draped in leather with a surly attitude. From what he could see, Ronan wasn’t any of those things. Ronan had to be at least six three and over two hundred pounds, but he wasn’t heavily muscled and he didn’t seem to be coated in hair. His exposed forearms were strong and dusted with dark brown hair, but it wasn’t excessive. It was sexy. He wore simple jeans, engineer boots, and a green T-shirt with a faded emblem that advertised some bar in the Florida Keys. What Noah found fascinating was that Ronan was powerful without having to put on airs. He exuded strength and confidence.
Ronan handed Noah a helmet.
Unsure how to put it on, he watched Ronan with rapt attention. With one big hand, he finger combed his collar-length hair back, then slid the helmet down. Once he had it seated, he fastened the chinstrap.
Noah followed suit.
“How does that fit?”
Noah practically jumped out of his skin. Ronan’s voice was right in his ear.
“Sorry. I should have told you there’s an intercom system.” Ronan tapped his helmet. “This way we don’t have to scream at each other.”
“It’s great.” When Noah struggled to attached the chinstrap, Ronan reached out to help him. His touch was all business, but Noah found himself off in a fantasy of those same strong fingers seeking out far more sensitive areas on his body.
“You’ve never been on a motorcycle, have you?”
“How can you tell?”
“You’re shaking.” Ronan looked at the bike, then back to Noah. “If you’d rather not, I can figure something else out.”
“I don’t mind.” Noah met Ronan’s gaze. “I’m ready to try something completely new.”
Something about what he’d said made a slow, sexy smile spread over Ronan’s face. He had seemed handsome before, but now he was downright gorgeous. “I like you already.”
The way he spoke made it seem to Noah that Ronan was surprised. Had he not liked his submissives before, or had he expected not to like Noah at all? Rather than ask, Noah admitted, “I like you, too.”
“You impress me.”
“I do?” As far as Noah knew, he’d never impressed anyone.
“Any man who can confront his fears is a man worth getting to know.” Ronan slung his leg over the bike and lifted the kickstand with his foot. “Climb on.”
Noah had watched Ronan carefully, but when he went to imitate how he’d gotten on the bike, he discovered the passenger seat was up a bit higher than the driver’s seat. He was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get his leg up that high because of his restrictive trousers. He’d worn the suit to look as good as he could, but now he was thinking he should have worn something that gave him a little more movement.
“Here.” Ronan stood so Noah could get his leg over on the shorter area. “Take your time and go slow. I won’t let you fall.”
With Ronan’s powerful body holding the bike upright, Noah felt safe getting on. Once he straddled the bike, he slid up and back onto the seat. He wasn’t sure what was in the padding, but it felt like some kind of heat-activated foam. As soon as he settled in, the cushion molded around his butt.
“You’re a natural.”
“Let’s hope that’s in all the things we’ll do.” Noah didn’t realize he’d spoken aloud until Ronan answered him.
“I don’t think we’re going to have a problem.”
“Okay.” Noah made that noncommittal comment while getting himself settled. “How do I do this?” He realized that question could apply to just about everything, so he clarified. “Or do I just cling on to you and keep my screaming to myself?”
Ronan’s laugh was rich in his ears. “Put your hands on my waist and move with me and the bike. You might have an instinct to lean the other way. Don’t. Just trust me and the bike.”
“Trust.”
“Yep. It’s a big part of a relationship between a Dom and his sub.” After a momentary pause, Ronan asked, “Do you think you can trust me?”
Noah knew he was speaking in a