8
After breakfast he led me down into his underground garage. This was the only section of his house, so far, which wasn’t “rustic billionaire.” Under here it was all chrome and stainless steel, every inch shiny, including the twenty or more cars he had.
“Let me guess, you’re a bit of a fan of motor vehicles?” I asked drily, staring at the gleaming machines filling the space.
Daniel grinned, running his hand across the smooth lines of a dark purple Mustang. It was one of those old school ones, ‘69 Fastback, I was pretty sure. I wasn’t a big fan of classic cars, I liked mine modern and sleek. He had a few of those scattered about too. I saw an Audi R8, a Rolls Royce, and a lime green Lamborghini Aventador … which was one of my favorite cars.
“Everyone needs a hobby, right?” He patted the car one more time. “Cars are one of the best things about Earth. We don’t have them back in Overworld, so here I indulge my love.”
Another thing we had in common. “Can I choose?” I asked, unable to hide the anticipation in my voice.
Daniel’s grin grew, and my legs got a little shaky as he crowded closer, pressing me back into the Rolls Ghost behind us. My body ached, lifting of its own accord to push against his. He was killing me here – I had just found my ultimate aphrodisiac, Daniel surrounded by expensive cars.
“You like cars?” he asked, and I swear he dipped his head low then, brushing his face close to mine, like he was breathing me in. By the time my eyes fluttered open again, though, he was back to where he had been standing before, inches of space between us.
I tried to find some oxygen, but I couldn’t seem to fill my lungs. “Yes,” I choked out. “The faster and more modern the better.”
This time I didn’t miss the movement. He cupped my face, tilting my head back so we could lock eyes. “You, Earthling, were definitely put in my path to tempt me,” he murmured, a bite to his tone as a flash of darkness turned the cinnamon of his eyes murky.
He let me go then, turning away, and I sucked in some deep breaths, filling my starving lungs. Daniel was such an enigma. There were two sides to everything he did, and I was starting to crave both of them. His kind side nurtured my soul, and when he turned hard, it made my body burn. I never feared him, mostly because there was a control he carried at all times, and he rarely directed his anger at me.
Fact of the matter: I had always liked my guys rough around the edges.
I might actually need therapy.
Recovered, I walked to where he stood in the center of the huge garage. He lifted both hands out on either side of him, palms up. “Pick your poison.”
“That one.” I pointed, no hesitation in my tone.
He briefly rested his gaze on the gun-metal gray Audi R8 and gave a nod. It wasn’t my favorite of the cars in here, but it was the one that fit my mood today. Daniel was happy enough with the choice, if the look on his face was any indication. The doors opened smoothly, and I couldn’t help but sigh as I slid in, the leather bucket seat wrapping around me. The interior was a stark white, with dark gray accents.
Growing up on a limited income, I obviously had never sat in a car like this before, but I had seen all the pictures. Pressed my face to the showroom windows. None of that compared to this moment. There was no way to truly understand the feel and smell and opulence of the car until you experienced it.
“The 5.2L V10?” I said in a rush. Daniel, now in the driver’s seat, turned his head lazily in my direction. His eyes were very dark again.
“You know your cars,” he finally said, hitting the button to start the powerful engine.
As it roared to life, vibrations ran though my body and I had to stifle the moan that wanted to escape. Best. Day. Ever!
“If you let me drive it, I will be the best soul-sharer you’ve ever been attached to. Promise.”
Daniel didn’t even hesitate. “You can take the cars out whenever you want.”
I fought against my sudden instinct to climb out of my bucket seat and into his, and not because I wanted to drive.
Daniel backed out, heading toward the triple set of garage doors that guarded his precious cargo down here. I buckled my seatbelt and sank back to enjoy the ride. I’d never actually lived in this part of the Pacific Northwest, so it was interesting for me to take in the scenery as we drove. We took a road along the ocean, and I loved that as far as I could see was water. I pressed my face to the car window, before jumping back as it started to lower. I flashed Daniel a smile and then arched my neck so I was just hanging out of the car. I breathed in the salty air, letting the coolness whip across my face, invigorating me.
Turning to Daniel, I knew there was a beaming smile on my face; my cheeks were actually hurting. “Can we drive this way home?”
“We can go any way you want. I’ve missed quite a lot of school recently, so my appearances are mandatory for some time, but once I clock in some human hours, I’ll have more freedom. I’ll take you wherever you want to go in the world.”
I had to shake my head. I’d never had a person in my life who actually cared about what I wanted, who cared enough to try to make me happy. It was messing with my brain.
Twisting in my seat, I actually turned my back on the water so I could see him better. “How does it work, you being overlord major but not being in House of Imperial to keep it running?” He was a king, of sorts. Surely he didn’t really have the time to take me anywhere in the world.
Daniel shot me glances between focusing on the road. “As long as I make frequent trips to House of Imperial, the rest of the day to day running is done by other members of my house.” He turned a corner then, away from the ocean. “At the moment we’re in a transition period. Laous caused a lot of problems, and there is anger and resentment going around. I want to be with my people as much as I can, bring us back together as a house, but I also have to make these trips to Earth. The balance is getting harder to maintain.”
“Does someone keep you updated?” I asked.
