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Two days had passed since he’d been in the diner and Jade kept expecting to see him but she hadn’t, and she wondered if he’d left town already. She considered going to the pack to find out if he was still visiting but she usually avoided contact with them and she couldn’t figure out a way to seek him out there without revealing that she knew what they were.
The napkin he’d scrawled his number on mocked her from where she’d stuck it to her fridge.
You could just call him.She tried to ignore the inner voice that taunted her. She could call him but he scared her. No that wasn’t right she sensed he’d never hurt her. She wasn’t afraid of him. It was her reaction to him that was unsettling.
He made her feel things she was unfamiliar with, and she didn’t like it. Before him, she’d had very few reactions to men. She wasn’t seasoned when it came to men or relationships. She’d never understood the appeal since they’d all left her feeling flat and unfulfilled. Or worse targeted for her magic. It left her guarded and with a ton of trust issues.
Clay hadn’t left her feeling empty though and theirs had only been a public interaction. He’d barely touched her and she ached to be close to him, she couldn’t stop thinking about him. Even when she actively tried she found her thoughts turning to him.
Taking a deep breath she grabbed the napkin and punched the number into her cellphone before she had a chance to lose her nerve. It rang three times and her heart pounded as the last note died away and the next note started.
“Hello?” his tone was curious and the deep timber made her mouth suddenly dry.
“Hi,” she croaked out the greeting after a few awkward moments, afraid that he’d hang up if she didn’t say something soon. “I’m not sure if you remember me we met –”
“Jade, of course, I remember.” He said her name in a reverent tone. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t call. I was worried.” He confessed making her smile. He was humble a trait she hadn’t expected him to possess since most of the lycans she’d dealt with and most of the men for that matter behaved as if they were God’s gift to the female population of the world.
“I wasn’t sure I would,” she answered honestly. He chuckled and even over the phone could make her blush. “You said you wanted to see me while you were visiting. Are you still here?” Jade held her breath while she waited for him to answer, suddenly worried that he’d already left town or worse yet that he had changed his mind and no longer wanted to see her again.
“I wouldn’t leave without seeing you again. Are you free today?” She released the air she’d been holding and the burn in her lungs dissipated.
“I’m off today,” she confirmed.
“I have a few things I’m working on but they can wait. What would you like to do?”
Visions of them in a tangle of sheets instantly came to mind flooding her system with desire. She couldn’t say it out loud though and bit her tongue to hold back the scandalous reply.
“Why don’t we meet and then we can decide?” She suggested hoping that by that time she’d have herself back under control.
***
When they met almost an hour later near the diner Jade’s thoughts were still naughty and didn’t get any better when she saw him.
His light brown hair caught the early afternoon sun showing off golden highlights that she hadn’t noted in the restaurant, and she was busy ogling him when he spotted her. She experienced a fleeting moment of embarrassment at being caught so blatantly staring at him but when he saw her his eye lit up making her forget her discomfort.
“I’m so happy you called.” He leaned in and gave her a brief hug as he greeted her, and even though there was nothing overtly sexual about his embrace she felt like he’d seared her nerve endings.
He didn’t linger over the hug but Jade still felt like all the eyes in town were staring at them. If she knew he was a lycan then it was likely that other members of the witch’s coven knew what he was as well and being seen with him would be dangerous. Quinn would see Clay as a rival and hiding her magical talent would be for nothing he’d insist that he had a right to her.
“Come on let’s get out of here and go somewhere more private.” She suggested realizing how the invitation might sound. He didn’t miss it though if the smile that spread across his face was any indication. Jade felt herself melt at the hungry look he gave her. “I didn’t mean it like that,” she said while scowling at him. She couldn’t keep the harsh look on her face for long when he produced an extra helmet from his bike.
“Feel like going for a ride?
Visions of him on his back, while she rode him for her pleasure, danced in her head, not trusting her voice she kept her mouth shut and nodded.
Clay helped her put on the helmet and adjust the straps. He waited patiently as she got on behind him.
“Have you ridden before?”
“No.”
“It’s easy just hang on tight and lean with the curves of the road.” He showed her where to place her feet and made sure she was comfortable in her seat before climbing on in front of her.
Jade tried to keep a bit of distance between them by holding on to the handle behind her. Clay twisted around so that she could hear him. “When I said hold on Darlin’ I meant to me.” He took her arms from the handle and wrapped them around his waist eliminating the space between them. He rode without trying to impress her but as they rounded their first corner she found herself pressing more firmly against him her grip tightening as the bike tilted to accommodate the curve in the road.
She was thankful that she was wearing her hair back when they picked up speed and the wind created by the bike had the strands that had worked themselves loose whipping into her face. She was a bit disappointed when their ride came to an end wishing for another reason to keep touching him.
Clay helped her off the bike and held her steady when her knees wobbled. She tried to ignore the feeling of his muscles under her palms and moved away from him as quickly as she could to avoid temptation despite thinking only a moment before that she wanted more excuses to touch him.
