To Have It All(73)

Shaking my head, I sighed. The man had just quoted one of the most romantic lines from one of the best movies ever. When he finally flicked his gaze to mine again, he twisted his mouth when he saw me smiling like a crazy person. “What?”

“Where have you been my whole life?”

Pressing his lips together, he raised his hand and flicked his fingers a few times indicating he wanted me to come to him.

When I approached him, he ran the back of his knuckles over my cheek as he peered deeply into my eyes, making me feel like the most precious thing he’d ever seen. Then, his voice deep, he answered, “Waiting for you.”

My heart fluttered with his words. With a soft peck, he gave me a wolfish grin. “You ready for this, woman?”

He made me watch him kick start the bike a few times and explained how the suicide shifter worked. When he was done, he slid back and held the bike steady for me as I climbed on in front of him. I giggled like an idiot when I managed to get it started on the first try, but once Liam handed over the reins, I realized driving the damn thing would be hard as hell. Because of the type of shifter, it only allowed a driver to use one hand on the handlebars. Trying to operate the bike and keep it balanced was damn hard. If Liam hadn’t been there to catch us, we’d have toppled over the countless times we stalled because I couldn’t shift and the bike weighed a ton.

“Son of a bitch,” I seethed at one point after the bike had jerked to a halt. “I can’t drive this damn thing.”

Liam laughed, resting his hands on my shoulders, massaging gently to calm me. “You’re overthinking it.”

“There’s too much to remember. Too many steps.”

He was quiet for a moment before he asked, “Do you like dancing?”

I let my shoulders sag in frustration. “I guess I do,” I admitted, grimly. “It’s been a long time.” God, I couldn’t even remember the last time I went dancing. Then a thought hit me, perking me right up. “Do you dance?” I asked, a hint of excitement in my tone.

He ignored my question. “As I was saying . . .”

“You do dance,” I squealed, the shock evident in my tone. “A man that dances and has good taste in movies? I think I’ve struck gold here.”

“I gotta stop talking,” he murmured. “I’m losing all my street cred,” he joked.

“Your secret is safe with me,” I assured him, fighting the urge to laugh. I enjoyed giving him a hard time. Even more, I loved that he took it so well because he was able to laugh at himself. “Okay . . .” I shimmied back on the seat, causing him to growl in lust, earning me the exact reaction I’d hoped it would. “Teach me.”

Scooting up, his body was gloved to mine, his mouth to my ear as he reached around me and pulled my left hand, placing it over the shifter, then he took my right hand and settled it over the throttle. “Think of this like a dance,” he instructed me, his voice husky. “Dance involves steps, coordination, knowing your partner. This isn’t much different.”

“Says you,” I griped. “This is hardly a dance partner. This is a death trap that could kill us.”

He chuckled, the sound low and deep, making my core clench. “You’re sitting on over five-hundred pounds of machinery here. Think about how much time and effort went into building this; the way someone had to know this bike so intricately to put it all together and make it move.”

“Just because they knew it doesn’t mean I do.” I appreciated the intricacy of the bike, but appreciating and driving it were very different things.

“I just mean there’s power here. You can make these 500 pounds of metal move if you want it to, if you trust yourself enough.”

He left my hands and softly ran his fingers up my arms to my shoulders. “It lives and moves so long as you let it, so long as you lead it, just like a good dance partner. Don’t think about the moves you need to make . . . feel them. Let the bike tell you when it’s time to shift.”

His fingers glided down my sides until they took a firm hold of my waist causing my breath to hitch as my back arched slightly. “It’s give and release, Waverly,” he went on, his voice deep and gravely. “You have to feel when it’s time to give and when it’s time to let go.”

Darting my tongue out, I wet my dry lips. How did he make shifting gears sound so hot? How in the heck was I supposed to manage this machine with Liam murmuring sexual innuendo in my ear? I wished I could somehow turn around and take him on the bike.

“You know, this would be an epic opening to a porn flick,” I announced causing him to burst into laughter.

“I hadn’t thought of that.” His body shook as he continued to laugh.

“I guess your mind isn’t as dirty as mine.” I shrugged.

“I guess not. What would the film title be?” he queried.

I twisted my mouth in thought. In my sexiest voice, I twisted my neck so he could see me as I pouted my mouth, “Shifting the Panhead. When good girls learn to ride.”

He choked he was laughing so hard. When he could form words again, he coughed out, “That does sound pretty dirty when you say it like that.”

“Anything can sound dirty when you say it the right way,” I quipped. “Sky,” I moaned. “Concrete,” I continued.