The Bucket List (A REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE)

36. KIERAN

I loved the wind in my hair, the sun on my back and the feel of the beast between my thighs. I couldn't remember the last time I was out on an open road that stretched for miles and miles.

It felt fucking amazing.

Unscrewing the cap of the water I'd just purchased, I took a few sips and closed the bottle again. My phone vibrated in my pocket before I could climb back onto my bike. Placing the bottle down on the seat, I pulled it out and unlocked the screen.

Albany's name flashed across the screen, making me smile. I hesitated a moment before I clicked on it.

Albany: This message is not to be shared with anyone. Once you have read it, it'll be best to delete it so nobody else could 'accidently' read it. I'd like to do the following with you. If you're not okay with any of it, please let me know so we can make adjustments.

The smile died down as my eyes skimmed the list attached beneath the message. My heartbeat increased and sweat broke out over my skin. She wanted to do all these things with me? I was open to trying anything she wanted with me, but it was honestly not what I expected.

I was all in but the dancing beneath the stars thing was something I wasn't expecting. Shouldn't she have chosen someone else to do that? I didn't have a romantic bone in my fucking body and Albany should know that by now.

Shaking my head, I send Sev a message and waited for him to reply before I climbed onto my Harley. It roared to life, drawing the attention of a few people. With a smirk on my lip, I pulled out of the parking and high-tailed it out onto the open road again.

Catching up with them would give me some time to decide what I was willing to do with Albany and what not.

***

It took me two days to catch up with them.

They were at a carnival or some shit. I sat on my bike, parked next to the escalade and waited for nearly four hours before they walked out of the gates. Albany walked between Steven and Sev, holding a white giant teddy bear clutched to her chest.

She was laughing at something Thomas said. I couldn't tear my eyes away from her. Albany was the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid my eyes on.

I straightened a bit when they neared and waited. My eyes locked with Steven's first and then darted over to his brother who had yet to notice me. I watched him for a few seconds before I looked at the Sev.

It was the first time in a long time that I'd seen him dressed so casually and relaxed. My eyes dropped to my dirty boots. The man worked way too much. It was all he had to do but I hoped that Albany would change that once we get home.

"Kieran!"

I looked up just in time to watch Albany shove the bear at Steven and then run toward me. Straightening, I spread my arms and caught her. A grunt fell from my lips when her small body slammed into mine.

"You're here," she whispered against my ear.

"Where else would I be?" I asked.

"You weren't driving behind us." Albany pulled back to look at me. "You didn't answer my message."

I gave her a small smile as I gripped her thighs and hoisted her a little higher up my body. She was wrapped around me—legs wrapped around my hips and elbows resting on my shoulders as her hands played with the strands of my hair at the nape of my neck.

"It's why I'm here," I told her. "Think you're ready to get on the back of my bike?"

My eyes dropped to her lips when her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. She didn't even kiss me hello. The thought disappeared as soon as our eyes locked again.

"What scares you?" I asked when I caught sight of the fear flashing through her eyes.

"Not being surrounded by metal to protect me. How fast it goes. The fact that it's not driven in the same way that a car is driven."

"So many fears," I muttered. "I've been driving this bike since I was fifteen, baby. I promise that I'll drive slowly until you say otherwise."

Her eyes darted over my face. Letting out a sigh, she gave me a small nod that made my smile widen. I pressed a quick kiss to her lips before I lowered her to the ground. Albany stepped away and fixed her clothes before she turned around.

"I'm going to drive with Kieran," she told them.

Thomas's eyes narrowed as anger filled his eyes. He opened his mouth but whatever he was about to say was stopped by Steven who hit him on the back of the head. Steven hissed something in his ear. A second later he stormed off.

"That's great news," Severide said as he approached.

Albany beamed at him. "I'm still scared though. It feels like I'm going to pass out at any second."

Severide threw his arm around her shoulder and tugged her against his side. He muttered something against her ear which made her blush. Her eyes darted up to mine but instantly dropped to her shoes again.

"I'm going to grab my phone," she said.

Severide chuckled as he watched her go. For a moment my eyes darted to Steven who stood frowning at the ground. Somehow I had a feeling that he was regretting ever making the suggestion of all of us being in a relationship at the same time.

If I was being honest, I was planning on making him regret it.

"Should we wait up or. . .?"

I looked at Sev and shrugged. "How many stops do you still have left?"

At my questioned, Steven moved forward. He'd gotten rid of the teddy bear he'd been clutching to his chest. He was still frowning but at least he wasn't making crude comments like his brother.

"It depends," he muttered. "I planned two more stops for Albany but if she's going with you then I suppose we don't have to stop unless we have too."

"I'll message you—"

"We'll all having dinner tonight," Thomas interrupted. "All five of us. I'll send you the location. Make sure that you're there."

With a glare at all of us, he walked over to the car and leaned in the back where Albany was busy searching for something. I raised an eyebrow at them.

"Well," Steven sighed, throwing his hands up, "I guess we'll be stopping in town after all."

With a smile, he turned and joined his brother, leaving Sev and me alone. I glared at them before I looked at him. If they thought that I was going to allow him to intrude on my time with Albany then they were wrong.

There was no guarantee that we'd be on time for dinner.

"Don't." Severide stepped closer and lowered his voice. "We're doing this for Albany. Don't fuck it up just because you're pissed at Thomas."

My lips twitched. "You've been cursing an awful lot lately."

His lips parted but his words were cut off by Albany appearing at his side. Her eyes darted over the bike and then shot up to mine. For a moment she worried her bottom lip with her teeth again as fear darkened her eyes.

"Can you keep my phone and wallet? I'm scared that they'd slip out of my pockets."

I nodded. "Sure."

Albany handed her wallet over but hesitated a few seconds before she gave me her phone. Our eyes locked as I pushed them into the pockets of my jeans.

"You have a helmet, right?"

Turning, I leaned down and picked it up from the other side of the bike where it had fallen when I stood. Rubbing away the dust, I stepped towards her and carefully placed it on her head. My fingers brushed her soft skin as I tied the straps beneath her chin.

Once I was done, I stepped back and grabbed my leather jacket from the bike and held it out to for her. I couldn't see her face but I could just imagine her biting her lip as she debated on whether to do it or not. In the end she slipped her arms through it and allowed me to zip it up.

I showed her where to place her feet before I straddled my bike.

"Let's go."