One Step to You (The Rome Novels #1)(21)

The dog ran after them, snarling furiously. Then it slowly started to lose ground. It went on running for a little while longer. At last, it stopped. It vented its rage by continuing to bark from afar. Then it was slowly swallowed up by a cloud of dust and shadows, vanishing as quickly as it had appeared.

The motorcycle continued its journey through the chilly damp of the green countryside. Babi still had her legs wrapped around Step’s waist. Little by little, the motorcycle slowed down.

Step reached up and caressed her right leg. “That was close, wasn’t it? It would have meant a sad end to those lovely thighs of yours! So your story about the dog was true after all…”

Babi took his hand off her leg and let it drop to one side. She scooted back on the seat, putting her feet back on the pegs, and zipped up the jacket. “Don’t touch me.”

Step put his hand back on her leg.

Babi took it off again. “I told you not to touch me with that hand!”

Step smiled and changed hands. He put his left hand on the other leg. Babi took that hand off too.

“I can’t even touch you with that hand?”

Babi snapped, “I don’t know which is worse, the dog that was chasing me or the pig who’s sitting in front of me on this motorcycle!”

Step shook his head and accelerated. Babi zipped up the jacket. How cold it was! What a night! What a mess! Darn that Pallina.

They flew through the night. Step tore along like a lunatic. Babi held on tight, arms wrapped around him and trying to cover herself up as best she could.

At last, they arrived safe and sound at her apartment building. Step stopped in front of the gate arm. Babi turned to look at Fiore. She waved to him. The doorman recognized her and raised the gate arm. The motorcycle raced through as soon as was possible, without waiting for the gate arm to finish rising to the top of its arc. Fiore couldn’t resist taking a peek at Babi’s fine legs, which were sticking out, chilled and bare, from under the jacket. The things he saw on this job. In his day, no young woman went out wearing a miniskirt like that.

The motorcycle ran the circuit of the courtyard. Babi saw that the garage’s roller gate was lowered. Her folks had come home. One less danger. She wondered what she could possibly have said if they’d caught her at that very moment, riding behind Step on his motorcycle. In panties and bra. She preferred not to think about it; she wasn’t really that fanciful.

She got off the motorcycle. As she stood up, she tried to cover herself up as much as was possible with the jacket. But it was no good. It barely reached down below the hem of her panties.

“Well, thanks for everything. Listen, I’ll toss the jacket out the window.”

Step looked at her legs. Babi squatted down. The jacket hung a little lower, but it still wasn’t covering up much.

Step smiled.

“Maybe we could see each other again sometime. I see that you have some very interesting topics to discuss.”

“I already told you that you’re a pig, right?”

“Yes, I seem to remember something of the sort. So, I’ll come pick you up tomorrow evening.”

“I don’t think so. I doubt I could survive another night out like this one.”

“Why? Didn’t you enjoy yourself?”

“I had a great time! I always let the police chase me for a while, then I hop off the motorcycle while it’s still moving in the middle of the godforsaken countryside, I let a rabid dog chase me, and just to polish things off, I take a nose dive into a patch of manure. I wallow in it for a while, and then I come home in just my bra and panties.”

“And with my jacket covering you.”

“Oh, right…I almost forgot.”

“And one thing above all else…”

“What?”

“You did all this with me.”

Babi looked at him. What a character. He had a beautiful smile. Too bad about his personality. But she had no complaints about his body. Quite the opposite.

She decided to smile at him. It didn’t take much of an effort. “Yes, you’re right. Well, good night.”

Babi turned to leave but Step took her hand. This time, gently. Babi put up a bit of resistance, but then she let herself go.

Step pulled her toward him, drawing her closer to the motorcycle. He looked at her. Her hair was long and messy, blown back by the night wind. Her skin was white and chilled. Her eyes were blue and intense and kind. She was beautiful.

Step let a hand slide under the jacket. Babi opened her eyes, slightly frightened, deeply moved. She felt his hand rise inside the jacket, along her back, higher and higher. His hand stopped when it reached the hook to her bra. Babi quickly put her hand behind her. She put it on his hand and stopped him.

Step smiled at her. “So it’s true that you’re not afraid of me. Are you going to report me to the police?”

Babi nodded. “Yes.” She practically whispered it.

“Seriously?”

Babi nodded her head.

Step kissed her on the neck, once, twice, three times, delicately. “Do you swear it?”

Babi nodded again and then shut her eyes.

Step continued kissing her. His kisses climbed her face, brushing over her cool cheeks, her chilly ears. A warm, provocative gust of breath gave her a shiver farther down. Step approached the pinkish corner of her lips. Babi sighed tremblingly. Then she opened her mouth, ready to welcome his kiss.