Free Riding Bitch by Melinda Barron

man grinned at her, she was fairly certain what he’d asked. Sure enough, when they were back on the bike, Ash turned to her.
    “Adult store, next stop. It’s on our way out of town.”
    When they arrived, Ash told Felicia she couldn’t go inside. “I want the things I buy to be a surprise. If someone bothers you, press the horn. I’ll hear it. Plus I won’t be inside long.”
    She sat and waited for him, and no one bothered her. As a matter of fact, no one else drove into the lot. The only other vehicles were two eighteen-wheelers parked at the end. She wondered if they were some of the vehicles they’d passed during the trip.
    She wasn’t nearly as nervous today. She was ready to hit the road again, but more ready to find a place to stop for the evening so they could pitch a tent and she could see what Ash was purchasing.
    They were going up through Lubbock so that Ash, a rock-and-roll fan, could see Buddy Holly’s grave. The next stop would be Palo Duro Canyon outside Amarillo for a few days of camping. From there, he said they’d catch I-40 for the five-hour drive to Santa Fe.
    She was thinking about the stops and the trip when Ash came out of the building, one large sack in either hand.
    “What you got there?” she asked innocently as he went to the back of the bike. She heard the top of the trailer lift and the rustle of sacks as Ash placed his new purchases with the old.
    Without answering, he picked up his helmet. “Let’s get going.”
    “Don’t I get a peek?”
    “No, ma’am, you do not.” He settled himself in front of her. When he spoke again, she heard it through her helmet speaker. “If you keep bugging me, I might not give you anything to play with tonight.”
    Felicia gasped in mock horror. “No cock?”
    “No cock,” he replied.
    “Bull.” She laughed. “You’d never make it that far.”
    “Try me,” he said in a deadpan voice.
    She tickled his side as he started up the bike. “You couldn’t live that long without me,” she whispered into the microphone.
    He turned to look at her. He hadn’t lowered the shield on his helmet yet, and she could see the desire in his dark brown eyes.
    “I’ve done it before,” he said before he grinned. “But it wasn’t much fun. I’d rather not do it again. Keep up the questions, young lady, and you might find yourself trying to guess what’s in the bag all the way to Santa Fe. No obey, no play.”
    “You made a rhyme,” she said. “You’re just full of new skills, aren’t you?”
    In response, he flipped down his visor. He chuckled as he said, “Babe, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
    “I think I’ve heard that one before,” Felicia responded as she pulled down her own shield. She settled in her seat, her back pressed against the rest, her knees resting against Ash’s hips. It promised to be a good ride.

Chapter Five
    “Tell me about this place again,” Felicia said as they rode. The traffic was considerably lighter up here, and the trip was very relaxing.
    “My dad brought us here sometimes for inspiration. The colors are beautiful, and the landscape is amazing—a huge canyon in the middle of all this flat land. You’re going to love it.”
    “I love you.” She ran her fingers up his sides.
    “Watch it. I’m trying to concentrate on the road,” he said. But it didn’t sound to her as if he was upset that she was playing with him. Just the opposite, in fact. Yesterday was hard on him, she knew. They’d run into a thunderstorm before they’d reached Lubbock, and had finally had to pull over in a small town to wait it out.
    They’d reached their destination late and fallen into bed, this time to sleep. They hadn’t even had sex when they’d woken up this morning, since they’d both slept later than they’d planned. After a whirlwind tour of the cemetery—mostly so Ash could see the sculptures—they’d headed toward Palo Duro Canyon.
    As they neared their destination, the significance of it wasn’t lost on