Dracian Legacy (4 page)

“Pernell, do you need a rag to wipe off some of that drool?” Dean was getting hysterical.

“Shut up, douche.” I turned to Pey and lowered my mouth to her ear. “What do you see over there?” I pointed toward the doors and was really hoping I imagined him.

Really. Really hoping.

A wicked grin formed on Pey’s lips. “Damn hot sexy hunk-a-meat, that’s what.”

“Crap.”

I cleared my throat and counted to five before I felt Axel’s presence right behind me, like an imprint on my soul. It was absolutely amazing and terrifying just how in tune I was to him. Especially since I’d known him for all of thirty minutes. I took a deep breath and turned around.

“Hi.” His mouth turned up on one side.

Holy lips, Batman!

My heart skipped a beat.

He accessorized his black Helix cargo shorts and gray, skull T-shirt with Tony Hawk sneakers and a leather cuff watch around his left wrist. As I continued my assessment, I let out a pathetic sigh. His toned biceps worked against his shirt, which hugged his body, showing just enough to tease and taunt me into wishing to see more.

Clean up on aisle three. Customer slipped in her own drool.

I cleared my throat, feeling the heat pool in my cheeks as I stood up on weak knees. “H-hi.”

“Did you sleep well… last night?”

My head snapped up, finding his blue eyes staring back at me. I nodded with a faint smile. My heart hammered against my chest. Did he know I dreamt about him last night? About us? Not possible, right? Maybe his Alien mojo could? God, I hope not.

“Where are
my
manners? I’m Pey, Ren’s best friend. And who’s the man that stole my best friend’s heart?” Pey asked, putting her arm around my waist and her chin on my shoulder.

I turned to glare at her, hoping to burn her alive. Who needed a nose-butting best friend anyway?

Axel chuckled. “I’m Axel.”

“
Sooo
,” Pey drawled. “How do you know each other?” She arched her eyebrow with suspicion.

I jabbed her in the ribs and turned to Axel. “What are you doing here?”

Axel reached out and secured a lose strand of my hair behind my ear. I stared at him wide-eyed, my head spinning. However simple the gesture was, it felt intimate. It wasn’t like there was anything going on between us… was there? He flashed a sideways grin that melted my embarrassment away.

He walked around me and held a chair, gesturing for me to have a seat. It didn’t go unnoticed that he didn’t answer my question, only distracted me enough to avoid responding. He seemed to be good at that.

Avoiding questions.

As I took a seat, I noticed Pey watching us without missing a beat of his chivalry. She winked at me as she continued with her conversation.

“…quiz by the end of the week. I really don’t care how our cells work,” said Pey, irritated.

“You have Mr. Webet for biology? You’ll love him!” Ella shrieked with excitement.

“No. See. I love these fries. I love my hair up with braids. I don’t and will never as long as I live love biology.”

“A little dramatic, don’t you think?”

“Shut up, Dean.” A few fries flew in his direction.

“How did school man-whore hook up with school geek, anyway?” Christian asked.

Dean leaned down and gave Ella another kiss. “A gentleman never kisses and tells.”

“Well then, that shouldn’t be a problem for you, should it?” I crooned.

He gave me the most endearing look, which made me blush. Then he looked away, chuckling.

Jerk.

Dean was the most-wanted hunk-a-dunk sex-on-a-stick that strutted around school and anywhere else like he owned the place. He was way too gorgeous and his luscious faux-hawk head full of jet-black hair, bright blue eyes, and bad boy looks didn’t help his inflated ego.

And worst of all, he knew it. He knew just how much he affected the girls. Sometimes, I thought he even knew how much he affected me. I hated the fact that my heart fluttered when our eyes met or when he smiled at me or how his
touch
sent a soothing sensation through me.

Girls knew he was a heartbreaker and yet they threw themselves at him. Some had claimed he was a sex god and being with him even for a night was worth the suffering.

As if…

“I see you guys have met my boy Axel here?” Tyler said.

“Dude. Don’t. Ever. Call me your boy,” Axel responded, elbowing him in the gut. Hard.

“Yeah, like that’s ever going to happen.” Tyler chuckled with a pat on Axel’s shoulder.

“Ren,” Axel said. “Can we talk?”

I nodded. “Bye, guys. Gotta run,” I quickly said to my lunch buddies, shouldering my book bag. I followed Axel.

My heart raced with excitement as we slowly pulled away from the crowd. He stopped right before the gymnasium and turned around. We stood there, silently, making me feel more uneasy.

“I see stalking is your hobby. Perhaps I should consider a restraining order?”
Good God. What the hell is wrong with me? I’m always finding different ways to make a complete ass of myself.

His eyes locked with mine and a delicious smile formed over his lips. “If I knew you were friends with Tyler, I wouldn’t have stalked you.”

I gasped.
Oh!

He chuckled.

My heartbeat quickened. A thousand butterflies bloomed in my gut as his laugh wrapped its tendrils into the core of my existence.

“Well, finally a confession,” I said, biting my lip to hold back a smile.

“Do you have any plans after school today?”

I shook my head.

“Okay. If you’d like, I want to answer
your
questions.”

Finally.

I tilted my head to the side, looking at him through my eyelashes. We were a few breaths away from each other and my gaze dropped to his delicious lips.

“Okay.”

He nodded in approval.

“Nuh-uh… No way I’m getting on that thing.” My voice trembled.

Pey and I have been carpooling since we both got our licenses. Today, Pey drove us to school. So, letting Axel drive us where he wanted to take me for the big reveal seemed logical. That was until I stood in front of his ride. It was a blood-red motorbike with designer black markings. The passenger seat was… Well, there really wasn’t one. I might as well have crawled onto his lap.

He handed me his helmet. “Come on, Ren, Dulcea is safe.”

“No… Wait, you named your bike
Dulcea
?” I laughed, momentarily distracted.

“Shh…” He rubbed his hand over
her
. “She has feelings.”

“Whatever. I’m not riding your
Dulcea
.” Savannah and Rachel, queen elite gossip cheerleaders, walked by just as those words slipped out of my mouth.

Kill me. Kill me now!

They looked to Axel, then me, and then back at him. They walked backward, giving me a thumbs-up and giggling. My cheeks were on fire.

Axel graced me with the cutest little pout, completely oblivious to what happened.

“Fine. But if my head splits open like a watermelon, it’s on your conscience,” I said.

And. Then. He. Smiled.

My heart filled with joy, like a bucket of warm water. I didn’t know why and it was utterly ridiculous and I was definitely high on dead brain cells, but in that moment, I knew what I wanted. I wanted him to keep smiling and I would do everything in my power to make him do so. I never knew seeing someone else smile would be enough for me. I liked it.

Screw that. I liked it a lot, especially when it was…
because
of me. For me.

I took the helmet from his hands and placed it over my head.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“Well…”

His cheeks turned red as he placed his hand behind his neck, looking nervous. There was nothing more gorgeous than that! My fingers fumbled with the straps of the helmet, trying to adjust it on my soon-to-be watermelon mush.

“Here, let me,” he said.

He closed the distance between us. I stiffened and held my breath as he buckled the helmet under my chin. His fingers gracefully touched my skin along my jawline. My eyes studied him. They were in exotic Candy Land. That was for sure.

I wondered what he would do if I reached up and kissed him right on those delicious lips. He had to be a great kisser. I mean, who would have lips like that and not know how to use them to their full extent?

You freak,
get a grip. I’m pretty sure you’d get arrested for attempted rape.

Apparently, mentally slapping myself wasn’t enough, so I mentally drop-kicked myself in the gut.

“Now your pretty head is safe.” He patted the helmet.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. He smiled enthusiastically, crinkles drawing at the corners of his eyes. I gaped at him without shame as he straddled Dulcea before his eyes locked with mine.

“One leg at a time, Ren. Here first.” He pointed to the foot pegs.

Okay. Here we go, then.
I hesitated. After all, he was a very hot guy and my body was about to get up close and personal with his. I sighed deeply before carefully placing one leg on the foot peg and then swinging the other over the seat.

“Hold on,” he said, looking back at me with a twinkle in his bright blue eyes.

I nodded and placed my arms on his waist, trying to keep some distance between us.

His shoulders vibrated. Was he laughing at me? “I don’t bite, unless…” He shook his head like he was trying to purge that thought.

Unless what?
His hands grabbed my wrists and pulled them around to the front of his stomach. My front was flush against his back and I sucked in a surprised breath. My body hummed at the contact. Everything around me zeroed in on him, his body against mine, his smell that reminded me of spring, his touch… I cleared my throat.

He overlapped my hands one on top of the other over his abs—his rock-hard abs. My heart thumped against his back as I pressed against him even tighter and my thighs lined against the length of his legs. I blew out another breath to shake off the nerves from the intimacy of the touch.

“Lean in the same direction I do,” he instructed, almost in a hoarse whisper. He cranked the brute and I could feel every rumble. I was dreading the ride before it even began. He placed his hand on my bare knee to soothe me.

“I’ve got you, Ren. Trust me. Hold on.”

“I trust you,” I whispered. I didn’t know when or why it happened, but that was the truth.

CHAPTER FOUR

“Stop. Stop. Stop,” I yelled as it started to drizzle.

The bike came to an abrupt stop. Axel turned to me with a concerned expression and a crease between his brows. “Is everything okay?”

I nodded with a wicked smile, taking off the helmet and handing it to him. I dismounted the bike easily.

“It’s going to pour soon, Ren.”

That was precisely why I needed him to stop. Rain in August was very rare so I had every intention of enjoying it. I ran forward, arms wide open and face tilted toward the sky as small droplets welcomed me with soft kisses of unspoken peace.

I kicked and jumped and ran in the puddles, embracing the cold raindrops washing over my face, arms, and entire body. I felt like I was five again. This felt amazing. I had been grounded countless times for playing in the rain and getting sick. But it was worth it every time. There was nothing like the feel of cold rain kissing my skin on a hot summer day.

I twirled around as the shower came to an end. I scowled at the sky for taking away my serenity so soon. Axel stared at me, equally drenched. His brown hair drooped over his eyes and his shirt hugged every ripple and contour of his body. I wondered how long it took God to create
that
sculpture.

I bit my lip to keep myself from saying something stupid. It was hard to breathe when he looked at me like
that
, like I was someone he’d been longing for.

“What?” I asked, walking toward him.

“You’re ridiculous—”

Heat crept up my face. “Well, you’re a pompous ass.”

He surprised me with a smile. He parked his bike off the side of the road in the gravel and walked toward me—every step measured and decisive.