Dark Matter: SCIENCE FICTION ROMANCE

by Jessica Loft

  “Yeah, but you probably just threaten to beat her and she stops bugging you.”

  He laughed and shook his head again. “I would never do that to my mother. She’d kick my sorry ass.”

  Katelyn looked at him when he laughed, his whole face lighting up and softening. She liked his hard look, but this happy look was even better. His eyes glittered and his lips grew rounder.

  “Sorry, I…I shouldn’t have threatened you like that,” he said. “My mama would actually kick my ass for telling a lady I’d break her legs. That was uncalled for.”

  She let out a breath and felt a little relieved. Maybe he’d just been mad then, and said stupid things. Didn’t everyone do that sometimes?

  “I won’t tell,” she said.

  “I appreciate that.” He pulled his mouth into a half smile.

  Katelyn gulped, but not from fear. His gaze bore into her and she felt warmth spread through her. She had the irrational idea that she could leap into his arms and he’d catch her and his arms would be like iron, they were that strong. And then he’d kiss her and he’d say, I fell in love with you the moment I saw you, and he’d make all her dreams come true.

  “You know,” he said, dropping his arms to his side. “I might suffer deep emotion damage from this. My bike is very important to me.”

  “Right, I know. You biker guys put everything into your motorcycles.”

  He chuckled. “’You biker guys?’”

  Her face grew warmer. “Oh, I just meant—”

  “No, it’s okay. Funny, actually. But you’re right. I’ve spent a lot of time and money on my ride. I have to have the best looking bike. I’m the leader of my club.”

  “What do you mean, club? Like biker gang?”

  “No one calls them that anymore. The word ‘gang’ has the rep for being dangerous and criminal.”

  “But your club isn’t?”

  He pulled his lips into that half smile again. “Oh, it is. We just prefer to give the impression we’re nice, law-abiding citizens.”

  “Oh.” Guess that was why he didn’t want the police involved. “Does your, umm, club, have a name?”

  “Sure.” He turned and pointed to a patch on his jacket sleeve. It was a bright Blue “X” and a smaller gray “MC.”

  “It’s named after you?”

  “It’s my club. Why not.”

  She nodded. “So, do you guys just hang out and ride bikes and stuff?”

  “Basically. We build bikes, we fix them, we go for rides. But we also drink and cuss and get into the occasional fight.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “You should come check it out sometime.”

  “Oh, I… don’t think I’d fit in there.”

  “No?” He took a step toward her. “I was actually thinking, you know with all my emotion damage and everything, maybe you could make it up to me?”

  Her throat grew thick again with fear. If he grabbed her and tried to force her to do anything, she wouldn’t be able to escape his strength. “What do you mean?”

  “Well, I have your number. Maybe I’ll use it to schedule our date.”

  “Our date?” She blinked at him. He wanted to take her out?

  “You will go out with me.”

  Her gut reaction was anger at being told what to do, but she didn’t want to push him back into a rage. She could cancel later. “Oh, umm, oh… kay?”

  “Perfect.” He swung his leg over the bike’s seat and grabbed the handlebars. The engine roared to life with a loud snarl. “I’ll call you.”

  “Okay.”

  She watched him drive off, dumbfounded at how things had turned around.

  Chapter 2

  By the fifth day after she’d hit his bike, Katelyn thought X wasn’t going to call her after all. She was mostly relieved, but strangely a little sad, too. When she imagined all the ways she’d cancel on him, she thought of several ways she wouldn’t. She’d contacted her insurance company, and after her $500 deductible, they were covering the replacement of several parts. She thought about calling him to tell him, but the insurance company would handle all that.

  Her phone rang and it was her mother. “Hi, Mom.”

  “Well, you always sound so pleased to hear from me.”

  “All week all you’ve done is yell at me.” And that was without her knowing about the accident.

  “I’m sorry,” she said in a very unsorry tone, “but I just want to make sure you’re doing the right thing.”

  “Let me live my life. If I mess it up, then oh well, it’s on me, isn’t it?”

  Another call beeped through. Katelyn glanced at the screen and her heart jumped when she saw “X” on the screen.

  “I’ll call you back, Mom.” She didn’t wait for a response before switching the call over. “Hello?”

  “Well, hi there pretty lady.”

  Katelyn’s faced warmed and she smiled despite her reservations. “Hi.”

  “I’m calling to check up on you. You okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I’m good. How’s the bike?”

  “Already replaced the parts,” he said.

  “Wow. That was fast.”

  “I have appearances to keep up, you know.”

  “Right.”

  “So,” he said, drawing out the word in his sexy voice. “Now that the bike looks hot again, I need someone hot to put on her. You ready to make good on your promise?”

  “I don’t think I actually promised anything.”

  “Then you’re backing out?”

  “No,” she said too fast, surprising herself. Hadn’t she planned to do just that? “When?”

  “What are you doing right now?”

  It was Saturday evening and she’d been doing laundry and cleaning her apartment before her mom called. Nothing interesting, but she wasn’t dressed to go anywhere. “Umm, just cleaning?”

  “I’ll give you an hour, then I’ll be at your door.”

  “Okay, that sounds—” But the call ended. Well, apparently, he wasn’t giving her a choice. Then she realized she’d never given him her address. She smirked. He’d have to call back and admit he forgot.

  She went to her closet. But without knowing where they were going or what they were doing, she had no idea how to dress. Well, he’d come on his bike probably and she always heard you needed pants for on a bike. So, skinny jeans it was. But what else? The spring weather was warm, but not hot. And being on the bike would be cold.

  She settled on a thin sweater and denim jacket, low boots, and a ponytail to keep the wind under control. She dressed up the outfit with jewelry, did her makeup, and waited. He hadn’t called back to get her address, and he should be there in just ten minutes.

  She went back to folding laundry. Ten minutes later, almost to the minute from when he said he’d give her an hour, there was a knock at her door. She opened it and sure enough, X stood in the hall.

  “How did you know where I lived?” she asked as she opened the door.

  He winked. “I know things.”

  She didn’t really like the thought of that. But maybe through the insurance somehow?

  “Ready to hit the road?”

  “I think so? I didn’t know where we were going.” She gestured to her outfit. “Is this okay?”

  “It’s perfect.”

  She went to grab her purse, but thought better of it. It’d just be swinging around on the bike. She took out a few important items, like her debit card, ID, and lip gloss, and shoved them in her pocket.

  She closed and locked the door behind her, and X handed her a helmet.

  “Safety first,” he said.

  She slid the helmet onto her head. Her head wobbled for a moment under the added weight, then she tilted her head to see where she was going.

  X shook his head and laughed at her. “Have you ever ridden before?”

  “No.”

  “Wait until you’re on the bike to put on the helmet. Or until you’re used to it.” He slid his leg over the s
eat and patted behind him for her to get on.

  Katelyn hopped into place, but wasn’t sure where to put her hands.

  “You’re going to want to hold on.” X slid his helmet into place and started the bike.

  She put her hands around his waist.

  “Tighter,” he said.

  She tightened her grip, and they took off. She hadn’t been holding tight enough. With a jolt, she was pushed back, and immediately leaned into him, squeezing his middle.

  They stopped at a red light and she shouted to him, “Where are we going?”

  “For a ride.” The light turned green and they sped off again.

  She tried to enjoy it. She turned her head to watch the world go by through the helmet’s visor. But her neck hurt from the extra weight and her arms were starting to hurt from hanging onto him so tightly. The thing that made it worth it was feeling the heat of his body against hers. She also kinda liked the feel of the hum of the bike between her legs. But after almost an hour, her legs were starting to cramp up.

  X slowed the bike and turned off the road, pulling to a gravel lot. He hopped off the bike and helped her off. Her legs were so stiff, it was hard to walk for a minute.

  “Sorry,” he said, chuckling at her bow-legged stumble. “I’ve been riding so long, I forget what it’s like when you’re not used to it.”

  “It’s okay.” She gripped his hand tighter and used her legs as an excuse to lean on him.

  He had his helmet under one arm, but with the other, he scooped her off the ground and flipped her over his shoulder.

  She squealed and held tight to her helmet. “What are you doing?” she laughed.

  “This way you don’t have to walk.”

  He set her down a few minutes later onto a patch of soft grass. They were in a secluded spot. The sound of the road was far away, and she saw no buildings or anything besides grass and trees. The way the spot was angled, it gave a beautiful view of the night sky and the mountains in the distance. The stars were just starting to come out and the moon shone bright and large.

  X sat down and tugged her down beside him. “I come here a lot. You can see so much from up here.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  She sat for a minute, appreciating the site. He reached over and rubbed her back. Tingles of pleasure ran through her body at his touch. What would it be like to kiss him? Maybe that’s why he brought her here. Or maybe he wanted more. She gulped at the thought. She barely knew him. But still, she pictured his thick muscles and the way he walked, and she had to bite her lip.

  “So,” she said, just to say something, to keep her mind off the closeness of his body.

  “So.”

  “What’s your real name?”

  “X.”

  She tilted her head at him. “Seriously.”

  “It is. Short for Xavier.”

  He had a point, there. X did make a good nickname for Xavier. And it sounded so hot.

  “Do you work with motorcycles? Or what do you do?”

  “Nah, I wish. I work in a dirty warehouse all day moving boxes around.”

  “That sounds fun. At least you can move around. I’m stuck behind a cash register all day.”

  “Ugg. Retail. I do like that my job helps me stay in shape.” He flexed his arm and the sight of his huge bicep getting even bigger made her want to reach out and squeeze him.

  He pulled out a silver flask from his pocket and unscrewed the lid. He took a long sip, smacked his lips together, and handed it to her.

  “What is it?” she asked. She took a sniff and backed away at the strong scent of alcohol.

  “Best whiskey you’ll ever taste.”

  “No, thanks. I don’t drink.”

  He turned to face her. “What? Why not?”

  She shrugged. “Just don’t.”

  “Aww, come on. Just take a little sip.” He held it out to her again.

  She shook her head. “Really, no. I don’t drink even a little.”

  He sighed, but took another pull on the flask. He leaned back on his elbows and looked up at the sky. She did the same and tried to figure out where the Big Dipper was.

  X leaned over and kissed her shoulder, moving his body closer to hers. He moved his lips along her neck. She went still and her heart thudded. She wanted to kiss him so badly. She turned her head toward him and their lips met. Instantly, there was passion.

  He pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her waist. He pressed his mouth to hers, slipping his tongue in and caressing hers. She put her hand at the back of his neck and pressed herself closer to him.

  Kissing him felt so good. She could lie there for hours under the stars, feeling the warmth of his body, and the pressure of his lips. He slid his hand up her shirt and under her bra.

  She squirmed at first and almost pulled back, but allowed him to caress her breasts and run his thumb over her nipple, sending waves of pleasure through her whole body. When his hand moved down her stomach and crept under her jeans, she put her hand on his.

  “Don’t,” she said.

  “Why not?”

  “I barely know you.”

  He moved his hand over top of her jeans and squeezed her groin gently. She breathed out hard, trying to remember why she was saying no.

  “I want to make you feel good,” he breathed into her ear.

  “You are.”

  He squeezed her again and moved his thumb over the seam of her jeans. She pushed his hand away.

  “Can’t we just kiss?” she asked.

  “Come on.” The tone in his voice started to sound frustrated. “You said it feels good. Let me make you feel even better.”

  “X. Stop.” She moved away from him and pulled her hands back to her side.

  He threw his hands up in the air. “What are you doing?”

  “I just can’t, okay?”

  He put his hand on his crotch and adjusted himself. “You got me all hard.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “I have protection, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “That’s not it. I just... I don’t even know you.”

  “Fine.” He let himself fall back on the grass, staring up at the sky. She laid down, too, keeping a few feet between them.

  They didn’t say anything for a while, and she was starting to get cold. She pulled her jacket tighter and he noticed her movement.

  “You don’t have to be so far away, you know.”

  She scooted closer to him and set her head on his chest. He put his arm around her and she was already warmer.

  “That’s Orion,” he said, pointing into the sky. “See the three stars in a row?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s my favorite constellation. The hunter. He’s up there keeping watch, ready for anything.”

  “I wish I knew more about the constellations.”

  “I really just know my favorites.”

  She shivered. “I couldn’t even find the Big Dipper.”

  “I don’t think you can see it this time of year.” He tightened his arm around her. “Do you want to go? You’re cold.”

  “Yeah, a little.”

  By the time they got back to her place on his bike, her hands were numb with cold. The wind through the long ride back had been like torture and she’d leaned as close to him as possible, but it hadn’t helped much. She kissed him quickly on her porch, then went inside to bundle up in blankets and thaw out before going to sleep.

  Chapter 3

  Over the next weeks, Katelyn saw Xavier a handful of times. He would call her late at night, sometimes drunk, and they’d talk for hours. She’d go into work exhausted and take naps in the afternoon to make up for it, but it was worth it. She loved talking to him.

  They went out a few times. To a restaurant, to get coffee. Today, she wanted to do something special to surprise him. He’d accidentally let it slip that it was his birthday. They had plans for tomorrow, and he was working today. She’d arranged her schedule so that she had tim
e to bake a cake and leave work a little early.

  She pulled up to his house. She’d never been there before and she’d had to be a bit sneaky to find out where he lived. She’d checked his driver’s license when he’d gone to the bathroom one night and left his wallet at the table.

  Katelyn got out of her car, picked up the cake, and knocked on the front door.

  It took a long time for him to answer, but when he finally pulled the door open, he was wearing only gym shorts and his hair was damp. He gave her something of a wary look.

  “Katelyn.” There was surprise in his voice, which she’d expected, but there was also no excitement. “What are you doing here? How did you know where I lived?”

  “Well.” She gave him a sly smile. “I have my ways. And I brought you a birthday cake.”

  He nodded. “Thanks. I just got home from work.”

  “Yeah, I see that.” She gazed unashamedly at his bare chest, at the ripples of muscle along his stomach and the way his pecs bulged out. She wanted him to take her in his arms, not stand there looking at her like this. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I just… didn’t expect you.”

  “That’s kind of the point of a surprise.” She chucked, then realized he hadn’t moved. He still stood in the doorway, almost blocking her from seeing in. “What’s going on, X? Is someone else here?”

  “What? No.” He looked offended at that, but he had to realize how suspicious he seemed.

  “Then can I come in or what?”

  “Umm… I guess. It’s really messy, though. Maybe we should do this another time.” He glanced behind him into the house.

  She glared at him, not sure if she should be mad or upset.

  “What?” he asked.

  “You’re acting really shady.”

  He dropped his head, but let out a sigh and stepped aside to let her in. She carried the cake to the kitchen, looking around as she went.

  The place was much cleaner than she’d expected, especially after his warning of dirtiness. She went through a short entryway and found the kitchen straight back and to the right. She set the cake down and looked across the counter into the living room where, hanging on the wall opposite the TV, was a large photograph of X, with a woman and a small child. She walked closer and saw several other photos of X and this woman, X and this child.