C1 Stalking his mate
There he was again. The motorcycle man sped past her for the third in the last half, shooting her a huge dazzling grin. Annie Simon's heart gave a startled little leap in her chest, and she forced herself not to smile back at him. It took real effort.
He roared down the highway ahead of her like a bullet, drawing her gaze helplessly after him. His dazzling red motorcycle glittered with chrome, his helmet gleamed, and his black leather jacket flapped wildly behind him. He was larger than life, bursting with brilliant energy against the leafless winter backdrop of dull browns and grays.
This was the third day in a row that he had followed her. She noticed him for the first time around Charlottesville, Virginia. At first, she had figured that he must be going her way by sheer coincidence and was just flirting with her to amuse himself on the road, but she'd been stopping every day for hours to hike in almost every state and national park that she passed, and he never seemed to outdistance her. She didn't mind. The few times she thought she'd shaken him off for good, she'd been surprised at how disappointed she felt-almost angry at him for not trying harder. Then poof, up he popped, flashing her a wild grin so full of rollicking good humor that she couldn't help laughing back
She knew she should be alarmed at his persistence, young woman traveling alone, yadda yadda, but the game was actually giving her a tingle of pleasing excitement, and it had been long since she had felt anything remotely like a pleasant tingle. Lately, her feeling had run more along the lines of dread, exhausted anger, or a coaching sense of impending doom. The little buzz that the motorcycle man gave her was refreshing as long as he stayed strictly in this place.
Annie had whiled away what would have been many long, depressing hours on the road speculating about him studying the fascinating detail of his bike and his wardrobe, not to mention his powerful, gorgeous body. Three-year as a fashion buyer had trained her eye to read the silent language of his wardrobe. She had a feeling that the jacket on his back retailed for over $2,000, depending on the season, and how well things were moving on the floor. Her father had taught her enough about motorcycles to spot the sleek, sensual line of an exquisitely preserved vintage Indian. The guy was speeding down the highway on a jewel of a collector's item that had to be worth at least fifty grand, if not more. Whoever he was, and whatever he did, her motorcycle man didn't spare any expense in outfitting himself. He looked great.
Annie remembers the day she lost both her parents, five years ago, at the callow age of sixteen, her parents were omega of one of the lowest ranks in the pack, but they were happy, they live a simple life as farmers, and she admires her parents, they loved each other so much. But a sudden rouge attack took their lives, she move to new york to live with her love and also childhood best friend ken, he was a drug dealer and womanizer, being born into the life of omega, Annie work odd jobs for the pack until graduation when she will be assigned to a permanent job, but the sudden attack changes everything, when she moves in with ken her whole-life change, he used and abuse her, that was why she was running in the first place. But she shouldn't dwell on the past, new york wasn't the only place in the world to make a life for herself. She would miss the bright lights and the fresh bagels, but on the plus side, she would never have to apologize to anyone for loving country music ever again.
She cranked up the volume on her radio and sang lustily along with Pam Tillis, her eyes still helplessly fixed on the sparkling, wind-whipped figure on the road ahead of her. The motorcycle man hung back, letting her pull up alongside him. He gave her a thumb-up and made extravagant gestures toward the Food-Gas lodging sing ahead of them, just as he'd been doing all day. He was getting bolder. She supposed she should be worried, but her worry supply was all used up. She stared at his bold laughing grin, savoring the tingling pull of curiosity he gave her; a pull that had nothing to do with his designer's clothes or his costly bike. His smile caught her off guard, like a blaze of sunshine piercing unexpectedly through thick clouds. He radiated light and color in all directions. It was incredibly sexy. Almost tempting enough to make her stop and flirt with him in person, just to see if the gooey, melting feeling that his smile had provoked had any basis in reality. But going gooey was the last thing she should do, after everything that had happened with ken, she had to toughen up, fast. she shook her head with a regretful smile, blew him a kiss, and mouthed " in your dreams, buddy" as she accelerated smoothly past him.
