Beat of the Heart (Runaway Train #2)(50)

“That would be awesome.”

AJ grunted. “Seriously, this dude has nothing on me.”

“You actually know the lyrics to this song?”

“Unfortunately yes.” At my continued skepticism, he added, “You want me to put my money where my mouth is?”

Rhys groaned. “Please Mia, don’t get him started.”

Ignoring him, I grinned at AJ. “Come on, big boy. Give me your best shot.”

“My pleasure.” He sat down his beer and then rose out of his chair. He took center stage in the circle of chairs. Cocking his head to the side, he waited to start in on a line of the song. While he sang the lyrics, he mimed rolling down the windows, turning up the radio, and pouring some Crown in a cup. Abby and Allison giggled at his antics while I couldn’t help smiling at him for being such a goober.

When he got to the chorus, he pointed straight at me and bellowed over the song, “Girl, you make my speakers go boom, boom—” Precisely in the moment, he whirled around to smack both of his ass cheeks on ‘boom, boom’. “Dancing on the tail gate in the full moon.”

“Nice,” I replied as I clapped wildly.

Jake snorted contemptuously. “Don’t encourage him. AJ will use any excuse to shake his ass at us.”

“Don’t be hatin’ on my ass shaking skills. Mia’s a lady who appreciates rhythm—in and out of the bedroom.”

Reaching out, I grabbed him by the belt loops and jerked him closer. I leaned forward to nip with my teeth at one of AJ’s butt cheeks through his shorts. “I sure as hell do.”

“Easy now, you two,” Jake grumbled, motioning over at Allison.

She rolled her eyes. “Oh please. I’m almost seventeen, not seven.”

AJ turned around to face me. With a grin, he held out his hand. “Come on, I want to take you to see the waterfalls.”

I cocked my head at him. “Is that some code word for you to get me away from the group, so you can ravish me out in the woods?”

Abby giggled. “No, there are actually some small waterfalls on the far edge of Jake’s grandfather’s property. They’re only about twelve feet, but it’s really beautiful there.”

Eyeing AJ’s outstretched hand, I said, “Just the waterfalls. No funny business that might land me with poison ivy on my ass, right?”

He pursed his lips in his signature smirk. “I’m not making any promises.” When I started to protest, he held up a hand. “I can’t be held accountable if you accidentally take a tumble out there and happen to roll through poison ivy.”

“As long as you don’t help me along in that tumble, I think we’ll be fine.” I then slipped my hand into his, and he pulled me out of the lawn chair.

“Have fun taking in the scenery,” Abby teased.

I grinned at her before I let AJ tug me along behind him. He led me over to the barn where a Jeep and several four-wheelers were parked. Instead of going for the Jeep, he slid onto a gleaming black four-wheeler. Turning around, he then patted the sparse space behind him. “Hop on, babe.”

I swept my hands to my hips. “You can’t be serious.”

“And why the hell not?”

“For one, you’re saying that a city-boy like you actually knows how to ride one of those things, least of all drive it?”

“Yes, Mia, as hard as it is to believe, this Mexican city dweller actually knows how to drive a four-wheeler.” I bit my lip to keep from laughing at his tone. Instead, I continued to look skeptically at him. AJ rolled his eyes “Listen, I’ve been riding them up here at Jake’s since I was fourteen. But even before that, I was driving my uncle’s motorcycle along the streets of Guadalajara, which trust me is a hell of a lot more dangerous than anything the backwoods can throw at you.”

“Okay, okay, I stand corrected.”

With a triumphant grin, AJ revved the motor to life. Hiking my leg, I slid across what was left of the seat behind him. I was practically plastered against his back. My bare thighs brushed against his.

“Hold on tight, baby,” he called over the roar of the motor.

Wrapping my arms around his waist, I shouted back, “Trust me, you don’t have to tell me that twice.”

“You got nothin’ to worry about. I wouldn’t ever let you get hurt.”

My heart fluttered a little at both his kind words and sincere tone. “Aren’t you just a sweetheart?”

“Yep, I am.” Glancing over his shoulder, he winked. “Now sit tight. I’m gonna give you the ride of your life.”

I snickered in spite of myself. “Whatever.”

AJ released the brake and stomped on the gas, sending us careening forward over the gravel road. A dirt storm kicked up in our wake, clouding my vision. As we gained speed, I gripped him even tighter. His rock hard abs tightened beneath my hands.

With a turn to the right, we left the gravel road and began tumbling over uneven and overgrown grass. Long before I could see it, I could hear the pounding roar of the water. I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath until we reached the stream. AJ must’ve felt my anticipation because he shut off the engine and pointed to the right. “See,” he instructed.

Shielding my eyes from the sun with my hand, I gazed to where he pointed and exhaled my anxious breath. Looming up ahead, water cascaded over three separate jagged rock formations before it pooled into a stream below.