"Hey, you okay?" Nathan asked, dragging me away from my memories.
"Sure," I answered, pasting a smile on my face.
"When your smile doesn't quite reach your eyes, I know you're just feeding me a line," he remarked, studying me intently.
"Really, it's nothing," I managed to say, although I was unsettled by his intensity and uncanny knack of being able to read me so well.
"I wish you would trust me," he muttered, opening the vehicle door for me.
"There's nothing to trust. I'm not hiding anything," I said, climbing in.
Nathan was still frowning as he climbed into the vehicle beside me.
"Are you expecting a jealous ex-boyfriend to suddenly show up and slash your tires?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood.
"Just put it this way, I wouldn't be surprised," he remarked, pulling his Range Rover onto the main road.
"Seriously, you need to relax and trust me when I say that some psycho will not be slashing your tires. So where are we going?"
"There's a mountain bike trail not far from here. According to Pam at the library, it's a relatively easy incline, but the view is amazing."
"Are you on a first-name basis with everyone in town?" I inquired, wondering how someone who'd only been here for six days had become friendly with half the town. Of course, that was the same amount of time I'd known him, and the fact that we'd already been intimate wasn't lost on me. Only one word came to mind to describe him: charming. He'd managed to charm the town much like he'd charmed me. His sexy radio voice didn't hurt of course. It had the knack of putting a person at ease.
"Pretty much," he answered as the last of the tension left him. "They all seem to think quite fondly of you."
"That's just because I'm new. I'm a novelty right now," I said. I shouldn't be surprised. This is what a small town gets you. It's what I said I wanted. "I'm sure they're already eyeing you to take my place as the new toy."
"I'm only interested in being your toy." He winked at me.
"That could end badly for you. I loved playing with my toys," I chirped before the full implication of my words had fully run through my head. "I meant to say you'd get sick of me playing with you so much," I added, burying myself further in innuendo hell.
"Honey, you can play with me as much as you want." He smirked.
"I bet." I blushed, making a point of not looking at his lap.
"It's pretty cute how you blush," he said, stroking a finger down my cheek.
"You seem to have that power over me," I admitted.
"Really? So, this is just for me?"
"Don't look so happy about it. I'm not thrilled that my feelings seem to be on display for you to see," I retorted.
"I like it. I'm not sure I remember the last time I was with a woman who allowed herself to be so open. It makes you unique, not to mention, it appeals to me in a very unexpected way," he reassured me, turning the vehicle down a road with a carved wooden sign that had the words "National Park" burned in it.
The road leading to the national park was compromised of dirt and gravel and pocketed with multiple ruts. We bumped along for almost a mile before it opened up to a small parking lot where an orange rusted-out Ford truck and small yellow VW Bug were parked. Large oak trees shaded the small parking lot with the last of their burnt orange-colored leaves. Judging by the amount of leaves that crunched underfoot as we unloaded the bikes, it wouldn't be long before the majestic trees were completely bare.
Chapter 18: A day on the trails
Nathan
Ashton was silent as I finished unloading the bikes, which had me second-guessing the whole trip. I knew once again she was keeping something from me, and yet, I felt powerless on how to get her to open up. Maybe if we'd been dating for several months, I'd have the right to be more demanding, but the tentative relationship we had did not allow for that. My goal of charming her into my arms had worked according to plan, but what had been acceptable two days ago was no longer what I wanted. I knew I was scaling a precarious slope that could crash down on me at any moment. The smart thing would be to abide by the rules we had set and enjoy the moment. Unfortunately, I wasn't smart where she was concerned. I wanted more.
"You sure you're okay with this?" I asked, handing her one of the helmets.
"Only if you swear you won't laugh if I land on my ass, which seems likely since it always seems to happen when you're around."
"I solemnly swear I won't laugh if you fall on your ass," I proclaimed, raising my right hand for emphasis.