18. Sienna
eighteen
Sienna
Whoever in the world decided to make biker boys seem like they were hot and that being a “backpack” is even hotter—has a special place in hell with their name on it.
My body feels like gravity is working against me and my knees shake as I press them tightly against Jace’s thighs. My hands are wrapped so tightly around his waist that I may be cutting off my own circulation, and this man has the nerve to laugh as I bury myself deeper into his back.
“This isn’t freaking funny!” I shout as laughter rings throughout the speakers of my helmet.
When Jace had told me he’d pick me up for practice, this isn’t what I’d thought he meant, but I should’ve known considering who he is. Leave it to Jace freaking Heart to show up outside of my place leaning against a dark green Ducati.
My body thrums with anxious energy as Jace speeds up, the sound of the bike's exhaust growing louder, my eyes burning from squeezing them so tightly.
I don’t wanna die.
I don’t wanna die.
I don’t want to fucking die!
When I left my apartment twenty minutes ago, becoming an organ donor wasn’t on my list for today!
“You’re going to kill me! I just know it. I know it. I know it!” I repeat, breathing heavily as I squeeze him tighter .
Jace chuckles softly as the bike slows down. He squeezes my hands that are clenched around his waist before landing a gloved palm on my clothed thigh, rubbing gentle circles on it.
“You’re fine, angel…I would never let anything happen to you,” he coos, making my stomach flutter as he squeezes my thigh reassuringly.
I’m shaking as I look at the side of his helmeted head.
“Really?”
“Of course, now hold tight.”
You don’t have to tell me—
My back slowly lowers to the ground and I swear that I can see the angels above grimacing as the front wheel of the bike lifts off of the ground.
“AHHHH OH MY FUCK—” My shout is cut off by the maniacal laughter of the asshole who holds my life in his hands. I hold on for dear life as he zooms, faster and further down the near empty street, whisking me away as I tuck my head into his back.
“Fuck. I hate you so much! I’m going to shoot your little cupid looking ass in the back, I swear it! Fuck. Fuck. Fuck !” I scream and mean every single word as we come to a stop.
My body remains glued to Jace’s, not falling for the same old trick again as he sniffs a laugh.
“Although I love having you holding on to me, baby. I think you’re going to want to see this,” he says smoothly, patting my hands as he puts the bike in neutral, taking out the key.
My eyes are glued shut as my mind slowly picks itself up from the highway and travels back to its host. When my brain finally catches up to my body, I open one eye. The tension in my body rackets higher as I take in my surroundings.
Trees taller than skyscrapers and a graveled road that goes on for miles surrounds me. We’re in a parking lot with only about three or four more cars surrounding us. Jace turn to face me with his helmet off, staring down at me expectantly.
So, this is where it ends …
I wonder what my tombstone would say… Here lies a girl with pink hair and a fat ass . Or maybe death by psychotic blond dude.
Sucks…
“If you’re going to try to kill me now, just know I will fight back. I have bear mace in my pocket,” I say, slowly pulling off the dark helmet he’d given me.
At this, Jace raises a brow, crooking his neck to face me with an amused grin.
“Bear mace?” he asks.
So what if I’m lying! He doesn’t have to know that… Straightening my back, I raise my head with a confident nod.
“Bear mace! So you better not try anything funny, psycho… I’m watching you.
” I narrow my eyes as I wiggle a finger at him.
Jace feigns his fright, jumping back with an exaggeratedly scared face and his hands up in mock surrender.
I roll my eyes at him and take in my surroundings as he helps me off of the bike, his calloused hands wrapping protectively around my waist after he gets the bike settled.
The skin around my waist thrums with the heat of his touch, warming my cheeks as I look around the greenery.
“So what’re we doing here? I was joking yesterday when I mentioned you trying to seduce me in the woods…that seems painful, with all the sticks and bugs.” I shudder at the thought of my knees even touching the floor of a wooded area.
I’d rather sit and listen to Georgia drone on about Eden Marlowe’s “excellence” before touching twigs and spiders in the middle of the woods.
Jace chuckles, his voice airy as he asks, “Isn’t it obvious?”
I scrunch my nose as something pungent and farmy—if that’s a word—assaults my nostrils.
“It smells like cow ass…” I grumble, tilting my head to look at the smiling man.
“It’ll smell like a lot more than that when we get inside.”
Jace doesn’t give me the time to process his words before he’s grabbing a hold of my hand, leading me in the opposite direction of where we parked, and it’s then that I realize where we are .
A large archway in the shape of an opened mouth monkey is tall and inviting in front of us with the words Lottie Exotic!
splayed on a sign under the mouth’s opening.
I furrow my brows as Jace walks us straight through and eye everything as we pass by a stand with different exotic animals on the top of bubble dispensers.
“A zoo? What are we—” I whisper more-so to myself, but Jace hears it all.
“Together, but we’re not talking about that right now. Right now, we’re getting number 10 crossed off that pretty little list of yours.”
Number 10? Did he memorize the order of the list? No—that’s silly…He wouldn't, right? Wait, fuck that—
Together?!
Did he just say we’re together? Like as in man with woman who kiss and talk and date…together?!
Gaping at him like a fish out of water, I allow my body to be dragged and pulled by him. Jace tugs me all over until we reach a point where we get wristbands to enter the actual zoo. He gives me a green one and tugs a purple one onto his wrist before continuing with his pulling, and I allow it.
My mind is still grappling with what he’d just said that I don’t realize we’re standing right in front of a pride of peacocks. A rainbow of feathers and long necked birds stalk past us, completely indifferent towards the two idiot humans standing just a few feet away.
Peacocks have the most divine feathers and features. As a kid, I always thought that the female of the species was the flashier animal with blue and green tones, only to find out it was the male.
“Wow.” I hear from the side of me, feeling Jace’s body heat. Lifting my head to look at him, I gulp as our eyes clash with one another's.
My breath lodges in my throat, keeping me preserved in this moment as his hand squeezes my waist in a possessive yet gentle grip.
“Careful, Heart…Your feathers are showing.” I smirk up at him, making the worst “bird” joke known to man, his lip quirks.
“Good, gotta let those ganders know whose hen you are. That little small one over there was about to try to make you their mate. ”
I roll my eyes, fighting my laugh off as the small wide-eyed peacock at the back of the group locks eyes with me.
Minutes later, I find myself standing outside of the monkey enclosure with Jace and one of the primate keepers, Janice. Janice is a taller woman with arms the size of tanks. She grins, looking down at me with the warmest brown eyes as Jace drones on and on about me wanting to pet a monkey.
“It’s been her dream to pet one, you can just see it in her little hazel eyes—the excitement,” he gushes as Janice awws audibly, her hand clutching her heart.
I roll my eyes, shaking my head with a smile as Jace turns to inspect the enclosure for “threats”, also known as the 300 pound gorilla named Bessie, who shares the enclosure with the other primates.
“You are a lucky girl, I wish my boyfriend would drone on about my interests like yours…” Janice sighs, patting my shoulder lovingly.
Boyfriend? My body warms at the thought. Do we seem like a couple? Can other people see this?
“Who—”
“Babe, look at this one! He’s small and doesn’t look like he’d rip your finger off!”
I cringe at the loud man in the near empty petting zoo. It’s now apparent to me why my parents never indulged in a “bring your kid to work" day. After spending more time with Jace, I completely understand.
Jace points at a tiny black and white Capuchin, and the monkey stares back at him with a glimmer of mischief in his large brown eyes. I think that this may be the cutest freaking animal that I’ve ever seen—don’t tell Oscar.
The tiny Capuchin monkey is held in another large enclosure a few paces away from the biggest one in the center of the room with a bunch more smaller primates.
“Oh! That’s Maurice, he’s a sweet little guy. If you want to pet him, you can as long as you wash your hands before and after!”
Jace grins deviously .
“My girlfriend is obsessed with these guys, Thank you!” his tone doesn’t waver as his focus remains locked on Janice. My eyes snap to him, head tilting in confusion as the infuriatingly handsome man grins.
Girlfriend?
“Of course! The cleaning station is just around that corner.” Janice grins, pointing away, but I’m not paying her any mind as Jace wraps a protective arm around my waist, guiding me to the station.
“Girlfriend?”
He rolls his eyes at me, ever the sassy man he is. “Would you rather me say ‘girl who’s using me to complete her fantasies’?”
Pursing my lips, I remain quiet and wash my hands.
“Monkeys are very agile creatures. Maurice here is probably our calmest primate with him still being a toddler, but please remember that he is still a wild animal. Be gentle, and do not force contact with him. He will come to—Oh!”
I’m taken aback, my body stiffening before softening slightly as tiny, nimble fingers squeeze my nose. Large brown eyes peer up at me as Maurice adjusts himself in my hands. He’d been in Janice’s care as she spoke until deciding to jump into my arms.