CHAPTER 71: INDULGING IN MIKE’S TEMPTATIONS

Alexia’s POV

One word—incredible.

Yeah, yeah, I should have gone to school, but guess what? I didn’t. Instead, I went motorcycle riding with Mike, and honestly? Best. Decision. Ever.

The moment he handed me a helmet, my heart started racing—not out of fear, but excitement. The sleek black motorcycle gleamed under the morning sun, looking like something straight out of an action movie.

"You ever been on one before?" Mike asked, smirking as he secured his own helmet.

I scoffed. "No, but how hard can it be? It’s just like riding a bike, right?"

Mike barked out a laugh. "Yeah, sure, except for the part where we’ll be going over a hundred miles per hour."

Okay, maybe I should have been a little more cautious, but at that moment, I didn’t care. I was too wrapped up in the idea of doing something reckless—something just for me.

Mike got on first, patting the seat behind him. "Come on, Alex. Live a little."

Without hesitation, I swung my leg over and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"Hold on tight," he said, revving the engine.

Oh, I held on.

The second we took off, my stomach lurched, and the wind rushed against my face. It was intoxicating. The speed, the adrenaline, the feeling of complete freedom. I tilted my head back slightly, laughing as we weaved through the nearly empty roads leading out of the city.

For the first time in weeks, I wasn’t thinking about Aiden. Or Liz. Or my ridiculous marriage.

For the first time in a long time, I just felt alive.

Mike must’ve noticed because he turned his head slightly and shouted over the roar of the bike, "You good back there?"

I grinned, tightening my grip around his waist. "Better than good!"

He chuckled, then suddenly, the bike accelerated.

I let out a scream—not of fear, but exhilaration. My heart pounded, and my body pressed closer to his as we sped down the long stretch of road.

I didn’t know where we were going, and honestly?

I didn’t care.

After what felt like an eternity of riding, we finally reached a quiet suburb, far from the city’s prying eyes. Mike pulled over near an open stretch of road, lined with trees and empty sidewalks.

"We should be safe here," he said, pulling off his helmet. "No one’s gonna recognize us."

I raised an eyebrow, still catching my breath. "And that matters because...?"

Mike gave me a knowing look. "Because if Aiden finds out I took his wife on a motorcycle joyride instead of school, I’d rather not have my face rearranged."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "Like he’d even care."

Mike didn’t say anything to that, just smirked before patting the bike’s seat. "Alright, switch places."

I blinked. "What?"

"You heard me, princess." He smirked, getting off the bike. "I’m teaching you how to ride."

I stared at him like he’d just suggested skydiving without a parachute. "You do realize I almost tripped getting off the damn thing, right?"

Mike shrugged. "Yeah, but you didn’t. Besides, what’s life without a little risk?"

I narrowed my eyes at him but found myself already moving to sit at the front. Big mistake.

The second I settled in, I realized just how different it felt to be in control of the bike. My hands trembled as I reached for the handlebars, and my feet barely touched the ground.

Mike chuckled behind me. "Relax, Alex. I got you."

He slid in behind me, his hands covering mine as he guided my grip.

"Okay, first thing’s first—this," he tapped a lever, "is the clutch. You’re gonna use it to shift gears. And this," he nudged my right hand, "is the throttle. Twist it gently to accelerate."

Gently. Right.

We tried multiple times, and I’ll be honest—if Mike hadn’t been there to take over, we’d have crashed at least three times.

"Shit, shit, shit—Mike, take it! Take it!" I shrieked as the bike wobbled under my control.

He let out a deep laugh, effortlessly steadying the vehicle. "Okay, let’s try that again, but maybe without the panic attack this time?"

I huffed, but with each attempt, I started getting the feel of it.

Slowly but surely, I learned when to shift gears, how to balance my weight, how to keep the bike steady. And then, finally—

"I’M DOING IT!" I shouted as the bike roared forward under my control.

Mike whistled behind me. "Look at you, natural-born rider."

I felt invincible.

For the first time in forever, I was doing something for myself. No rules, no expectations, no suffocating responsibilities.

Just me, the road, and the rush of freedom.

The moment my stomach growled, Mike froze behind me, his hands still resting lightly on my waist. Then, he chuckled—low and amused.

"Well, someone’s hungry," he teased.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, no shit. Do you know how much energy it takes not to crash a motorcycle?"

He swung his leg off the bike, turning to face me with a grin. "C’mon, let’s get you some food before you pass out on me."

Before I could even argue, he took my hand and pulled me off the bike. Instead of letting me take the driver’s seat again, he took the front this time, leaving me to sit at the back.

"What are you doing?" I asked, raising a brow.

Mike smirked. "I let you have your fun. Now, let’s get moving before you start eating your helmet."

I huffed but didn’t complain as I climbed onto the back seat. The moment I wrapped my arms around his waist, he stiffened for a second before quickly relaxing.

"You good back there?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah," I muttered. "Just drive, Black."

Mike chuckled before revving the engine and taking off.

The ride was smooth, the wind brushing against my face as I held onto him. It was...nice. Strangely freeing.

We rode in silence until we reached a fast-food joint on the side of the road. Mike parked the bike and helped me off before leading me inside.

The moment we stepped in, I inhaled deeply, my stomach rumbling louder at the scent of greasy fries and grilled burgers.

Mike snorted. "Damn, Alex, are you sure you’re not starving?"

I shot him a glare. "I am starving, genius. Now, let me order in peace."

He held his hands up in surrender, watching in amusement as I stepped up to the counter.

Let’s just say—when the cashier asked what I wanted, I ordered enough food for a small army.

I nearly choked on my bite as Mike smirked at me, eyebrows raised in that familiar, teasing way. "Okay, you have to tell me—where all this food goes? This is the second time I’ve seen you ordering a large amount of food and yet you’re still so small and petite?"

I paused mid-chew, a playful smile tugging at my lips. I could practically feel his eyes dancing with amusement. It was as if he couldn’t believe that beneath this petite frame, I managed to devour enough to feed a small army.

I smirked as I unwrapped my burger, taking a dramatic bite before responding. "Fast metabolism, Black. Ever heard of it?"

Mike shook his head, watching in disbelief as I went straight for the fries, dipping them in ketchup like I hadn’t just ordered enough food for three people.

"Fast metabolism, my ass," he muttered, leaning back in his seat. "At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have a secret second stomach hidden somewhere. You must have some sort of secret black hole in there. Seriously, how do you do it?""

I snorted. "You sound jealous."

"Damn right, I’m jealous," he shot back, stealing one of my fries before I could swat his hand away. "If I ate like you, I’d be twice my size by now."

"Well, lucky for me, I don’t have that problem," I said smugly, taking another bite of my burger.

Mike just shook his head, amused. "You’re something else, Alex."

I swallowed and smirked. "And don’t you forget it."

Seriously, if Aiden were more like Mike, our marriage wouldn’t be this constant brooding mess, filled with tension and conflict every other day.

Mike was easygoing, fun, and actually made an effort to talk to me like a normal person—not like I was some inconvenient burden he had to carry. He wasn’t constantly judging me, giving me those cold, calculating stares like Aiden did. Instead, he joked with me, made me feel at ease, and didn’t treat me like I was just a piece of some business deal.

I stabbed a fry into my ketchup absentmindedly, glancing at Mike as he casually scrolled through his phone in between bites. If I had been married to him instead of Aiden, things would have been so much simpler.

Not that I wanted to marry Mike—God, no. But still, I couldn’t help but think about how different things would have been. Aiden and I were like oil and water, constantly clashing, constantly proving why this whole arrangement was a bad idea. Meanwhile, Mike and I? We could actually talk without it feeling like a warzone.

Mike looked up from his phone, catching me staring. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. "Nothing. Just thinking how much easier life would be if Aiden had even an ounce of your personality."

He snorted. "Now that’s a dangerous thought. I might just start thinking you like me, Mrs. Lake."

I rolled my eyes, stuffing a fry into my mouth before I could say something stupid. Because, deep down, I knew that no matter how much I wished Aiden were different, the reality was that he wasn’t. And I was stuck with him, for better or worse.