by K. K. Allen
He shrugged and patted the small pad of seat left behind him. “All right. Get on, love.”
Without another word, I swung my leg over the back of his bike, wrapped my arms around his middle, and pulled myself forward as far as space would allow. “There isn’t enough seat.”
“It’s more of a puss pad, yeah?”
My eyes went wide at his words. “A what?”
He chuckled more loudly, his stomach vibrating against my palms. “A puss pad. As in, there’s just enough room for your—”
I slid my palm up until I found his nipple and pinched it hard.
“Ay,” he yelped. “Fuck, woman! Get your claws off me.”
Then I laughed. “Let’s go, Sebastian. You’ll be fine.” I tightened my hold around his middle, pressed my chest against his back, and squeezed. “Just don’t do any of those crazy stunt things. I’d like to live until tomorrow.”
He was still rubbing the nipple I’d pinched. “Right.” He revved his engine with a twist of his hand. “Hang on tight.”
Chapter 8
Sebastian
I’d been to LA a handful of times in my life, but only ever for a quick job or press junket. I’d never had an opportunity to explore. For the past couple of weeks, I’d been trying to make the most of my stay. That usually meant just riding my bike until something caught my eye. I would stop, peruse, then hop back on my bike and do it all over again.
After Kai called me in a desperate panic to take her to the house of some bloke named Wayne, her directions sent us to a place I’d become familiar with. Franklin Hills was a residential district where the artsy types lived. A small but ornate bridge connected the east and west banks of the neighborhood over a deep ravine.
With Kai still strapped on tight behind me, I slowed at the charming landmark, its light fixtures illuminating the length of the structure. Then I parked my bike on the sidewalk—more like a wide curb—and reached out to help her off.
I bit the inside of one cheek, expecting her normal resistance. But shockingly, this time, she accepted my hand while her curious eyes stayed on me.
“The Shakespeare Bridge? Why are we stopping here?”
I shrugged. “Interesting, yeah? I just like it here. Didn’t realize it had a name.”
“Well, it does,” Kai said.
She stepped in front of me and led me to one of the towers decorating the two-hundred-foot-long bridge. The white tower was just a solid platform with thick pillars on each corner and an arched ceiling.
“I’d say it’s one of LA’s hidden gems,” she continued. “The average person would cross over this bridge and never even bat an eye.”
I scanned the length of the bridge, understanding how that could happen. Then my eyes met Kai’s curious ones again as she started to speak. “You were just wandering around and found this place?”
I nodded as she pulled herself up onto the concrete platform like she’d done it a million times before. “I like a good ride, but I only stop for the unique stuff.”
My eyes held hers for a brief moment before she turned and stared wistfully into the darkness.
She proceeded to scoot to the edge to let her legs dangle. “That’s funny,” she said with a slight lift of her lips. “I stop by this bridge a lot.”
Kai Ashley was a fascinating creature, that I was sure of. She was complex, in that she didn’t seem afraid of anything, including the deep ravine thirty feet below. It amazed me that she would let anything hold her back, even her father’s death. I couldn’t imagine living through a tragedy like that at such a young age, but to let it cripple her for two decades… I couldn’t begin to make sense of it.
“I love this bridge,” she said when I sat down beside her. “I’ve always thought there was something magical about it.”
“How so?”
She shrugged. “Just the way it blends in so well with everything around it, like it doesn’t want to be seen. Yet if you really look at it and you take in the detail and the rich history marked into it, it becomes all you can see.” She smiled. “I read somewhere that if you drive across it at night during a full moon, you can see an appearance of a ghost, and then she vanishes.”
A light breeze whooshed in, raising the hair on my skin. I looked down and rubbed my arm with a chuckle. “Ya gave me goosies.” Then I looked up and pointed at the crescent moon. “Guess we can’t test the theory.”
She smiled, still looking ahead. “Guess not.”
I looked at her again with a squint, realizing Kai was a mystery, one I desperately wanted to solve. “You believe in that stuff, yeah? The supernatural?”
“I’d like to believe our late loved ones are looking down on us, celebrating in our accomplishments, guiding us when we’re struggling the most. That kind of thing.”
That made me think of all the resistance Kai was putting into rejecting the offer she’d been given with Angst and Grace. “And do you think they’re helping you now with your struggles?”
She stared out into the night for a moment before speaking. “Yes. I’m just trying to understand it all. Why am I being given all the signs to do something that feels so painful? I just… can’t seem to make sense of it.”
I bent my brows together. “So… let me get this all straight. After your father passed, you became afraid of boats? So… you’re afraid of a cruise ship but not dangling hundreds of feet above a city street?”
An amused smile lit her face as she glanced at me. “No, Sebastian. I’m not afraid of heights. I’m not afraid of swimming pools or water slides. I used to go to the beach all the time in high school. It’s nothing like that. I guess it’s more about the memories. I don’t want to go back there. To that night. To the place that killed my father. Everyone called it a freak accident because he’d been in situations like that hundreds of times. Worse than that, even.” She shivered. “And there were no signs of him hitting his head or anything. He just… fell overboard and never returned.”
“But they know he—” I swallowed, unable to say the words.
“Died?” she answered for me. Then she nodded. “They found his body not far from where I reported our coordinates.”
This time, it was me who shivered. “Wait.” My chest felt heavy. “You were there too?”
She barely nodded, like even admitting anything about that night was painful, and my heart sank deeper.
“Oh, Kai. I’m so sorry. Now I feel like a complete arse.”
Despite the serious talk, she seemed to be in good spirits. I’d never understood how eyes could smile before that moment, but Kai’s were doing it.
“Took you long enough,” she said.
I chuckled and held my arms up in defense. “You win that one, but it’s the only jab I’ll allow.”
The smile resting on her face told me she was pleased with herself. “We’ll see about that.”
I paused, wanting to make sure I was hearing her right. “So you’ll do it? You’ll join the cast?”
She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. “I don’t know, Sebastian. The whole idea of being out there somewhere in the middle of the ocean on a boat, no matter the size, is still freaking me out.”
“It’s okay to be afraid.”
“My dad was never afraid. He was so brave, confident. I always wanted to be just like him when I grew up—a circumnavigator sailing around the world, facing one challenge after the next, no two journeys identical. As soon as I was old enough to help him, I did everything I could.”
“Really? I figured you were a dancer since the moment you could walk.”
She shook her head. “Nope. I didn’t even know I loved to dance yet. Most of my time was spent with him and with nature.” She closed her eyes as a serene look played on her face. “I can still hear the slap of the waves hitting the belly of the boat when nights got a little rocky. And how the salty air tasted on my tongue.” She opened her eyes and looked up. “Every night, I would just stare into the water at the moon’s reflection and imagine we
were sailing through a sea of diamonds.” The way she spoke was wistful, as though she missed the ocean more than she feared it.
“Maybe it’s time to go back to your roots, Kai. Maybe the ocean misses you too.”
She bent her brows together and shook her head. “It’s not that easy.”
“Maybe not, but maybe it’ll be worth it.” I figured Kai was quick to challenge others, so maybe she needed to challenge herself instead. “I’ve seen your work history, and it’s all the same. Concert world tours. Music videos. Boy-band reunion tour. Award shows. Commercials. Need I go on?”
She still looked confused. “You’re not making any sense. My work history proves I have had a great career.”
“But this is your chance to join a theater production. Something different. A challenge. I saw you on that stage, Kai, and you loved every minute of it. Take a leap.”
She let out a breathy laugh and shook her head. “I’ve taken plenty of leaps before. Take my decision to move to LA in the first place. I didn’t have the financial support like most of my peers did. I had very little savings from my side job when I was in college. There were no guarantees. Yet I did it. I’m successful. I just…” She wrung her hands together. “I just don’t feel very successful right now.”
“Because you’re going through a hard time. It’s not as easy as living your dreams. You need to find a way to make that dream work for you. Sometimes that means doing the things you don’t want to do. Like dancing on a cruise ship in the middle of the Pacific.”
She shot me a glare, but the corner of her mouth tipped up in a smile. “With a smart-mouthed Aussie, no less.”
My grin met hers. “You say that like it’s my dream to work with a prissy ballerina.” Her jaw dropped in mock horror, and I shrugged. “I care about this show more than you know. And, right, I may have some selfish reasons for wanting you to join the cast, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that you’re genuinely the best one for the job. Just take the gig, Kai. The rest will work itself out.”
She looked to be debating it. “What if it’s the day I’m supposed to board the ship, and I just can’t get on it? What happens then?”
Something inside me roared. I could feel her so close to giving in. I would do whatever it took to help make it happen. “If you promise to try, then I’ll sign a private contract with you that states if you can’t board that ship by the time you’re required to, then I’ll reap the consequences. I’ll pay the fine. I’ll write you an amazing recommendation. Hell, Kai, I’ll even help find you the best damn job out there. If you promise to try.”
Her curious stare revealed a bit more of her depths. Something new flashed behind those light-coffee eyes of hers. Beyond the fire that seemed to always burn within her, beyond the fear she’d just admitted to was a want, a need to break through whatever barrier was holding her back.
“Why do I feel like I’m making a deal with the devil?”
I raised a brow, locking my eyes on hers. “I’m surely no angel, sweetheart. But I need you, and it’s looking like you need me too.”
“Correction—I need the job. I need the money. I do not need you.” She flashed me another grin that caused a fire to roar in my chest.
I couldn’t help myself. She was so adamant to remind me that she hated me, and I was determined to change her mind. “We’ll see about that.”
She assessed me for a second then pulled her legs onto the platform and turned to face me. “Okay, then tell me this. Let’s say I accept the offer. Are you going to try to sleep with me?”
I pulled my legs from the edge and mirrored her position, staring her dead in the eye. “No.”
She coughed out a laugh. “Really?”
I quirked my brow. “I told you. You’re not my type. Just because I want you on my show doesn’t mean I’m going to try to strip off those pink tights of yours and pin you to the first wall I see.” I narrowed my eyes, quickly regretting the mental picture I’d just painted. “No, love. You couldn’t handle me.”
Her pink lips parted like she was struggling with a comeback. Maybe she had a mental picture of her own. Then she returned my glare. “You’ve underestimated me before.”
Amusement lifted my cheeks. “I have. You’re right. But I’m not wrong about this. You might be able to handle my cock with a little training, but I don’t fuck around with the talent. Let’s just say I’ve learned my lesson… the hard way.”
She made a disgusted sound with the back of her throat, which only broadened my smile. “You’re so gross.”
“You asked.”
“You didn’t have to be so crude about it.”
I let out a hearty chuckle and shook my head. “Next time, don’t ask me a question you don’t want to hear the honest answer to. Problem solved.”
“Has anyone ever told you that your maturity level is comparable to that of a toddler’s?” This time, a grin accompanied her insult, which somehow made her even hotter.
“Has anyone ever told you that throwing jabs is considered foreplay to some?”
She laughed. “It’s only considered foreplay if my jabs result in arousal.” She leaned in, her light eyes glimmering in the lights of the bridge. “Does it turn you on when I make fun of you, Sebastian Chase?”
My hardening dick was answering her question without hesitation. I glanced down pointedly then dragged my eyes back to hers, which were right where I wanted them to be. “Be careful, Pink Tights. You’ll need to lock up your ticker if you keep running that mouth.”
“Ticker?”
“Your heart, love.”
Even in the dim light of the bridge lamps, I could see her face turn pink as she pulled away. “I don’t need to put a lock on anything except maybe my cabin door at night to deter you from getting your hopes up… and other things.”
I smirked. “Should we make a deal? A pact of sorts to ease your fears?”
Her brows rose. “What did you have in mind?”
“We both agree not to make a move on each other. The first one to cross the line owes the other something of their choosing.”
She barked a laugh like she didn’t believe me, then her laughter died in her throat. “You’re serious?”
I nodded slowly.
She seemed struck with panic. “I don’t know what I would want.”
Chuckling, I leaned back against the pillar. “Oh, Kai. Sweet, innocent, Kai. I think it’s you underestimating me now. I’m not going to be the one to break. You are.”
Chapter 9
Kai
The night was pitch black by the time Sebastian dropped me off at Wayne’s house on the outskirts of LA. I used my last ounce of willpower to call it a night at the bridge, knowing that even one minute more alone with him would result in a string of bad decisions that couldn’t possibly end well. If I was sure of anything when it came to Sebastian Chase, it was that he was the definition of “smooth operator.”
Miraculously, I hadn’t thought about my eviction notice again since hopping onto Sebastian’s bike, but the adrenaline from our ride together was wearing thin. When I thought about the chain of events leading me to Wayne’s doorstep, anger began awakening within me, and I would eventually erupt.
I truly believed that the night’s events were just another nudge from the universe to take the job. Off Broadway might never have been in my grand plan, but that didn’t mean anything at the end of the day. Sometimes, the most beautiful journeys in life were the ones uncharted. And right then, every sign was pointing toward Angst and Grace, Sebastian Chase, and the deep, dark, open sea of mystery.
Sebastian’s motorcycle purred at the end of the driveway while he pretended not to watch me knocking on Wayne’s door. Meanwhile, my best friend must have been fast asleep because he didn’t answer my quiet knocking. I pounded harder until I finally heard the creak of old wood from his foyer.
Wayne had a taste for historic architecture, and living in a 1950s home that he could update had been a dream he’d talked about sin
ce I’d known him. Six months before, he’d accomplished the first step of that dream. He bought his house, thanks to him busting ass working dance jobs, as well as a successful side job. Wayne was an artist who had the creative know-how to turn junk into art. I loved his appreciation for things most people wouldn’t think twice about tossing.
Wayne and I hadn’t even met at Gravity, as most believed. That would have been the obvious story, but we met at a trunk sale in his old neighborhood, where he was selling hand-me-down purses and some recycled decor that sold out in the first hour. The pieces were beautiful, made mostly from polished silver. We ended up hitting it off long before we realized we went to the same dance studio. The rest was history.
My shirtless friend stood there, his wavy reddish-blond hair tossed atop his head like I’d woken him from a restless sleep, but his eyes were alert and concerned.
I looked like I’d been hit by a bus. My hair was in tangles from the bike ride, and my eyes were burning from exhaustion. My clothes were dirty from climbing onto the concrete platform at the bridge. Suddenly, my chest was burning, and for the first time, I felt… defeated.
He pulled me in, hugging me close as I sighed into his neck. An engine revved behind me, and my entire body reacted as I stiffened in Wayne’s arms. I’d forgotten Sebastian was still there, and I never had explained who the man was whose house I’d asked him to bring me to. He was peeling away from the curb like a pissed-off boyfriend, and I wondered how things had gotten so complicated so quickly.
“Was that who I think it was?” Wayne asked, still staring at the smoke in Sebastian’s wake. Then his eyes went wide. “Oh my stars, did you say yes?”
I groaned. “Not officially, but it’s looking more like a yes every minute.”
He peered at me, squinting. “Okay, then tell me what’s wrong. You look—” His eyes darted around my face as he looked for a clue.