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I nod, swallowing down the mix of nerves and desire that swirl within me. “Yeah, I’m ready.”
He smiles, a small yet genuine one that sends a jolt through my chest. “Good. I think you’re going to like this surprise.”
I’m grateful that he doesn’t bring up last night as I follow him out of the room and into the hallway, my heart pounding with each step. We descend the stairs, the familiar creaking sound accompanying us, until we reach the ground floor.
As we step outside into the cool early morning air, I shiver.
Lycus leads me to a waiting taxi, his hand grazing mine, sending sparks of electricity up my arm. I try to ignore it, focusing on getting into the cab and waiting to see where we’re going. But Lycus doesn’t tell the driver anything, and once our seatbelts are done up, we’re off without a word.
To avoid awkward conversation, I look out of the window at the passing cityscape, but as I start to yawn and my limbs take on a heavy quality, I pull out my phone and read on one of my apps instead.
I’m soon sucked into a world of monstrous romance, where the main character is imprisoned in her own home and enslaved to her evil step-father’s whims, only to be saved by three unlikely monsters; the grotesques who guard her home.
It’s riveting. Dark and delicious and has my thighs clenching on the journey, adding to the already simmering pent-up frustration that I’m suffering.
“We’re here,” Lycus tells me, drawing me from a particularly good bit of the story, making me sigh in wistful longing.
Stowing my phone in my pocket, I look out of the window to determine our destination, only there’s…nothing. How long have we been driving that we’ve completely left the city behind and ended up out in the middle of nowhere?
“Umm, where exactly ishere?” I ask, climbing from the car and stretching as I take in my, frankly, bleak surroundings.
“We’re in the desert,” Lycus replies with a proud smile.
It’s hard to keep the frown off my face. “Why?”
“I planned an activity for the two of us.”
“In the desert?” I frown. What is there todoin the desert besides slowly die of dehydration?
“Yes.”
“But why?” Not to be ungrateful, but why is Lycus arranging my down time and sightseeing routine? I’m on edge because of last night and I realise now that I should have found an excuse this morning to get out of whatever this little adventure he has planned is. If it’s buggy racing or camel riding or some shit, I’ll lose my goddamn mind.
“Just trust me. We’ll have a lovely morning and I’ll have you back to the hotel in time to enjoy the rest of your afternoon before the party tonight.”
I give him a tight smile. I’m not worried abouttime, I’m annoyed that he thought it was acceptable to hijack my morning and make plans. Not a lot I can do about that now though, with the taxi driving off into the distance, leaving Lycus and I alone out in the middle of nowhere.
“What desert is this anyway?”
“The Sonoran.”
“Oh.” I fall silent, out of things to say. Probably no camels then. That’s a relief.
There’s the rumbling of an engine and a Jeep comes into view a moment later. The driver doesn’t cut the engine, but leaves it idling as he jumps out and strides over to Lycus, a beaming grin on his face.
“Lycus, Angelica, lovely to meet you both,” the Jeep guy says. He’s wearing cargo shorts, a plain short-sleeved shirt and mirrored aviator sunglasses. His skin is tanned, his hair golden, and his smile bright. He’s handsome, but next to Lycus he looks a little juvenile and like he’s trying too hard. “I’m Trav. We have a short drive to get to the Phoenix Flyer, but everything’s ready to go and we should have quite a spectacular sunrise for you to view this morning. Jump in.”
Lycus and I exchange a glance, uncertainty no doubt flickering in my eyes. Lycus just looks excited. Nonetheless, we climb into the Jeep, seated side by side in the back. As Trav starts up the engine and we begin our journey, Lycus leans closer to me, his voice a low murmur only I can hear.
“I know this wasn’t what you were expecting,” he admits, his fingers grazing mine. “But trust me, it’ll be worth it. Just give it a chance.”
I try to ignore the fluttering in my chest at his touch, nodding in response. It’s hard to stay mad or annoyed when Lycus looks at me with such sincerity.
The Jeep rumbles along the desert path, sand swirling up around us as we make our way deeper into the barren landscape. The anticipation builds within me with each passing minute, my curiosity piqued about what awaits us at the end of this journey.
Finally, after what feels like an eternity, we come to a stop. I look ahead and gasp in awe at the sight before me. Towering cacti stretch endlessly into the distance, casting long shadows in the early morning light. And there, nestled among these natural marvels, stands the Phoenix Flyer—a hot air balloon with vibrant flames painted along its sides.
Lycus grins at my reaction, his eyes gleaming with excitement. “Surprise,” he whispers.
