by Kiersten Fay
She took Lex’s hand, suddenly overwhelmed with gratitude that he’d brought her here.
He glanced down and smiled at her, weaving his fingers through hers.
The Tower of Terror grew by increments, taller and taller, till she was craning her neck to find the top. She could see the train filled with people being chain-lifted up the vertical incline higher, higher. Next came the desperate screams as the coaster rolled into a freefall, riding the rail down, down, down, along a small curve at the bottom and then up and around an insanely large loop only to fly up another near-vertical incline.
The anticipation made her flush as a low wave of adrenaline coursed through her. The closer they got to the front of the line, the faster her heartbeat, and suddenly a bit of dread crept in. She’d never been on such a ride. What if she got sick? Oh God, what if she got sick all over Lex?
The line moved faster than she’d anticipated, and too soon someone was lifting the bar to an empty car and gesturing for her to take a seat.
“Um,” her voice shook. “I don’t know. Maybe I should just stay down here and watch.”
Lex gave her hand a squeeze. “Remember, you only live once, dove. I promise you’ll have fun.” The confidence in his voice shattered her resolve while the look he gave her made the rest of the world go fuzzy. That was a straight-up bedroom look.
She allowed him to guide her into the seat before sidling up beside her. The attendant locked them in. The click of the bar over her front brought things back into sharp focus. “I can’t do this. What was I thinking? Stupid, stupid. I don’t even really like heights.” When the cars started to slowly move, she felt faint. Panicked. “Lex! Get me off! Get me off!”
“Shh.” He placed his hand on her knee. “Love, calm down. Breath. It’s just your adrenaline spiking. You’re safe with me.”
She glanced at his hand, then at him, her heart rate paining her with each new thump. “I think I’m going to have a heart attack.”
“Shall I distract you?” With a wolfish grin, his hand moved to her inner thigh. She jerked, reminded of her lack of panties.
“Lex,” she warned, looking around self-consciously even as white-hot lust bolted through her. He was turning her into a beast of pure animal cravings. They had already left the station and begun crawling up the incline. The people in front and behind were blocked by the bulky seats, so no one could see where his hand was headed.
The incline shifted upward and gravity pushed her back into her seat, the tick tick tick of the gears guiding them skyward like a timer set to the beat of her heart. As they inched higher, he inched closer. Yet then he hesitated, and she thought she’d go mad.
Her hips rocked with need, and he took the hint. “Lex, please,” she moaned.
With that, his fingers delved between her legs. He let out a solid oath when he discovered how wet she was. Satisfied expression on his face, he lightly glided his finger along her core. She closed her eyes, sinking into the sensation. As the coaster continued to rise, so did her blood pressure. She gulped in air as the first hint of orgasm touched her nerves, building, building.
Then he slipped his finger inside. “Are you ready?”
Her eyes flashed open at the sound of a loud click.
The coaster dropped. And then she was flying, weightless, wind rushing past her ears as ecstasy so sharp and so hot seared her from the inside out. Her scream was lost to the wind, riding away on a wave of exhilaration. The first sharp turn brought a second layer of excitement to her scream. Adrenaline compounded on top of her unending orgasm, making her delirious with pleasure. At some point, she registered being upside down as another orgasm hit her like a freight train. As they descended at breakneck speeds, the intensity increased and the pleasure turned euphoric, exquisite, and unmerciful.
As the coaster halted for a moment at the top of the second incline, she gasped for breath and fought to orient herself. She locked eyes with Lex. His gaze was hot and hungry, piercing and intense. He smiled his wicked smile for her as he teased her sensitive flesh once more, bringing forth a new wave of pleasure just as gravity took them back down and through a second loop.
She was a thousand shards of ecstasy in a body ready to explode. She was upside down and inside out and turned around. She was out of body, flying free. Dying from pleasure and so damn alive.
She barely registered Lex righting her skirt, the coaster slowing, the bar being lifted. She leaned on him down the short set of stairs and out to a bench where she crumbled, dizzy and smiling like a dope. He knelt in front of her, rubbing her arms as though he feared she might be cold, though the sun was blazing down on them.
“Are you okay? Are you going to be sick?” His words filtered through her muddled mind.
“I think you made me drunk.” She laughed, swaying. Her body still hummed. “I just need a second.”
“Should I get you something to drink?” He rushed away before she could answer. Soon enough he returned with water. “Here sip it slowly.”
She did, letting the chill cool her.
“Better?”
She nodded. “Thank you. I’ll never look at a roller coaster the same way again.”
He laughed. “Ditto.”
“So, what’s next?”
“How about we find a ride that’s a little less exciting.”
She wasn’t sure it that was possible with him around. “If I remember correctly, there’s a slow-passed water ride around here somewhere. Used to be one of my favorites.”
“Lead the way.”
As they strolled through the park, he gave her his arm, which was the sweetest thing ever. “There!” She pointed to a two-seater boat carved into the shape of a swan disappearing through a darkened heart-shaped entrance.
“A lover’s ride,” he intoned.
She halted at his tone. “I guess it is.”
There was something wary in his gaze.
“Are you about to get squeamish on me after what we just did?”
“I’m just making an observation. This is a ride for serious couples, committed couples...who are in love.” He gave her a look that, if translated correctly, meant he feared she was getting a little too attached.
“Look, I’m not about to ask you to marry me or anything. And love is way off the table.” She grinned, hoping to defuse the tension she felt coming off him. She was beginning to suspect he was a commitment-phobe, just like Brian. Perhaps she attracted them like fire ants to a rotting carcass. “We’re just having fun, right?”
“Right,” he confirmed slowly, then let out a relieved sigh.
Well, that smarted a bit. Not that she had any intention of dating him long term. Dating wasn’t even the right word for what they were doing. Farthest thing from it. They were a convenience to each other. Nothing more. She wasn’t sure which one of them she needed to make that more clear to.
“You have nothing to worry about.” She swiped her hand through the air. “You’re a rebound, plain and simple. Besides, getting serious with someone like you...after Brian...that’d make me a first rate idiot.”
“Ouch.”
“Oh, stop. You know what I mean. Sure, I want what every girl wants: love, family, security, maybe kids someday, but right now I just need to have a little fun, and that’s what you’re all about: spontaneity and living for the moment and awesome orgasms on coasters.”
He chuckled, giving her a half grin.
“So if at any time you or I feel like this gets too serious, we should end it. No muss, no fuss.”
At length he replied, “Agreed.”
“Good. Because tomorrow I have to go back to work where my ex-lover will likely hound me for the whole day, so you’re going to take me on this stupid lover’s ride and then maybe another roller coaster, and we’re going to have fun, got it?”
His grin turned full-watt. “Yes, ma’am.”
When they got in the boat, they both became a bit awkward as it rocked lightly and coasted down the skinny canal, as if they were both
suddenly unsure how to proceed. Maybe insisting on this ride hadn’t been the best idea.
She surveyed Lex from the corner of her eye. He had that air about him. That air guys get when they were grudgingly humoring the girl even though they’d rather be doing anything else, anywhere else. “Fun fact, I used to always get so scared just before the boat entered the tunnel.”
Just as they crossed beyond the threshold, Lex surprised her by hooking her waist and drawing her near. “Well, don’t worry, dove. I’ll keep you safe from the giant heart of doom.”
The tunnel closed in around them, the light at their backs. “But who will protect me from you?”
“Fun fact: I only bite a little.”
She snickered, glad to have returned to a place of teasing. “Hold on, the good part’s coming up.”
“Mmm, is that so? Oh…you mean the ride. Don’t tell me a bunch of mechanical dolls are going to spring out of the walls and start singing.”
Her laughter echoed off the cavern-esque tunnel. They’d just entered the main chamber, stopping at the center. “Prepare to be amazed.”
He shifted in his seat. “Optimal position for amazement acquired.”
Under them, an ethereal blue light illuminated the water. To the right, an orange light flashed, followed in a circle by a yellow, pink, green, and finally purple. The walls sparkled with faucets of color.
“Hey,” Lex said, gazing around, “that’s pretty cool. I wouldn’t go so far as amazing.”
“Just wait.”
From seemingly nowhere, a crescendo of percussion instruments began to play. The subterranean lights began to move and swirl like living creatures. Light danced off the cavern in a glorious rainbow of color, vibrant and stunning. The bass moved in, hitting its stride just as countless smaller lights flashed below, joining in the ballet of movement and transforming the ceiling into a starry display that shimmered and danced in coordination to the music. When the cymbals crashed and the composition reached a climax, the refracting light morphed into a set of star systems in motion, little suns orbited by little planets. When the lights shifted again it felt as though they were sitting at the center of a traveling galaxy, beautiful and awe-inspiring.
As the music faded, she noticed Lex peering down at her. Wiping her stupid grin away, she tucked her hair behind her ear. “Pretty lame, I know.”
“No,” he replied, his expression a mix between amusement and something she couldn’t decipher. “That was really...something.”
When they drifted out into the sun, he leaned down and kissed her. Her heart did a flip. Then he pointed in the distance. “We’re riding that next.”
She squinted to see a tethered round cage rocketing hundreds of feet into the sky. Finding the tether’s limit, the sphere snapped back toward the earth, only to halt seconds before hitting the ground and slinging vertical again.
The Brain Scrambler.
She gave Lex a wide grin. “Let’s do this.”
12
When Lex pulled up to her house, she didn’t think anything could dampen her good mood—even though Lex had gone quiet throughout the ride, as though he suddenly had a lot on his mind. The day had been packed with fun, adventure, and stolen kisses. The best day she’d had in a long time. She had hoped it would continue long into the night...but Brian was sitting on her front porch, openly scowling as she and Lex stepped out of the car.
“I think this is where we say goodnight,” Lex said, glaring at Brian.
Her gut sank. “What? No. You can, uh, stay if you want. I’ll get rid of him.”
Lex hesitated, and for a moment, she thought he would stay, but then he shook his head. “It looks like your boyfriend wants to talk. I don’t wish to get in the middle.”
Was he subtly reminding her that they weren’t a couple?
“Ex-boyfriend,” she countered, trying to shrug off the disappointment that Lex didn’t seem terribly bothered by Brian’s appearance. Was he getting worried about their closeness today, worried she was growing attached?
“Right. Ex.” For a moment, she saw something dark in his expression. When she blinked, it was gone. “You might want to make sure he’s aware of that.”
She glanced back at Brian, who was waiting on the porch with his arms crossed, face stern. What was he thinking coming here tonight, looking as though he had a reason to be mad? He’d be even madder when she sent him away, but that was his problem.
In an attempt to salvage the night, she muttered to Lex, “Really. You don’t have to go. I’ve no interest in sorting things out with Brian tonight. Besides, you said you wanted to see my photography.” She was reaching and she knew it.
“Another time, maybe. I should go anyway. I was supposed to be at the club for a late shift.”
“Oh. Okay then.” He hadn’t mentioned that earlier. She’d figured they were both taking the day off. She got the feeling he was using Brian as an excuse to leave.
Growing impatient, Brian descended the porch and took a few paces toward them. “I thought you were sick.” There was a clear accusation in his tone. “I came to see how you were.”
“You shouldn’t have,” she called back to him.
“Clearly.” There was venom in his tone. She didn’t care.
She faced Lex. “Will I see you tomorrow?”
He shook his head. “No can do. Maybe this weekend. If not, I’ll pick you up for the wedding in a few of weeks. Sound good?”
Another sting of disappointment pierced her. “Oh. Okay, sure.”
He returned to his car without even a kiss goodbye. She waved weakly as he drove away, a strange gully of emptiness overtaking her.
She realized at some point during the day her heart had grown a little too fond of him. He probably sensed that. Was that why he’d shifted from her sexy, sweet, attentive Lex to Lex: the escape artist?
Obviously he didn’t like her as much as she liked him. Not if he so easily handed her over to a rival without even an argument. At the very least, he could have acted bothered. What if she and Brian got back together this night? It wasn’t going to happen, but Lex didn’t know that.
She just realized he’d been in such a rush to get away from her, she hadn’t gathered her prize from the back seat, the plush teddy bear he’d won for her...after roughly twenty attempts to toss a tiny ring onto the slender neck of a glass bottle. That might have been when he’d stolen a large chunk of her heart, which currently felt like it was being torn to shreds.
Brian pulled her from the memory. “What the hell, Kas? You’re ditching work to hang out with vampires now?”
She took in a fortifying breath and headed toward her front door, bypassing him. “It’s none of your business who I hang out with.”
“Of course it is. Vampires are dangerous.”
“Oh really?” She marched up the stairs and fished her keys out of her purse. “Is that why you took me to their dangerous den and then left me alone to go hook up with other women?” Yeah, she wasn’t getting over that any time soon. How could she have even gone along with such a stupid plan? Brian had worn her down for months, that was how. But if he really cared about her, he wouldn’t have put her in such a situation.
He paddled right past that. “And you never call in sick. Even when you are feeling under the weather.”
“Right. So I was due for a personal day.” She opened her door and then blocked the threshold with her arm when Brian tried to enter. “Brian, I don’t want to talk right now. I’ll see you at work tomorrow. Okay?” She shut the door with him still blustering. Then she plopped on her couch, listening to him rant at the door for another minute or two. Finally his footsteps trailed down the stairs. The engine of his car sounded just before tires peeled away.
Alone and a bit bummed by the way the night had ended, she played the day over in her head. He’d been having as much fun as she’d been having. Or so she’d thought. They’d gone through most of the rides, though he hadn’t been naughty with her again. They’d eaten junk food. Pla
yed games. Their last activity had been the ring toss. She’d admitted to Lex she’d always coveted the cute stuffed bears hanging off the booths, teasing everyone who passed.
He’d planted himself in front of the ring toss, determined to win her a prize.
He must have played twenty rounds, till he finally slipped that little plastic ring around the lip of a bottle. But by then, she hadn’t even really cared about the bear, but that he had tried so hard to get it for her. It had touched her heart in a way that was dangerous to them both, and he must have seen that on her face.
Since then, there had been shadows behind his smile. More than once, she’d caught a frown on his face when he thought she wasn’t looking.
Whatever she’d done wrong, it must have made him desire distance between them. Maybe he feared he was misleading her, that she was becoming attached to him. If so, she’d have to reassure him otherwise.
* * *
The next day, Kasima sat at her desk, diligently checking the seating chart for the upcoming award ceremony—Tanya from human resources was head of the party planning committee and had asked her to check it and make sure everything was in order. Tanya was generally meticulous when it came to these kinds of things, so Kasima didn’t expect to find any issues, but this year’s ceremony was going to be a huge event with several neighboring news organizations joining the fun, and rumor had it Tanya was going through a rough breakup. Preaching to the choir, sister.
She glared up at the delicate vase on her desk with three red roses sticking out of the mouth, wondering if it would be cruel to get rid of it. It had been sitting there when she’d arrived to work this morning. At first, a thrill had danced through her, thinking it was from Lex.
Then she’d read the card.
Brian wasn’t ready to take no for an answer.
Mr. Dixon’s voice echoed through the intercom. “Ms. Wilder. Can you come in here, please? I need to dictate a letter.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Dixon.” She grabbed her company-issued laptop and joined her boss in his office, taking the seat across from him. As Mr. Dixon spoke, she typed, not missing a beat. When they were finished, she asked, “Have you given any thought to me taking a few photos for the paper?”