Free Chasing Rainbows by Linda Oaks

an attitude like his, he needed a voice of reason, and today, that was me.
    I spotted the Harley sitting in the driveway, and momentarily forgot my irritation with Chance. In the early morning sunlight, the black metal gleamed and beckoned. The allure of its dangerous beauty tempted me to come closer. A shiny matching helmet waited for me on the leather seat, holding the promise of wicked excitement, but there was no way I was going to do this. I'd made up my mind, and that meant staying away from Chance and finishing my senior year without losing my sanity or having my reputation ruined. When I started past him, he grabbed my arm. His grip was firm but gentle. "Now Addie, don't be like that. I drove all the way over here just to give you a lift to school."
    "I didn't ask you to," I retorted, huffily. Then my curiosity got the best of me, and I glanced away from him back to the steel temptation that sat in my drive. "Nice bike," I said, and felt my resolve slip. The voice of reason just took a flying leap.
    "It's my dad's. He'll be pissed when he realizes it's gone, but you're worth it. I wanted to ride to school with a really hot chick on a smoking bike. Call me crazy, but it's kind of a fantasy of mine, not to mention it will do wonders for my reputation as the new guy. After all, my brother and I seem to be in competition involving said smoking chick, and I prefer to win at everything." He winked. At his overly confident words, my lips curved into a smile and my heart fluttered wildly. "Come on, I know you want to. Live a little, Addie. What are you afraid of?"
    I wavered, and contemplated sticking to my guns, but the combination of Chance and the motorcycle made me weak in the knees. The promise of what he offered was too great of a temptation to resist. He guided me down the steps, toward the bike, and I glanced with a twinge of longing at my little red Jetta. Driving myself would have been the safer choice, but my feet of their own accord followed after him. This is a bad idea, I thought, even as he plucked the helmet from the seat and slipped it onto my head before I could utter a single word. His fingers grazed my chin as he buckled the strap into place.
    "Safety first," he whispered, his head bent low and angled toward mine. His breath smelled minty and tempting.
    "Where's yours?" I asked, noticing the bluish black highlights of his raven hair catching in the morning sunlight.
    "I'll be careful," he promised, and I stood there and watched helplessly as he swung his leg over the bike and kicked up the kickstand. "Hop on. You don't want us to be late."
    My chest was pressed against his back. My hands fisted tightly over his washboard abs. Even through the leather he wore, I could feel the heat that radiated off his skin, and it kept me warm despite the damp chill in the early morning air. He stopped at the end of the driveway and made sure it was clear both ways before he pulled out onto the highway. For an instant, his warm hand covered mine, his leather glove baby soft against my skin. When he released me, I instantly missed his heat. Then he gripped the throttle and gave the bike some gas and we roared down the road sailing along the asphalt.
    If I had thought I'd known what freedom was by having my own car, then I had not known the definition of true freedom until now. With my cheek pressed against the leather covering Chance's back and the wind tugging at the strands of my hair trailing from the helmet behind me, it felt as if any moment we might take flight. My mind was a blank slate, and my heart was carefree. My lips curved into a smile. For the first time in a long time, I was alive.
    We arrived at school early even though I'd been positive we were going to be late. Heads turned as we drove past the throng of students still standing outside in the parking lot. Chance revved the engine and the rumbling throaty growl drew even more attention. By the end of the day, it would be known throughout the school that I,