Better Than Friends Read Online Free PDF Page B

Something about tonight being about new beginnings. I needed one of those, I mused. I needed to try something new, take a chance on the unknown. Riding, even as a passenger on a motorcycle, was a new one for me. I took a deep, cleansing breath and reached for the straps of the helmet, making certain it really was secure on my head before I moved gingerly toward Jack, who was perched on his Harley. I was aware of his watchful gaze but I needed to concentrate on working through my fear. I bit my lip and cheek as I reached out to touch the seat behind him, feeling the purr of the engine radiate through my body.
    “Hey, honey… it’s okay. Get behind me and hold on tight. You’ll be just fine.” His voice was low and kind, as though he were addressing a skittish child. Well, I was skittish, that was a given.
    I took another deep breath, wiped my sweaty palms on my pants, and lifted the fabric on my right leg as I attempted to mount the bike. The seat was broader than I realized, so I ended up misjudging the momentum required and hopped backward on my left foot, trying to avoid falling on my ass. Jack caught my flailing right arm and held me steady. Now my right Prada-covered foot was stuck on the seat, which may have been a graceful move for a dancer, but not a six-foot-tall dork like me.
    “Easy there. I got you.”
    “Jack. I’m stuck.” I was torn between embarrassed and pissed.
    Jack chuckled softly and turned to look at my predicament. He turned the engine off and effortlessly dismounted, giving me room to remove my leg from the seat. We stared at each other in the dark. I probably looked like a mutinous overgrown child with my arms crossed angrily and that damn biker helmet on my head. Oh and let’s not forget I was still wearing an Armani suit and a bow tie. Fucking ridiculous. Jack’s smile grew as he took in the silly sight I made. He shook his head in disbelief or maybe in disappointment—who knew? Perhaps I’d get my taxi ride after all. I waited anxiously to hear his verdict. He looked like a guy who had something to say.
    “We’re gonna try this again. You hop on first. I’ll lend you a hand if you need it. Then I’ll get in front of you.” His eyes were sparkling with humor, and his speech was slow and deliberate.
    I stared at him a moment longer. Jack raised his eyebrows in response and waited for me to move back toward his Harley. This time around the fear was gone, and I was fueled by angry determination. I wasn’t about to look like a bigger schmuck than I already did. With more room to get on the bike and Jack’s arm nearby for purchase if I needed it, I was on the back end of his motorcycle in seconds flat. Jack took his place in front and restarted the engine, revving it to life.
    My thighs were splayed open, resting on the sides of Jack’s legs, the motor humming beneath us suggestively. I studied his massively wide shoulders and wondered at his sheer size and apparent strength. I couldn’t believe I was this close to him. We’d had our tongues down each other’s throats, but somehow this feeling, this kind of touching… it was sexy as hell.
    “Curt!”
    I blinked and refocused, realizing we were still parked.
    “Yeah?”
    “Hold on now. No daydreamin’, got it?” I heard the smirk in his voice and delivered a light smack to his back before I cautiously snaked my arms around his middle. “Tighter, honey. I don’t wanna have to go back and retrace my path to find pieces of you.”
    “Fuck! Jack, let me off. I’m not doing this. I changed my mi—”
    And he was off. I felt his laughter through the fine fabric of his tuxedo jacket. I wanted to be angry or scared but honestly, I was neither. The immediate sensation of flying and yet being tethered was thrilling. Holding on to a hunky, muscular man while I felt the cool wind on my face and the engine under my ass was another kind of thrill.
    Jack set a hand over mine when we reached a red light at the bottom of the hill and asked