Thorn's Challenge - Brenda Jackson [18]
Tara opened her eyes as her nervousness began easing away. It was plain to see that in addition to being a gifted craftsman, Thorn was also a skilled biker. He took the sharp curves with ease as he expertly controlled the large and powerful machine.
Her breasts felt tight and achy, so she leaned forward and pressed her body even more to his. He’d been right. This was the best position. She wondered if, with her sitting so close, he could feel the frantic pounding of her heart. But that question and others were suddenly zapped from her mind when she took a look at the countryside they passed. Instead of traveling on the busy interstate, Thorn had maneuvered the bike onto a scenic two-lane road that had very few cars. She liked the view. And she liked the feel of the man she was clutching for dear life.
“Am I holding you too tight?” she decided to ask. She wondered if he heard her question or if the sound of her voice had been swept away with the wind.
“No.”
She smiled. He had heard her, and she was glad she hadn’t caused him any discomfort.
Thorn tried to keep his concentration on the road ahead of him and not on the woman behind him, but her breasts were pressing against his back and arousing him no end. Everything about her was arousing. He had ridden other women on his bike but never had he felt such excitement and exhilaration before. Riding with Tara was seduction at its best, temptation at its finest.
He pulled his concentration back in as he maneuvered the bike around a curvy mountain road. This was the part of Atlanta that he loved seeing on his bike and he wanted to share the view with Tara. It was a part of the city that had escaped the developer’s bulldozer. The Westmoreland family intended to keep it that way.
He slowed the bike as he left the highway and steered to a single-lane gravel road that led to a huge lake in a wooded area surrounded by large overhanging trees. Moments later, he brought the motorcycle to a stop and shut off the engine. Before she could ask, he said. “I think this is one of the most beautiful spots in Atlanta and thought you might enjoy seeing it.”
Tara glanced around and her breath caught. He was right. It was breathtaking. She gazed back at him. She would never have guessed that he was a man in sync with nature, but from the look in his eyes as he glanced around, she could tell that he was.
“You come here often,” she said. It wasn’t a question but a statement. She could detect deep appreciation in his gaze as he viewed his surroundings.
“Yes. This is Westmoreland land. The ruins of my grandparents’ house isn’t far from here and we visited this place a lot while growing up. My father’s youngest brother, the one who has never been married, Corey Westmoreland, spent a lot of his time teaching us to appreciate the natural world and its environment here. I believe you’ve met my uncle.”
Tara nodded. “Yes, twice—at both Laney’s and Dare’s weddings. He’s the one who’s a park ranger at Yellowstone National Park. Right?”
Thorn nodded. “Yes, and so is my cousin Durango. In fact when Durango finished high school he decided to move to Montana to attend college to be near our uncle. Now I doubt you could get either of them to return here to live. They’re Montana men through and through.”
He kicked down the motorcycle stand and removed his helmet. “Come on, let’s take a walk.”
Tara slowly slid off the bike and had to steady herself so she wouldn’t lose her balance. Thorn appeared at her side to assist and to help her take off her helmet. He stared down at her when he held her helmet in his hand.
“What?” she asked, wondering if she had something on her face since he was looking at her so intently.
“Nothing. I’d been wondering why your hair hadn’t been blowing in the wind. I had forgotten that the helmet would hold it in place.”
She lifted a brow. He had been thinking of her hair blowing in the wind? Before she could think about that further, he took her hand in his. “Come