Page 25 of Shadow Warrior
“Well, hold on.” He pushed the golden card into a slot in the fountain, then pulled it back out. There was a snick, and then the world lit up white.
We materialized in an alley. And if the smell was anything to go by, there was a Chinese restaurant nearby.
“Seriously? An alley?”
“Warded from human eyes,” Kash said. “It works. Come on.”
“Where are we? I thought we were going to Mirage Hills.”
“Oh, we are.” He strode off.
I followed. “You didn’t answer the first half of my question.”
“Mirage Hills is surrounded by acres of forest land, and this is the closest village.” We stepped out of the alley and onto a main street. “Serenity is a quaint place filled with simple humans who like to get on with life.”
“No supes?”
“Nope. The village is under weaver protection. We keep it clean.”
“Nice.”
He headed off down a cobbled street, drawing a few curious glances from pedestrians.
“When traveling to the Academy, students head to the village and port from the alley. It’s the only authorized port for miles.”
“And how far is Mirage Hills from here?”
“Thirty-five miles.”
“Lead the way. I don’t mind a trek.”
“Oh, we’re not walking.” He stopped by a sleek black motorbike. “We’re riding.”
Oh, man, the bike was a beauty. All clean lines and power. It had been a while since I’d ridden one.
“You like bikes?” Kash asked.
“Yeah, and I can ride them too.”
“Nah, not this one. This one only works for me.” He climbed on, and the engine purred to life, no keys in the ignition required.
“Sweet.”
“You best get on and hold on real tight.”
Yeah, I bet he’d love that, but there was no denying the bubble of excitement in my belly. I climbed up and wrapped my arms around his waist.
“Ready?” he asked.
“Yeah.”
The purr intensified, and then we were peeling away from the curb and onto the road. The stores and houses whizzed by, and in a blink, we were on a country road. The wind whipped through my hair and pricked my eyes, but fuck, this was perfect.
Greenery all around just us, the open road, and the vibration of a beast of a bike between my thighs, yeah, perfect. I inhaled the leather smell of Kash’s jacket—his choice of attire made sense now—and closed my eyes. There was something undeniably seductive about a guy on a motorbike, and one that looked like Kash, with his bronze skin and sexy popstar hair, was hard to resist.
I tightened my grip, slipping my hands under his jacket to run them over his abs. He may not be stacked with bulky muscle, but that, beneath my fingers, was definitely a six-pack. The guy was lean, toned muscle, and I was blatantly groping him now. Shit. What was up with that?
I ordered my hands to stop their exploration.
