Radley
Casting a glance behind me to make sure that I hadn't been followed, I heaved a sigh, then carried on walking along the walkway that circled the woodlands on the way back to my house.
It was daytime, and the woods to my right didn't seem as gloomy, as foreboding or as dark, as they usually did. They seemed mysterious, bright and ... inviting?
The sudden urge to run amongst the trees, to weave in between them, overtook me and I glanced to my left, to the houses on the other side of the road, averting my attention, willing my legs to continue to walk forward and not venture off of the walkway. The woods housed the wolves that I saw ... the large wolves.
And I didn't want to be in there with them.
Glancing at the houses as I walked past them, I gripped the coffee cups tighter, glad that they were still warm.
I had no real idea why I had run away from Alaric. I never usually did anything like that.
Was it the memory of what had happened last night?
No!
Stopping, I shook my head, trying to shake out the memories. I was making myself feel crazy with my thoughts about Alaric, about the strange noises he had made, about the way his body had moved.
I didn't know what had happened ... all I was doing was driving myself crazy, trying to guess what it was that I saw.
Why hadn't I just asked Tala while I was in the coffee shop?
Or Alaric himself?
Chuckling, I continued along the walkway towards my house. I would never ask Alaric anything. We weren't exactly on speaking terms. In fact, I didn't think I had ever really spoken to him. Just a few mumbled words of hello when I saw him in the street.
Or were those words in my head? Did I ever actually speak them out loud?
Probably not.
I was used to just watching him ... the way his body moved, his thick hair falling across his forehead, his handsome face nearly always wearing a smile. He was beautiful.
And very much out of my league.
But I could fantasise about him ... right?
Heaving another sigh, I shook my head again. I needed to get him out of my head. Since the night before, he had consumed my thoughts, my dreams. I just couldn't stop thinking about him.
And last night ... when he'd had his back to me, completely nude ... the moonlight glistening against his smooth pale skin ...
That funny sensation fluttered in my stomach again, causing a pleasant shiver to thrum through my body.
No.
Not again.
Stopping so that I could adjust myself in my jeans once more, movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention.
What was that?
Gripping the coffee cups tightly, I cast my gaze over the woodland, peering through the trees. A gentle breeze ruffled the fallen leaves, nipping at my bare fingers. I was grateful I was holding two warm cups right now as I shivered, this time from the cold.
A whisper of dried leaves.
The swish of swaying branches.
A snap of a twig.
Oh crap.
My breath caught in my throat as I felt frozen on the spot. My eyes darted from left to right, sweeping the floor of the woodlands, taking in the dead leaves, the exposed roots, the fallen pine cones.
My breath sounded heavy, my heart pounded, a rushing sound surged through my ears.
Was ... anyone there? Was it one of the wolves? The wolves that Claudia told me about?
I had only seen glimpses of them during the day ... and even then, they had never been this close to the paths. But still ...
Listening ... listening ...
The chirp of a bird.
The brush of branches.
The crunch of a boot.
Wait ... boot?
Sweeping my eyes to the right, I caught a glimpse of a leg as the rest of the body disappeared behind the thick trunk of a tree, not far from where I was standing.
So ... it was human ... not a wolf.
Thank god for that!
Breathing a sigh of relief, I pulled the cups closer to my chest and watched as a man emerged from the other side of the tree.
A very handsome man.
What ....
My mouth went dry instantly and I felt my heart knocking against my ribs as I stared at him. He took a couple of steps towards me, then stopped.
And smiled.
Oh. My. God.
He was dressed in a long coat and jeans, the exact colour of his black hair. His dark eyes crinkled in the corners as he smiled.
And my god, what a smile that was.
My legs shook slightly as I felt my heart crashing against my ribs, causing me to take a deep breath. And then another.
One more.
Oh god.
"Hi." His voice was deep and smooth, sliding across my skin like melted butter.
A throb shot down my spine and settled in my crotch, causing my cock to twitch.
Oh no.
Not this again.
Shifting slightly, I blinked at the stranger, aware that he was watching me. I tried to swallow, while gazing back at him, just realising that he was taller than me, and a lot wider.
He must work out.
The man took another step forward, the smile on his face friendly, as he reached out his hand ...
"I'm Orion," he said, his voice rolling around in my mind, sending goosebumps rushing across my skin.
Glancing down, I noticed that he was holding his hand out to me, silently introducing himself.
Balancing both coffee cups in one hand, I gripped his hand in mine, my hand trembling as I felt his warm skin brush against mine. My hand was swallowed in his larger, stronger one, the pale colour of my skin contrasting perfectly with the darker tone of his.
"Hi," I whispered, not trusting my voice with anything louder than a murmur.
He took a step closer and I was hit with the scent of pine cones.
I leaned a little closer to him, taking a deep breath.
He smelled like pine cones. But I wasn't surprised, seeing as he had just stepped out of the woods.
I think I liked that smell.
"Do you have a name?" he asked, his head cocked to one side as he studied me.
Realising that I was still gripping his hand, I gulped, then dropped his hand, snatching my own back. My skin felt super sensitive and, for some reason, I was already missing his touch.
"Uh, I'm, uh ..." I swallowed, then cleared my throat. "I'm Radley."
Orion's smile widened and he seemed to relax a little.
"Radley." My name rolled off his tongue, spoken softly, his deep voice as smooth as chocolate.
Shit.
The throb in my groin worsened, and I bit back a whimper. My heart knocked furiously against my ribs, and I was sure it would beat its way out of my chest and fall at Orion's feet. The urge to hug him, smell him, rub myself all over him, was so overwhelming, I had to look away.
Why the hell did I feel this way?
It was both exciting and frightening. I wasn't sure my racing heart was because I was attracted to him ... or if I was scared of him.
"So, Radley." His voice drew my attention back to his handsome face. "Do you live nearby?"
I frowned. Everyone in the small town we lived in knew where I lived, knew who I lived with. I hadn't met anyone who didn't know that.
Unless ...
"I haven't seen you around here before. You don't live around here, do you?" The sentence left my lips as soon as the thought popped into my head. Pressing my lips together, I stared at him, holding my breath, waiting for his reaction.
He chuckled deep and low, and the sound prickled my skin and tickled my stomach. The ache in my crotch tightened and I shifted, trying to relieve some of the pressure pulsing through my groin.
Oh god. I needed to get home and ... sort myself out.
"No, I don't live around here." The smile stayed on his face, showing off his perfectly straight white teeth. "I'm just, uh, visiting."
Oh.
Okay.
Trying to ignore the sinking feeling in my chest at the thought that this guy wouldn't be around for long, I took a deep breath. The scent of pine cones assaulted my nose once more and I had to will myself to stay where I was, and to not rush over to him and smell him.
Why did I keep feeling like that?
He ran a hand over his hair, the short tight coil curls shining in the mid afternoon sun. I squeezed the coffee cups in my hands as I watched him, my fingers itching to tangle themselves in his hair, feeling the curls between each digit.
Cocking a brow, he smiled, but confusion was swirling in his dark eyes.
I was staring at him.
Stop staring!
Tearing my eyes away from his beautiful face, I glanced over at the houses on the other side of the path. Each house looked exactly the same as the next. Neat lawns. White picket fences.
They all looked ... perfect. And very boring.
Clutching the cups close to my chest, I felt the chilly breeze nip at my fingers and I noticed the coffee was cooling.
I needed to get home.
Casting another glance at Orion, I tried to smile. Even though I didn't feel like it, I must have managed it, because he smiled back, causing my heart to skip a couple of beats.
He was ... perfect.
Absolutely perfect.
Unable to tear my eyes away from his gorgeous face, I swallowed. "I ... uh ... I need to get going." Yes, I did need to get going, but my feet wanted to stay ... along with the rest of my body.
"Okay," he murmured, the friendly smile never leaving his face. "Well, I guess I'll see you around, Radley."
I hoped that would be the case. I certainly wouldn't mind seeing him around the town.
Nodding slightly, I forced my feet to move, to walk away from him.
Whereas I wanted to turn graceful and stroll away, instead I managed to stumble backwards slightly, trip over my own feet, and stagger a little ... all the while looking at him.
Turn around. Walk away.
My cheeks were heating up and I ducked my head, keeping my gaze on the ground as I spun on my heel carefully, not wanting to trip again.
I felt his eyes on my back, but I didn't turn around. I needed to get back home. The coffees were getting cold. And there was a growing tent in my jeans that needed taking care of.
I heard him clear his throat behind me. "Goodbye, Radley."
His voice sent another rush of goosebumps along my spine, but I carried on walking away from him, along the path, knowing that he was standing there, watching me leave.
It took every bit of strength I had not to turn around and run back towards him.