Chapter 5. Closer

We reached the Ducati in no time, its shiny exterior gleaming under the moonlight. I’d never ridden a motorcycle before, and frankly, I felt a mix of apprehension, excitement, and fear just from staring at it. Emiri positioned herself on the vehicle, while I awkwardly stood on the side, unsure of what to do.

Sensing my hesitation, she gave me an encouraging smile. “Don’t worry. I’m good at riding it. Or would you rather I turn into a bat and carry you all the way?” she teased me.

I climbed on the back clumsily and reached out my hand as she passed a helmet to me. “Safety first,” I heard her snicker. I breathed deeply- this girl is going to be the death of me. She tied her hair securely, but didn’t wear a helmet herself.

She revved the engine which purred smoothly in response. I placed my arms around her waist and braced myself, and then we started to move. The quiet neighborhood whizzed past us as we went straight for the road. There were few cars as expected because of the time.

During the whole ride it felt like we are flying, with the wind hitting my body. I welcomed it like an old friend, getting the thrill of a lifetime. Despite wearing the helmet, I could still smell Emiri’s intoxicating scent, making me drunk with happiness. I gripped her waist tighter and she stiffened a little, but relaxed after a few seconds and enjoyed the whole thing with me.

We rode for two hours, and I didn’t really pay attention to where we were going. I only noticed the surroundings when she declared that we were near our destination. I noted that the scenery was unfamiliar. From the looks of it, she took me to a place I’d never been to before.

In the distance, I could hear the sound of the ocean. I sniffed deeply, the smell of the salty air wafting in my nose. Emiri parked near a huge metal gate that had the letter ‘T’ on it.

“Whose property is this?” I asked.

Emiri got up from the motorcycle and removed her hair tie, her silky black hair falling gloriously down. “No one important,” she muttered.

She helped me from the vehicle and placed my helmet on top of the Ducati. I looked around nervously.

“I don’t want to get in trouble.”

“You won’t,” she said while walking to the gate. She opened it a little and signaled for me to go first. My curiosity got the best of me, so I walked inside. I was surprised to see a lot of trees and green grass that was manicured to perfection.

In the midst of it all was a cobblestone path that leads somewhere I couldn’t really see. In that moment I felt like Dorothy- taken from Kansas and flown straight to Oz, a land of mystery and sorcery. I stared at Emiri, wondering at the back of my mind how she bewitched me to come with her, to feel a whirlwind of emotions I have never encountered before.

She cleared her throat. “Our destination is a few minutes’ walk from here. If you’re too tired to go, I can always carry you.”

My cheek heated up. “I was able to rest on the way here, so thanks but I think I can manage.”

I started to follow the path, while Emiri walked beside me. The dazzling ocean greeted us at the end. At the sight of the water splashing gently on the beach side, all my fears and hesitation vanished. The water was illuminated by the moon, and everything looked magical. In the distance, I could see a huge beach house. No one stopped us on the way here, so I assumed that the owner was on a vacation somewhere else.

I quickly removed my shoes and walked to the shore, savoring the feel of the soft sand on my feet. Behind me, I saw Emiri doing the same. I found a good spot to sit on and plopped down on the sand. I hugged my knees and stared at the water.

Emiri sat down beside me. She removed her leather jacket and draped it over my back. I gave her a look of gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“You can keep the jacket if you like,” she replied.

“I’m not talking about that.”

I glanced at the ocean once more, marveling at how beautiful everything was. The ephemeral vampire on my side looked more like a personification of Aphrodite herself, with the moon shining on her, illuminating her hair, blue-silver eyes, and perfect features. I closed my eyes, not ready to wake up from the strange dream, and placed my head on her shoulders.

“You know, something’s been bothering me,” I started.

“And what’s that?”

“Aren’t vampires supposed to be cold?”

“Yes. Vampires are supposed to feel cold to humans, but for some reason I’m different to you.”

“Why is that?”

“I have no idea.”

I raised my head from her shoulders and turned to her. I reached for her hands, intertwining our fingers. She gave me a confused look.

“You’re hands are really warm, it’s comforting. Do you mind if I put my arm around you? I feel a little cold even with the jacket at my back,” I said unabashedly.

“Go ahead,” she said, her pupils dilating.

My body trembled slightly as I unclasped our hands and moved closer to her. Hesitation gnawed at me, keeping my arms limp to the side, preventing me from embracing her. Why am I suddenly so nervous? It’s just her. We’re friends right? So why is my heart beating wildly in my chest? Why do I want to throw myself in her arms and beg her to take me somewhere death couldn’t touch me? Why do I want to do certain things to her? Questions piled on top of each other, making me more confused as the seconds passed.

Emiri surprised me when she raised her arms and pulled me in an embrace herself. “I thought you’re cold?” she murmured over my hair.

I stayed as still as I could, a sense of delight sweeping all over my body. I smiled against her chest, feeling her warmth and softness. She stroked my hair absently, making me yearn for her more.

I untangled myself from her and examined her face. “I’m weird right?”

“Why?”

“B- Because I want to kiss you right now,” my voice wavered a little.

She didn’t respond. She just stared at me with her mouth open.

I didn’t know what came over me. In that moment, all my inhibitions went straight out the window, leaving my head spinning round and round. My eyes drifted to her mouth- just begging to be kissed.

Without warning, I closed the distance between us and mingled her lips with mine. I heard that a single kiss could change your life, but nothing could prepare me for this one. Her soft lips tasted like a mix of strawberries, wine, and her own flavor. From gentle and sweet, the kiss turned urgent, sensual, like we couldn’t get enough of each other even if we tried to.

A soft moan escaped her mouth, encouraging my raging hormones. I pushed her down on the sand and tangled my fingers in her hair. Our tongues played with each other, her hands starting to explore my body. I returned the gesture with my other hand and touched everything I could; her face, her neck, her toned tummy, down to her inner thighs. She cupped my breast in her right hand, emitting a low moan from my mouth. We deepened the kiss, a whimper escaping from both of us.

“More!” I said in between kisses.

Emiri obliged by running her hands gently up and down my body, as if worshipping everything she touched. I moved from her mouth to her neck and licked it, lust totally consuming my being.

I started to unbutton my blouse, resisting the strong temptation to beg her to take me right then and there, even while fully clothed. In a few seconds, the cloth fell to my side, exposing my cotton bra. Emiri stared at me hungrily, her own lust evident in her eyes.

I took her hands and placed it against my chest, and she rewarded me by teasing the nubs that were starting to harden through the soft fabric of my bra. I pounced on her once more, softly grinding myself against her leg. My shaking fingers found the button of her jeans, untangling it in record time. I trespassed inside and touched her through the soft fabric of her lingerie.

“Stop!” she said.

I froze in place, unsure of what I heard.

“Stop,” she repeated once more, her conviction clear this time.

I looked at her face, a combination of pain and embarrassment reflected on my own expression. I moved as quickly as I could away from her, disgusted at myself for thinking she wanted me as much as I did with her.

“Clover. . . Please. . . You got it wrong. I want to, I want you.” She exhaled loudly. “God knows how much I want to continue this,” she said with frustration.

“Then why?” I barely recognized my hoarse voice.

“You don’t know anything about me.”

What she said was like a slap in my face. “That’s right,” I said with a hard voice while cutting my eyes at her.

“I don’t know you. I didn’t want to, but you insisted on staying with me even though I kept pushing you away. It’s your fault I’m feeling this way! You’re an idiot!”

I grabbed my blouse on the floor and hurriedly dressed myself. Emiri was in front of me in a second, but I ignored her, anger and shame seeping through me.

“I love you Clover.”

Her words made me completely immobile. I stared at her dumbly, getting more confused.

“What?!”

“You heard me. I’ve been in love with you for a long time. I know I’m not supposed to, but I still pursued you even though I know you didn’t want to. Please Clover. . . Forgive me. . . Forgive me for stopping us. It’s just that I want you to know everything about me first.”

My head automatically nodded as if in a trance. Did I hear her right? Was she really in love with me? My mind refused to function.

“I’ll tell you about me when we next meet,” she promised.

She moved nearer and hugged me tightly, engulfing me in her warmth. She whispered some more words after that, consoling me for rejecting me that night, but nothing registered in my thoughts. Everything was a big blur. I barely noticed that we walked back to the Ducati and rode it home, my mind a complete mess.