Surrounded

Chapter Seven

'Island in the Sun' - Wheezer 

    There weren't many places where Laura felt completely at ease, but on the back of Asher's Harley was certainly one of them. She didn't have a single worry going through her mind, only focusing on the tactile experience. The wind against her body, the heat of the sun, the weight of her backpack with all of her overnight necessities, and the sound of the motor that even her helmet couldn't dull; all these things contributed to the feeling of freedom that she could never replicate any other way. Those experiences were nothing compared to Asher's left arm draped over her thigh, his hand rubbing her calf almost absentmindedly. He let go of one passion to caress another. It was this moment where she felt truly free. She knew that even going 80 MPH down the highway with nothing between her and the road, he was still going to keep her safe and would never put her in harm's way. She settled against his back, her arms wrapped around his muscular torso and her thighs squeezing him to keep her situated on the pillion seat, and sighed. He patted her calf and pulled her arms tighter around him before returning his left hand to the handlebars. He fluidly pulled in the clutch and used his boot to pull up on the shifter before releasing the clutch and twisting the throttle, sending them careening down the highway at a pace that had her heart racing and a full-bellied laugh escaping her lips. From that point on, it was all a blur of green pastures, bellowing cows, and the finest scenery that the Texas hill country had to offer.

As Asher pulled the kickstand and motioned for Laura to dismount, she carefully swung her leg over the back, pulling up her passenger floorboards as she did so. Finally on solid ground, she shook out her limbs and stretched her hips, sore from remaining in one position for so long. She peered over at Asher as she unbuckled her helmet, unable to shake the feeling of her hands pressed against his body. She pulled her helmet off as gracefully as possible and shook out her hair, flipping it down and then up over her back. A strangled sound from Asher had her glancing back at him, only to find him staring at her; his sky blue eyes were suddenly smoldering and his bottom lip caught between his teeth. She wanted nothing more than to free that captive lip and run her fingers through his own wild hair, but before she could make her way to him, the sound of horns and squealing tires reverberated in her ears.

Before she knew what was happening, gravel flew through the air, and her vision filled with a piercing golden light. The sharp points of gravel dug into her shoulder and hip, warmth dripping down her forehead as she thudded on the ground. She risked peeking an eye open, only to be met by the sight of Asher's form above her and a car on its side, not even inches from where she had just been standing. Asher gently rose to his feet, careful not to jostle her. He reached out for her hand, "Are you okay?"

"Honestly, I have no idea what happened." She noticed the spots of red on his cheek and lunged at him, wiping at the blood to gain a better view. He winced and grabbed her wrists to still her. Pulling her hands to his chest, he pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair, "You're sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine! But you're hurt! Let me look," she fought to pull out of his grasp and inspect his injuries. "What even happened? How did you react so fast?"

He finally allowed her to pull back to see with her own eyes, "I'm fine, see? Not even a scratch." She realized that he really didn't have a single scratch on him, not even a red splotch. She shook her head, now feeling dizzy, "I'm sorry. I must be in shock. I guess I'm seeing things now." He pulled her head back to his chest and cradled her for another moment until the police showed up and started asking questions. He allowed one of the EMTs to check on her, but never let her out of his field of vision as he talked with the officer taking his statement.