Page 61 of Ensnaring the Siren

She lifted her head. “I’m listening.”

Fifteen minutes later, she was dressed for hiking and eyeing his motorcycle warily. “You should know I don’t do car rides well.”

“You’ve been in a car?” He zipped up his black leather riding jacket.

“A few times. Friends gave me something called Drama…” Her brow pinched as she struggled to recall the name. “Drama…”

“Dramamine?”

“Yes!”

“I’ve got some of that right here.” He opened the storage box and plucked out a container of pills. “I usually swallow this with water…”

“I will just suffer.” She waved a hand dismissively, before popping open her mouth and sticking out her tongue rather cutely.

Chuckling, he shook out a pill and dropped it on her tongue. She reared back, her face scrunching in comical displeasure, before she swallowed and shuddered.

“You good?”

“Alive. If that evil medicine didn’t work so well…”

No exaggeration there. It was nasty stuff, but it did work like a charm.

Beckoning her closer, he slid his spare helmet, a sporty, black piece that matched his own, over her head. “We gotta wait for that medicine to kick in, but I want to make sure this fits. How’s that feel? Any pinching?”

Her amber eyes flashed behind the black tint visor. It was positively spooky. “Strange, but fine.”

While they waited, he explained the different parts of the motorcycle, how it worked, and what to expect. When he got to the part about the loud engine, she expressed concern about her hearing sensitivity, so he went and got her earplugs.

“Come up here, Starfish.” He patted the bit of seat behind him.

Tentatively, she came forward, holding onto his shoulders as she threw her leg over the bike, placing her feet where he’d told her to. “Hold me tight,” he said, turning the key, the engine rumbling to life beneath them.

She crushed him in a bruising grip, the air whooshing out of him. He patted her arm urgently, and she loosened her hold, relaxing against his back. Good girl.

He gave her knee a reassuring squeeze, then eased on the throttle. He took it easy down the access road, but once they hit the coastal highway, he brought them up in speed, zipping down the blacktop. Trees and stretches of coast whipped by, Nireed holding on firm and doing a happy little wiggle behind him.

He grinned.

When they were going over safety, they came up with a simple code so she could tell him without words whether she was having a good time. Two squeezes to slow down, three to stop, and anything else meant keep going.

He brought them to the seaside picnic grove where he liked to hike. The moment the engine quieted, Nireed slid off the back of the bike and pulled the helmet off her head. Her smile was as bright as her eyes. “That was fun!”

Such wonder and awe filled those luminescent eyes. Here was a creature who had seen the deep unknowns of the ocean, and yet a simple motorcycle ride, an experience he was able to provide her, brought her this unfettered joy.

He kicked out the kickstand and swung off, peeling his own helmet away.

Hooking his fingers in the waistband of her leggings, he yanked her to him and kissed her fiercely, tasting that excitement for himself. Not only did he love that she had a good time trying this new thing with him, he loved her thrill for the ride.

Just seeing her like that made him hot all over. And maybe it was the mating frenzy talking, but he was pretty sure tons of new couples went through a period of insatiable horniness early on in a relationship. As much as he wanted to continue that trend right now, he had an adventure to deliver.

Her cheeks were flushed when he pulled away. “What was that for?”

“Turns out I really like seeing you happy.”

She smiled bashfully, the rosy tinge to her cheeks brightening.

After trading their helmets for a water bottle, he took her hand, leading her toward the trailhead. They hit the trail at a slow, easy pace, both so that Nireed could take her time over the tricky terrain and enjoy the new surroundings.

---