It's All Relative(60)

As he watched Jessie walking to his bike, he wondered how she really felt about him and April. She couldn’t have liked seeing April kiss him. Even if Jessie was only mildly attracted to him, she probably hadn’t liked watching it. Kai wished he’d pulled away, but if he had, it would have ruined the perception that he was open to a relationship. He couldn’t send April mixed signals before they’d even begun to date. Not when Jessie had asked him to try. And he was trying. For her, he was trying.

Kai smiled when Jessie stopped at the back of his bike, looking unsure what to do next. Regardless of that awkward situation, he was very glad she’d said yes. Kai missed being alone with his cousin, and he wanted to share with her something that was important to him. He wanted them to be closer…even if, in some ways, they had to be farther apart.

Jessie was frowning when she looked back at him. Hoping that she wasn’t too upset about the kiss, Kai frowned, too. Her eyes flicked over him, warm, brown and beautiful, and she bit her lip. She opened her mouth to say something, then stopped herself and shook her head. With a quick exhale, she asked, “Where are we going?”

Kai was pretty sure that wasn’t what she’d been going to say. He considered bringing up the brief kiss, thought about asking her if she was okay, but really, she either was or she wasn’t, and either answer would bother Kai. There was no easy way to get around the pain of this forced space between them, and Jessie didn’t seem to want to comment on it, so Kai didn’t either. Instead, he stepped up to the back of his bike, unstrapped the second helmet from the seat and handed it to her. “I thought I’d show you where I spend my days.”

Jessie smiled as she grabbed the helmet. “Your work? Really?”

It made Kai smile to see the surprise and happiness on her face; visiting his work was clearly something she’d wanted to do. Jessie tore her eyes away from his gaze to stare at the helmet in her hands. She looked like she wasn’t sure exactly what she was supposed to do with it. Kai helped her slide it on, his fingers gently brushing against her skin as he fastened the belt under her chin. Once she was wearing it, Kai studied her eyes through the open visor. She was grinning ear to ear until she seemed to remember something he’d told her earlier, then her brow furrowed; it was an adorable expression on her. “Did you buy the helmet for…me? Is this what you got me?”

With a shrug, Kai nodded. “Yeah, I thought you might like riding with me sometimes.”

Jessie’s brilliant smile returned. “Oh, well, thank you, Kai.” She cast an uneasy glance at the bike. “Once this stops terrifying me, I think I’ll appreciate that.”

Laughing, Kai flipped her visor down. “Just hold on tight. I got you, cousin.” He felt perfectly at ease as he casually swung his leg over the bike and settled onto the molded leather. Jessie hesitated and Kai wasn’t sure if it was nerves over being on a bike that had her frozen, or nerves over being alone with him. He hoped it was just the bike.

Kai patted the raised section of the seat behind him, where a passenger could easily fit. Jessie’s shoulders seemed to slump before she awkwardly climbed on behind him. Kai held the bike as still as he could while she jerked her way into position. Happy that she’d set her fear aside, he twisted around to look at her once she was in place.

Rigid and upright, she sat with her hands clenching her thighs. Kai couldn’t see her face through the visor, but he was certain she was worrying her lip. Speaking loud enough so that she could hear him through the helmets, he gave her some last minute instructions, since she’d never been on a bike before.

“Just hold on to me tight.” He indicated his waist, so she would know where. Tilting her head, she pursed her lips in a look that clearly said I’m not an idiot. Grinning, Kai added, “Lean into the bike with me on corners. You’ll want to lean away, but it’s easier for me if you don’t.”

Jessie glanced at the ground, then looked back up at him and nodded. Grabbing her hands, he pulled them around his waist. He felt the rest of her body molding to his back, and paused, savoring the feeling of her clinging to him—the warmth, the heat, the comfort. For a moment, he felt like he was back home. He started the bike, revving it a few times to warm the engine. Jessie’s arms cinched around him so tightly, he couldn’t inhale. Loosening her grip, Kai yelled over his shoulder, “Relax…have fun. I got you, Jessie.”

Then he took off.

For the first several miles, Jessie clung to him like he was her lifeline and she was drowning. He took it easy, swinging wide on the corners so she wouldn’t feel like they were going to fall over. But once they got out of the city limits, and Jessie’s hold on his waist eased, he opened it up. Kai smiled as he felt the wind whipping past them. It was chilly but not nearly as bad as it had been before, thanks to several new layers of Under Armour.

Kai felt Jessie laugh against his back as she became more and more comfortable with being on a bike. Grinning, he decided to show her just how exhilarating a motorcycle could be. He dipped low into the curves as they began the winding mountain climb, the concrete seemingly rising to just under their knees. He could feel that the bike was perfectly balanced, nowhere near losing control, but for those not used to the sensation, it could be a little frightening. Jessie clenched him tightly again, but she laughed too.

Long before they arrived at Kai’s work, Jessie was easily leaning with him, almost anticipating the curves like he did, and her hands had relaxed their death grip on his torso. Actually, as Kai slowly approached the research center, he noticed that her hands had drifted so low on his waist they were resting on top of his jeans more than on his stomach. It did odd, arousing things to have her fingers so near him, but he did nothing to fix her position as he rolled the bike to a stop and shut it off.