Taboo Kisses Read Free Page A

where?”
    “Tomorrow. Two o’clock. Parking lot behind the mall on Fisher Avenue. Don’t dress up. Wear jeans. How about the sexy pair you had on yesterday?”
    “We’ll see,” I said in a teasing tone, and hung up.
     
    ***
     
    I drove my green Ford hybrid into a deserted section of the parking lot, scanning the area for Ryder. What did he drive these days?
    A glance to the left answered my question. A monstrosity. If this was the only set of wheels he owned, no wonder he borrowed his mother’s convertible to show off for a girl. The ugly-ass pickup, at least a decade old, was being eaten alive by patches of rust. The pickup hauled an equally rust-flecked trailer with Ryder’s dirt bike on board. Hair flying in the wind, Ryder sat on the trailer, long legs dangling off the side.
    The sight of the bike triggered an avalanche of memories, sliding toward me at breathtaking speed, threatening to sweep me into the past, back to Maddox and the motorcycle down the stretch of lonely highway. No, no, no. Not now.
    “Our transportation?” I asked, walking toward him.
    He waved an arm at the truck. “I call her Sammy Jo. She’ll be taking you to an undisclosed location.”
    “You weren’t kidding when you said this wouldn’t be romantic.”
    “Hey, you were against romance.” He put a hand to his heart as if I’d injured him. “Completely anti-romance. This is the most unromantic vehicle on the streets today.” He pushed himself off the side of the trailer and landed in front of me. “I aim to please, Jacinda.”
    Laughter bubbled out of me. I examined the dents in the tailgate. It looked like someone had taken their frustrations out on it with a sledgehammer.
    “Ex-girlfriend,” he said. “Long story. I heard she’s almost done with her anger management classes.”
    “There’s nothing boring about your life, is there?”
    “Boring and I don’t get along very well.” He opened the passenger door. “After today, there won’t be anything boring about your life either.”
    He sounded so sure of himself. Some of his confidence better rub off on me, because right now I was a little skeptical about whatever he had planned. But being near him again ignited a flame inside me.
    I climbed into the front seat, where bits of foam protruded from a long tear. “Another ex-girlfriend?”
    He grinned. “Got careless with a box cutter.”
    Ryder got in, turned the key, and I waited for the engine to utter a few hoarse coughs and die. Surprisingly, it rumbled to life and we were off.
    “You must be quite a mechanic if you can keep this thing running.”
    For a brief moment, he rested his palm on my thigh. “I’m good with my hands.”
    “Are you now?”
    “If you like, I can show you how good.”
    Damn, he was brazen. I liked it. He said it all with a crazy grin on his face, so I could only take him half-seriously.
    “Of course, I’d also like to say that if you’re not satisfied with my technique, if you feel there’s room for improvement, I’m more than willing to learn.”
    “I’ll remember you said that.” Yum, potential. “I have a question for you.”
    “Yes?”
    “Whatever happened to our ‘no romance’ agreement?”
    “Hey, a guy’s gotta try.”
    I couldn’t fault him for that. “Okay, another question. In the changing room, why didn’t you make a move? I mean you flirted, but….”
    “You were talking about Maddox, and it felt like the wrong time. Like I would have been taking advantage.”
    Considerate of him. If he had tried to seduce me with another kiss, would I have told him to stop? “A lot of guys would have seized the opportunity.”
    “With your hot body, damn right!” He kept both hands tightly on the wheel. “I know you need time. We can just hang out if you want. I just…I’ve always had a thing for you. Always.”
    I wanted to touch him, but resisted. Why couldn’t I make up my mind about what I wanted?
    We drove out of town, bumping along on a quiet country road