“Sure.”
6
Kess
We went on his bike.
It was glorious.
It was freeing.
Barely any words all year, just the awareness of each other, and here I was, feeling like I was meant to be on the back of his bike. My hands were wrapped around his tight chest, my body against his, and I could feel his strength. This guy—whatever the real reason he’d been here—he’d not been a normal student. He just felt more.
He drove to a small burger café, backing his bike up at the front door. The place wasn’t full, and I wasn’t surprised. Everyone was partying and as I got off his bike first, handing him the helmet, his hand grazed mine.
A tingle shot up my arm, but I’d been tingling the entire ride.
I’d been like this since I saw him waiting for me.
It’s a surreal feeling, your body taking charge and not letting your mind catch up. Because I should stop and question things, but the only question that came to my mind was why did it feel so right when he took my hand and led the way inside?
He shifted, walking behind me. A gentle hand on my back as we took the booth in the far corner. No one was inside except the staff, but it was a small place. There were only five booths available.
I slid inside, and Chris sat next to me.
I raised an eyebrow, but his mouth twitched as he leaned around me to snag the menus. He slid one in front of me. “You need that?”
I pushed it aside. “I’ve lived in Roussou all my life, been here probably six dozen times.”
He chuckled. “What are you getting then?”
“A deluxe cheeseburger with fries and a soda.”
He nodded. “Maybe I’ll have the same.”
After we gave our orders, Chris seemed to relax beside me, but he wasn’t. His entire side was pressed against mine, and I felt how tight he was.
“What’s going on?” I waited until our drinks were served before asking.
He raised an eyebrow at me, picking his drink up and taking a sip. “What do you mean?”
“I know you’re not going to tell me why you were really at my school, but you’re tense. And you waited an entire year to approach me.”
His eyes lit up. “You’re cocky.”
I grinned slowly. “Maybe. Maybe not.”
He gave another dry chuckle. “Let’s talk about you. You’re going to college next year?”
I nodded and told him my plans. It was a good school, and I wanted to get a nursing degree. “My mom’s a nurse. When my dad left, she was pregnant with me.”
“You two are close?”
“Yeah.”
“That’s Heckler’s sister, right?”
Whoa. He acknowledged knowing my uncle. “Yeah…”
He caught my reaction. “What?”
“Just,” a shrug, “I never thought you’d talk about, you know.”
I was getting flustered. I never got flustered. This was weird.
He laughed, noting my reaction. “What is this now?”
Why? Why now? Why today? Why at the end of the school year?
Screw it.
I tried to ignore how inflamed my face must have been. “Why were you at my school this year?”
His grin faltered; his voice got quiet. “I can’t talk about that.”
Okay. Another push. “Were you even a student?”
He was studying me, but then a reluctant shake of his head. “No. I wasn’t, but your school’s administration knew I was there and why I was there.”
I sucked in my breath. That was huge. Huge! And what did it mean?
The food came, but neither of us moved to start eating.
He waited until the server had moved from hearing distance before saying, “Let’s just say some people in high positions have a certain fear and debt to the MC.”
And my last question. “Are you a member of the Red Demons?”
He wasn’t as forthcoming, waiting a few beats before lounging back. His arm came up to rest behind me, and he moved so he was facing me. “That’s a complicated answer.”
“Why?”
MCs didn’t like you asking questions about them, and certainly not someone who’d be Red Demon royalty. I was going for broke here.
I was holding my breath until I heard, “I graduated high school last year.”
I was doing the math. “So, you would’ve prospected for the summer, then you were sent here?” That was a whole year, and most of it was spent away from his club.
“We’ll see how it goes when I head back.”
So, he was leaving.
My heart sank.
“Got it. Yeah.”
He paused, then leaned forward. “Hey.” His voice, so soft there.
It wasn’t fair.
“Hey.” Not as soft. He touched my shoulder, hooking his finger under my tank top strap. He moved it down, his finger balling it up.
Sensations were exploding down my body, inflaming every inch, and I was super aware of his body right next to me. So seriously aware. There was a whole throbbing situation starting, and that was making me all sorts of flushed.
“Look, I’m going to level with you.”
That didn’t sound good.