Ryder (Savage Wolves MC) #3

Chapter Twenty-Four

•Talia•

"Come on." Ryder stands from the grass and offers me his hand. I take it, drawing myself close to his body. He shakes as much of the dirt from my hair as possible, causing me to scrunch my nose and sneeze as it floats gently over my face.

Laughing, he sweeps me along through the grassy yard until we're rounding the corner of the clubhouse into the parking lot out front. "Where are we going?"

Spinning, he takes me in his arms, placing his hands on either sides of my face. My own hands find their home lightly on his hips, subtly bringing him in closer until our fronts no longer have space in between us. "Let's just say it's a surprise. Would you like that?"

His eyes glisten with excitement and how could I not like that? Just seeing that look in his eyes would make me want to follow him to the ends of the earth.

I nod my head passionately, giving his hips a little pinch, and he surges backwards, dropping his hands to run down my arms and clasp our fingers together. We jog to his bike, gravel crunching under our feet and mulch still free falling from my hair. Hopefully it'll shake out completely on his bike—which I can see is where we're heading.

Handing me a basic helmet this time, I recognize we won't be able to talk while riding unless we shout, and even then there's a chance we won't be able to hear each other. Ryder's bike is loud. If I hadn't been used to the sound, it would have startled me. I'm sure Letha had to go through the process of becoming accustomed to the sound of Blade's equally as deafening bike engine's roar.

It sounds familiar, though. Like the constant hum of the city. The ticking of the clock on the wall. The murmur of voices around us. It's become natural, expected. Within a year, the starting of bike engines has become my new normal, and when I was in Texas with my family, it felt like something was missing. It was this. This noisy, hunk of metal with the noisy hunk of man atop it, beckoning me to join him.

My face splits into a wide grin, unable to control the exhilaration coursing through my veins. He returns my sentiments and I melt at the sight. Ryder is my normal. He will always be my normal.

Taking the helmet, I quickly throw it on before tossing a leg over the back of his bike and sliding as close to his backside as I can. Being close to his body heat warms me more than just physically and I squeeze into him tightly, never wanting to let him go.

We've gone out on his bike a few times now, but nothing like tonight. Tonight he drives deep into the state park, with the stars and moon as our only companion. The cool breeze slams against my face and hands, but Ryder's warmth encased under his shirt keeps me toasty. His skin is smooth and bare, shaved clean to show off his tattoos. Truthfully, I had always liked a hairy, muscular man, but Ryder's lean, silky smooth form does things to me that not even a gym junkie could do.

I place my cheek on his back, hugging myself tighter to him. One of his hands holds onto mine that's against his stomach and I debate on slipping it down lower to tease him while riding.