"No," I shake my head, "I just don’t have anywhere I want to be at the moment.” I have somewhere I’m supposed to be, but I’ll leave that part out.
He smiles but doesn’t say anything. He reaches over me and places his hand on my keys, turning his head so our faces are almost touching. “I might have somewhere you want to be.” He pulls the keys out of the ignition and pulls the car door open. “Let’s go.”
Confused, I grab for my purse and follow behind him. “What do you mean? You don't have to take me anywhere, Kellan. I’m sure you have-“
He grabs for his helmet and hands it to me, running his fingers through his hair. Mmm, it’s so sexy when he does that. “I don’t have anywhere to be and neither do you . . . so you say. Why not go somewhere we don’t have to be, together.”
I stand there for a moment and watch as he swings one leg over his motorcycle and kicks up the stand. When he flashes that dimpled smile, I know there’s no turning back. As angry as I should be and not go. I just have to. My body won’t allow otherwise.
“Alright,” I say unsure. “Am I going to die though? I’ve never been on one of these before,” I tease. My nerves are running wild, but with one look into his calm eyes, the nerves subside.
“I would never let you die.” He reaches out his hand and I take it, letting him help me onto the back of his bike. “All you have to do is hold on tight.” He grabs my arms, wraps them around his waist, and in that moment all I want to do is bury my face against his back and breathe him in. “Now, don’t let go.”
He starts the bike, revs the engine and takes off with me clinging to him for dear life.
After about ten minutes of riding, I close my eyes and place my cheek against his muscular back, finally feeling comfortable. My hands somehow seem to wander over his stomach, feeling the stiffness of his abs, my body getting heated in response. Moaning, I lean my head back, feeling free and alive. I didn’t realize that being on the back of a motorcycle could feel so damn good. Maybe, it’s just my body being against Kellan’s. Whatever it is, I’m going to breathe it all in.
Unconsciously, my hands wander up to his firm chest, my fingers exploring his body through the thin fabric of his shirt. A moan rumbles in his chest before his body stiffens.
Suddenly, realizing my actions, I pull my hands away embarrassed. I clear my throat and loosely wrap them around his waist again for support. “Where are we going?” I place my chin on his shoulder, whispering into his ear.
He turns his head, causing our lips to almost touch. I can feel his breath as he speaks. “Somewhere we can be alone. Just close your eyes and enjoy the ride.” He speeds up, causing me to grab him tighter and I swear I feel him straining, to keep from laughing.
When I open my eyes, we are parked in the back of a tall brick building. I can’t be for sure, but I believe it’s Adi’s Attic. “Are we at your shop?” I'm now confused.
He gently grabs my arm and helps me down to my feet before getting off himself.
We both just stand there for a few moments before he speaks.
“Yeah, we are. This place helps to calm me down.” He reaches over, pulls the helmet off my head, and sets it down. Now turning and heading toward the building, he nods. “Come on.”
I follow behind him, stopping once we reach the building. That’s when I notice a narrow, rusty ladder leading up to the top of the building. Staring up at it, the height makes me dizzy.
“Whoa!” I stumble back before he reaches for my arm. “We’re going up there?” I shake my head back and forth and my legs begin to shake at the thought.
He runs his hand over the front of his shirt and laughs while reaching for my hand again. “What? Are you afraid of heights still?” Smiling, he grabs my hand, interlocking his fingers with mine. My heartbeat skyrockets from his touch and it becomes hard to focus.
“I’ll be right behind you. Remember what I said? I would never let you die.” Guiding me to the ladder, he stands behind me with his arms on either side of my body. “If you fall I’ll be here to catch you.” He smirks. "At least I’ll try.”
I grip his muscled arm and squeeze it. “That's not funny, Kellan.” A part of me wants to laugh, but the bigger part is petrified. I’ve always been afraid of heights. For that exact reason, when Adric built his tree house, he built it close to the ground. I loved him for that, always keeping my best interests at heart.
With his hands on my waist, he steps onto the bottom step of the ladder, closing the space between our bodies. He leans over my shoulder, his warm breath kissing my neck. “I guess I’ve gotten a little rusty over the years,” he says teasingly.
Instinctively, my eyes go right to the rusty ladder that just so happens to be the only thing keeping me from plummeting to my death. “I’m going to get you back for this.” I grip the ladder tighter, my knuckles turning white, as Kellan wraps one arm around my waist and gives me a boost to get going.
“Either that, or you’re going to thank me later. There’s something I want to show you.”
Once we reach the top of the building, he picks me up, placing my feet onto the roof. His arm lingers around my waist for a moment, until he’s fully up to his feet. Just as quickly as I was in the safety of his arms, he lets go, leaving me feeling wobbly on my own two legs.
He smiles. “That wasn’t so bad, now was it?” He turns to face the front of the building and stretches, placing his arms linked behind his head. His shirt slightly lifts up, revealing the top of his black briefs. Thoughts of sliding them down, followed by the trail of my tongue cloud my thoughts. “It’s beautiful and peaceful up here, don’t you agree?”
I pull my eyes away from his body, trying to get my mind out of the gutter. “Yeah," I walk over to stand next to him, “It is beautiful.” My eyes land on his face, watching him intently as he smiles and runs a hand through his hair. “A little scary, but still beautiful.” My stomach knots up, realizing I’m not so sure as to what my comment was referring to.
We both stand here quietly, him watching nothing, me watching him and both of us in complete peace. It reminds me so much of Adric. He was good at finding spots no one else bothered to care about and making them his own. I have a feeling this place is just that to Kellan. A place to make his own and be alone.