Page 35 of All Our Ghosts

I want to focus on nothing more than the man in front of me. The way his lips feel against mine. The way the slightest touch from him lights my skin up with tiny bursts of fireworks. I relish the fact that even though he gets under my skin, he also makes me feel alive. More alive than I’ve felt in a long time.

“Do you always sneak out of these dinners?” I ask softly, pressing my body against his back as I try to peer around him.

He shakes his head. “I never used to.” Holden glances down at me. “Come on.”

Used to?

He leads me over to his bike, the black paint sparkling in the moonlight as he grabs Cole’s helmet. A knowing smirk plays on the corner of his lips as he helps slide it over my ears. He dips his head as his fingers fumble with the chin strap and presses his lips to mine. So soft and sweet that I can feel the tears threatening to pool around my eyes again. The twist tie around my heart only tightens as he leans in slightly, closing the distance between us before pulling away, taking me with him.

He stands up straight, his tongue flicking over his bottom lip as his eyes search my face. Holden’s testing the waters, dipping his toes into my pond to see just how far I’d let him wade and with the way he’s beaming down at me, I’m ready to see just how far he’s willing to go.

My fingers wrap around the lapel of his cut, pulling him back down to me as I kiss him again. This time forcing myself to take a step backwards away from him. Almost taunting him to reach for me.

“We’re going to get caught,” he chuckles.

I can feel my cheeks start to hurt with the way I smile at him. “You better get me outta here then, huh?”

The text messages still sit in my stomach like an iron ball. Even as I watch him swing a thick jean-covered thigh over his motorcycle and settle into his seat, I can feel it weighing on me.It’s a stark contrast to the way I grin as I climb behind him. My fingers trail along his waist to his stomach.

I swear I feel him shudder as my fingers intertwine and my chest presses against his back.

He brings the bike to life, letting it roar beneath us, and the familiar vibration spreads through my body. My toes curl in my boots as he glances over his shoulder, a smile plastered across his pink lips.

“Hold on tight, Darlin’.” Holden revs the throttle, swinging the bike around as he speeds through the trees.

A gasp escapes me at the movement causing me to tighten my grip around his waist. I can feel his shoulders shake with laughter as he follows the driveway out to the main road. Barely slowing down, he turns left away from the direction we had come.

“Where are we going?!” I ask, yelling over the sound of his engine.

Holden turns his head slightly, his lips curling. “Somewhere away from here!”

KADENCE

He drives us further out of the city, the roads become darker and somehow the chill is a bit colder. I’m not sure where we’re going but for some reason I suddenly feel like I can trust him. Maybe it’s the way he kisses me like he hadn’t just been with two other women earlier this week - a thought I quickly push from my mind - or if it’s the fact that when he rolls into a soft curve in the road, his hand finds my thigh, squeezing it gently as if holding me in place, or when the road straightens out, the same hand rests over my linked fingers over his stomach. Gentle touches that remind me what closeness feels like.

The treeline along both sides of the road becomes more dense, blinders of darkness that shroud us as we make our way further into the mountains.

I can’t help but peer over his shoulder for most of the drive; trusting him but also curious as to where he’s leading me. Soon, the chill becomes too much and I press my cheek to his shoulder, shielding myself from the frigid wind as it finally ceases to nip at my nose and cheeks.

Holden has to be freezing by this point.

After a while, he turns down a darkened dirt road. The only light around us radiates from the motorcycle and even that doesn’t give visibility to the end of the road, which looks more like a trail.

He pulls off to the side, kicking down the stand and turning the engine off. The roar in my ears is suddenly silenced, letting the complete stillness of the forest surround me.

Holden slides off of the bike, turning to me and helping me off.

“Where are we?”

“State park.” He smiles softly.

I watch as his fingers reach under my chin, undoing the strap to the helmet before gently pulling it from my head. I smooth out the flyaways and smile up at him.

“You aren’t going to murder me are you?” I breathe, a semi-nervous laugh leaving me.

Holden grins, his eyes somehow glowing brighter in the darkness. “Believe it or not, the thought hadn’t crossed my mind.” He narrows his eyes playfully, leaning in to steal a kiss before resting the helmet on the handlebar.

He glances down at my boots, raising a brow slightly. “You gonna be able to walk in those? It’s a little bit of a hike.”

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