Page 25 of Lustful Nights

He turns the bike on, the purr of the engine vibrating under my ass. He pushes up the kickstand and speeds down the street. I’ve never ridden on a bike before and now I realize why. This is scary as hell. I squeeze my arms as tightly as they will go, my body only relaxing when Jensen takes one hand off his bike to pat my own. It’s a subtle movement, but one that instantly has me feeling safe and secure. I keep my eyes shut as he drives us in and out of traffic. After being on the bike for about ten minutes, I finally gain the courage to open my eyes and I’m blown away by what’s in front of me. We’re cruising up the highway, the sun slowly setting in the distance. The sky is a gorgeous yellow and orange, the sunlight shimmering on the ocean water below. It’s breathtaking. Of course, I’ve driven on this road plenty of times. But never like this.

Jensen takes a turn, exiting the highway, and starts heading closer to the beach. He pulls into a parking lot, coming to a stop. I hop off the bike and pull the helmet off my head, my eyes darting straight to the shore.

“It’s gorgeous here.”

“I debated where to take you. Sometimes, I enjoy coming here by myself. I figured we could hang out here for a bit, talk some, and then head out to eat.”

“That sounds perfect,” I gush, leaning up on my tiptoes to place a kiss on his cheek.

We walk down a rocky pathway before emerging at a small cliff overlooking the water. Jensen takes a spot on the rock, and I sit down next to him. I set my backpack beside me and Jensen eyes it before looking in the direction of the water.

“I didn’t ask what was in the backpack.”

“Oh, I was absolutely being presumptuous, and I packed an overnight bag. I’ve already slept over at your place twice and that was without us having a date, so I assumed I would do it again.”

“You’re certainly staying over. But I thought I said I liked having you in my clothes.”

“I think you might like what I have packed.” I wink, thinking back to what I found yesterday when I went shopping with Declan and Preston.

“You can’t tease me that way, Lennox,” he rasps, scooting closer to me. “We’re supposed to be on a date. Not me sitting here imagining what you could have hidden in your bag.”

“Don’t worry. You’ll find out soon enough. After you feed me, of course.”

“The sun sets in a couple minutes, then we can head out.”

“How many people have you taken here before? Like, I don’t want to know, but I’m also nosy, so I want to know. But lie to me, okay? If it’s, like, every person you’ve ever dated, you can totally lie and say only two. I’d be fine with two.”

Jensen squeezes my knee, laughing. “Honestly? You’re the only person I’ve taken here. It was a no-brainer when I was thinking of where to go.”

“Oh, you’re a damn liar. I amnotthe only one you’ve brought here.”

“I promise. Never thought to bring anyone before.”

“Wow. I always knew I was special. Men always fall head over heels for me,” I joke, knowing it’s actually the complete opposite.

“You don’t have to do that, ya know?”

“Do what?” I question, turning and glancing at Jensen.

“Joke around like that and be sarcastic. Youarespecial. You don’t have to downplay it like that or hide behind a wall. Not with me.”

“Okay,” I murmur, shifting back to look out toward the water. I’m not going to sit here and try to defend myself. It’s hard not to think those things when that’s all my experience has been. Jensen may say all the right stuff, but actions speak louder than words and I’ll have to wait and see how he acts the longer this goes on.

We sit in silence, watching the sunset. Once it’s over the horizon, Jensen and I head back toward his bike to finish our date.

12

JENSEN

We walk into my house,Lennox heading straight to the couch. He tosses his backpack down on the floor before throwing himself face-first onto the cushions.

“I am so damn stuffed,” he groans, his voice muffled by the throw pillow.

“You didn’t have to eat so much,” I tell him, grabbing myself a beer from the fridge and water for Lennox.

“It was all-you-can-eat Mexican food, Jensen. I have never in my life been to a Mexican buffet. I needed to try each item on their menu, and then I had to have doubles of everything that was delicious. But now I have a food-baby belly. Look at this.” He turns over, pulling his shirt up to show his stomach.

“I think it’s sexy as hell that you ate as much as you wanted. I can’t tell you the number of times I went on a date, and they picked at their meal or barely touched anything.”

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