Opening Up
Page 36
“Well, that worked.” Audra handed over PJ’s stuff before hugging her.
“Maybe. We’ll see.”
“I got you on that. Don’t go through with it if he’s an ass. I know it’s a great ass, but you can get great ass without letting him walk all over you.”
PJ snorted. “Thanks, Mom.”
She waved at everyone else and headed back over to where Asa and Craig remained chatting.
“Ready. See you later, Craig.” She shifted to hug him and at first Asa held on, but then he let go.
Craig hugged her quickly and stepped back. She’d have to get the story later on what Asa had said.
“I’m glad you’re not wearing a skirt because I’m on my bike. You can have my helmet,” he said once they reached the sidewalk.
He’d come to her bar. Clearly he’d hoped to see her. She’d have been more impressed if he had two helmets, but then again she might have thought he brought it for another woman and that would have sucked.
“Can we stop by my apartment so I can grab a jacket? I also have a helmet, so then you wouldn’t be doing something dangerous to keep me safe.”
He indicated his bike and she paused, mouth wide open for a moment. A custom Softail. Matte black. Simple and super badass. Masculine. Yum.
“It makes me hard to see you look at a machine like that,” he murmured into her ear before he licked it and made her wet.
“Did you build this?” She ran covetous fingers over the seat.
He handed her the helmet and she got on after he did.
“I did. It was one of my first projects. Come on, let’s get your stuff.”
The ride wasn’t nearly long enough, less than a minute to get from where he’d parked his bike to her driveway. PJ promised herself she’d get a heaping amount of hanging on, plastered to his back, when they left for his house.
Sure, she didn’t actually need to hold on at all. But she would, because hello.
When he keyed the bike off, she slid free and handed his helmet over. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’m sure you will be.” He swung his leg over and stood, taking her hand. “Let’s go.”
Okay then.
“It’s a mess, I’ll warn you now.” She unlocked the door and they went inside.
He looked around and rolled his eyes. “This is messy?”
“My laundry is on the couch unfolded. I have work stuff all over my table. My shoes are everywhere. I was rushing around this week.”
He pulled her to him. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”
“Yes. In the afternoon, most likely. You should know, I’m using a painting bay at Twisted Steel.”
“Stay the night with me then. I’ll take you to breakfast before I drop you either at the shop or here.”
“Your tune changed.” She put a hand at her hip.
He sighed. “Pack a bag. We’ll go to my house and talk. Okay?”
She hoped like hell he was going to take responsibility for this and that she wasn’t making some fruitless trip to his place only to have to call a cab and leave.
He looked really good and she wanted him so much, but she couldn’t let her hormones make her choices right then.
She shrugged after giving him a close look and then headed to her room. And he followed her and tossed himself onto her bed as she grabbed a change of clothes for the next day and tossed them into a backpack. One quick trip to the bathroom and she was ready to go.
He looked her helmet over once they’d gotten back to his bike. “I don’t like this one. Why do you have it?”
“Um. Wow, you’re pushy as hell.”
He pulled her close. “I’m testy because I want you so much. Also, this is a shitty helmet. It’s not safe.”
“You could have had me at least a dozen times over the last six weeks, mister. So don’t get testy with me. And the helmet was some sort of freebie I got at work.”
“You can’t use it. Nope. You can have mine. I have extras. We’ll get you a better one soon. There are plenty of great days left to take a bike trip.”
He handed her his helmet again and tossed hers in a nearby trash can. She had no idea why it was so bad. She rarely used it, but the two or three times she had it had seemed fine.
“You okay wearing the backpack?”
She tiptoed up to kiss him quickly. “I’m fine. God. Get on and let’s go.”
He raised a brow. “There’s something really wrong with me, but I missed your attitude.”
“You got some of it over the last month.”
He grinned, kissing her one last time before he got on the bike. She put the helmet on and climbed up behind him. “I don’t like it that you’re not wearing a helmet. I can use that other one until we get to your house.”
He keyed the bike on. “It’s a ten-minute drive. We’ll be fine. If I get a ticket you can say you told me so. Or smile really pretty at the cop and get me out of the ticket to start with.”
Chapter Eleven
He wasn’t sure why, but as they pulled up his driveway and into the garage he was self-conscious. Hoped she liked his place. Hoped she liked what he had to say too.
He took the helmet she handed over and hung it on the grip like he usually did. “Come on.”
He led her up and into the house and she paused after he took the backpack. “Wow, this is a gorgeous view.”
“I bought this house and then spent several years gutting it and rebuilding it. The view though, I didn’t need to do anything to that.”
“Maybe. We’ll see.”
“I got you on that. Don’t go through with it if he’s an ass. I know it’s a great ass, but you can get great ass without letting him walk all over you.”
PJ snorted. “Thanks, Mom.”
She waved at everyone else and headed back over to where Asa and Craig remained chatting.
“Ready. See you later, Craig.” She shifted to hug him and at first Asa held on, but then he let go.
Craig hugged her quickly and stepped back. She’d have to get the story later on what Asa had said.
“I’m glad you’re not wearing a skirt because I’m on my bike. You can have my helmet,” he said once they reached the sidewalk.
He’d come to her bar. Clearly he’d hoped to see her. She’d have been more impressed if he had two helmets, but then again she might have thought he brought it for another woman and that would have sucked.
“Can we stop by my apartment so I can grab a jacket? I also have a helmet, so then you wouldn’t be doing something dangerous to keep me safe.”
He indicated his bike and she paused, mouth wide open for a moment. A custom Softail. Matte black. Simple and super badass. Masculine. Yum.
“It makes me hard to see you look at a machine like that,” he murmured into her ear before he licked it and made her wet.
“Did you build this?” She ran covetous fingers over the seat.
He handed her the helmet and she got on after he did.
“I did. It was one of my first projects. Come on, let’s get your stuff.”
The ride wasn’t nearly long enough, less than a minute to get from where he’d parked his bike to her driveway. PJ promised herself she’d get a heaping amount of hanging on, plastered to his back, when they left for his house.
Sure, she didn’t actually need to hold on at all. But she would, because hello.
When he keyed the bike off, she slid free and handed his helmet over. “I’ll be right back.”
“I’m sure you will be.” He swung his leg over and stood, taking her hand. “Let’s go.”
Okay then.
“It’s a mess, I’ll warn you now.” She unlocked the door and they went inside.
He looked around and rolled his eyes. “This is messy?”
“My laundry is on the couch unfolded. I have work stuff all over my table. My shoes are everywhere. I was rushing around this week.”
He pulled her to him. “Do you have to work tomorrow?”
“Yes. In the afternoon, most likely. You should know, I’m using a painting bay at Twisted Steel.”
“Stay the night with me then. I’ll take you to breakfast before I drop you either at the shop or here.”
“Your tune changed.” She put a hand at her hip.
He sighed. “Pack a bag. We’ll go to my house and talk. Okay?”
She hoped like hell he was going to take responsibility for this and that she wasn’t making some fruitless trip to his place only to have to call a cab and leave.
He looked really good and she wanted him so much, but she couldn’t let her hormones make her choices right then.
She shrugged after giving him a close look and then headed to her room. And he followed her and tossed himself onto her bed as she grabbed a change of clothes for the next day and tossed them into a backpack. One quick trip to the bathroom and she was ready to go.
He looked her helmet over once they’d gotten back to his bike. “I don’t like this one. Why do you have it?”
“Um. Wow, you’re pushy as hell.”
He pulled her close. “I’m testy because I want you so much. Also, this is a shitty helmet. It’s not safe.”
“You could have had me at least a dozen times over the last six weeks, mister. So don’t get testy with me. And the helmet was some sort of freebie I got at work.”
“You can’t use it. Nope. You can have mine. I have extras. We’ll get you a better one soon. There are plenty of great days left to take a bike trip.”
He handed her his helmet again and tossed hers in a nearby trash can. She had no idea why it was so bad. She rarely used it, but the two or three times she had it had seemed fine.
“You okay wearing the backpack?”
She tiptoed up to kiss him quickly. “I’m fine. God. Get on and let’s go.”
He raised a brow. “There’s something really wrong with me, but I missed your attitude.”
“You got some of it over the last month.”
He grinned, kissing her one last time before he got on the bike. She put the helmet on and climbed up behind him. “I don’t like it that you’re not wearing a helmet. I can use that other one until we get to your house.”
He keyed the bike on. “It’s a ten-minute drive. We’ll be fine. If I get a ticket you can say you told me so. Or smile really pretty at the cop and get me out of the ticket to start with.”
Chapter Eleven
He wasn’t sure why, but as they pulled up his driveway and into the garage he was self-conscious. Hoped she liked his place. Hoped she liked what he had to say too.
He took the helmet she handed over and hung it on the grip like he usually did. “Come on.”
He led her up and into the house and she paused after he took the backpack. “Wow, this is a gorgeous view.”
“I bought this house and then spent several years gutting it and rebuilding it. The view though, I didn’t need to do anything to that.”
