Chapter 7 #2
“I can hear how fast your heart is beating.” He bends down as he swipes away a few stray hairs from my temple. His breath brushes against the shell of my ear and every nerve in my body sings.
“Let me take you for a ride,” he whispers. His voice drips through me, and I nod frantically. A ride? Yes, please.
Taking my hand in his, Xander scoops up his helmet from the table and leads me into the garage.
The flash of yellow immediately captures my attention as I realize my car has been moved undercover. It’s nothing flashy compared to his sleek, black motorbike and equally expensive-looking Mercedes, but I smile at the comparison. Clearly, Xander couldn’t care less what car I drive.
“I bought you something else. I hope you don’t mind.” His voice is like a purr as it echoes around the room.
Sitting atop a cupboard, Xander pulls down a box and hands it to me.
I swallow as excitement thrums through me.
Pulling the lid away, I'm hit with an overpowering smell of leather and something fresh. Folded neatly within the box, I find a matching jacket and leather pants. They’re black, just like Xander’s, almost as if they were exact replicates, but clearly these are much smaller than his.
“You bought this for me?” I gape at him. “But… this must have cost a fortune?”
I honestly have no clue how expensive riding gear must be, but I know it isn’t cheap. And the thickness of the leather jacket tells me it’s been carefully designed for my safety.
“I want to take you riding with me.” Xander scratches the back of his neck, looking less and less sure of himself by the second. “If it’s not something you’d want to do, then I'll be more than happy to do anything else.”
I snap the lid shut and raise my hand. "Absolutely not. I want this. But I can't accept a gift like this, Xander.”
The flowers were one thing, but an entire riding set is far more than I can take. No one has ever bought me flowers before today, let alone this! I haven't done anything to deserve such a kind gift.
A growl fills the surrounding space, and I look up to find Xander scowling in my direction as if he can hear my thoughts.
“I can smell your emotions, Noah. And I will buy you a new riding set every week if it makes you believe you deserve it.” He takes a step closer, his knuckle finding the underside of my chin.
“I’ll even buy you a motorbike just to have it sit here going nowhere because I'd never let you ride without me.”
I shiver, and a tiny groan escapes my lips. God, this man! This vampire! I’m so far head over heels I'm sure my face is halfway up my ass by now.
“Put them on.” Xander’s breath fans my lips, and I hesitate. Xander is so close that I can feel the warmth of his body rippling through the air. Damn, how can telling me to put clothes on, be so sexy?
I snap into action, pulling on the jacket over my shirt and the pants over my shorts. They fit perfectly. The leather is cool against my skin, but it slowly warms until I'm toasty. I look badass, and Xander seems to think so too, as his eyes trail up my body before finally reaching my gaze.
I don't get a chance to ask before he’s turning around and pulling a pair of boots from the cupboard. As if reading my mind. Sinking onto one knee, he looks up at me in silence. My heart is pounding and every muscle in my body is buzzing with energy.
Grasping my ankle with gentle fingers, Xander lifts my foot onto his knee, and his grin spreads across his lips as he finds the adorable duck print on my socks.
Without a word, he carefully slides on each boot, making sure to zip them up snugly, all while my breath is caught in my chest. His hands hover across my shin, and his fingers glide along the back of my calf, which has me biting back a whimper.
I can’t even speak when he stands and fetches a helmet for me.
Even when he’s slinging a leg over his bike and patting the seat behind him, I can't manage a word. Silently, I pull the helmet on and buckle it up under my chin. Xander’s smile never fades as he watches me flip the visor down and climb on behind him.
My arms immediately wrap around his waist, pulling myself tight against his muscular back.
Even through the layers of leather, I can feel the way he sucks in a deep breath.
I smile to myself and let out a tiny giggle at the knowledge that I also affect him as much as he does me.
Igniting the engine, I gasp as the machine beneath us growls and shakes. With the garage door open, Xander pats my thigh as my only warning before we are speeding out of the driveway and into the street.
Instead of turning into town, Xander takes a different route. One leading us away from the houses and busy streets, where the pine trees grow taller and the sunbeams between branches.
Xander must have been driving rather gently when he took me home from the club. Now, with my protective layers and helmet, he doesn’t hold back on the speed.
Faster and faster we make our way deeper into the winding roads of the mountainside.
The town fades beyond the ocean of trees and hills, and the air smells cleaner, fresher.
The scents of the forest surround us as we whizz by.
My hands grasp at Xander’s jacket, and his hand occasionally squeezes my thigh.
I can’t wipe the smile from my lips as the trees grow thin and the golden rays of sunlight beat against the road.
“Hold on tight.” I can barely catch Xander’s voice over the growl of the engine and the hiss of the wind. But I tighten my grip around his waist, feeling the hardness of his abs as they contract under my wrists.
Xander peels away from the road into a track where the vegetation is thicker, and the sunlight grows dim as we venture deeper into the mountains.
The bike shakes and jolts as we move over the uneven ground, but Xander doesn’t once hesitate.
Despite the fact I've only ever been on a motorbike twice now, I couldn't feel any safer with Xander pressed up against my front. I don’t even care about the fact my groin is rubbing up against his lower back where I'm sure my dick has taken some notice.
Then the feeling hits me again. The sour bubble of guilt. It’s been festering in the back of my mind over the past few days, and it isn't getting any better. I know Richard is an asshole, and we broke up… Well, I walked out on him. But I still feel like maybe I'm moving too quickly.
My thoughts are broken when the forest parts, and the warmth of the sunshine hits us. I lose my breath at the stunning view as we reach the end of the track.
Rippling water and glimmers of sunlight sparkle on the turquoise lake.
Xander comes to a stop and parks, killing the engine and sliding off from his spot.
His hand grasps mine as he helps me down.
I’m quick to remove my helmet and blindly place it on the seat as my eyes are transfixed on the breathtaking scenery.
Loons call in the distance. Their song is an eerie chant, but nonetheless beautiful. Water laps at the bank, and I find myself walking towards the shoreline where tiny white flowers bloom from green stems.
“This is beautiful!” I spin on my heel to find Xander looking smug with himself as he leans against the bike. His helmet sits abandoned beside mine, and his jacket sits undone across his chest.
“I thought you’d like this spot. I come here sometimes when I need a break.” He smiles at me, and I catch the tiniest glint of fang between his lips. My stomach swoops and my spine stiffens as excitement thrums through me like the beat of a drum.
Finding the way my knees shake, I manage to find a soft spot on the bank to take a seat. Xander is quick to sit beside me, so fast that I'm sure he used his vampire speed. I chuckle as he does too.
For a moment, we simply sit in silence, watching the ripples on the water dance between currents. The lake is peaceful with not another soul to be seen. We have this place all to ourselves.
Xander hums a soft melody, and I turn to watch him. Beyond his chrome-colored gaze, his eyes are filled with sadness. Something dull and slow.
“What did you need a break from?” I find myself asking.
His lips tilt upwards into a somber smile. “Life.” He chuckles at his response. “Not that I'm really part of the living.”
I grin, nudging my shoulder into his side; our knees knock. “You’re a vampire, not a zombie.”
Xander flashes me a smile, his fangs scrape across his bottom lip, and I wonder if holding them within the confines of his gums is tiring and he’s simply letting them relax. I smirk at the idea.
“What are you grinning at?” Xander nudges me back.
“Your personality is hanging out,” I joke.
For a moment his brows furrow until he runs his tongue across his teeth and throws his head back with a cheerful laugh. Tears bead the edges of his eyes, and my own cheeks ache from smiling.
The wind beyond the lake picks up, disturbing the surface of the water and making it dance. Xander’s laugh echoes across the mountains, and I wonder—only for a split second—if maybe I could live forever. Like Xander.
My smile fades and I draw my knees to my chest. “Did you want to be a vampire? When you found out your friend was one?”
Xander is quiet for a moment as he mulls over the question.
“At first I didn’t. Probably from the fact I was raised under the church.
I thought he was a demon. But it was my father who invited him to our home.
” He scratches the underside of his jaw, his five o’clock shadow cutting into his skin.
“He was human in my eyes at first. He didn’t tell anyone what he was.
When I saw he wasn’t any different from when we were children, I began to trust him again.
Then, when I got sick, I didn't think twice.
Everyone in my family had already caught the plague, and I'd seen what it had done to them…”