pocket. “I’ll get the paperwork for you.”

“Thanks.”

He went to the Jeep and opened the passenger side door. I heard him rummaging through some papers as I stared at the bike, wondering what in the universe I did wrong. The rejection was seeping into my heart, but I wasn’t sure if it was from ten years ago or now.

“Here’s everything you’ll need. If anything comes up, my number’s on the card that’s stapled there,” he replied, handing me a custom helmet full of papers. His eyes looked distant, somber, probably because he didn’t keep up his end of the bargain for my brother.

“Perfect.” I refused to let him see how hurt I was.

Between mistakenly letting my imagination run wild with possibilities about Jason, and then my brother forcing himself into my life again, all I wanted to do was hop on this bike and never come back. Not to mention the fact that I really wasn’t all that into selling cheese for a living.

“I hope that you’ll—”

“Let’s not do this,” I told him, folding the papers and shoving them into my pocket.

“Fair enough,” he replied, his expression unreadable.

I swung my left leg over the bike. I may have promised Brandy that I wouldn’t ride tonight, but that was when we both thought tonight was going to end a lot different. I pulled the helmet over my head and strapped it in place.

“Later,” I mumbled, flipping the kickstand and starting the ignition. The rumble of the bike felt good under my fingertips as I released the clutch to accelerate. I waited for a car to pass and turned the bike in the opposite direction. Adding throttle so the bike took off quickly, I left Jason and my brother far behind as I rode down the city streets to anywhere but here.