Page 63 of Paco
Chapter Nineteen
Chelsea awoke tosoft caresses as the morning light trickled in through the blinds. Snuggling deeper into the covers, her eyes remained closed as the remnants of a dream quickly slipped away. The scent of leather and myrrh enveloped her, and tiny bumps carpeted her skin as lips gently nibbled her ear. Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled when Paco’s face came into focus.
He brushed his lips across hers. “Morning, beautiful.”
“Morning,” Chelsea mumbled, propping herself up on her elbows. She sat up and rubbed her eyes with the insides of both palms, then stretched her arms toward the ceiling and yawned.
“I’m taking you somewhere,” he said as he pushed off the bed.
“Where?”
“It’s a surprise. We gotta get going, so drag your cute, little ass out of bed and get ready.”
Excitement coursed through her, so she quickly swung her legs over the side and rose to her feet. As she rushed past Paco, he snagged her around the waist, pressed her close to him, and kissed her deeply. Then he turned her around so she faced the bathroom and smacked her lightly on the butt. “We’re spending the night, so pack a few things,” he added while he walked over to the closet, pulled out a small, black bag, and threw it on the bed. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
“Where’re we going?”
“Nice try. Now get moving.” He winked at her and left the room.
When she entered the main room, she saw Paco propped against the bar talking with a couple of other guys. It looked like they were deep in conversation when she sidled up to him and swept her fingers across his forearm. “Hey,” she said softly when he looked down at her.
His eyes slowly raked over her body before returning to her face. “Hey.” His deep voice and piercing gaze made her a bit weak in the knees. “You ready to go?” She nodded and he took the duffle bag from her hands. “I’m outta here. See you tomorrow,” he said to his brothers.
“We’re not taking the Harley?” she asked when they walked past it in the lot.
“No. We’ll take the SUV.” He opened the door and helped her in.
Excitement bubbled inside her as she wondered where they were going.It must be kinda far since we’re staying the night.He leaned over and kissed her tenderly on the lips and then started the engine. Soon they were on the highway heading east, the strains of bluesy rock from George Thorogood & The Destroyers filling the car.
Sage brush, cacti, and sandstone stretched out before them, and in the distance, jagged mountain peaks covered in snow were a stark contrast to the desert’s reddish-brown rock formations. Birds flew gracefully in the air, jackrabbits hopped across the terrain, and lizards darted behind rocks.
“The landscape is beautiful,” she murmured.
Paco placed his hand on her thigh and squeezed it lightly. “I love it here. The contrast between the desert and the mountains is awesome. Look at it. It’s barren and dry with different shades of brown, and just at the edge of it, you have huge mountains.” He slowly shook his head in awe as he pointed to one in particular. “Some are almost thirteen thousand feet or higher—filled with pine forests, open meadows, creeks, and waterfalls. It’s a kickass mixture of fantastic landscapes. It doesn’t get any better than this.”
Placing her hand over his, she turned to him and smiled. “I keep learning new things about you.”
He glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
“I can bet that most people who see you think you’re a tough, badass biker who’s one-dimensional, but you’re so much more.”
“You mean I’m not just a walking stereotype?” He threw her a teasing smile.
Chelsea shook her head. “Not at all. I mean, there’s a definite badass vibe you’ve got going on, but you have so many layers, I’m guessing not too many get to see very often.”
“You got me there. I normally don’t hand out too much info about myself. Kinda like you.”
“Yet, we’ve both opened up to each other. I find that you’re easy to talk to.”
“Yeah. I like talking to you. It’s good to share, you know?”
“It’s been so long since I did any ofthat. When Bobby used to drive us all around the country, I never paid attention to the scenery. All I could think about was keeping him happy so he wouldn’t beat me. Sometimes, I’d wonder what the new truck stop was like, or how I could escape from him. Driving on the open road with you makes me see things in a new and wonderful light, and I like it. Thanks for that.”
As he stroked the side of her face, she caught his hand and brought it to her lips and kissed it. “It’s been a long time since I’ve let a woman get to know me.”
I bet he’s thinking of Cassie. Should I bring her up?
“I fucking love this song.” He turned the radio’s volume up and beat out the tune with his hands on the steering wheel as he sang along.
