21 - Melissa

21

Melissa

As soon as we were out of camp, Jack cut across the main road leading into town and turned down a dirt trail that I hadn’t noticed. We picked up some speed as we emerged from the trees, following the path that headed up into the foothills. Mount Crested Butte rose above us like a jagged finger against a perfect blue sky.

I let out a yelp of excitement as we sped even faster across the hilly terrain, my voice drowned out by the roar of the engine. It was like being on a roller coaster, except one where I controlled the speed. I wondered how easy it would be for one of these vehicles to flip over. That was the only thing keeping me from going too fast as I followed the group along the trail.

Jack stopped at the next hill. “Everyone good?” he asked when we had all caught up.

Everyone nodded. Jack’s gaze lingered on me for what felt like an extra second. “Let’s have some real fun, then. Match my speed, but don’t go any faster.”

He gave me the tiniest hint of a smile before turning around and zooming away on his ATV. The other riders hesitated, like none of them wanted to be the first to go, so I revved my engine and went around them to follow behind Jack.

We zoomed across the terrain at what felt like a breakneck speed. The suspension on my ATV absorbed most of the bumps; it was a surprisingly smooth ride as we soared across the hills, surrounded by meadows in all directions and with the sharp mountain looming over us.

I had gone skydiving before. The adrenaline rush of jumping out of an airplane was sudden and sharp, and ended just as quickly. This was a longer thrill, not as intense as skydiving but far more drawn-out. Every time I crested a hill, my stomach jumped up into my throat and pulled a child-like laugh from my lungs.

This was amazing!

Jack led the way, twisting along a path that cut across the foothills beneath the mountain. When he pulled to a stop, my heart was racing and I was breathing hard.

“Glad you came along?” he asked.

I nodded emphatically. “Very much so. This is so much fun!”

Now he finally smiled. “It’s the only camp activity I actually enjoy leading.”

“You mean you’re not permanently grumpy? I feel like I’m meeting a completely different Jack…” I frowned. “I just realized I don’t know your last name.”

“Lyles,” he replied. “Jack Lyles.”

It kind of felt like I was meeting him for the first time.

The other tourists caught up to us. Jack asked if they were comfortable with the speed; everyone said that they were. The little boy in the group looked pale, but he nodded excitedly.

“We’re going to cut across the rest of these hills until we reach the east side of the mountain,” Jack explained. “After that, the path goes through the forest for a few miles. Be sure to drive slower in that section. And don’t bunch up.”

He shot away again, and this time I was right on his tail. We drove down a hill, then up the other side. It was thrilling: the speed, the wind in my hair, Jack’s muscular figure on the ATV in front of me, and the pleasing vibrations of the engine between my legs. I was having so much more fun than I expected.

I managed to stay close behind Jack, although it wasn’t easy based on how aggressively he was driving. Then we descended from one broad hill and reached the edge of the forest. Jack’s ATV slowed down, and I matched him as we left the open field and plunged into the darker forest.

We were now going half as fast as we had been in the open terrain, but it felt faster thanks to the trees whizzing by on either side of me. I could see why Jack had urged caution about the forest: one wrong turn and you could easily smash into a tree. I drove more carefully with that mental image in mind, always keeping Jack about thirty feet ahead of me.

He stopped at a clearing every few minutes to make sure the group didn’t spread out too far. And there was one narrow section where he warned us to go slowly, which turned out to be important advice since there were multiple hairpin turns as the path wove through the forest. Then the path emerged from the trees and we were back in the open meadows, with wildflowers spreading out in all directions.

Eventually, the path merged with a proper dirt road for about a mile. There was a delicious scent in the air, fried potatoes and some kind of roasting meat. So it wasn’t a surprise when we rounded a corner and reached a barbecue joint.

“We’re stopping here for lunch,” Jack announced. “A two-meat combo is included with the tour. It comes with two sides and a drink.”

“What if we want three kinds of meat?” the little boy asked.

“You might have to pay extra.”

“What about if I only want one type of meat?” he asked.

Jack’s jaw clenched. “Order whatever you want, and we’ll work it out later. You have thirty minutes to eat.”

“You’re good with kids,” I teased. “You’ll make a great dad someday.”

“I prefer kids who don’t ask stupid questions for the sake of asking stupid questions,” he growled as we got in line. “Having a good time?”

“I’m having so much fun ,” I said happily. “I didn’t expect it to be this exciting!”

“Like I said: it’s the only tour I enjoy leading.”

When we got up to the counter, I ordered chopped brisket and pulled pork, with potato salad and green beans. Before I could pull out my card, Jack held out a hand. “It’s on me.”

“Well, let me know how much I owe you for the ATV tour,” I said as we sat down at a table by ourselves.

“I already told you, you’re doing me a favor. Now I don’t have to take your four-wheeler out after the tour to make sure it’s running smooth.”

First he rescues me from a sprained ankle. Then he gives me a free cabin to sleep in. Now he was paying for my meal. Each act was meaningless individually, but put together, it painted a different picture.

I shook off the thought. Jack didn’t like me. In fact, he had been pretty much rude to me nonstop up until today.

Then again, in second grade I picked on the boy I liked in class to try to get his attention.

“Order thirty-three,” a deep voice rumbled next to our table.

I did a double-take. Ash was looming over us, wearing an apron stained with grease and holding two trays of food.

“No bacon burnt ends today?” Jack asked him.

“Ran out,” Ash muttered while placing the trays in front of us. “Ten minutes ago.”

“Just my luck. I would’ve been here in time if I wasn’t dragging all these ducklings along.”

Ash grunted in what might have been humor, then walked back to the kitchen.

“Does he work everywhere in town?” I demanded.

Jack picked up a piece of a rib and frowned at me. “No.”

“So far I’ve seen him working here, at Marlene’s Diner, and as a via ferrata guide.”

“Those are the places he works,” Jack said plainly. “He also gives mountain biking lessons.”

I chewed on that while chewing on my barbecue. The chopped brisket was very moist, and the pulled pork had so much flavor that I didn’t even need to add any sauce.

“What’s Ash’s deal?” I finally asked.

Jack sighed. “What deal? Why does he have to have a deal?”

“Was he in prison?”

Jack froze with a rib halfway to his mouth. “He told you?”

I gasped. “I didn’t think he was serious!”

Jack lowered his rib and wiped his hands with a napkin. “He never tells anyone.”

“About going to prison?”

“About anything . But especially about that.”

I felt my stomach go tight. I had entrusted Ash with my life on several occasions—he had carried me down from the mountain when my ankle was busted, he had given me a ride home from town, and he had guided me along the via ferrata. And the entire time he was a convict . I tried not to judge people by their appearances, which had taken a lot of willpower with an enormous, tattoo-covered man like Ash. But it turned out his intimidating exterior wasn’t just a facade.

I glanced in the direction of the kitchen and then whispered, “What did he do?”

“Melissa…”

“Did he rob a bank?”

“Stop it.”

“Or did he… he didn’t murder someone. Right?” I leaned closer. “ Right?”

“You guessed it. He murdered someone and only spent two years in prison for it. Because that makes a lot of sense.”

I waved my hand dismissively. “Tell me what he did.”

“No.”

“Oh, come on! Why not?”

“Ash is one of my best friends,” Jack snapped. “He doesn’t like people to know about it, so I’m not going to tell you. If you’re still curious, then you’re welcome to ask him yourself.”

Jack rose and carried his tray over to the trash can. My appetite was gone, so I got up and did the same, then met him outside.

When everyone else was done, we climbed back on our vehicles and drove back the way we had come, eventually turning down a new path that emerged on the open foothills of the mountain. But as soon as we stopped to regroup, there was a problem: my ATV engine sputtered out. When I tried turning it back on, nothing happened.

“What’d you do to it?” Jack asked.

“Nothing!” I replied.

After a few minutes of tinkering, Jack shook his head. “It’s the damn fuel pump. Not your fault.”

“Thanks for admitting I didn’t cause this,” I grumbled.

Jack scratched his dark beard and looked around. “You’ll have to share with someone else for the ride home.”

“Yeah, no thanks,” I said. “I prefer having my own vehicle.”

“Your vehicle is broken,” Jack said dryly. “You have two options. Double-up with one of us for the rest of the tour. Or wait here until I can come pick up the ATV later. But you’ll probably be waiting two hours. Maybe three.”

I glanced at the other solo rider, the guy who seemed kind of creepy. I didn’t want to ride with him, and I definitely didn’t want to sit around for three hours waiting to be picked up.

Which meant my only option…

I climbed onto Jack’s ATV and buckled the harness over my thighs. Jack checked them, then hopped onto the seat behind me. There was room for two, but I was pressed firmly against his body—his thighs surrounded mine on either side, and his arms folded over me to grip the handlebars.

“You all right?” he asked, his breath warm on my neck.

This was just like when Noah showed me how to kayak, except in a totally different context: I had slept with Noah when we got this close, while Jack and I were barely even friendly with each other. It was decidedly awkward.

“I’m fine,” I said. “Let’s go.”

“Let me know if I go too fast,” he said.

Before I could reply, he shot away at breakneck speed. His ATV had a lot more power than mine, and he wasn’t afraid to use it. We soared down a hill, up the other side, then made a sharp turn at the top. I wanted to let out a yelp of fear, but I didn’t want Jack to think I was a wimp. It shouldn’t have mattered, but for some reason I cared what he thought about me.

My fear soon ebbed as I began trusting Jack. He was a professional and knew what he was doing; I was safer with him than I was riding by myself. And when I stopped being afraid, I was free to enjoy how thrilling the ride was. Jack was able to maneuver the ATV in ways I couldn’t, zig-zagging along the terrain and even ramping up little bumps whenever we came across them. Soon I was laughing excitedly as we soared along the hilly terrain.

“Doing okay?” he asked over the wind in my ears.

“I’m great!” I shouted back.

Jack took that as a challenge, and throttled the vehicle even faster than before. That speed pressed my body back into his, like a hand in a glove. The bumps were causing some friction, something I ignored at first…

…until I felt something pressing firmly into my backside.

Oh my God. Jack had a hard-on.

Once I was aware of it, it was impossible to ignore. A stiff rod inside his jeans, distinct from the muscle of his thigh. That was his cock. His hard cock, rubbing against me with every bump we drove over.

Logically, I knew he couldn’t help it, any more than I could help being turned on by the vibrating engine between my legs. But the illogical part of my brain blamed him, insisting this was something he had orchestrated.

Except… I didn’t really mind.

As Jack revved the engine, I felt safe with his body surrounding me. We soared over one hill, picking up speed as we cruised down the other side, thrilling me in more ways than one. The rumbling engine, the strong man’s body pressed against mine, it was impossible not to be turned on. As much as Jack frustrated me, he was undeniably sexy. Maybe that’s why he annoyed me so much: I wanted to like him in spite of his abrasive exterior.

His cock remained a white-hot reminder of him, pressed firmly against my backside for the rest of the ride.

As soon as we got back to the campsite, Jack hopped off the vehicle and started barking orders. I stole a glance at his jeans—there was a noticeable bulge at the front, which he quickly covered by holding his helmet a certain way.

“Thanks for the tour,” I told him, my pulse still racing from the ride. “That was a lot of fun.”

“Yeah, sure,” he replied, never looking at me.

So that’s how it’s going to be .