Page 7 of Luka

“Ready for an adventure?” Luka smirked and gestured for Spencer to hop on the back of the motorcycle. He strapped down Spencer’s bag to the back and then handed Spencer a pair of glasses to put on.

Spencer swallowed nervously and climbed on, gripping Luka’s waist as the motorcycle roared to life and they pulled away from the curb. The wind whipped through Spencer’s hair, and he couldn’t help but throw his head back and laugh as they tore down the dark streets of Ridgeway.

This was actually fun! Exhilarating and a bit terrifying, but he loved how Luka zoomed through traffic and the way his muscles felt under Spencer’s hands. He also loved cuddling the guy’s back.

When they finally pulled up to Luka’s cabin two hours later, Spencer was sad the ride was over. When Luka parked and cut the motor, Spencer took in his surroundings. The cabin was nestled in the woods, surrounded by towering trees. Spencer heard the sound of a nearby river.

“It’s beautiful,” Spencer murmured, taking in the cozy cabin. He wished he had a place like this to run to when he wanted to get away from the world.

“This is my sanctuary.” Luka slid off the motorcycle and held out a hand to help Spencer down.

Spencer’s heart raced at the thought of spending time in Luka’s peaceful retreat, away from all the chaos of Ridgeway. He followed Luka to the porch, where Luka unlocked the door.

“Come on in. Make yourself at home.”

Luka led the way inside, and Spencer couldn’t help but gawk at the stunning interior. It was a clever mix of modern and rustic decor, with a fireplace taking center stage in the living area. The open-area concept was divided with an L-shaped counter between the two rooms.

The walls were made of logs, shiny and gorgeous, and there was a huge window overlooking the woods. Rugs were spread throughout, and as Spencer looked around, he noticed how the smell of cedar invaded his nostrils.

Luka walked into the kitchen, calling out over his shoulder. “Do you want some coffee or something to eat?”

“Coffee would be great,” Spencer said, feeling a little awkward standing there all alone in Luka’s cabin.

Luka emerged from the kitchen a few minutes later, carrying a steaming mug of coffee. “Hope it’s hot enough. I wasn’t sure how you take it.”

Spencer took a sip of the coffee. It was strong and bold, just the way he liked it. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Luka leaned back against the kitchen counter and studied Spencer from across the room. There was an intensity about him that Spencer found both unnerving and intoxicating. He was drawn to Luka and also afraid of him. So why had he come? Spencer was still trying to figure that out. Clearly, he had no sense of self-preservation and needed his head examined.

“You know,” Luka said, setting down his own cup of coffee on the counter, “I don’t usually bring people here.”

Spencer raised an eyebrow. “Really? This is too great a place not to share.”

“It’s true. I like my privacy. And I don’t usually trust people enough to let them into my sanctuary.”

“I’m honored you brought me here.” Spencer was exhausted from working all evening to closing, but he wasn’t ready to go to sleep yet.

“You can take the bedroom,” Luka said, pointing to the first door on the left. “I’ll sleep out here on the couch.”

Spencer felt a pang of guilt. “I don’t want to make you sleep on the couch. I can sleep on the couch.”

Luka shook his head. “I insist. Besides, I’ve slept on worse.” He winked, and Spencer thought he might swoon from how attractive Luka was. “I know you’re tired. We can have our adventure when you wake up.”

As badly as Spencer wanted to stay awake, he could now barely keep his eyes open. For a Wednesday night, it had been packed at Shinedown. He’d barely had a break on his shift. He thanked Luka for the coffee then went to the bedroom, where he stripped down to his boxers and crawled under the covers, thinking of the mysterious man on the couch as he drifted off to sleep.

* * * *

“He’s disappeared.”

Lazarus was seriously considering making adjustments to his life. He was growing bored with the whole loan shark business. That was his problem. In the five hundred years he’d been around, he’d taken on many pet projects.

This was only the latest in his ventures. Why was he even doing this? He was wealthy beyond imagination. But when you’d been alive for as long as he had, life began to feel flat and boring. He needed a challenge, something to get his blood pumping, something that made him want to get up at night.

You could only have so many endeavors, have so much anonymous sex, kill so many people before you just didn’t give a shit anymore. “First”—he sighed—“tell me who in the fuck you’re talking about. You can’t use the pronoun ‘he’ and expect me to know who you’re talking about.”

Jacob just blinked at him. The idiot probably didn’t even know what a pronoun was. God, Lazarus missed the days when men died in battle, when they had heart. Or held someone else’s in their hand.

These days, vampires were too pampered, too much into instant gratification. They knew nothing of the art of luring someone to them, of feeding on a willing partner, not someone who had been beguiled to feed them.

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