I catch the helmet Wade tosses to me and stare at it. "You're taking me for a ride on your bike?"
"Correction, Evie," he says, emphasizing my new name, in a voice that sends my insides churning in the most delicious ways. "I'm taking you for a ride on your bike. Climb on." He smirks at me, and a devious glint flashes in his eyes. Almost a challenge. Is he afraid I'll be too scared to ride?
I smirk back at him and shove the helmet over my head, securing it at my chin. There's no way I'm gonna let this guy see me sweat. Not over a bike. The thing's already in my carport. It's not a matter of if I'm getting on the machine, it's when. If I've gotta do that tonight to prove to Mr. Cocky that I'm down for anything, then so be it.
He shoves the key into the ignition and revs the engine a few times, then grins and pats the seat of the bike behind him. Another grin washes over his face.
I grit my teeth, then climb on, straddling the seat behind him. My legs are practically wrapped around Wade, and I have to lean back to keep from fusing my chest to his muscled back. Not that I'd complain. But that's beside the point.
My hands hover to the side as I try to figure out where to place them. "Is there a handlebar, or something for me to hang onto?" I ask in his ear.
Wade turns his head to the side, giving me a perfect view of his profile, complete with a strong chin, angular jaw, high cheekbones, and dark stubble on his face. His eyes tilt downward at me, making his long dark lashes obscure the gray in his eyes. He looks older at this angle. Twenty-four? Maybe younger? Ugh. Why won't he just tell me?
"You've gotta put your arms around me and hold tight because I intent to take you for a ride," he says before we lock eyes and my stomach flip-flops again.
I barely have time to lightly place my hands at his waist before he puts on his helmet, revs the engine one more time, and lurches from the carport, spitting gravel out from under the tires.
I yelp, and wrap my arms around his stomach, fusing everything from my shoulders to my waist to him like cement. He glances over his shoulder and his eyes squint, forming laugh lines on the corners as he grins.
Cool Wind whips at my helmet and body, making it sound like I've got my face in one of those Dyson hand dryers you see in public bathrooms.
We turn and he leans into a corner. I try to do the same, but it feels weird, like we'll lose balance and slide on our sides. So I grip harder and close my eyes, pressing myself to his chest, as if it'll miraculously keep me safe.
We do another turn, and my grip is still a vice, but not as bad. Soon, we're on the outskirts of town. The overhead lights are fewer and further apart, but so are the cars and the turns. All around us are green farmland and pine trees, shadowed in darkness. And peace.
My life has been a whirlwind for weeks, preparing for graduation and summer, then having my entire life yanked out from under me, losing my best friend, breaking up with my boyfriend, and being thrust into this new, exciting, and fascinating new world.
I've barely had time to breathe, let alone properly wrap my mind around things. If my new "boyfriends" are half as hot as Wade, I'm gonna be the envy of virtually every girl on the planet. But with the sexy guys comes the risk and the danger. I've read about it in books. Studied and practiced in classes and outings. Am I ready?
Before I can decide, Wade slows down and turns off on a long gravel road with no lights. It's pitch dark around us, except for the lights of the motorcycle. When he finally comes to a stand still and puts down the kickstand, I extract myself from his chest and get off the bike. My legs tingle from the vibration of the motor, and my arms ache from gripping him so hard. But when I pull my helmet off my face, I'm grinning.
"Did you like it?" he asks, his brows raised.
My head bobs like his Baymax bobble head. "That was amazing!"
"You wanna try to drive this time?"
I throw my hands up, palms out, and step away from him, closer to the crops flanking the road. "Nopity. Nope. Nope. Not tonight, and not in the dark."
He chuckles and gets off the bike, taking off his helmet too. How come his hair gets to look all tousled and sexy when mine probably looks like a dog sat on it? Guys get all the luck.
"Oh, C'mon. It's not so hard," he says, stalking toward me. "Could be fun."
I shake my head, stepping away from him. "Not gonna happen. I prefer in daylight in a parking lot, without the possibility of road rash on a gravel road."
Wade sighs, and his muscles drop. "Fine. I'll come back tomorrow after you've met Cosmo to get my debriefing and to show you how to ride the bike. You need to be driving one by the time you meet up with Saint."
"Saint?"
He nods, and wades into the field, several feet from the motorcycle. "Have you seen the stars out here at night? When it's pitch dark and there aren't any other lights polluting the sky?"
I glance up at the sky, then back at him. "How did we get from Saint to the stars?"
"I hear there's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight. I thought I could give you a rundown of the guys as we watch the meteors."
"Do I need to worry about it turning into an apocalyptic nightmare?" I ask, cocking my head.
He chuckles and shakes his head, then lays in the field, disappearing among the grass. "Nah. They look like a bunch of shooting stars," I hear him say. "It's kinda cool and it doesn't happen often. I thought we could do both."