from voicing her thoughts. “Well, that’s it, then. Call me if you need anything.”
“Be safe.” Kethan shook Theresa’s hand.
Feeling bitter pride in her self-control, Quicksilver let Kethan guide her back to her motorcycle. Her spirits sank lower and lower with each step, but the light touch of his fingertips warmed the inside of her elbow, and the sky was already beginning to brighten. The thought of sunshine flowing over her shoulders filled her with a profound sense of relief.
They’d survived another night.
Chapter Nine
Kethan studied Quicksilver as she stood next to her motorcycle, staring at the pavement and shifting from foot to foot. Her sudden uncertainty caught at him. He looked away, feeling as if he’d caught her in a private, unguarded moment.
“ You want a ride?” she asked at last.
When he glanced at her, she looked away with studied nonchalance.
“ Sure.” He waited, expecting her to ask him for his destination. Instead, her lips compressed into a thin line, her brows drawn down over her eyes.
So, she had h oped he would refuse her offer. A chuckle rumbled in his chest, but he kept his face expressionless and made no comment.
After a long look , she thrust her helmet onto her head and tucked long strands of hair under the collar of her leather jacket. Her jacket and jeans made her appear elegantly slim and boyish until he caught sight of the sleek curves emphasized by her stretchy, slightly shiny, gray shirt.
Body thrumming, he grabb ed the half-helmet resting on the seat behind her before climbing onto the back of the motorcycle. He held his arms rigidly at his sides in an effort to keep his hands from wandering. Finally, he rested his palms on the sharp curve of her hip bones, praying neither of them would misunderstand the situation. Despite the cold rush of dawn air, his leg muscles burned with the heat of her thighs.
The motorcycle vibrated to life. The low grumble of the engine rebounded from the brick buildings like thunder. She twisted her wrist and gunned the motor. They leapt forward into the misty morning.
To his surprise, she headed back toward the business section of town and roared into a quaint area littered with small art and antique shops. For several blocks, they bumped over the cobblestone road, passing discretely wealthy, stylish buildings with woodsy green awnings and cedar shingles.
Without warning, she turned the motorcycle sharply, and their knees nearly scraped the pavement of a narrow alley as they rounded the corner. Then they slowed to navigate the dank alleyway that was little more than a walk-way, partially blocked with a wide, dark green metal garbage container next to the backdoor of a beauty parlor. The sharp, chemical scents of peroxide and ammonia clung to the damp brick walls looming over them. The smell burned his throat until they emerged onto another quiet street lined with brick shops that had the worn, blocky look of the nineteen-fifties.
She slowed, and he could feel her body relaxing.
He glanced around, amused to find her apparently at home in such a smug, old-fashioned neighborhood. She seemed more like the ultra-modern apartment type to him. At the edge of the commercial area, they slipped behind a two-story building. She maneuvered the bike toward a small shed that occupied most of the tiny backyard.
A moveme nt caught his eye. He glanced up at the roofline. A flick of blackness, like the hem of a coat barely visible against the brightening sky, snapped over the edge of the roof. Then it was gone.
A vampire ? How could it be when it was almost morning? Then he realized that despite the ribbons of pink sky, the sun had not risen above the horizon. The thought justified his presence behind her on her motorcycle. He hadn’t been overly paranoid about her safety and if she had been alone….
Wh en they rolled to a stop, he got off, his muscles vibrating from the bike. He removed the helmet and swept a hand through his hair as he
“Be safe.” Kethan shook Theresa’s hand.
Feeling bitter pride in her self-control, Quicksilver let Kethan guide her back to her motorcycle. Her spirits sank lower and lower with each step, but the light touch of his fingertips warmed the inside of her elbow, and the sky was already beginning to brighten. The thought of sunshine flowing over her shoulders filled her with a profound sense of relief.
They’d survived another night.
Chapter Nine
Kethan studied Quicksilver as she stood next to her motorcycle, staring at the pavement and shifting from foot to foot. Her sudden uncertainty caught at him. He looked away, feeling as if he’d caught her in a private, unguarded moment.
“ You want a ride?” she asked at last.
When he glanced at her, she looked away with studied nonchalance.
“ Sure.” He waited, expecting her to ask him for his destination. Instead, her lips compressed into a thin line, her brows drawn down over her eyes.
So, she had h oped he would refuse her offer. A chuckle rumbled in his chest, but he kept his face expressionless and made no comment.
After a long look , she thrust her helmet onto her head and tucked long strands of hair under the collar of her leather jacket. Her jacket and jeans made her appear elegantly slim and boyish until he caught sight of the sleek curves emphasized by her stretchy, slightly shiny, gray shirt.
Body thrumming, he grabb ed the half-helmet resting on the seat behind her before climbing onto the back of the motorcycle. He held his arms rigidly at his sides in an effort to keep his hands from wandering. Finally, he rested his palms on the sharp curve of her hip bones, praying neither of them would misunderstand the situation. Despite the cold rush of dawn air, his leg muscles burned with the heat of her thighs.
The motorcycle vibrated to life. The low grumble of the engine rebounded from the brick buildings like thunder. She twisted her wrist and gunned the motor. They leapt forward into the misty morning.
To his surprise, she headed back toward the business section of town and roared into a quaint area littered with small art and antique shops. For several blocks, they bumped over the cobblestone road, passing discretely wealthy, stylish buildings with woodsy green awnings and cedar shingles.
Without warning, she turned the motorcycle sharply, and their knees nearly scraped the pavement of a narrow alley as they rounded the corner. Then they slowed to navigate the dank alleyway that was little more than a walk-way, partially blocked with a wide, dark green metal garbage container next to the backdoor of a beauty parlor. The sharp, chemical scents of peroxide and ammonia clung to the damp brick walls looming over them. The smell burned his throat until they emerged onto another quiet street lined with brick shops that had the worn, blocky look of the nineteen-fifties.
She slowed, and he could feel her body relaxing.
He glanced around, amused to find her apparently at home in such a smug, old-fashioned neighborhood. She seemed more like the ultra-modern apartment type to him. At the edge of the commercial area, they slipped behind a two-story building. She maneuvered the bike toward a small shed that occupied most of the tiny backyard.
A moveme nt caught his eye. He glanced up at the roofline. A flick of blackness, like the hem of a coat barely visible against the brightening sky, snapped over the edge of the roof. Then it was gone.
A vampire ? How could it be when it was almost morning? Then he realized that despite the ribbons of pink sky, the sun had not risen above the horizon. The thought justified his presence behind her on her motorcycle. He hadn’t been overly paranoid about her safety and if she had been alone….
Wh en they rolled to a stop, he got off, his muscles vibrating from the bike. He removed the helmet and swept a hand through his hair as he
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