Babe?
I didn’t have time to dissect why he used that term of endearment before we were flanked on either side by Brick and his other buddy Kaden.
“You guys ready?” he asked, and after a nod from them both, Lincoln patted my hands and took off out of the lot. Once we were on the highway, he picked up speed but didn’t go too fast, which I was thankful for. Something told me he would’ve broken some laws had I not been on the bike with him.
After several minutes, I relaxed, all while keeping a tight grip on his waist. I quickly learned why people loved to ride these things so much. The feel of the open air mixed with the rumbling of the machine beneath me gave me a sense of freedom, something I’d never experienced before. When I’d ridden with Pike, I hadn’t experienced this calm, this exhilaration, and it was because I didn’t know him. And because of this, I didn’t trust him, which only made my ride with him tense. And although I hadn’t known Lincoln long, there was an attraction I felt toward him, and it wasn’t purely physical.
His stomach muscles contracted every time I moved my fingers, even an inch, and at first, I thought it was because I was griping him too tightly, but every now and again, he would reach back and touch my leg, caress the top of my thigh, and the notion I bothered him drifted away.
When his sister came by the club earlier, she brought some of her clothes for me, a gesture I appreciated more than she realized. I had to wear a belt with the jeans I wore because they were a little too big. But the shirt and sneakers she gave me fit better. Funny how a simple change of clothes did wonders to elevate my mood. On top of her generosity, she told me Lincoln wanted to bring me by the hair salon where she worked. She said he asked her to pamper me because he wanted to cheer me up. Hearing how much he cared about how I felt was enough, but I had to admit I looked forward to getting my hair done.
Whenever I started to think about what happened before Lincoln saved me that night, the vibration from the bike stole my thoughts and redirected my focus to the world passing us by. I wanted to live in this moment for as long as I could, and even surrounded by traffic, I felt a sense of calm. I didn’t want our trip to end, but five minutes later, he pulled off the highway, made a few more turns, and pulled into a busy parking lot. His friends pulled up next to us, and the three of them shut off their bikes at the same time. I didn’t realize how hard I’d been clinging on to Lincoln until I pried my hands away from his body, a slight ache making me stretch my fingers.
Reaching under my chin, I unhooked the strap and removed my helmet. “Did I hurt you?”
Instead of answering, he motioned for Brick to come over.
“What’s up?”
“Can you help Maddie off the bike?”
“Sure, but why?”
Was he mad at me? Did I do something wrong on the way here?”
“Because I need a minute,” Lincoln answered, practically growling at his friend.
Brick looked at him oddly for a second before chuckling. “Happens to the best of us, man.” He picked me up and set me on my feet before I realized he’d even touched me.
“Go inside,” Lincoln told me, shifting in his seat before biting his bottom lip. I even heard him huff.
“Are you mad at me?” The thought of him being upset with me for any reason troubled me. If only I knew what I’d done.
Brick placed his hand on the small of my back and ushered me toward the salon, but before I entered the building, I turned to look behind me. Lincoln stood next to his motorcycle, his hand adjusting the crotch of his jeans.
“Your man got a bit excited with you on the back,” Brick said, and it was then I understood what happened. I couldn’t focus on the fact that Lincoln was aroused, however, because my brain had wrapped around what Brick just said.
“My man?”
“Face it, sweetheart. You’re his.”
As soon as we entered the salon, Riley stopped what she was doing with her customer and came over to give me a quick hug.
“I’m so happy to see you, Maddie. Take a seat, and I’ll be with you in a few minutes. I’m almost done here.” There were three empty chairs against a nearby wall. I took the one on the end, closest to the door.
“I didn’t know you’d be here,” Brick said next to me, and when I looked up at him, I saw he was looking at the woman in Riley’s chair. She was beautiful, her hair the most gorgeous shade of red I’d ever seen.
“I needed a trim.”
“I’m sure you did.” His words were innocent, but the way he said them made me shift in my seat. Brick leaned up against the desk near the door, his gaze on the redheaded woman the entire time. “Whatcha doin’ after this?”
“I promised my dad and Braylen I’d stop by for dinner.”
“Maybe I’ll come with you.”
“I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” a blonde-haired woman replied, coming from the back of the salon and walking toward all of us. “You better watch yourself, Brick, or my husband is gonna be
