by Jeff Hale
“Are you taken?” he asked a few minutes later.
I almost didn’t hear the low whisper over the sound of the movie. I turned back toward him, M&M against my lips and gave him a quizzical look.
He gave me a half smile before meeting eyes with me. I felt that draw again, that familiarity that I just couldn’t place.
“Do you have a boyfriend? A girlfriend?” The last was accompanied with a nod in Kris’s direction.
For a moment I couldn’t speak, then I finally whispered back, “No… to both questions,” and popped the M&M in my mouth.
“Do you want one?”
It was asked with a seriousness that had me almost choking on the M&M. I coughed, startled, carefully swallowing my bit of candy before answering. Did I want one? Of course I did, what girl didn’t?
“Yeah.” The word came out of me as a breathy sigh, one of frustration.
The flicker of pain crossed his face again, his deep brown eyes seeming to see something elsewhere, then he relaxed a bit, stretching one long arm across the back of my seat, settling in until our bodies almost touched across the arm rest. He didn’t say anything else, simply turned his attention back to the movie, but I could feel the heat of his arm through his jacket along my shoulder and radiating off of him near my side.
I was shocked at his reaction to my one word answer and wondered what had just happened. Did he just ask me out? Did I miss something here? Did I miss something here? I barely knew him, hell, I didn’t know him, but he was suddenly in a position next to me that screamed physical possessiveness. What did I just do?
Even though a large part of me worried over what seemed to be happening so suddenly, another part of me felt as though I had found a missing piece. The sensation of familiarity, the draw, grew increasingly stronger, and I knew that if he were to get up and leave, I would follow. The thought scared me as much as it thrilled me in its own way.
The new source of heat from Darien soon made me aware of a slight chill on my right side. I glanced surreptitiously to my right, noticing that Kris was chattering away with the pale one whose name I still hadn’t heard. He reminded me of the emo teens that hung out at school, all pale skin and darker hair, but without the emo attitude. His left arm occasionally brushed my right one and, while it wasn’t exactly cold, it wasn’t warm either, something I doubt I would have noticed if it hadn’t been for the heat radiating from Darien.
I looked away, catching Alex’s eyes as he looked over his shoulder back at us, seeing the amused look in them turn speculative as he noted Darien’s arm around my shoulder and the newly possessive way in which his body curled toward me.
“Hey, Darien,” Alex whisper-shouted. He gave a quick tip of his head towards the screen. “A cure for werewolves.” He rolled his eyes and chuckled before turning back to the screen.
Darien sighed as he caught my curious look. “Just ignore him,” he said quietly. “Sometimes he doesn’t know how to behave in public.” He pitched the last a little bit higher, obviously for Alex to hear and was rewarded with a waved middle finger. “My point exactly,” he whispered, shaking his head.
Darien didn’t utter another word to me for the rest of the movie, although I did catch him staring at me occasionally. I almost got the impression that he was adjusting to my presence. None of us moved as the end credits rolled by and the few other moviegoers exited the theater. Once we were the only ones left, Darien pulled away a bit, looking me in the eye.
“Want to go for a ride?” he asked softly.
I was stunned into silence at the question, my brain immediately going where it shouldn’t have by tacking on the meaning most guys would have meant by those words, before remembering that he had a motorcycle. Warning bells went off in my head, my thoughts forming a refusal, as I breathed out, “Sure.”
Darien stood and helped me to my feet, leaning over me to tap the pale one on the shoulder. “Matt, Kat and I are going to go sightseeing. Did you want to see if her friend, Kris,” he looked at me for confirmation of the name and I nodded, “wants to head back to your place with you and Alex and wait for us?”
Warning bells again. I wasn’t sure how I felt about Kris heading off with two fairly strange men to a strange house. Kidnappings, rapes, murders, they all started this way. Darien must have sensed something because he leaned down toward my face, his eyes meeting mine again.
“It’s alright, she’ll be safe, nothing will happen to her, trust me,” he whispered, and I believed him.
Something deep in my soul just knew that I would be safe with him if he had anything to do with it and if he said my friend would be safe, she would be.
I turned, feeling his arms go around me, and peered at Kris around Matt. “That sound like something that’s okay with you, Kris?”
Her eyes widened and she looked from Matt to me, noting the arms encircling me, giving me a shrewd look. “Do you think it’s safe?” Trust Kris to not mince words.
Matt chuckled. “Of course it’s not safe, but that’s okay, we don’t bite. Much, anyway.”
I heard a choking laugh from Alex at that comment, and I looked to see him bent over his knees, his shoulders shaking in amusement. I was lost as to what he found so funny.
Matt saw my worried look, then turned to Kris. “I could always take you home if you prefer?”
Kris shook her head. “No, we’re here visiting, and I’m not about to try to explain where Kat went off to on my own.”
“Seriously though, you’ll be fine. We can head back, watch another movie, play some video games, listen to music, whatever you want.”
Alex was at the end of the aisle and was already leading Kris toward the exit. I met her eyes and she gave me that slightly amused, raised eyebrow shrug and mouthed ‘Just go with it’ at me.
We followed them out and I noticed that Darien was always in physical contact with me in some way, whether it be a hand in the small of my back, or on my shoulder, but never losing touch.
His motorcycle was parked around the back of the theater, right next to a smaller dark blue SUV type vehicle. Matt opened the door of the SUV and motioned for Kris to hop inside, then both he and Alex got in. I waved to Kris as the SUV pulled out of the parking lot, and she leaned out over Alex to yell, “Get me a picture of that Bigfoot they keep seeing!”
I laughed, then turned to where Darien was straddling the bike, getting the engine going with the turn of a key and a kick. He flashed a smile at me, the first full smile I had seen. It took my breath away.
“Hop on and hold tight!”
I hesitated a moment.
“Something wrong?”
I shrugged. “You wouldn’t happen to have a spare helmet by any chance?” Mom had always been a worrywart and had brought me up to wear a helmet whenever riding any kind of bike.
His mouth twitched. “Uh, no. I don’t ride with one, and the only person who ever rides with me is Alex, and neither does he. You’ll be fine though, I’m a good driver.” He gave me a playful grin.
Gut clenching as I went against years of safety training, I nodded and climbed up behind him, wrapping my arms around his stomach. He inclined his head back towards me.
“Don’t let go,” he whispered.
And we were off.
FOUR
Katelyn
I didn’t let go. I was too scared to.
But after a few minutes and noting the practiced way he controlled the bike, I began to relax. I still didn’t let go, but I could enjoy the feel of the air rushing past my face, the wind in my hair. The air had a bit of a bite to it, but I had my jacket on and I leaned my face into his back, feeling the warmth emanating from him. I had only ridden double on a motorcycle a couple times before and hated it, but I felt totally safe with Darien.
I pulled my head back a bit and leaned around him, seeing that we were headed back toward beach areas again, that he was taking the ‘scenic route’, the long winding roads that gave beautiful views of the ocean during the daytime. The sky was clear tonight, the moon a
lmost full. I could see it shining off the water through sporadic breaks in the trees that marched down the hillside.
Exhilarating. It was the only word I could use to describe what I felt. There was something wild and free about tonight’s ride that hit some hidden chord inside me, that resonated in me, and that I could feel coming from Darien as well.
Most of my life I had remembered feeling as though some part of me was not fulfilled. I had always figured it was my imagination or my wish for a father, but now I realized that it was what I was feeling right now. For the first time in my life I felt whole. It both thrilled me and saddened me at the same time.
We wound our way down the road until the trees finally broke and we had a clear view of the ocean, slowing after the road leveled out and pulling into a sandy viewpoint that also led down to the beach.
I slid off the bike, reluctant to move away from him, and he swung his leg over the seat so he could stand next to me. He stretched, raising his face to the cloudless sky, and inhaled deeply, almost as if he was drinking in the air. With his head tilted back, even in a ponytail his beautiful black hair dangled past his waist. Before I could stop myself, I had reached out a hand, combing my fingers through its inky softness.
A shiver rippled through him and I jerked my hand away, embarrassed. He looked down at me, a slow smile curving his lips. He had what people would call a sensual mouth, and having that smile directed at me made my stomach go all fluttery.
“It’s okay, you know,” he said, his words almost drowned out by the waves crashing against the beach.
“What is?” I was sure he could hear the catch in my voice.
“To touch me. It’s okay, if you want to.” He held his hand out to me, still smiling at me. “Come on.”
I blew out a short breath and put my hand in his, letting him lead me down a worn path to the beach below. There was a large chunk of driftwood down the beach to our left and he set out for it, keeping his pace slow so that I wouldn’t stumble in the sand.
Once we got to it, he sat down on it, facing the water, and pulled me down so that I was sitting on his lap, my back to his chest. He tucked the sides of his coat around me as best he could and wrapped his arms around me, his fingers laced together across my belly. I could feel warmth radiating out from him, as though he ran at a higher temperature than normal.
A sigh escaped me and I snuggled into him. Here I was, on a beach with the moonlight glittering off the water, and a gorgeous man wanting to cuddle with me.
I was in Heaven.
There was still a part of me that wanted to be cautious, that worried that he was only after a bit of sex and thought I might be willing, but I just couldn’t help the feeling that being here in his arms was right. Of course, being in Aerick’s arms had felt right, too. A pang of guilt went through me but I quickly shooed it away. Aerick had made his choice and he wasn’t here.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Darien asked, his lips next to my ear. His breath across that sensitive spot sent tingles down my spine.
“Yes,” I said, trying to keep my voice from sounding breathy. I didn’t know what to do with my hands so I finally settled for carefully resting them against the sides of his legs. “I’ve always loved the ocean. I was born here, you know.”
“Were you?” He rubbed his cheek against my hair and another sigh escaped me.
“Well, in Tillamook actually, but still, only a few miles away.” I sucked up my courage and decided on a bold move. Well, maybe not so bold since I’d stuck my hand down a boy’s pants at school, but this was an entirely different situation. I moved one of my hands against the side of his leg in a light caress. His breath drew in sharply next to my ear and a little thrill went through me. I kept stroking his leg, enjoying the feel of the denim stretched tight over his thigh.
“So your name, Kat. Is it short for anything?”
“Katelyn.” I dared to move my other hand and mirror my movements with his other leg.
He made a soft noise in his throat and his hands clenched against my stomach briefly. “Katelyn. My name’s Darien.”
“I know… ahh.” My back arched slightly as his lips touched my neck. It was a feather light touch, the barest of kisses, but it felt like a jolt of electricity had surged through my skin. I turned my head instinctively, wanting to feel that same touch on my mouth, but he moved his head with mine, preventing me. I made a small noise of frustration.
“Not yet,” he whispered, bringing one hand up to cup the side of my face. “Don’t rush it.”
Well, that answered my question as to whether or not he just wanted sex. It made me feel good inside, but at the same time, I wanted to feel his lips against mine, to find out what he tasted like. He’d gone back to nuzzling my neck and I tried to keep my breathing and shivering under control.
“So where are you from?” I hoped that more conversation would keep my mind off of the sweet torture he was playing out against my skin.
“Florida… and Texas.”
Texas, hmm? No trace of a southern accent though.
“What brought you to Tillamook?”
“Visiting old friends.”
“So, what do you do? Aside from ride motorcycles and hang out on the beach?” I was starting to feel like a grand inquisitor, but getting to know him was a good idea.
He hesitated a second before replying. “I work as a consultant for my father, means I have to travel a lot. What about you? What do you do, aside from hang out on the beach and take motorcycle rides with men you hardly know?” he teased.
“I go to school.”
“School, school is good.” He brushed his fingertips lightly up and down the side of my neck and a little shudder ran through me. “What are you majoring in?”
Majoring in? He thinks I’m in college? Shit. Time to fess up, I guess. I sure as hell didn’t want him thinking I’d tried to deceive him.
“Uhm, high school,” I whispered, bracing myself for his response.
It was there, but not quite what I expected. He stilled for a moment, a small sigh escaping him. But he didn’t let me go.
After a few tense—at least for me—moments, he asked, “How old are you?”
“Eighteen, I’ll be nineteen next month. I’m a senior, I should have graduated last year, but I was really sick when I was little and started school a year late,” I rattled out. I felt him relax, and he resumed what he had been doing to my neck. “So how old are you?”
He traced the rim of my ear with the tip of his nose. “Too old,” he said, before placing his lips against my skin again. “Twenty four.”
No wonder he’d almost had a panic attack when I’d told him I was in high school. I’d figured he was old enough to legally drink, but I wouldn’t have guessed that he was six years older than me. But I was a legal adult, almost a year past, so age wasn’t a concern for me.
“So how come you’re interested in me?” I’d said it, voiced my doubt, although I was afraid to hear the response, that maybe he wasn’t interested at all.
He stopped mouthing my neck, pulled his head away, turned my face toward his. He looked into my eyes and I saw something there, something gentle in someone who otherwise exuded an aura of wildness.
“Oh, Kat.” His voice sounded almost heartbroken. “How could I not be?” His lips touched mine, gently, then he pulled away and I could see a shimmer of wetness in his eyes. “You have no idea of what you are, do you?”
“What am I?” I was still reeling from that over too quick kiss and his words weren’t making any sense to me.
“Later.” He chucked me lightly under the chin. “Now is not the time.”
He stood, still holding me against his chest, carefully lowering my feet to the sand. He removed his arms from around me, reluctantly it seemed, then gestured back toward the road. “We should be getting back, it’s getting late.”
He held his hand out to me, I took it, and we hiked back up to his bike. He gave my face a quick caress with his palm before getting b
ack on the bike, helping me get settled, then we headed back up the road in the direction we had originally come from.
We’d gone a couple of miles when headlights caught my eye from a car behind us. At first they were dim pinpoints, but they quickly became a bright distraction as the car gained on us, in a hurry to where it wanted to go.
Darien let the car tailgate for a short while before slowing, going as far right in our lane as he could toward the shoulder in an effort to let the impatient car pass. The lights stayed behind us for a minute before they swerved out to the left to go around us.
I glanced sideways toward the car as it passed us, a dark sedan, only just noting the passenger window that was rolled down until I saw a bare arm emerge from it. Moonlight shone on the pale skin, highlighting a tattoo on the forearm, what looked like a hooded skull with fangs, but it was the sawed off shotgun held in the person’s hand that had me gripping Darien in fear.
Darien’s head snapped toward the car and he reached back around me with his left arm, pushing me to the side so he shielded me, as the night lit up with a silvery blue explosion. I heard, and felt, the shot impact against Darien, slamming him against me, and a spray of something warm hit my face.
The bike went sideways off the shoulder, tipping and crashing into the dirt and vegetation, flinging me farther down the hill as it slid heavily after me. I landed hard on underbrush and packed earth, broken tree limbs and roots digging into me, a small tree stump stopping my rolling descent and sending a sharp pain through my left knee.
My face was wet and my mouth was full of blood, forcing me to swallow it if I wanted to breathe. It tasted like salty pennies, and burned in the pit of my stomach. I heard a crack as the bike caught against a tree, then there was nothing but the sound of my own labored breathing and the muted roar of the ocean below.
“Darien?” My voice was hoarse, sounding loud to me even through the ringing in my ears. “Darien?”
There was no answer, although I thought I heard a slight rustle farther up the hill. Panic surged through me as I feared that they had come back to finish the job and a scream slipped my throat, weak though it was.
