Chapter 3

The phone rang not long after I got out of the shower. Hastily, I threw on my robe and answered, strangely disappointed to be greeted by Rhiannon's bright hello.

"Is he still there?" she hissed softly as if afraid he'd hear her.

"No," I laughed, feeling guilty for wishing she was someone else calling. "He had to work."

Rhiannon's giggle was infectious and reminded me sharply of how little we'd really changed since our university days. "Did you... ? I mean, how was it?"

"Yes and amazing," I supplied laughingly.

"Omigod," Rhiannon squealed. "Details!"

I shook my head even though she couldn't see me over the phone. "I think I want to keep this to myself for a while."

There was a silent pause on the other line. "That good huh?" Rhi asked after a time.

I laughed. The warm feeling in my belly hadn't dissipated yet and somehow I knew sharing every little detail with Rhiannon, even if she was my best friend, would lessen the experience. What happened between Adam and me deserved to stay between us.

"He's picking me up at three," I said instead.

"For what?" Rhi asked.

"I... I don't know," I admitted sheepishly. "The note didn't say."

"Note?" Rhiannon's voice was edged with hesitation. "He left a note?"

"Yeah," I said slowly. "It said he had to work and that he'd come back and pick me up at 3."

There was another pregnant pause. "O-kay... ," Rhiannon drawled slowly.

"What?" I didn't like the uncertainty in Rhi's tone.

"Well Lilly... ," she sighed. "I don't want to upset you or sound like a bitch, but take it from me they all have to work the next morning; they all leave a note."

Comprehension dawned on me. "You don't think he's coming back?" I sounded accusatory.

"Well, it's possible he might," Rhi offered quickly. "But honey, I think you need to be prepared for the possibility that he might not. Did he leave a number?"

"No," I admitted, feeling small. I didn't even know which restaurant he worked at, never mind his last name. "I've got to go," I mumbled.

"Lilly, sweetheart," Rhi crooned. "It's okay. You can't take this personally. You got what you wanted and he... well... I guess he got the same thing. Trust me honey, that's how this game is played. You can't get your hopes up over these things. Now you have a good story to tell at Girls' Night; I'm proud of you for thinking outside your usual box. You did have fun last night, right?"

"Yes," I said softly. My stomach was turning in somersaults and it had nothing to do with the beer I'd consumed the night before. For an instant I hated Rhiannon; this had been her idea. I'd approached Adam at her urging and it was her damn fault.

"Just take a nice long shower, have a cup of coffee, and take it easy today," Rhi offered brightly. "I'll call you later and maybe we can go shopping or something."

I agreed automatically, feeling a wave of shame wash sickeningly over me. I hung up as Rhiannon was saying goodbye and had to sit down until the dizziness passed.

She was right, of course. Rhiannon had had a million one-night-stands, she knew the protocol; I knew nothing about it and had been taken for a fool. I buried my head in my hands, ignoring the cold spread of my still-damp hair against my neck. Stupid, that's what I was. Stupid for thinking last night meant anything, stupid for believing every word that came out of Adam's mouth. Stupid for thinking there had been a connection between us when all it had been was a hook-up, plain and simple.

The phone rang again, making me jump. I stared blankly at it and let it ring until the answering machine picked up and Adele's cheerful voice filled the room. I didn't hear what she said, didn't particularly care; it wasn't him calling.

I put on a pot of coffee, got dressed, and performed the many little pieces of my morning routine which needed to be done with a robot-like efficiency which frightened me if I thought too hard about it.

I floated through the apartment unseeingly before settling down on my window seat with my coffee to watch the traffic trickle by. Lucy Maud, my cat, jumped up and curled herself comfortingly around my feet and the two of us watched the morning in silence. I was tired, my thighs ached, and I was maybe a tiny bit hungover, but more than that I was heartsore. Outside, two robins flirted and sang on a tree branch; inside, I tried to block out their happy noise.

I don't know how long I sat there and I don't know how time still managed to creep by; I do know I ignored the phone ringing a few more times, I didn't want to talk to Rhi or Adele. Eventually I drifted off to a fitful, half-conscious sleep, only to be woken by a sharp rap on my door. I jumped up, disturbing Lucy Maud and spilling my now cold coffee. The clock read 2:36 and I figured it was Rhiannon or Adele coming to check up on me since I hadn't answered the phone at all.

I wrenched open the door without checking the peephole and just about fell over when it opened to reveal Adam standing on my small porch with a bunch of daisies in one hand and a motorcycle helmet in the other.

"Hey, Beautiful," he said with a smile. He brushed past me into my kitchen, dropped a soft kiss on my cheek, and handed me the daisies. "Did you have a good sleep?"

I stood open-mouthed in the doorway, feeling the damp stems of the flowers in my hand but little else.

"I'm sorta early," Adam offered sheepishly. "I got out of work as fast as I could. I tried to call and when you didn't answer I figured you were in the shower or something. You alright?" His darkly handsome face was painted with concern. "You look pale."

"I-I'm fine," I stammered, staring disbelievingly at him. I wondered if I'd really woken up from my nap or if I was just dreaming of his tall, lean form standing in my kitchen. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Picking you up like I promised," Adam smiled, approaching me in the open doorway; evidently he'd given up expecting me to come to him. He wrapped his arm around me and dropped a sweet kiss on my forehead. "I know I'm early, but I couldn't wait. Is that what you're wearing?"

I looked down at my faded jeans and ratty t-shirt; I didn't even want to consider the state of my hair or my face. "N-no," I replied quickly, blushing. "You just caught me off guard."

Adam chuckled. "Go get dressed then," he said softly as he brushed another kiss against my hairline. "I'll put these in water." He took the daisies back from me and spun me about, pointing me in the direction of my bedroom. He swatted my ass playfully and laughed as I moved quickly away.

I escaped to my bedroom and took a few deep, steadying breaths. From the apartment beyond I could hear Adam opening and closing kitchen cupboards.

"Lilly? Where can I find a vase?" he yelled loudly.

I smiled to myself; the earnestness in his voice kicked me into gear. I stripped off my terrible t-shirt and ancient jeans. "In the china cabinet in the living room," I yelled back, happy to hear Adam's clunky boots tread down the hall towards me; it was such a domestic noise, and so out of character in my usually silent apartment. He poked his head around the door into my bedroom and grinned as I stood indecisively in front of my closet, clad only in bright blue bra and panties.

"Nice," he commented in passing.

I giggled, feeling my doldrums lift. "What should I wear?"

"Jeans are fine," Adam smiled, motioning towards my recently discarded pair as they lay abandoned on the floor. "Just not those ones."

I grinned at him, still in disbelief as he stood watching me from the doorway. He looked so at odds with himself. He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt, over which was a very sexy leather jacket, and he must have shaved that morning, because the longish stubble from the night before had been replaced by a faint shadow of new growth; over the top of his t-shirt I could see the edge of the large tattoo on his back crest up the side of his neck, his eyebrow ring glinted in the afternoon sunshine flooding my bedroom, and he held a bouquet of daisies with a boyish smile.

"What?" he asked sardonically as I stood studying him.

"Nothing," I giggled. "You're just..." I shrugged, pulling my newest pair of jeans from my closet and wiggling into them. Adam eyed the procedure with interest. "You're gorgeous," I supplied, feeling the words didn't do the sentiment justice.

"Says you," Adam's gaze was hungry as I pulled a tank top on over my bra.

"I thought you were going to put those in water," I teased as Adam's grip on my poor daisies became a stranglehold.

"Uh, yeah," he chuckled, glancing down at the quickly wilting stems. "Got distracted."

I scooped my hair up into a low ponytail before moving to the doorway. I stood on tiptoes to kiss Adam lightly, rescuing the daisies from his iron grasp. "Thank you for the flowers."

Adam growled lowly in his throat and pulled me closer, claiming my mouth with a sudden passion which drove the air from my lungs. My poor daisies were flattened between us and I couldn't have cared less as Adam's heated tongue explored the corners of my mouth; we were both moaning hungrily when Adam broke the kiss. His startlingly emerald eyes were hazed over with desire and his breath came as fast and hard as my own. All I wanted at that moment was to take him back to bed, but evidently he had other ideas.

Adam pulled the squished flowers from my hands and chucked them into the nearby wastepaper basket, laughing at my small noise of distress. "I'll buy you more," he smiled, tracing the edge of my lips with one long finger. "I'll buy you all the flowers you want."

I returned his smile slowly, liking the sound of that.

"Come on," Adam took my hand and dropped a kiss across my knuckles as he pulled me from the room. "Put your shoes on, I want to show you something."

In the entranceway Adam opened my closet and handed me my leather boots. They were knee-high with a tiny, little heel; I'd bought them during a retail therapy afternoon with Rhiannon and Adele and had hardly worn them. As I zipped them up the length of my calves, Adam handed me my leather jacket. I eyed the piece of clothing warily. It was late May on the Island and too warm for a coat.

"Trust me?" he asked as he noticed my sceptical expression. He helped me into my coat. "And this is for you." He handed me the shining black motorcycle helmet which he'd brought in with the flowers; I'd forgotten all about it. My knees shook. Satisfied at my appearance, Adam pulled me out the front door, laughing as I closed it behind me without locking it; no one really locks their doors on the Island.

"What do you think?" he crowed proudly as he stood on the sidewalk outside of my apartment and gestured towards the street. Parked at the curb was a huge motorcycle, bright red and black with miles of shining chrome. I took a step back towards the house.

"It's a 1965 Triumph Bonneville," Adam smiled brightly, pride evident on every line of his face. "It was my Dad's. I've been working on it for years; it needed a lot of work, but I think it's finally ready for a real test run. I had it shipped over from home and I've only driven it around town; I want to take it out and see what it can do."

I took another step back towards the house but Adam didn't notice my hesitation. He spouted off a bunch of gobble-dee-gook about carburetors, and frame models, and engines, and tires, and such; none of which I understood. In my hands the helmet he'd given me felt cold and hard.

"Lil?" he asked over his shoulder when he'd finally taken a breath. "What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"It's very nice," I offered weakly. "Very shiny."

"Well, come on," Adam said brightly, holding out his hand to me.

I shook my head. The bottom had dropped out of my stomach and I could feel my knees getting weaker by the second.

"Don't you want to go for a ride?" Adam asked, sounding hurt.

My heart wrenched but I couldn't get my legs to propel me forward. "I-I've never been on a motorcycle before," I confessed.

Adam laughed and came back up the sidewalk to grab my hand. "You'll love it, I promise. It's fun." His smile was bright, but there was concern in his green eyes. "Don't worry. I've been driving bikes since I was a kid. I'll take good care of you."

I approached the motorcycle with trepidation. "It's so big," I mumbled, blushing. Adam took my hand and ran it over the smooth metal of the still-warm gas tank. It was obvious he loved the bike and I tried to appreciate it from his point of view. "It is very nice," I said in a wobbly voice.

Adam was standing behind me, his hand still covering my own as I stroked the warm metal. I could feel his breath in my ear. "Ride with me, Lilly," he whispered.

"I don't know how," I said softly.

Adam turned me around and kissed me with a lingering sweetness. "All you have to do it hold on."

Closing my eyes, I could feel the solid warmth of the bike behind me and the equally solid warmth of Adam in front of me. I took a deep breath and nodded quickly, agreeing before I had time to rethink my decision. I could feel Adam take the helmet from my hands and looking up, I watched him settle it snugly over my head and fasten it securely under my chin. His smile was mischievously sexy as he put his own helmet on.

He straddled the bike and threw another grin over his shoulder as I stood wavering on the curb. He looked so happy, so excited, that it was contagious. With a laugh I ignored the nagging, overly-cautious voice in my head and climbed on the bike behind him, wrapping my arms around the concrete wall of Adam's chest.

"That's my girl," I thought I heard him say as the bike roared loudly to life. The thrumming throb of the engine scared me a little and I jumped. Adam patted my hand reassuringly.

"Just hang on," he yelled over his shoulder. He kicked the stand out, threw the bike in gear, and we shot off down the street with an ungodly roar; I squealed loudly and could feel Adam's deep laugh as I leaned against him, holding on with every thing I had.

It was pretty stop-and-go in the city, and just as I was getting the hang of stoplights and going around corners we hit the edge of town. Adam did his best to look over his shoulder at me, but had to settle with squeezing my hand. "You alright?" he yelled.

I nodded against his back and he patted my hand again.

"Good. Hold on."

I took a deep breath and tightened my arms around his chest. Adam let out the throttle with a roar and we took off, flying down the red roads like nothing I'd ever experienced before.

It was amazing; the noisy rush of air, the throbbing heat of the machine, the complete lack of boundaries, the absolute freedom of travelling with nothing boxing you in. It was heady, intoxicating, and by the time we hit the first stop sign outside of town my fear had been replaced by giddy excitement.

Rust red roads and verdant green fields flew by us, dotted with sapphire ponds and harbours and the occasional turquoise sparkle of the sea beyond. I'm not sure if Adam had a destination in mind and of where we had been and where we were going I had no idea.

You can't get lost on the Island though, not if you grew up there, so when we came to an intersection I knew very well I motioned for Adam to turn right. He obeyed without question, following my silent signals at every corner until the road crested and ended, looking down over the cold, endless blue of the Atlantic.

Adam stopped and turned the bike off. I leapt off before he even had a chance to put the kickstand out. My knees were wobbly, my thighs ached, and my ass hurt like hell, but I threw off my helmet and spun about, beaming.

"That was fucking brilliant!" I shouted, throwing myself at Adam as he dismounted. He laughed loudly, removing his own helmet with a grin. He picked me up and spun me around.

"I knew you'd like it," he chuckled. "Did you see her run? She was perfect!"

But I wasn't thinking of the bike or the ride any longer; I was thinking of the man standing with his arms around me.