Page 15 of Nyctophilia

I wanted nothing more than to press my lips against his own, and feel every ounce of passion we had felt the other night. But he had left me last time, so he would need to earn that this time. I brought my hand to his chest and pushed him back gently. “I’m sorry, Jasper. I need to understand what happened the other night before this can happen.”

He looked crestfallen, but nodded. “I understand. But you’ll come with me?”

“Of course I will.” I turned to go back into the restaurant. “You know, for such a tough looking guy, you really are a total marshmallow.”

Jasper grinned at me, but his eyes narrowed. “We’ll see who’s the marshmallow later, Green.” He waited for me to walk back to the table, and then turned and headed down the sidewalk.

I ducked back inside and sat down with Mollie, who was eagerly awaiting my report. “So what was all that about? I saw him go in for a kiss and you totally rejected him. Good for you, girl. Did you give him a piece of your mind?”

I looked at my hands. “Actually, I’m seeing him again tomorrow.”

Mollie looked outraged, but waited for my explanation.

“He said he wanted to show me something. I don’t know Mollie, but I think he’s worth a second chance.”

Slowly she picked her fork back up and continued eating. “Whatever you say. Just remember I’ll be here to pick up the pieces when he runs out on you again.”

Ouch. But I didn’t feel like I was making a mistake. My gut was telling me to trust Jasper. The rest of our lunch passed with Mollie telling me stories of her clients, both of us careful not to mention my date the next night.

* * *

After another night filled with dreams of werewolves and Jasper, I got myself out of bed and immediately plugged my cell phone in to charge while I made coffee. When I checked the phone again, there was a text from Mollie.Love you. Be safe.

I hadn’t spoken to her since our lunch, and her message was appreciated. Smiling, I tried to figure out what to wear. Jasper hadn’t mentioned where he was taking me, but I already knew a dress wouldn’t work on a motorcycle, so I threw on jeans and a cute sweater and tried to get some work done.

At 6:55 pm I shooed Betty into the bathroom. I didn’t want a repeat of the other night, just in case. At 7:00 pm on the dot my doorbell rang. “Coming!” I shouted as I forced myself to walk slowly. I swung the door open to reveal Jasper’s grinning face.

He looked perfect as ever, his jeans and T-shirt showing off all his delicious muscles. But while he was smiling, his eyes looked tight. He looked nervous. “You ready, Green?”

I hoped so. He took my hand and I didn’t pull away. Our hands fit perfectly together, which only reaffirmed to my inner self I was making the right decision. He pulled me out the door and across the parking lot. We stopped in front of his ride.

“Nope. No way. Jasper, I am not getting on that death machine.” Jasper had stopped in front of a motorcycle, and was handing me a helmet.

He smirked. “What was that earlier about you calling me a marshmallow? You aren’t really afraid of a little bike, are you?”

I was, but hell if I was going to admit that to him. I snatched the helmet out of his hands and shoved it on my head. My hair was going to be a real treat after this. Jasper laughed at me, and I loved the sound so much I couldn’t help but smile too. He straddled the bike, and I had to admit he looked really good. He patted the seat behind him. “Hop on.”

I tried to get on as gracefully as I could, which is to say not at all. Something occurred to me as I tried to get comfortable. “But wait, don’t you need a helmet?”

Jasper gently tapped on his head with his fist. “Don’t worry about me. My head is tough. Now wrap your arms around my waist.”

I took him up on the opportunity to get closer and wrapped my arms tightly around him, feeling his chest rise and fall with each breath. He touched my hands briefly, and then kicked the bike into action. “Hold tight, baby.”

Chapter 6

The ride wasn’t as bad as I expected. In fact, it was pretty exhilarating riding in the cool autumn air, not caring how my hair looked blowing about. Also a perk was Jasper’s hand gently squeezing my thigh at every red light. Apparently wearing jeans was not a deterrent for him, but I found myself hoping we would get stuck at more stop lights.

Jasper turned the bike onto an unmarked road, a little outside of the town limits. He drove cautiously down the narrow lane, the moonlight filtering in between the thinning branches. After a couple minutes, he pulled up at a small cabin and stopped the bike.

I got off as carefully as I could, and walked around, trying to get used to moving on my own two legs again. I looked around the clearing. “I didn’t even know this was here.”

Jasper walked up the stairs to the small porch and sat down on the steps. “Not many people do.” He patted the space beside him.

I sat down next to him, enjoying the warmth radiating from his hard, muscular body. “I thought the woods were dangerous. Should we really be out here?” I tried to make it sound like a joke, but nerves were evident in my voice.

“We’re safe here. For whatever reason, what’s happening seems to be staying within the town boundaries right now.” He turned to me, and placed a hand on either side of my face. He was so close to me I thought he might kiss me. His bright eyes stared into me, and I couldn’t tell if they were alive with excitement or fear. “I want you to know you are in no danger tonight. You will never be in any danger with me. Do you understand, Ava?”

“I’m not afraid of you, Jasper. But I can handle myself, you know.”

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