Page 14 of Don't Make Me Beg
Yeah, that makes two of us.
I try to hide the shake in my hands as I take the helmet and slowly slide it over my head. I don’t know if I’m more nervous about riding on the back of that death-machine or that I’ll be forced to be so close to Luka while I do it.
“Here, let me help. I don’t have all night,” he says, swatting my hands away so he can buckle the strap under my chin. Every accidental graze of his finger over my skin has my heart beating faster.You’re just nervous, Scout. Don’t make it out to be a bigger deal than it is.When he’s finished, he slaps the glass of my face mask down, and all the outside noise goes quiet. That is,until I hear his voice directly in my ears through the speakers in the helmet.
“I think it’s safe to assume you’ve never ridden on the back of a motorcycle?” He doesn’t wait for me to confirm before throwing a leg over the bike, holding it steady as he gestures for me to climb on behind him.
I let out a deep breath before following his lead, propping myself on the very edge of the seat as if to put as much space between us as possible.
“Yeah. That’s not going to work, Girl Scout.”
I don’t have time to decipher the rush of emotions that spring forward from the sound of Luka calling me my old nickname before he revs the engine, sending me flying back. I reflexively tighten my arms around his middle, holding on to him with all my might as the bike launches forward.
“That’s better. Hold on just like that. Follow my lead.”
I let out a little squeak of surprise as my arms cling tighter around his rock-solid core. His little adjustment has me pressed against him, impossibly closer, making me keenly aware of every inch where our bodies connect.
The engine purrs louder as Luka takes off down the street, my trembling hands clinging to him with a steel-like grip.
I feel so helpless—completely out of control as the powerful engine vibrates beneath me, propelling us through the dark inky sky. The warm summer air feels heavenly against my skin as my heavy-knit cardigan flaps around me. I have no idea how fast we’re going, but as we drive out of town, hitting the highway that leads through the mountains, I finally feel my shoulders relax.
It’s not like me to completely surrender control like this, certainly not at the expense of my safety, but there’s something about the wind. It encompasses me on every side, and if I close my eyes, I feel like I’m flying. Is this what it feels like to be a bird? No wonder they’re always singing.
Luka slows his speed, leaning to the side as he makes a sharp turn, and I do my best to match his movements. I can feel his heart beating beneath my palms, the hitch in his breath as my hands move over his chest, as I find a more comfortable grip.
“Holy shit,” I whisper under my breath, and I feel Luka’s back shake with silent laughter. Dang. I forgot about the microphone thingy.
“That good, huh? I have to admit, I have that effect on women. The vibrations don’t hurt either,” he says with a laugh.
Great, just what he needed, an ego boost. “I was talking about the view,” I quickly lie.
“Sure you were,” he teases, picking up speed as we hit a straightaway through Phantom’s Reach.
I feel a flush of embarrassment heat my neck at being so predictable. He’s probably used to girls throwing themselves at him, having them plastered against him on the back of his motorcycle. It’s obviously why he carries an extra helmet with him.
I try not to think about how I’m just one of many—not to mention his hatred of me. Instead, I let all my worrying thoughts drift away, as if the wind is washing me clean of my every flaw, my every problem, my every sin.
The trees grow denser, framing us on each side of the road as we make our way deeper into the forest, and when Luka takes a sharp left turn on the narrow, secluded road, a million memories flood my mind all at once.
Where is he?—?
There’s no way…
Surely he’s going to turn…
My silent questions are answered when he pulls up to the all too familiar Victorian house…only it’s not the same faded yellow that I remember…
My eyes go wide and my heart plummets to my stomach as I take in the sight before me…and it looks nothing like I remember.
The once faded yellow siding has been updated and painted white. The wraparound porch is sporting new railing, and all the windows are updated as well. The front door is painted charcoal instead of robin’s egg blue. The bones of the house are mostly the same, but it’s nothing like the sweet little dollhouse I grew up in, the one I still try to visit in my dreams…
“Wait…this…is your house?”
Luka steps off the bike and opens his arms wide. “Welcome to Casa de Kingsley?—"
I shake my head, feeling my eyes already stinging with tears. “You bought my childhood home?”
He shrugs as he unfastens my suitcase. “What can I say, I’ve always loved this house and it’s right next door to my parents. Honestly, it was too good of an opportunity to pass up.”
