Rough Ride (4 page)

“No Gran I promise I’ll head over there as soon as I get a shower.” He frowned.

Having showered, taken out the garbage, and rummaged through the mail he realized that Gran was purposefully waiting up to see if he would go and ask Lilly to work at the shop.  The old woman could read him like a book and knew if she went to bed, he would blow off this whole idea.  She didn’t say anything but he knew what game she played.

“Fine… I’m going!” He scowled as he picked up the keys to the bike and headed out the door. 
Was he still ten years old?

As he pulled up alongside two other bikes parked in Sherri’s yard and killed the motor, he could tell from the sounds within that a party was going on.  Well he couldn’t stay for this one… he had a deadline to meet and besides Gran’s worrying took the fun out of it anyways.

Knowing his knock wouldn’t be heard he let himself in the front door and was swarmed by those in the room including Sherri.  After several handshakes and hugs from the women he turned to Sherri “Where’s your sister?”

“She’s around here somewhere, not sure…why?” She asked giving him a curious look.

“Just wondered” He said as evasively as he could.

After Sherri lost interest in his business, he wondered through the house greeting people and keeping an eye out for Lilly.  He eventually made it all the way to the back of the house and hearing people out in the back yard, wondered outside.  After making his way through the crowd out back and still not seeing her, he turned to head back in the house.  Something caught his eye up on the roof.

After gazing up for a few seconds he saw it again… a bare foot bouncing up and down.  Walking backwards so he could get a better view of the roof he was shocked to see Lilly sitting in a fold out lawn chair wrapped in a robe.  She must have recently showered as her wet hair was brushed straight back and a glass of wine was in her hand.  The woman was a marvel.

Heading back in the house, he found the stairs that led up.  After acclimating himself he was able to judge which room she would have used to climb out on the roof and knocked on the door.  Not receiving a response he gently opened the door waiting for anyone within to acknowledge his presence.  It must be her room as her bags from earlier were sitting in a chair next to the bed.  Looking around he noticed the window to the room was wide open.

As he approached the window he could see her shapely legs sticking out from under the robe.  One leg was bent and the other was propped up on the knee and the dangling foot continued to bounce.  She still held the wine glass and was fumbling in an attempt to open the container of strawberries she had purchased earlier.

“Need some help” He asked through the open window.

She jumped and her head whipped around to stare at him with wide blue eyes.

“What are you doing here?” She asked sitting up and attempting to cover her bare legs.

Ducking through the window he made his way over to where she was and sat down on the rooftop next to the chair. 

“No longer so willing to share your goodies with me?” He asked suggestively.

She quickly looked away from him but he did not miss the blush that colored her pale cheeks.  She was affected by him too, he realized.  Working with her might be interesting…

“I umm… I only have one glass.  We could go downstairs and I’d be happy to pour you a glass.” She offered.

Reaching over he took the carton of strawberries from her hand and pried open the lid.  Helping himself to one he bit into it as he stared at her.  Gran had always told him staring was rude, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.  She wore no makeup, her hair was wet and combed straight back but she was
hot!

“I’ll pass on the wine but your berries are really good.” He said finishing off the strawberry and handing her the open container.

She took it from his hand but would not meet his gaze.  “Please don’t say things like that.” She finally whispered.

Knowing she meant the sexual innuendos, he said “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to embarrass you.  That’s not why I came up here.”

“Why did you come up here?  My bedroom door was closed to keep
out
my sister’s guests.” She said

“Gran told me you’re going to be in town for a while, is that right?” He asked

“Yes… why do you ask?” She asked

“She was as impressed with your knowledge on running an office as I was by the courage you showed riding on the back of a motorcycle with a strange man…in a skirt.” He said.  “So I thought I would come and see if you had the knowledge and courage to come and work for me as my office manager.”

“Please thank her for the praise.  As for the motorcycle ride, I didn’t have much of a choice.” She began.

“We could have taken my truck…” He interrupted.

“What? 
Your truck?
Why would you make me ride on the back of your motorcycle if we could have taken your truck?  You knew I had never done that before and I was in a skirt…“ She rambled.

“Did you enjoy the ride?” He asked and ginned at her unable to stop himself.

Blushing again she looked away from him and after several seconds replied “Yes, actually I did.  I wasn’t sure I would but once we got going…”

“What was the best part? Did you like the rush from going fast, the roar and power between your legs, or the feel of me in your arms?” He asked huskily as he leaned towards her.

He heard her sharp intake of breath at his words.  This time she did meet his gaze and her eyes blazed with anger…and
heat.

“Mr. Jackson I am not an easy target.  My sister and her friends told me
all
about you after you left earlier.  I am a widow, not a playboy bunny so whatever you think you’ll get from your sex talk and job offers, I can assure you will not pan out.” She said as she stood up and gently made her way past him to the window and climbed through it.

He quickly followed her and made it through the window and caught her arm just as she reached to open her bedroom door.

“Wait!” He said

Her blue eyes were like a shard of glass as they cut him.  Tears shimmered in them and he felt like the world’s biggest ass.

“I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.  Please…I can be stupid sometimes and I was just trying to flirt with you.  I didn’t know…I’m sorry for your loss.  When did your husband pass away?” He said ignoring the tingling sensation that touching her bare skin seemed to invoke.

“In a little less than two weeks, it will have been two years…” She whispered as she stared at the door.

After several long minutes of awkward silence he said “I’m sorry for your loss… really I am.  I’m also serious about the job, you were amazing today.  I swear it’s been so long since I’ve seen that desk I forgot what it looked like.”

She choked out a small laugh “Your office is in shambles, I’ve never seen anything like it.  How did it get like that?”

“Four sloths work there.” He replied

She laughed again and God help him he enjoyed the sound of it as much as he had enjoyed her arms around him earlier.  Flirting with women was his specialty and it was usually his ticket to getting laid.  This woman had cut him down to size, made him feel ashamed and captured his undivided interest with but a few select words.

“So… are you interested or are you going to make Dickie and Gran pay for my mistakes?” He asked.

His voice.
It seemed to heat her just as much as his hand on her arm did.  Standing so close to him she also noticed he no longer smelled like a mechanic but more like leather and some phenomenal smelling cologne. 

“How would they pay for your mistakes?” She asked looking up into his dark eyes. 

“Well since I won’t be charging you for the labor to fix your car, in return for all you did today at the shop… Dickie’s screwed out of a few bucks.  If you worked for me, he’d be paid the same rate as any other job.  As for Gran, she knows I won’t have time to get all the tax stuff together if I’m going to get my bike finished for the competition rally in two weeks so…she’ll be stuck doing it.” He said

“Are you extorting me?” She asked

“Is it working?  If not I can try blackmailing you with pictures of you on my bike.” He said

Though his expression looked serious she could see the glint of humor in his eyes and she lost her breath at the sex appeal this man seemed to ooze from every pore.

“Why don’t you ask me nicely?” She said a little breathlessly.

Leaning forward, she thought for sure he meant to kiss her and she braced for it.  Instead he stopped, a mere inch between their lips and stared in her eyes.  This time there was no place to go, no place else to look.  He invaded her space causing heat to shoot from her belly to the very core of her and she felt her panties grow damp from the intensity of the feeling. 
Yet he hadn’t even touched her!

“Please Lilly?” He whispered into her mouth as he stared in her eyes.

She felt her whole body flush at the words.  He was asking her to work for him
or was he?
  Everything he said seemed to have a double meaning and she couldn’t tell if he meant it that way, or if her attraction to him made her mind go there.  He was a big mass of contradictions. 

His piercing gaze and seeming constant scowl was intimidating, yet he flirted with her and said the most erotic things.  He was hard to take and even harder to ignore…especially up close and personal like he was now.

Stepping back from him she looked down and cleared her throat. “When would you need me to start?”

“The sooner the better… is your weekend booked? Or at the very least could you work a few hours tomorrow?” He asked. “I never got to payroll today and the guys will be by in the morning to pick up their checks before the banks close.  They close at noon on Saturdays so I’ve got no time to get it done and I could use your help.”

“Sure, what time?” She said still unable to meet his gaze.

“Is seven ok?” He asked.

“That’s fine but I have no way to get there and I doubt my sister will be feeling much like getting up early on a Saturday to take me.” She said

“I’ll pick you up and bring you back if your car’s not done… but Lilly…”

“Yes?” she said.

“You might want to wear jeans this time.” He smiled as the visual of her with her skirt pulled up riding behind him on the bike came to the front of his mind.

“I don’t have any.” She said

“Do you need me to run you to your car to get some?” He asked.
Please say yes.

“No, I mean…my husband never liked them so I stopped wearing them.  I haven’t worn jeans in years.” She said.

He laughed out right and Lilly startled as she hadn’t even seen him smile, let alone laugh.  The laugh ratcheted up his looks to the gorgeous level.  Lilly felt the back of her knees burn and weaken all at once.

“We’ll make do for tomorrow then.” He said with a grin and then placed his hand on top of hers and turned the knob, opening the door.  Turning back to look at her one last time, still too close to be ignored, he said “See you in the morning Lilly”

Then like that he was gone.  She closed her door and leaned against it.  So this was why women always went for the bad boys.  She had never understood what all the fuss was about until now.  Sherri was right… he
was
sex on a stick.

Lilly was ready and waiting on the porch the following morning when Bobby pulled up on his bike.  He killed the motor and hopped off the bike to put her purse in the saddle bag.  The skirt she wore was not as tight as the one from the day before so getting on the bike was easier and after tucking her skirt tightly around her legs to keep it from blowing up they took off for the shop.