Page 24 of Zodiac Hybrids

When I opened the door, Marcus was leaning against the recessed wall beside the entrance to my room. His eyes roamed over me, and his already pleased expression lifted even higher.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re absolutely gorgeous, Lila?” He said through his cool smile.

“You really came.” I responded in embarrassing disbelief.

“And you really answered the door.” The roll of his eyes made me feel ridiculous in the best way. He offered his elbow and nodded his head towards the exit. I threaded my hand through the space and held his rock hard bicep. He was always such a gentleman. My whole face heated at the intimacy of it, while he seemed cool as ice. He also felt cool as ice. It must have been freezing out, as he didn’t emit any body heat, even when locked together like this.

He led me from the dorm, down the stairs, and out the gate to the parking lot. I followed him, waiting for him to disarm a car alarm, when he instead pulled me along to the motorcycle parking section.

“You drive a motorcycle?” I asked in surprise as Marcus grabbed an armored leather jacket off the gas tank of a black and blue sport bike. It had sharp angles and a small back seat, where a second full faced helmet sat in wait.

He shook his head. “You don’t drive a motorcycle. You ride it.” He corrected with a laugh. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“N-no. I’ve just never been on one.”

Marcus handed me the helmet before he put on his own. I followed suit, and he took the time to show me how to buckle the chin strap. The snug padding squeezed my cheeks like a chipmunk. He reached over and gripped the chin bar, then shifted the helmet around on my head gently.

“That’ll break in nicely.” He nodded proudly. “When fitting a helmet, it should be snug enough that it’ll stay in place in the event of the worst case scenario, but not so snug that it creates hot spots or pressure points.” He tapped his forehead for emphasis. He handed me an armored jacket next, and I pulled that on over my sweatshirt. The armor lined up nicely, and the jacket had little belts and snap adjustments so I could tailor it to my figure. It all fit so well, it was almost like he’d bought them just for me.

Wait, had he? “Do all your girlfriends wear this same size?”

“Subtle.” He snorted. “Since you’re obviously curious: no, I don’t have any other girlfriends. You’ll be the first girl to ever sit on this seat, actually, so I wanted to make sure you were at least as protected as I was. I guessed on your measurements, but we can exchange anything that doesn’t fit.”

I blinked several times, letting that sink in. “I can pay you back.” I might need to get a part time job first though.

“Lila.” He stated my name with a seriousness that made my whole body tense. “You will absolutely never have to pay me back for keeping you safe.” He popped open his visor so I could see the warm smile in his eyes, and I had to admit that I kind of, sort of, completely melted.

He threw his leg over the bike and stood it upright, then he kicked up the kickstand and patted the back seat.

I approached and stared at the high and tiny passenger seat. “How do I get on without knocking you over?” The dark visor on my helmet hid my reddened cheeks.

“You can use the foot pegs and my shoulders to help leverage yourself onto the seat. You absolutely will not knock me over no matter how much you fidget back there.” He said with another pat. “But you do need to hold onto me.”

“O-okay.” I leveraged myself up on the backseat, and true to his word, he had the bike secured between his strong thighs. I scooted as far forward as I could, and I nervously placed my hands on his shoulders.

“You’ll be more secure if you hold on here, Baby Doll.” Marcus directed my hands down to his waist, and his wink damn near made my heart explode. “Ready?”

“Ready.” I said with a brave nod. He turned the key, flipped a switch, and pressed a button, firing the bike to life with a roar. The machine vibrated beneath me, and I held on tight, not wanting to get shaken off.

With a downward tap of his toe, the bike clicked into gear, and we were off. Wind hit me from every angle, and I clung to him for non-existent warmth, using his body to help shield me from the icy breeze.

I didn’t know how fast we were going, but even parking lot speeds felt surprising as he rolled out towards the city of Graves. I bumped my helmet into his a few times when he stopped, and he rested his hand on my thigh whenever I tensed. Why that lowered my heart rate and calmed me down, I couldn’t say.

As he dipped into turns and accelerated in straight lines, the fear in my chest started to subside in favor of adrenaline and excitement. Before I knew it, I was giggling through the ride.

How could a guy this cool be into a girl like me?

The town streaked by my visor, with shop fronts and hotels far more modern looking than the medieval designs of the college.

Marcus parked his bike in a stretch that I figured was Graves’ version of downtown. I dismounted, then he put down his kickstand to join me. I was still shaking when he removed his helmet and shook out his golden hair.

“Did you like that?” He flashed me a glowing grin, and my heart skipped another beat. Marcus was entirely too nice and too gorgeous of a guy.

“That was incredible.” I said through a voice that was still shaking with that adrenaline high. “Maybe I don’t hate it here after all.”

“Oh Lila, my dear, the night has only just begun.” He tapped a kiss to the top of my head, then he wrapped an arm around my shoulder as we walked the cute-yet-swanky, flower-lined streets of downtown Graves.

Even if I’d still never really been kissed… this felt real. Maybe Marcus could be my first for an actual relationship.